Ayanokoji's Gambit

Gantz, S Points, mission objectives, hidden monsters...

Line after line of text appeared before his eyes, gradually aligning with all the suspicions he'd had.

"I see..."

After reading the information, Hirata Yosuke couldn't help clenching his fists. His face was filled with barely contained indignation.

"What kind of trial is this...? They've turned the school building into a slaughterhouse? They don't care at all about the lives of so many innocent students... Did the school's higher-ups really approve of this?!"

Approve of it...?

Thinking back to Chabashira Sae's ambiguous attitude,

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka already had his answer.

But he didn't voice his speculation.

He handed the phone back to Amikura Mako, then went over to Hirata and helped him into a more secluded corner, where he sat down and closed his eyes to rest.

Only after doing all that did Ayanokoji look back toward the side window, his gaze seeming to pierce through the darkness.

"According to Ichinose, the exam will end once the Qualified Ones have cleared out these monsters."

Amikura Mako watched him nervously.

"So, are you planning to...?"

"To wait, naturally."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka replied as if it were obvious.

"Even if we need to find hemostatic medicine and antibiotics for Hirata, we can only act after Horikita and the others clear a safe path."

"From what Ichinose said, these monsters probably aren't something we can handle with our bare hands."

Ayanokoji was confident that, even against the Dual-Blade Kabane that had just severed Hirata's left arm with ease, he could subdue it if he had a suitable weapon.

But the "hidden monsters" mentioned in Ichinose's information meant he couldn't afford to let his guard down.

As the saying went, when facing zombies, you didn't have to run faster than them; you just had to run faster than your companions.

It wasn't something to take literally, but in this environment full of unknown variables, revealing his trump cards too soon would be unwise.

Just as he was pondering this,

Amikura Mako, who should have been keeping watch on the corridor, suddenly let out a brief gasp.

"What's that?!"

At the sound, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's muscles instantly tensed. He jerked his head up and looked over.

But what he saw was a face just as bewildered as his own.

Amikura Mako blinked, looking at Ayanokoji in confusion.

"...What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"..."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's pupils contracted.

That gasp hadn't been his imagination.

Amikura Mako had definitely seen something, but in less than a second, it was as if her memory had gone blank. Had she completely forgotten what she'd just seen?

A powerful sense of wrongness crawled up his spine and over his scalp.

Ayanokoji didn't answer. Instead, he quickly scanned the area.

At last, his gaze settled on the backlit shadows beside a row of display cabinets in the corner of the laboratory.

There,

stood a bizarre creature in a black suit, with skin as pale as paper and a face that looked like a fusion of the famous painting The Scream and a stereotypical gray alien.

Its enormous head was tilted to one side, as if observing them.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka blinked, then bit his lip hard enough to leave a mark.

He believed that Amikura Mako had indeed seen something just now.

And the reason she'd blanked out was probably this monster's doing.

Was this... some kind of rule-based kill involving cognition?

So, what should he do now?

Strike first? Or... pretend he hadn't seen it?

Meanwhile, at the other end of the third-floor corridor,

"Schhk—!"

With a howl of wind, his blade cut a charging Kabane in half at the waist.

Ryuen Kakeru flicked the blood from his blade, his eyes gleaming.

"Not bad. This thing works a lot better than an iron pipe."

After admiring the weapon, he turned to Shiina Hiyori and asked,

"How's the situation? How many survivors are left?"

Before Shiina Hiyori could answer, Ichinose hurriedly spoke up.

"No good. It's worse than we expected."

"Three people are gathered together and still safe for now, but the other survivors are too scattered... Just now, two more dots disappeared."

As she spoke, she bit her lip, her eyes filled with sympathy.

Hearing this, Yamada Albert, who had been silently serving as a reliable fighter, pushed up his sunglasses and asked in confusion,

"How many people were there to begin with?"

Behind them, Shiina Hiyori, who was keeping watch, reminded them softly,

"There were ten to start with. Now there are three left."

"What the...?"

Yamada Albert rarely swore. He stared in shock.

"Then we're screwed, aren't we? Seven are dead? Won't all our points get deducted?!"

"Tsk."

Ryuen Kakeru's face darkened.

"Even if we look on the bright side and they only deduct one point per person, we're already seven points in the hole..."

Why was it that whenever things finally went his way, some damn complication had to crop up? What kind of bullshit rule was this? How was it fair?

He gripped the handle of his blade and spat.

"Can't be helped."

"Let's find the remaining three first! Otherwise, even if we kill every monster, this exam will have been for nothing!"

"Let's go!"

Ichinose Honami hurried after him.

But she wasn't anxious because of the points.

Looking at the three green dots representing the survivors, clustered together on the screen, she silently prayed.

Please let that be Mako...

Please, you have to be all right!

Compared to Ichinose's worry, the thoughts of Shiranami Chihiro, at the back of the group, were much simpler.

She gripped the Y-GUN in her hands, her gaze never leaving Ichinose's back.

Though they were in danger, she felt a strange sense of relief.

Good thing I wasn't grouped with that man this time.

If I'd been grouped with Su Wei...

Just thinking about the man who had saved Ichinose's life—and whom Ichinose had sought out, after something so obviously happened between them—made Shiranami Chihiro feel uneasy.

If that guy had ended up in the same group as Honami-chan...

In an environment where the suspension-bridge effect was cranked up to the max, he'd only have to show off a little and play the hero to save the beauty... The thought was too much to bear!

Who knew? By the time the exam was over, Honami-chan might have been swept right off her feet! And then I'd be left on the sidelines, playing the flute to accompany them?!

Ugh, why was my imagination so vivid?!

No! Absolutely not!!!

Perhaps that was how simple and humble the hopes of a lovestruck girl could be.

After all, for Shiranami Chihiro,

all she had to do was clear her mind and believe in Ichinose Honami unconditionally.

And belief...

Belief needed no reason!

As long as she could stay by Honami-chan's side, even hell would be heaven!

<Dead People Chat Group: The Goal Is to Win the Resurrection Match>

Lin Yuan had died. After his death, he joined a chat group.

There was just something that didn't feel right.

What did they mean, this was a chat group that only the dead could join?

Looking at his groupmates, all of whom had already passed away, Lin Yuan voiced his confusion.

"So, our top priority now is to win the resurrection match?"

"Wait, holy shit! You didn't tell me it was actually possible to win the resurrection match!"

Many years later, when everyone had come back to life,

[Jonathan Joestar: DIO, don't think escaping to Egypt will end this. I've been resurrected, and I'm coming for you!]

[David Martinez: V-Megatron's already made it to Night City. When will I get my body back?]

[Jie: It's been so many years. I wonder how everyone in Great Yan is doing... Hm? What do you mean, we can be resurrected?]

[Himmel: The Himmel's Journey to the Afterlife? It's already over!]

[Emiya Kiritsugu: What do you mean, it's already the Fifth Holy Grail War and I have to start my resurrection match?]

[Carmen: Our top priority is making sure the Seed of Light launches without a hitch.]

Watching his groupmates, all of whom had already come back to life, Lin Yuan shifted in his own body.

"Year after year, I've nearly turned into a necromancer. When will I get resurrected?"

Chapter 25: Ayanokoji's Gambit

Following the Dragon Radar's signal, the group was surprised to find that the markers representing the survivors were now just a short distance behind them.

"Great, they're just ahead."

Shiranami Chihiro gripped her weapon tightly and looked at Ichinose Honami beside her.

"Maybe Amikura and the others managed to hide from the Kabane!"

"Mm... I hope so too."

Ichinose Honami lightly bit her lip and checked the situation once more: