There was not even time that could be called a chance to catch one's breath.
Even if one relaxed only slightly, danger would immediately descend, as though an invisible force were driving oneself on, forcing oneself to run about in exhaustion, never truly able to escape from danger.
Just like at this very moment.
Although it had clearly already entered [Morning Reading Time], a theoretically relatively safe period during which one would not be attacked by aberrations, the lights in the room suddenly turned off automatically, plunging the originally brightly lit empty classroom into darkness.
An aberrant aura was spreading.
Intense malice enveloped from all directions at this moment.
The sheep-headed aberration, which had originally only been standing motionless at the doorway, had now stepped into the classroom.
As its footsteps fell, streaks of blood-red marks appeared out of thin air on Takumi's body, as though a teaching rod were striking him, beating him until his skin split and flesh tore.
"Ugh…"
Miko beside him collapsed onto the ground, several marks staining her clothes red with blood.
The sheep-headed aberration did not even make any movement; merely by walking into the classroom, wounds appeared out of thin air on the two of them.
Just like students who had made mistakes and were being disciplined.
[Why are you not obeying classroom discipline?]
It seemed as though someone's voice could be heard.
[Speak louder! Your voice is so quiet—who are you saying it to?]
An extremely irritable voice, carrying deep resentment.
[If you cannot even accomplish something as simple as obeying discipline, what right do you have to live in this world?]
[Did your parents give birth to you just so you could embarrass yourself here?]
[No crying. This is not a place for raising cowards. If you cry again, today your punishment will be doubled!]
Clatter—clatter—
It seemed as though the sound of chains colliding could be heard.
Where was that?
A stretch of darkness, with only a faint light flickering within an electric lamp.
He saw a person suspended in midair, and people holding clubs.
The clubs were raised—once, then again—struck down again and again with force.
Amid screams and sobbing, bright red blood dripped onto the ground, swallowed by the darkness.
And in the blurred glow not far away, a figure watched this scene.
More could no longer be seen clearly.
But those spine-chilling words were still slowly resounding.
[We will cultivate the future and hope of this country.]
[At the end of suffering, great victory will belong to us; this is your honor.]
[And everything we do is for your own good—something you should accept with gratitude.]
[So next, there will be even more…]
Boom!
The ground was shattered cleanly and decisively.
Takumi, his clothes already soaked in blood, fell into a restroom beneath stark white light.
Miko's figure dropped immediately after, and Takumi reached out and caught her in his arms.
The sound of shattering glass rang out above.
Takumi lifted his head and saw a head protruding through the window of a classroom on the floor above—a head like that of a giraffe, extending directly in through the window of the sixth floor, sweeping its gaze around.
So this thing is [Inspector Giraffe]? Then where would [Principal Elephant] be?
There was no time to think further.
Holding Miko—who had gone limp from her injuries—Takumi glanced around. After confirming he was in the men's restroom, he ran toward the exit, only to halt at the doorway.
It was Miko who struggled and signaled for him to stop.
"Can't… go to the corridor… the surveillance… those cameras… the cameras…"
Unlike Takumi, who possessed a strong physique, Miko was now extremely weak. After the sheep-headed Aberration's power acted upon her, it was equivalent to having endured at least fifty heavy blows from a solid iron club. Beneath the girl's clothes, large patches of flesh were already ruined, her garments soaked through with blood, presenting a horrifying sight. Her breathing was so faint that she could no longer even walk.
And yet, even so, after sensing a certain gaze, Miko still mustered all her strength to grab Takumi by the collar, signaling him to stop—signaling that he absolutely could not walk straight out of the restroom.
Outside the restroom door, along the spotless corridor illuminated by bright lights, several surveillance cameras were slowly rotating, ensuring that every corner of the hallway could be clearly seen at all times.
In Takumi's field of vision, those cameras, for some reason, had almost no sense of presence. If Miko had not deliberately pointed them out, he would have had no way to notice them at all.
But in Miko's sight, they were not merely cameras. They were half of a human head, coiled up and lifted by something like an elephant's trunk, writhing slowly.
Severed horizontally from the position of the nose, leaving only the upper half—a human head with vacant eyes and bloodstains covering it. From holes in the ceiling, those elephant trunks extended downward, holding the heads aloft and sweeping them slowly across as though they were cameras.
Once they stepped into the corridor, that thing would see them.
And if it saw them, something very bad would happen.
Though there was no concrete basis for it, Miko simply had that feeling. That was why she had exhausted all her strength to stop Takumi's movement.
