Becoming the Mastermind from School Days

On the surface of the Black Sphere, familiar white text emerged once more.

[Welcome to the real world...]

[From this moment on, you shall join the trials as Qualified Ones...]

[S Points can be exchanged at a 1:10 ratio for real-world Class Evaluation Points, or used to purchase equipment and redeem your own lives.]

"Alright, quiet down. The mission is here."

Ryuen Kakeru spoke up to remind them.

The display flickered, and an image appeared on the surface of the Black Sphere that would have sent a trypophobe into immediate shock.

Within the narrow frame, a dense, suffocating mass of translucent, twisted human faces were squeezed together, overlapping and crushing one another as if they were evil spirits crawling up from the depths of hell.

[Go forth and hunt the evil spirits.]

[Target Name: Visible Evil Spirit * 20]

[Characteristics: Wandering the human realm, extremely clingy, invisible to ordinary people]

[Likes: Human weeping, fresh brains, obsessions from their past lives]

[Catchphrase: Can you see me?]

[Failure Penalty: Total annihilation of all members.]

[Time Limit: 120:00]

[Friendly Reminder: Killing hidden monsters grants rewards. As newcomers, you may use one item for free each time, and everyone possesses one extra life. Please cherish it!]

[Additionally, exam scores from here on will be calculated as part of your class scores.]

"Only... one life?"

As Ichinose read the text, her face turned pale, and she instinctively tightened her grip on Shiranami Chihiro's hand.

"What's going on? It was three lives last time..."

"Have the rules changed?"

"No, I fear this does not refer to us." Arisu Sakayanagi spoke up.

Su Wei chimed in at the right moment, "As pioneers, perhaps we will be present for every exam hereafter, so it is only natural we receive some preferential treatment."

In truth, he had been thinking about it while reviewing the situation last night.

If everyone had three lives without distinction, wouldn't these people just exploit bugs and trial-and-error their way through?

With such a high margin for error, where would the sense of crisis be?

It was much like the ending of Fate/Grand Order Part 2; for Gudao, forgetting everything might not have been a bad thing, but the players who had followed along for years could not accept it.

If Gudao's journey ends, then what am I even playing for?

Indeed, if you all had it too easy, what would he, the Main God, even be watching?

There was no helping it; policies change with the morning breeze—that's just how a small-time workshop operates.

If you aren't happy, don't play.

"Instead of doubting this, you should worry about the twenty evil spirits we have to face in a moment." Ryuen crossed his arms.

Katsuragi Kohei had more or less grasped the situation.

He looked at Ichinose: "So, you have already experienced an exam like this once before?"

"Yes."

Ichinose nodded slightly and approached the opened Black Sphere:

"There is no time to explain further. The Black Sphere only gives us three minutes of preparation time. Everyone, hurry and grab your equipment!"

As she spoke, she picked up an X-GUN and explained to the group:

"This gun can fire continuously, but there is a delay before it fires, so you need to predict the movement..."

Katsuragi Kohei pondered for a moment, and seeing that Ryuen Kakeru had also taken a standard gun, he followed suit and grabbed one as well.

"Kamuro-san."

Arisu Sakayanagi poked Kamuro Masumi, who was still in a daze:

"Go grab two guns, one of each type."

"This exam... is it real? Will people actually die?"

Kamuro Masumi looked resistant: "Can I quit? Even if it means expulsion, I don't want to die..."

"Don't say such foolish things."

Arisu Sakayanagi let out a soft laugh.

"If it were possible to quit, do you think someone like me, who struggles even to walk, would be willing to stay here?"

"Uh..."

As the last shred of wishful thinking was extinguished, Kamuro sighed in resignation.

Sakayanagi followed Su Wei's gaze, which had landed on Horikita Suzune, who was squatting before the Black Sphere with a conflicted expression on her face.

The young girl's eyes darted around, and she released Su Wei's arm.

"That's one of yours from Class D, isn't it? I heard you scored zero points this month. It seems she's shouldering the pressure of the entire class."

"Hmm, it's already a ruin anyway, so why not just join my faction?"

"I'll earn points to support you~"

Su Wei couldn't be bothered to entertain Sakayanagi's twisted sense of humor.

He walked straight to the weapon rack, selected a combat saber, and then handed the X-GUN to Horikita.

Horikita Suzune recoiled:

"I don't need it."

