Classroom of the Elite, A Hypocritical Gray Life

"You're the one who talks the most all day, so why are you acting like you're holding back? I don't even feel that way."

"I'll just sing to myself under the covers in my own dorm room, thank you very much. I don't want to make a fool of myself. Besides, I have no desire to sing with three grown men."

"How can you call us three grown men?"

"Ah--"

Shiratori unceremoniously hooked me, pinning my neck under his armpit while using his other hand to pinch the flesh on my cheek. "Isn't there Raku, the slender, beautiful boy? You can just try to imagine him as a delicate girl. Even if he is flat-chested."

"Are you trying to gross me out? If you want to be disgusting, don't do it to me. I'd only go if Raku dressed in drag."

"Raku, for the sake of our--"

"I refuse!" I broke free from his arm, making the swiftest and most firm refusal of my life.

"I feel offended on every possible level."

"Don't mind it, and besides, I'm really looking forward to it."

"A gentleman would rather die than be humiliated. There is no way I'm compromising."

"Tsk, you're really not going?" Shiratori asked, refusing to give up.

"If you want to go, go yourself. The three of us are going to Okabe's room to play Ozmir World."

"Ho ho ho! Has that been released already? I've been looking forward to it!"

"It went on sale three days ago."

"Oh, oh, oh--! I want to play! Everyone meet at Okabe's room right after dinner!"

"..."

That's not even a voice-controlled game, so much for "holding back"...

An empty amusement park was in operation.

The seesaw was empty, yet it bobbed up and down on its own; the colorful carousel carried nothing but air as it played joyful music; the drop tower emitted a chilling grinding sound as it plummeted, and the Ferris wheel nearby, as if startled, traced a graceful arc through the sky.

I wandered through this deserted amusement park holding a cone filled with snow and a drink made of tomatoes, staring deeply at this mundane scene...

Or perhaps "eerie" would be a more fitting description.

This was not normal; everything here was completely abnormal.

There were no visitors to the park, and it felt as desolate as a bankrupt factory, yet these machines operated on their own, seeking their own amusement.

I tried to investigate the truth behind this amusement park, but I found nothing, and in the end, it only left me famished.

Since I couldn't uncover the truth, I might as well participate to the fullest.

Faced with such an absurd thought, I felt unusually excited; the thrill of that impulse was so intense it felt as if it were tearing me apart.

However, it wasn't until I approached the rides that I realized there were no entrances, no queues of tourists, and no staff collecting tickets.

So how was I supposed to board this train that was about to collapse?

Such a ridiculous question forced me to rack my brains. I anxiously licked the snow cone, using the cold sensation on my tongue to stimulate my brain and stay alert, all while pacing restlessly around the park.

This shouldn't be happening. This place shouldn't look like this; something must be wrong.

I had paid the price to enter the park, yet because the machines kept running, I was denied the right to play.

This isn't fair. This is so unfair.

Consumed by rage, I shoved the entire cone into my mouth and chewed, the crunching sound accompanied by the metallic tang of blood. Because the taste was unbearable, I gulped down the tomato juice in my cup. It didn't matter how thick the blood-like taste was; once the concentration kept rising, we would stop noticing it and eventually adapt.

As long as the falling snow becomes heavy enough, we will lose our sight.

While pacing in restless anxiety, I suddenly discovered a castle that could be entered freely.

Its gates were wide open, and plastic balls were scattered everywhere. They were colliding and bouncing at will, some even rolling lazily down the slides.

I hurriedly threw away everything I was holding and sprinted toward the castle, ignoring everything else.

The scene inside filled me with joy; the excitement made my body tremble, and tears streamed from my eyes.

Just as I suppressed the joy in my heart and stepped into the castle, the loudspeaker above emitted a piercing electronic screech.

I clutched my ears in pain, trying to block the sonic attack, but the sound of the electronic screech easily invaded my mind.

"This place does not belong to you. Please leave immediately."

"Broadcasting again: This place does not belong to you. Please leave immediately."

Immediately after, the castle gates slammed shut. That door was like the iron bars of a prison, sealing me inside.

Huh? Are you kidding me?

This place doesn't belong to me?

Then what is the point of me coming here?

I went through all that trouble to get here, and you're just going to dismiss me with a single line about it not belonging to me?