"Those two things… don't seem to intend to follow down."
Stopping beside the restroom entrance, Takumi crouched and gently laid Miko flat on the floor. After carefully confirming that nothing had jumped down from the hole in the men's restroom ceiling, he spoke in a low voice. Once the Rescue Team Badge had repaired the injuries on his body, he then put the badge on Miko.
Seeing that Miko felt extreme discomfort upon wearing it, Takumi warned her not to over-activate the badge's power. Takumi, who possessed Kyosei's blessing, could greatly slow the erosion caused by the badge's own Aberration power. But if others used it, the side effects would be far more severe. Although it was much better than the original version from the Shirakawa Apartments, Miko still could not wear it for too long. Therefore, after the wounds on her body had more or less recovered, Takumi removed the badge.
"This thing… is amazing."
Miko looked in astonishment at the badge in Takumi's hand. She could feel that this small badge contained a peculiar power. Compared to those Aberrations, the discomfort it brought her was much weaker—almost as if it had undergone a certain degree of purification.
"It's a relic left to me by a very noble person. Now that I think about it, the help that person gave me was truly immense… No, it would be more accurate to say that he would do everything he could for anyone he was able to help. Although I can't become that kind of person, I sincerely respect and admire someone like that."
Takumi did not explain the badge's origin in detail; he simply said this to Miko.
"I see. Um… right, Takumi-san, after that sheep-headed man walked in just now, you saw something, didn't you? In a very dark place, someone was hung up by chains and being abused. Someone was speaking in the darkness. Not far away, there was also a man whose face couldn't be seen clearly, sitting in front of a small table. There was a lamp on that table—the light was dim—but on the table there was a printed manuscript, with many words written on it. Did you see that scene?"
After catching her breath, Miko asked Takumi.
"I saw it… wait. It sounds like you saw much more clearly than I did. I could only barely make out someone standing at a distance, watching everything. Can you remember what was written on that manuscript?"
At first, Takumi did not react. Only after listening carefully did he realize how much Miko had seen clearly in that instant of hallucination. He could not help but feel even more that this child's talent was astonishing, and hurriedly asked her.
"Ah, how could I possibly remember that many words… Actually, it seems like I can. Yes, I still remember what was written on it."
Originally, Miko shook her head, intending to say that there was no way she could remember so much. But when she tried to recall what she had just seen, the girl was shocked to discover that she could clearly remember every detail, every single word written on it.
It was as though those things were not words at all.
As if they were something that used text as a carrier—something imbued with Aberration power—so that once she had seen them, she could no longer forget.
"…If I say it out loud, it might not be good for you, Takumi-san. I feel like those words… are very frightening…"
After a brief hesitation, Miko looked at Takumi and spoke softly.
"No matter how frightening they are, you have to tell me now. I must understand the situation as much as possible. Only then will there be a chance to keep you alive in this place and find a way out."
The moment he heard that, Takumi knew it was either information with contaminating properties or something akin to Aberration rules. But with the strange creatures relentlessly hunting them and no proper opportunity to gather intelligence, he could not afford to be picky. He had to know something in order to decide his next move.
"Alright…"
Seeing Takumi's resolute attitude, Miko hesitated for a while longer before softly recounting the contents written on that manuscript.
…
[Fujihana Middle School Student Ranking Handbook]
That was the title on the paper. The contents were quite extensive.
[In order to better cultivate students, manage students, and guide students, Fujihana Middle School will divide enrolled students into five ranks. All students are requested to remember their own rank and strive toward more outstanding ranks. Only by becoming the most outstanding student can you live up to the school's cultivation of you.]
[The student ranks of this school are as follows:]
[I. Outstanding Student]
[Only students who rank within the top 10 of the entire grade, or who have received more than three individual commendations, are qualified to be evaluated as Outstanding Students. You are the good children of Fujihana Middle School, the models that every student should admire and learn from. You represent the most glorious aspect of this school.]
[As an Outstanding Student, your daily life should be conducted as follows:]
[1. Maintain a neat appearance. The clothes of an Outstanding Student must not be dirty; they must always remain clean and tidy, and the Outstanding Student badge must be worn at all times.]
[2. Greet teachers politely. When bowing, keep your gaze directed toward the teacher, and bend slightly at the waist.]
[3. During morning reading, you may leave your seat to supervise other students' reading.]
[4. The high-end area of the cafeteria will be open to you. You must dine in that area.]
[5. You have the right to make demands of Ordinary Students, Delinquent Students, and Bad Students. The other party must do their utmost to cooperate with you.]