"Take it." Su Wei cut her off. "This is the only item we've tested that has any lethality against those monsters."

"Unless you intend to rely on your karate to fight ghosts."

Karate?

Horikita Suzune froze for a moment.

She looked at Su Wei with some surprise.

She wanted to retort, yet she also wanted to ask, 'Then why didn't you choose a gun?'

But she didn't get the chance to speak.

[00:00]

[Weapon selection complete.]

[Teleportation of all participants beginning.]

Chapter 11: Can You See It? You Can See It, Right!

The sensation of weightlessness faded.

Because she had prepared herself mentally, Horikita Suzune held her breath, forcing the heart that had leaped into her throat back down.

Though her pupils trembled, they quickly refocused on reality.

It wasn't just her.

With the leaders of each class present to steady the group, the newcomers entering this time performed much better than Ichinose had the previous night.

Everyone regained their composure almost immediately.

"This is..."

Ichinose gripped Shiranami Chihiro's hand and quickly scanned their surroundings.

A dim corridor, peeling wallpaper, and a rickety wooden door at the far end.

It felt a bit like walking onto the set of a horror movie.

But soon, her gaze swept over the blurred Advanced Nurturing school emblem on the wall, and her tone became certain.

"This is... the Old School Building that the school is preparing to renovate."

Ever since learning from Hoshinomiya-sensei last night that the school was indeed connected to the Black Sphere trials, Ichinose had pored over many documents, naturally including the school's architectural layout.

"It hasn't been completed yet, so it's currently in a restricted state. Everyone, watch your step!"

"The Old School Building, huh..."

Katsuragi Kohei stroked his chin and said in a low voice, "The terrain is complex. If we split up, I fear it will be to our disadvantage."

Horikita Suzune withdrew her gaze, looking at the strangely shaped X-GUN in her hands.

Although Su Wei had shoved this gun at her, she had no idea how to actually use it...

She opened her mouth, just about to ask.

"Ahem."

Sakayanagi Arisu was already standing in front of the group, holding her own X-GUN aloft as she began to explain:

"While I would love to let you all experience the joy of exploring this unknown technology for yourselves, considering this is a team battle, I shall act as your narrator for the time being."

"To use this gun, you must first press the button to lock on. You can only fire once the 'LOCK' text on the stock's screen turns red."

"Additionally, there is a three-second delay, as Ichinose-san mentioned... I must remind you that it is extremely powerful."

As she said this, she cast a meaningful glance at Ryuen:

"It is currently uncertain whether it will be effective against humans, so I ask that you all be cautious about where you point your muzzles."

"After all, the cost of trial and error is quite expensive, isn't it?"

"Whew..."

Hearing this explanation, Ichinose visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

Even as rivals, Sakayanagi's willingness to proactively share intelligence in such an unknown environment truly saved them from the most fatal costs of trial and error.

Ryuen Kakeru, for his part, couldn't be bothered to refute Sakayanagi's insinuation.

He toyed with the Black Gun in his hand, his gaze sweeping over the equipment held by Su Wei and Kamuro Masumi.

Because he and Ichinose had both chosen the X-GUN that had shone so brightly in the previous exam, the majority of the group had made the same choice.

Only Shiina and Kamuro, who had chosen the Y-GUN, and Su Wei, who carried a combat blade, were the exceptions.

Despite his confusion, Ryuen still offered a reminder:

"That blade extends its edge when used; it can cut through iron like mud."

"As for that Black Gun that looks like a hairdryer... no one has tested it yet, so its effects are unknown."

Upon hearing this, Horikita Suzune's gaze couldn't help but fall upon the hilt of the blade in Su Wei's hand.

Why would he choose a blade?

It's clearly safer to fight from a distance... Is it because of his confidence in his physical skills? Or is there something special about this blade?

"Ichinose, are the red dots on the screen our targets for this time?"

The silent and steady Katsuragi raised the screen of his Black Gun and posed the critical question.

"That's right."

Ichinose added with a grave expression:

"Based on experience, the monsters selected by the Black Sphere can hide within society. They possess a certain level of intelligence and the ability to camouflage. Once they realize their identity has been exposed, or if they are provoked, they will launch an immediate attack."

"Therefore, until we figure out the specific characteristics of this 'Evil Spirit,' it is best that no one wanders off."

In truth, no further mobilization was needed.

Faced with the fear of the unknown, human instinct would drive everyone to spontaneously huddle toward the center.