Exam Results

"If you're really as innocent as you claim..."

Ichinose Honami gritted her teeth. "Why did the Black Sphere choose you as a target? Why did it even label you 'Enemy of Humanity'?"

"Keep in mind, the things we faced before were all demons—Parasitic creatures that ate people!"

"Well..."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka spoke up at just the right moment. "I saw a news story about it on Sudō's phone."

"Basically, it's a self-centered creature."

"It thinks it's unique, that it's above humanity. That kind of naive, arrogant thinking can sometimes cause even greater destruction, and it doesn't even realize it."

Su Wei silently agreed.

That was exactly right.

In the original show, the creature's adoptive mother was a sanctimonious lawyer who valued Charlie more than human lives and did everything she could to secure special privileges for it.

Then there was the idiot heroine, an extreme animal-rights activist, and a bunch of brainless bystanders corrupted by divine will...

That was how Charlie could spout outrageous nonsense whenever it wanted while taking down the counterterrorism unit. It had shown obvious aggressive tendencies, yet faced no consequences.

It even thought the brother who had killed its adoptive parents should let it live.

Wasn't that just pure animal behavior?

Perhaps it sensed the subtle shift in the atmosphere, or remembered the "privileges" it had once enjoyed.

Bound to the ground, Charlie suddenly looked up.

"Are you... going to kill me?"

"Even though I'm not human, my guardian is a lawyer! I remember human law says murder is illegal!"

"As a sentient being, even if I attacked you, it would have been in self-defense or out of instinct! You have no right as individuals to execute me!"

"Pfft..."

Sakayanagi Arisu had just arrived. Hearing this, she nearly burst out laughing.

"Honestly... talk about bringing up the one thing you shouldn't."

Ichinose Honami was so angry she actually laughed.

"You enjoy the privileges of being treated as human, yet have no qualms about disregarding human life. You want the protection of human laws, but don't want to follow our rules?"

She gave Charlie one last look and said seriously,

"I'm sorry, Mr. Charlie."

"We humans developed modern society and laws to protect the environment and preserve ecological diversity, but ultimately, it's all to ensure the safety of our own kind."

"It wasn't so that creatures like you could enjoy those protections!"

With that, she said no more.

She handed the X-GUN directly to Shiina Hiyori.

"I have nothing more to say. Please, finish it quickly, Shiina."

Su Wei looked at Shiina Hiyori.

Am I the only one who thinks this is noble?

This is how a normal person should react!

Shiina Hiyori, who hadn't picked up on what Su Wei was thinking, sighed.

She didn't like fighting, but she knew right from wrong.

She aimed the gun at Charlie's still-bewildered face without the slightest hesitation.

One.

Two.

Three.

Bang!

[Target eliminated]

[Mission complete]

Chapter 44: Exam Results

Black Sphere Space.

Ken Sudō touched his neck. The skin there was smooth and warm, without a single wound.

But the sudden pain was still so vivid that his whole body trembled.

His legs gave way, and he nearly fell to his knees.

"I was decapitated by a Parasite...?"

The fear of death wasn't the darkness of that moment. It was the dread that came flooding in afterward, when you realized you had survived.

His mind was still frozen when several blue lights flashed around him in quick succession.

Kanzaki Ryuji appeared first.

He had none of his usual composure. His face was pale, and his eyes were just as vacant as Sudō's. He was clearly still lost in the phantom pain.

Ryuen Kakeru appeared right after him.

His expression was grim too, but he recovered much faster than Kanzaki.

"Damn it... I've only got one chance left. Tsk!"

Hearing the complaint, Sudō, still gripped by fear, froze for a moment. Then resentment welled up inside him.

"What do you mean? Are you saying you've got more than the one life the Black Sphere gave you?"

"Why? We all came here at the same time. Why do you get special treatment?"

Veins bulged on Ryuen Kakeru's forehead.