[6. You must not harm other Outstanding Students, Good Students, or Ordinary Students. Their safety is rightfully guaranteed by the school.]
[7. Your demands toward Delinquent Students must not involve personal safety. Their lives are rightfully guaranteed by the school.]
[8. Within the school, you may make any demands of Bad Students. If there are special requirements, you may communicate with the administrative teachers on the underground level; they know how to cooperate with you.]
[II. Good Student]
[Only students whose academic performance ranks within the top 30% of the entire grade, or who have received one individual commendation, are qualified to be evaluated as Good Students. You are the good children of Fujihana Middle School, the future destined to become the backbone of society. You represent the excellent aspect of this school.]
[As a Good Student, your daily life should be conducted as follows:]
[1. Maintain a neat appearance. The clothes of a Good Student must not be dirty; they must always remain clean and tidy.]
[2. Greet teachers politely. When bowing, keep your gaze directed toward the teacher's chest or abdomen. You are not qualified to make eye contact with a teacher; if you do so, you will receive one warning punishment.]
[3. During morning reading, you must remain seated and complete the session earnestly. If a teacher or an Outstanding Student determines that you are not sufficiently serious, you will receive one warning punishment.]
[4. You may only dine in the mid-tier and low-tier areas of the cafeteria. You must not go to the high-tier area or the garbage area; otherwise, you will receive one warning punishment.]
[5. You have the right to make demands of Ordinary Students, Delinquent Students, and Bad Students. The other party must do their utmost to cooperate with you, but your demands must not conflict with those of an Outstanding Student or place a Delinquent Student in lethal danger; otherwise, you will receive one warning punishment.]
[6. Within the school, you may make any demands of Bad Students. If there are special requirements, you may communicate with the administrative teachers on the underground level; they know how to cooperate with you.]
[7. As a student already evaluated as a Good Student, if you accumulate three warning punishments, you will be downgraded to an Ordinary Student.]
[III. Ordinary Student]
[Every newly enrolled student will be evaluated as an Ordinary Student. If, after enrollment, your academic performance remains between the top 70% and 30% of the entire school and you have not received any warning punishments, then you will maintain the Ordinary Student rating. You are not outstanding enough, but that is not your fault. However, Fujihana Middle School is a school oriented toward Outstanding Students. If you have not achieved what you should have achieved, then you must receive a certain degree of punishment.]
[As an Ordinary Student, your daily life should be conducted as follows:]
[1. Maintain a neat appearance. Any teacher, Outstanding Student, or Good Student is qualified to report you. If any stain is found on your clothes, you will receive one warning punishment.]
[2. Greet teachers politely. When bowing, keep your gaze directed toward the teacher's feet. You are not qualified to make eye contact with a teacher; otherwise, you will receive one warning punishment.]
[3. During morning reading and class time, if you are discovered to be insufficiently serious in your attitude toward the lesson, you will receive one warning punishment.]
[4. You may only dine in the low-tier area of the cafeteria. Going to any other area will result in one warning punishment.]
[5. You must comply with the demands made of you by Outstanding Students and Good Students, unless the demand would cause you harm. Otherwise, refusal to cooperate will result in a warning punishment.]
[6. You have the right to make demands of Delinquent Students and Bad Students. The other party must do their utmost to cooperate with you, but your demands must not conflict with those of Outstanding Students or Good Students, nor place a Delinquent Student in lethal danger; otherwise, you will receive one warning punishment.]
[7. Within the school, you may make any demands of Bad Students. You are not qualified to use special requirements, but you may apply to observe. After communicating with the administrative teachers on the underground level, you will be notified when special requirements are being carried out.]
[8. As a student already evaluated as an Ordinary Student, if you accumulate three warning punishments, you will be downgraded to a Delinquent Student.]
[9. Ordinary Students may not graduate from the school. Until you attain the Good Student rating, you are not permitted to graduate.]
[IV. Delinquent Student]
[Only students who have committed too many mistakes will receive this rating. If your academic performance ranks between the top 90% and 70% of the entire school, or if you have received a certain number of warning punishments, you will be assigned this rank. It is quite surprising that someone like you would enter this school, but we must acknowledge your existence. Good Students also require Bad Students as contrast. However, it is necessary for us to ensure that you do not affect Good Students, so you will be subjected to rather strict management. And since you have disappointed the school, you must receive a certain degree of punishment.]