I laughed from the bottom of my heart at this joke.

"Ha, ha-- ha, ha--"

"Haha--haha--"

I felt joy, happiness, and--warmth from the bottom of my heart regarding this matter. It was something so warm that I shed tears for it.

Hahaha, are you kidding me!

I violently smashed the gates of the toy castle, ignoring the blaring sirens of the broadcast, and stepped into the amusement area without restraint.

Look, what can you even do to me?

I grabbed the plastic balls and crushed them one by one so they could no longer repeat those annoying bounces. With a casual flick, I snapped the colorful slides so they could no longer be assembled or operated, and then came the plush toys...

I frantically destroyed everything around me until the entire castle was a scene of devastation, yet that still wasn't enough to satisfy me; however, the corners of my mouth couldn't stop curling upward.

After destroying everything, I ran wantonly, jumped out of the castle gate toward the stairs on the right, swept past the lush green grass and gushing fountains, where dolphins balancing plastic balls were performing with all their might, kamaitachi were carrying wooden buckets and splashing hot water onto the backs of lynxes, and monkeys in suits were holding a lively discussion over bananas on a table...

Interesting, everything here is just too interesting.

The more I wandered, the more excited my heart became, and the more excited I became, the crazier I grew, until finally, I ran into him on the uphill path.

That man was pointing a gun at me.

"You will bring about your own collapse sooner or later."

"We shall see."

I cracked my mouth open, even feeling the stinging pain of my skin tearing, but before I could savor it, he pulled the trigger, followed immediately by the sound of a gunshot.

"Bang--"

1

I woke up from the bed with a start, and while processing the current situation, I quickly tilted my head to avoid the bullet's trajectory.

Then, because of the uneven force in my posture as I rose, I fell hard to the floor.

Hiss~

That hurts.

I rubbed the parts of my body that had hit the floor for a long while before slowly standing up, then turned on the room's light.

"..."

One hour and sixteen minutes.

Looking at the wall clock, I calculated the duration of this rest.

I was very surprised by the result I arrived at, because it had been a long time since I had experienced a single session of sleep lasting over an hour. No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't imagine myself letting my guard down against the outside world.

Also... was that a dream?

That thing I had previously interpreted as impossible, a dream that people could experience as early as childhood, had only now appeared to me. And unlike the sweet or terrifying ones people often talk about, it was completely filled with things I couldn't understand.

I glanced at the dim sky outside the window, then squeezed my temples hard and walked to the desk, pulling a book from the drawer.

[Dreams are divided into manifest content and latent content. A dream is the expression of the subconscious, and also the fulfillment of a wish.--Sigmund Freud]

The expression of the subconscious, the fulfillment of a wish...

What is this supposed to mean?

Is it that I want to go to an amusement park?

Come to think of it, this facility doesn't have entertainment venues like amusement parks; I can only go after graduation...

Besides, that dead man who was pointing a gun at me in the dream at the end

--what was his name again?

Chapter 45: The Inner Monologue of Chie Hoshinomiya

There is no such thing as absolute loyalty in this world; if there is, it is merely because the temptation is insufficient or the chips for betrayal are not high enough.

Even though I had come this far myself, I was still blinded by the supreme benefits placed before me. By the time I came to my senses, it was already too late; I had committed a grave sin.

Mathematics is the subject I teach, and among the five major subjects, it is also the one I am most proficient in.

There is no doubt that excelling in mathematics requires talent.

Furthermore, logical thinking is of the utmost importance.

However, I am well aware that my mathematical talent is not exactly great; I can even clearly perceive where my bottlenecks and flaws in thinking lie. Even though I made many efforts to compensate for these flaws, in the end, I still couldn't break through that thin film. This feeling is the same as wanting something that is within reach but being unable to obtain it, even though it is right before your eyes...

Having said that, my math grades were still among the best at the time. The reason others' mathematical abilities didn't surpass mine was mostly due to their low level of effort; it wasn't even a matter of talent yet.

Just like Sae right now, she always appears indifferent to her students, not pursuing the assessment evaluations after the class graduates, and not caring about the amount of class points either. But I know this is all just a facade; in her heart, she has always been thinking of staging a coup, attempting to climb from Class D to Class A.

Ever since that incident happened, I knew she would absolutely not let it rest.

However, I will not let her climb up.

Regardless of whether that leader was lying or not, in order to eliminate potential threats, I must utilize this boy, or at least have him assist Ichinose...

Black Emperor.

When I first saw him after learning of his abilities, for some reason, I associated him with foreign ancient history. Perhaps it was because, after comparing various aspects, I felt this history was very fitting for the current situation. But after I understood his thoughts and intentions, I immediately knew I was wrong, fundamentally mistaken.

His coldness surpasses that of the Black Emperor, and his methods are even more ruthless.

I owe my knowledge of that period of history to Sae. Although my primary interest lies in mathematics, Sae and I became friends due to our shared curiosity about history. It was from her that I first heard the ancient history regarding the Black Emperor.

Back when we could still chat happily...

Although the Black Emperor was honored with the title of emperor, in reality, he was merely a great general under Emperor Wenren of the Song Dynasty.

No one knew the Black Emperor's true name; this detail is not recorded in any historical text. Only the Qingwen Historical Records briefly mention that before becoming the Black Emperor, he was referred to by others as "Duanmu." The origin of the name "Duanmu" was simply because someone had once seen him prop up a broken tree, leading to the moniker.

Perhaps he never had a name to begin with.

Legend has it that at the moment of the Black Emperor's birth, strange omens appeared in the sky, said to be a black dragon wandering the heavens. While the villagers all took this as a sign that he was a dragon among men, they forgot the pitch-black visage of that black dragon.

His mother died in childbirth, and his father, overcome with grief, soon followed her to the grave. Not many days later, a massive fire swept through the village, causing countless casualties. He became a destitute orphan from a young age, surviving only thanks to the kindness of a military commander who raised him. However, that commander also died in battle shortly thereafter, leaving only Duanmu to survive alone.

From then on, no one in the army dared to associate with him, as everyone feared the ill-fated death that seemed to follow him.

The Life-Death Army—that name was not given without reason.

Whether they were friends or enemy soldiers, despite being shunned by the masses, his strength was so unreachable and unforgettable. Foreign enemies were all terrified of his bravery and combat prowess. Whenever they learned that the Black Emperor would be participating in a battle, they were filled with indescribable fear. It was not just because of his combat skills, but because he was a butcher, a god of slaughter; a hundred kills could not satisfy his temperament.

Though he was a king among the military, holding the power of life and death, no one respected him, no one curried favor with him, and certainly no one loved him.

Three years in the army, three years of campaigning; what lived in the hearts of others was three full years of fear. Soldiers in the ranks longed to never hear his voice, longed to never hear his name, yet his reputation could not be stopped from spreading.

The immense reputation generated by his actions reached the ears of Emperor Wenren. The Great Emperor was delighted, yet also felt pity for him, and thus, despite the opposition of his ministers, he continuously promoted Duanmu. To repay the Emperor's kindness, Duanmu decided to serve the Song Dynasty until death. He continuously sent reports of victory from the front lines, and Emperor Wenren's deep affection for him only grew.

After battle upon battle, his rank was continuously elevated. Finally, after he successfully turned the tide of a campaign where the capital had been on the verge of falling, he was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Zhenbei and sent to the northernmost frontier to suppress the chaos of demons and monsters.

This was not because Emperor Wenren feared him; in truth, if the Black Emperor had wanted to launch a political coup at that time, it would have been an easy task, but he did not do so. Emperor Wenren's decision was made simply because only Duanmu could ensure the peace of the northern frontier.

Everyone opposed it, advising Emperor Wenren that he was a pitch-black dragon who, if not now, would surely harm the Great Emperor in the future. However, the Emperor did not take these words to heart.

There were no more rewards to bestow; Duanmu was now almost at the very pinnacle of the world. If he were to be rewarded any further, it was feared that even the heavens and earth could not be held in his hands. The Black Emperor understood this principle well and voluntarily accepted the position of Marquis of Zhenbei.

"I have led troops for ten years now. Those I oppose are broken, those I strike are subdued. Although I have experienced a hundred battles, I have never known defeat. The reason I have achieved such feats is entirely to repay Your Majesty's kindness, and I am willing to conquer the world on Your Majesty's behalf."