If he weren't sure whether fighting in the Black Sphere Room would trigger some kind of penalty, he really would have twisted that single-celled organism's head off and kicked it around like a ball.

"Are you fucking stupid?"

Ryuen Kakeru cursed without holding back. "The extra life I got came from being bound to this damn sphere. Whether or not my class picks me, I'm forced to come here for every exam and face these monsters!"

"That's the only perk I get. If I could trade places, you could have it right now!"

"If you don't know what you're talking about, shut up. Quit yapping like a dog."

"...You have to face those monsters every time?"

Maybe he'd pass on that.

Ken Sudō shuddered.

Just then, the light flashed repeatedly.

Su Wei, Ichinose Honami, Sakayanagi Arisu, and the others returned to the Black Sphere Space one after another.

Seeing Su Wei unharmed, Sudō hurried over, intent on repeating Ryuen Kakeru's words and asking him if they were true.

Before Su Wei could speak,

"Hold on." Ichinose cut him off coldly. "There's something more important right now."

Seeing that, Su Wei spread his hands at Sudō.

"You can see how things are. We'll talk about it later."

Ichinose ignored the atmosphere around her and walked straight up to the Black Sphere. Her voice was hoarse.

"GANTZ, begin the tally."

"Vmmm—"

Light flowed across the Black Sphere's surface, and text appeared.

[As you wish.]

[A total of three allied units entered this trial. Two were eliminated, and one survived.]

[Therefore, all participants receive +1 point to their base score, and 2 points are deducted.]

Then a detailed ranking appeared—

[1. Ichinose Honami: 10 points (22 total)]

[2. Su Wei: 8 points (12 total)]

[3. Shiina Hiyori/Sakayanagi Arisu: 2 points (Shiina: 0 points/Sakayanagi: 6 total)]

[4. Kamuro Masumi, Katsuragi Kohei, Kanzaki Ryuji, Ryuen Kakeru, Ken Sudō: -1 point (total: Katsuragi: 1 point, others: -1 point)]

[Class rankings and bonus points]

[Class A: 1035, unchanged.]

[Class B: 832.4 (732.4 + 10*1000%), with 10,000 bonus spending points for every class member]

[Class C: 510 (505 + 1*500%), with 500 bonus spending points for every class member]

[Class D: 210 (150 + 8*750%), with 6,000 bonus spending points for every class member]

[Note: Since this was the first time a "Qualified One" had been killed, the deduction for that death will not count toward this tally. It will be counted as usual in the future. Please take note.]

Reading the note, Ken Sudō, still shaken, blurted out without thinking,

"Phew... It's actually pretty nice of it not to dock us too many points. Oh, right..."

He scratched his head and looked around. "Isn't someone missing? That girl from Class B who was with Ichinose?"

The temperature dropped to freezing in an instant.

Sakayanagi Arisu's eyes widened slightly, unable to understand.

How did an idiot of this caliber pass the entrance exams? Is he really worth educating?

Shiina Hiyori was at a loss for words too. She didn't know what to say.

After a moment's thought, she quietly walked over to Ichinose, who had gone pale and nearly lost her balance, and gently rubbed the girl's slightly heaving back.

Ichinose Honami bit her lip. In the end, she didn't let her grief spill over.

Sudō had died too early to know what had happened afterward. It was understandable.

But her magnanimity didn't mean the others had to show the same restraint.

Thud!

Ken Sudō, who had still been looking bewildered, staggered back several steps. Clutching his cheek, he stared in shock at the person in front of him.

Kanzaki Ryuji pulled back his fist, gritting his teeth.

"Shiranami's missing."

"Are you satisfied now?!"

"..."

Missing. So she was dead?

Ken Sudō opened his mouth.

This time, he finally read the room and kept quiet.

Su Wei spoke up at the right moment.

"Enough."

"The dead are gone. Those still alive have to carry on."

He walked over to the Black Sphere.

"I think I can redeem equipment again. Ichinose, what do you think?"