[As a Delinquent Student, your daily life should be conducted as follows:]
[1. Comply with the demands of students ranked above you. As long as your life is not endangered, you should cooperate unconditionally; otherwise, you will receive one warning punishment.]
[2. Kneel before teachers. Keep your gaze fixed on the teacher's shoes. You are not qualified to make eye contact with a teacher; otherwise, you will receive one warning punishment.]
[3. You may only dine in the low-tier area of the cafeteria. Going to any other area will result in one warning punishment.]
[4. Your existence is solely to allow Good Students to recognize their own excellence. Therefore, at all times, you should cooperate with them, ingratiate yourself with them, and display humility before students ranked above you; otherwise, you will receive one warning punishment.]
[5. Regarding special requirements such as skinning, gouging out eyes, cutting out tongues, extracting bones, or slicing flesh—so long as they do not endanger your life—you should cooperate as much as possible. Your life is protected by the school. Although your existence only provokes disgust, you should retain basic human rights.]
[6. As a student already evaluated as a Delinquent Student, if you accumulate three warning punishments, you will be downgraded to a Bad Student and will never again be able to raise your rank.]
[7. Delinquent Students may not graduate from the school and may return home only once per month. Until you attain the Good Student rating, you are not permitted to graduate.]
[V. Bad Student]
[Perhaps you rank among the bottom 10% of the entire school, or perhaps you have been too disobedient and violated the rules too many times. You are a Bad Student, a bad child. Your existence only disgusts others. You should die. The parents who gave birth to you and all of your family will be executed after you are evaluated as this rank. Inferior genes must not be passed down. Yet you are still alive, because we value humanitarian principles. We believe that even a bad child like you may still possess a glimmer of hope. Therefore, we will give you a chance. This is our only mercy toward you.]
[The only reason you exist in this school is to allow those more outstanding than you to see how repulsive and worthless you are, so that they realize they must never become someone like you. Your life has been pardoned by us, but whether those more outstanding than you will pardon you depends on whether you perform well enough. After all, you are a Bad Student. This is the result you deserve.]
[As a Bad Kid, this is how your daily life should be spent:]
[1. Keep your four limbs on the ground. You are not qualified to walk on two feet. Those who violate this order will die.]
[2. Kneel before the teacher and kowtow. You must not stop kowtowing until the other party indicates that you may stop. Those who violate this order will die.]
[3. You may only dine in the garbage area of the cafeteria. You are not qualified to enjoy human food. Those who violate this order will die.]
[4. Obey the commands of all those more Outstanding than you. You exist solely to please them. Those who violate this order will die.]
[5. For any demand involving insult, torment, bodily harm, limb destruction, beheading, dismemberment by vehicles, slow slicing, and the like, you must accept it with gratitude. This is a gift bestowed upon you.]
[6. Bad Kids are not permitted to graduate from the school, nor are they permitted to leave the school. You can never leave this place.]
[Every student must remember this set of ranking rules. Together with the Student Code of Conduct, it will become something you must abide by throughout your student life here. We hope you will spend three unforgettable years here.]
...
As a set of rules, this thing was truly long—and rather complex as well. It was even divided into five different sections.
Moreover, judging from its content, Takumi always felt that… this rule sheet might have already existed before Fujihana Middle School became an Aberration Instance. But the content written on it made it impossible for him to believe. There was no way he could believe that this thing had ever appeared during the period when the school was still normal, when students and teachers truly existed here—and that it might even have actually been enforced.
'You have got to be kidding.'
A rule sheet like this… were people really that twisted? Or was it that the power of the Aberration had already begun to take effect back then, causing such terrifying student rules to appear within what had originally been an ordinary junior high school?
Takumi pondered uneasily.
Furthermore, according to the content of this rule sheet, he, Miko, and the other female students had most likely received the rating of [Ordinary Student] upon entering this area. But what was absurd was that this rule sheet—one that very likely represented the operational model of the Fujihana Middle School Instance itself—had been discovered only after a hallucination was triggered, by Miko, that girl whose spiritual sensitivity was unbelievably strong. Under normal circumstances, players would very likely have had no way to obtain this set of rules, to the point that they might not even realize they had violated them.
And according to what was written here… during the first morning reading session, leaving his seat and making eye contact with the teacher—and even striking him; during the second morning reading session, the lights being turned off; during that same second session, staring directly at the teacher; and earlier, in the darkness, staring directly at that duck-headed man—I seem to have already accumulated five warnings.
In other words, if I violate this rule one more time, then in terms of identity… will I become a Bad Kid?
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