Minamoto Chisaki had only narrowly escaped death thanks to his extraordinary reflexes. He barely dodged the shadow's pounce, then slashed upward with his long blade as they passed each other, cleanly severing one of its arms.
In that fleeting glance, he caught sight of more silhouettes writhing in the darkness above the Sky Ladder Well.
It turned out that the first Dead Servant to emerge had not been the fastest climber. Some Dead Servants had already climbed higher; they had simply chosen the route through the pried-open Fire Escape door.
Minamoto Chisaki's expression changed abruptly.
How many Dead Servants were there? How far had they already spread?
He retreated quickly. Almost the very second he left his spot, the roar of heavy machine guns tore through the air again. The Dead Servants swooping down from above were struck head-on by the barrage, exploding into a scattering rain of blood.
Minamoto Chisaki immediately shouted at Amon, "This is bad! They've already made it to other floors. There are still ordinary employees in the building!"
Amon's expression barely changed as he gave a brisk order. "Come upstairs with me. Have your people work with mine to hold the entrance. I'll call in more troops."
The fingers gripping Minamoto Chisaki's sword turned slightly white. "I'm more worried about underground—the underground water system beneath Tokyo extends in every direction. If those things are down there too—"
"Looks like the Principal was right. You really are a bunch of children holding loaded pistols—harming others and yourselves." Amon mocked him blandly, then turned toward the Fire Escape.
The stairwell in the Fire Escape was rarely used, and the air was thick with the smell of dust and rust. Minamoto Chisaki followed close behind, his footsteps echoing sharply.
After silently running up several floors, Minamoto Chisaki suddenly