It Was Just a Little Trick

"Ah—!!!"

A scream abruptly pierced the peace of dusk.

The two of them leaned over the railing in unison and looked toward the sound.

It came from the entrance on the first floor of the school building.

Several students trying to leave were crowded together, struggling to rush outside.

Yet there was nothing in front of them—only ripples in the air, as though an impenetrable barrier blocked their way.

"What... is that?" Hirata's pupils contracted.

What unsettled him even more was the scene behind those students.

In the dark shadows of the school building, a group of humanoid monsters dressed in Edo-era clothing approached in grotesquely twisted poses, their chests glowing a dark red.

Ayanokoji narrowed his eyes. His keen eyesight let him make out the monsters' features.

They were savage and bloodthirsty, utterly beyond the bounds of humanity.

Were these the things Chabashira Sae had warned him about?

A biological experiment? They were taking things pretty far.

Was this like the White Room... completely devoid of humanity?

"Roar—!!"

The monster at the front snarled and lunged at the students trapped before the invisible wall.

"Run!!"

Hirata Yosuke's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. Instinctively, he wanted to rush down and save them.

But he quickly realized he was on the second floor. He wouldn't make it in time.

He had to draw their attention away first!

He looked at Ayanokoji beside him and spoke at top speed.

"Ayanokoji-kun! Find somewhere to hide! We obviously can't take on those things!"

After saying that, the kindhearted boy from Class D showed no intention of running away.

He gripped the railing with both hands, planted his feet, and roared at the monsters below:

"Hey!!! You monsters down there!!!"

"If you've got the guts, come after me! Picking on helpless people doesn't make you tough!!"

"I'm right here!!"

His voice echoed across the empty campus.

The Kabane, which had been about to pounce on their prey, all paused at once.

One suddenly looked up, its blood-red eyes fixed on the second floor. Then it scrambled up the wall on all fours, moving like a spider.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka: "..."

He watched Hirata frantically wave his arms beside him, trying to draw the monsters' attention.

He'd already taken a quiet half-step back when Hirata started shouting, putting him in front.

Even so, he couldn't help sighing.

What was the point?

Note 1: Kabane are essentially zombies under a different name. Their hearts are encased in an iron membrane, and they can only be killed for good by destroying the heart. Ordinary swords and steam guns are almost useless, though Nameless can also kill them by decapitation. The series feels like a relic of its era. The first episode has a decent pace, but it falls apart right after.

Note 2: Ape-Man is a human-chimpanzee hybrid, with a half-human, half-ape appearance. Its strength, speed, and stamina far exceed those of humans, while it retains a chimpanzee's agility and explosive power.

Note 3: Water Barrier is the Trap Card "Torrential Tribute." It is a Normal Trap Card. Its effect is: When your opponent declares a direct attack, you can activate this card. Return all Attack Position monsters on your opponent's field to their owner's Deck.

An aside: Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is dull, but you can still watch a couple of episodes. As for The Darwin Incident, all I can say is that nobody on the supposed protagonist's side is human. If you like watching people get crushed, go give it a try.

There'll be another chapter in a bit. Six chapters in total, about 17,000 words altogether. Asking for a few free monthly tickets and blades isn't too much, is it?

Promo: Are All Transformed Heroines Dark and Twisted?

I've seen plenty of stories about transforming after crossing over, but why are all my versions the dark ones?

I transformed into Artoria Alter and trounced my uncorrupted self in the Fourth Holy Grail War. Huh? Why was the Rider Wade summoned Mordred? What do you mean, "Your dad doesn't have a heart as big as mine!"?

As Stelle, a Destruction Emanator, I brought ruin to countless worlds among the stars. What do you mean, Aunt Himeko came wielding Surtr to teach me my final lesson?!

In a false Holy Grail War, the one called Gudao—the person rejected by humanity itself—was summoned.

"The Heroic Spirits you summon? I can summon identical versions—or even stronger ones~"

Chapter 22: It Was Just a Little Trick

"Chihiro, are you really sure you don't want to reconsider?"

In the Class B classroom, the setting sun stretched the desks' shadows long across the floor.

Ichinose Honami looked at her friend, who wore an easy smile. Her lips moved, and her feelings were complicated.

She knew they couldn't keep something like this secret and ought to discuss it with everyone.

But the Black Sphere Trial was different from an ordinary exam. She couldn't let rumors spread through the class and cause unnecessary panic.

She'd planned to discuss a countermeasure with a few people in private, but she hadn't expected Shiranami Chihiro to volunteer.

"Have you thought this through?"

Ichinose couldn't help taking Shiranami Chihiro's hand, her eyes full of worry.

"You don't have any room for error now!"

"If anything goes wrong, there'll be no way to undo it!"

"Ichिनose, it's okay." Shiranami gave her a playful wink. "Even if we changed the roster now, who in the class do you think would be a good replacement for me?"

Ichinose was speechless.

As Shiranami had said, only a handful of people in the class, including Kanzaki Ryuji and Amikura Mako, knew about the Black Sphere—and even they didn't fully believe it.

Besides...

Knowing there was a risk to their lives, would anyone really be willing to step forward?

Or should she make Shiranami take part and leave some unsuspecting lucky spectator to chance?

Shiranami Chihiro knew Ichinose would absolutely ask their classmates to take her place.

But Ichinose Honami wasn't the sort of person who would morally pressure others, even for her own safety.

"It's okay. Even if I fail..."

Shiranami Chihiro clasped Ichinose's slightly cold hand in return. "I still believe you'll earn enough points to bring me back to life, right?"

"But..."

Ichinose still wanted to find a solution that would work for everyone.

"Since Shiranami has made up her mind, this really is the best option for now," Amikura Mako said after a long silence.

"But this can't go on forever."

"You can't keep a lid on this forever. Maybe... we should start thinking about gradually letting everyone know the truth."

She paused, then added:

"If conditions allow during this exam, could you take some photos of the monsters? There's no signal, but our phones should still work, right?"

"Only if they see the cruelty of that world with their own eyes might they truly unite."

"...I understand."

Ichinose reluctantly agreed.

But she knew in her heart:

It was hard to imagine anyone risking their life for Class Points. In the end, they'd probably have to rely on the equipment the Black Sphere provided.

Speaking of equipment, the memory of that earlier "test run" came to mind, and her cheeks warmed.

The lingering warmth on the skintight suit, that faint, elusive scent...

This isn't the time to think about that!

She shook her head sharply, forcing herself to calm down, then followed Amikura's lead and looked at the Advanced Nurturing map on her phone.

For the next while, the three of them turned down invitations from their classmates. They stayed in the classroom, using the fading sunlight to repeatedly work through how the terrain could be used to hinder the monsters.

Before they knew it, dusk had deepened.

Ding.

A notification sounded for a group they'd marked as important.

Ichinose opened the Black Sphere Mutual Aid Society group chat. Class A and Class D had both finalized their exam rosters, and neither had added any new members.

Ryuen Kakeru, who usually lurked in the chat, had added someone new, though.

The name was Yamada Albert.

That huge Black guy from Class C?

"Is the exam about to start?" Shiranami Chihiro asked softly.

Ichinose had just opened her mouth to answer when a piercing scream rang out nearby.

"Ah—!!!"

The three of them jumped and hurried to the hallway railing, looking toward the sound.

Down in the school building's lobby, several students who hadn't managed to leave were pounding at the air, surrounded by monsters in ragged Edo-era clothes, their chests glowing with an eerie red light.

Not far away, on the second-floor connecting corridor, Hirata Yosuke was leaning halfway over the railing, shouting himself hoarse as he tried to draw the monsters' attention.

"That's..."

Ichinose stared in shock, her pupils contracting.

"How could this be...? Did they choose the school building for the exam?!"

If it had been the Old School Building, that would have been one thing.

But releasing monsters like these in the school building, full of unarmed students...

Anger and fear filled the girl's chest.

"What is this, a indiscriminate massacre?"

"What does the school think human life is?!"

"Calm down, Honami!"

Amikura Mako looked at the blue glow gradually lighting up Ichinose and Shiranami. She spoke quickly:

"I'll find somewhere safe to hide. Don't worry about me."

"The rest is up to you!"

"Mako..."

"Make sure you hide well...!"

Ichinose reached out, but before she could touch her friend, blue data swallowed her whole, and she vanished from the spot.

Their vision shifted.

They had only just finished materializing.