Looking to the side, Asahina was trembling, her face bright red.
“I-I was supposed to… But every time I tried to tell Amamori-kun, he ran away! He’s blocked my emails and calls, and even when I waited in front of the dorm, I couldn’t catch him until this morning!”
“…Let’s just say we’re never relying on Asahina to deliver messages to Amamori ever again.”
At Sakuma’s words, Asahina slumped her shoulders in defeat.
Ignoring that, I went over the details of the Conflict once more.
- A three-day survival challenge.
- The location is the academy’s underground ancient ruins.
- Food will be distributed to each student at the start. No other items are allowed.
- The battle will be decided by attacking the [targets] worn by each participant. The targets will be provided by the academy.
- Resignation is allowed.
- Victory is achieved by completely eliminating the opponent. If Class B wins, Class C must kneel and apologize, then be expelled.
If Class C wins, Class B will be forbidden from harming others in the future.
- Special participation of Yatagarasu (based on their own will).
- If the battle isn’t decided within three days, the outcome will be determined by a duel between class representatives. The duel will follow the same rules as the main battle, with defeat occurring upon being hit in a specific area.
- A safety zone equipped with toilets and bedding will be available for use for eight hours a day. No harm can be inflicted in this area.
- Anyone who intentionally acts with malice will be disqualified.**
That’s the gist of it.
I’ve pretty much memorized the map from that quick glance earlier.
The starting point has been filled out without any issues.
No one’s seen the contents, and only I know where I’ll be teleported.
As for the safety zone… I don’t see it as particularly important. It’s just a rule added due to strong requests from the girls in Class C for toilets and baths, but it’s not really meaningful.
After all, I don’t expect this Conflict to drag on that long.
Three days? No way.
I’m participating, and I’ll make sure it’s over in a few hours.
So, I only need to remember five rules:
- Attack the [targets] worn by each participant to decide the battle. The targets are provided by the academy.
- Resignation is allowed.
- Victory is achieved by completely eliminating the opponent. If Class B wins, Class C must kneel and apologize, then be expelled.
If Class C wins, Class B will be forbidden from harming others in the future.
- Special participation of Yatagarasu (based on their own will).
- Anyone who intentionally acts with malice will be disqualified.
No malice, just aim for the targets and eliminate the enemy.
Also, as Yatagarasu, I’m free to move around without any problems.
…Yeah, simple and clean. It’s good that I had a say in setting the rules.
And at the same time, with such simple rules, exploiting the [loopholes] is wide open.
Asahina Kasumi and Shinzaki Yasuhito.
The two of them are fixated on crushing the opponent head-on.
That’s why I made the rules simple, and I don’t plan to exploit any loopholes.
Yeah, you can do whatever you want. I’ll do the same.
I glanced at [this time’s collaborator], and they were staring right back at me.
Ah, everything is going according to plan, with no unexpected hiccups.
Just move as I’ve ordered—and Class B will be completely cornered.
I looked away from them and turned my gaze back to the noisy classmates.
They were chattering as usual, though a hint of tension about the upcoming battle was visible.
Tension, fear, everything.
I won’t say their thoughts are meaningless, but I do think they’re pointless.
No matter how much they prepare… my script won’t change.
☆☆☆
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Less than two hours later, we arrived at our destination.
Getting off the bus, we stepped into a mostly untouched forest.
Surrounded by greenery, the trees even blocked out the blue sky above.
The tire tracks from the bus were still visible, but… how are we supposed to get back? There’s not enough space to turn around, so maybe we’ll have to reverse all the way back along the tracks.
As that unpleasant thought crossed my mind, Sakaki’s voice rang out.
“Now, everyone. This is the stage where you’ll be playing [hide-and-seek] for the next three days.”
She pointed, and what she indicated was the gaping entrance of a cave that had opened up before our eyes.
Amidst the sea of green, the unnatural color of the rock stood out.
Although the entrance was overgrown with vegetation, it was packed down as if it were regularly used, and now it looked wide enough for five or six people to walk side by side.
“Uh… this is kinda creepy…”
Next to me, Karasuma rubbed his arms.
But that sentiment wasn’t his alone. Many of the students who had laid eyes on the cave entrance wore similar expressions.
It was indeed eerie, and looking into the cave sent chills down my spine.
It felt like the maw of a monster, ready to swallow anyone who dared to enter.
Just thinking about going in there filled me with a visceral sense of disgust.
“…Looks like getting transported here was the right call.”
At my muttering, everyone around me nodded in agreement.
“This cave will continue for a while, and beyond it lies the ruins where you’ll fight. The rules have already been explained, so I’ll skip that… but there’s one additional piece of information I need to share with you.”
“Huh? What is it? Is it something about the Yatagarasu?”
Shinzaki, who had been peering into the entrance, replied in a drawn-out voice.
Sakaki, who glanced at him, twisted his lips.
But that expression wasn’t one of disgust—it was [delight].
“No. It’s the information that you’re not the only ones in these ruins.”
The moment those words were spoken, a few sharp-witted students immediately went on alert.
While most tilted their heads in confusion, they were already staring sharply at the cave entrance.
“…Something’s coming.”
“I hear the sound of footsteps running… Is it a child? Though it’s too noisy for that.”
Asahina and Shinzaki murmured.
Amidst the growing unease—eventually, several [abnormal creatures] emerged from the entrance.
Seeing them, my thoughts froze.
Their green skin was inhuman. They wore nothing but a single cloth wrapped around their waists, and each carried a vicious club in one hand.
Their noses were hooked like a witch’s, and their eyes were sharp. Their sclera were red like a pigeon’s, giving off an unsettling vibe.
Their height was about that of an elementary school student… and the only thing coming out of their mouths were roars that were barely language.
Such monsters… I had never seen anything like them in my life.
But what flashed in my mind was the sports festival event.
I couldn’t remember which event it was, but… I think it was something called “Tiger,” where a monster resembling a [Manticore] had appeared. If I thought about it that way… I could somewhat guess what was going on here.
“Pfft.”
Shinzaki, who was closest, was attacked by one of the creatures, but he casually punched it and neutralized it.
He didn’t kill it… I think. The green creature was rolling on the ground, groaning.
“…What the hell is this? It’s like a goblin or something.”
When Shinzaki said that and looked at the teacher, the other students started murmuring again.
“Gob… huh? Shinzaki-kun, do you know these people? What tribe are they from?”
“They’re not people, obviously. Maybe read some light novels, Ms. Honor Student.”
Shinzaki brushed off Asahina, who clearly didn’t know what goblins were, and turned to Sakaki.
Meanwhile, Sakaki, under the gaze of all the students, began her explanation without losing her composure.
“—This academy is researching creatures known as [monsters]. These ruins are a place where we’ve experimentally released them. It’s what’s commonly known as a [Dungeon]. …Oh, and don’t worry, you won’t be charged with a crime if you kill them. For the next three days, feel free to deal with the locals as you see fit.”
“Are you… kidding me…?”
Sakuma, who had actually fought a Manticore during the sports festival and knew the threat they posed, had his face twitching. I get it—if we were just fighting other students, it’d be one thing… but the opponents here are monsters. With our lives on the line, the word [kidding] felt appropriate.
Asahina tilted her head for a while, muttering “Gob… goblin…?” but she seemed to grasp the abnormality and danger of the situation. She cleared her throat and reset herself.
“—Sensei. This wasn’t mentioned in the rules. If you’re throwing us into a dangerous zone like this… then we’ll consider this conflict request null and void.”
“Ohhh, Class C. Do you really think that’ll work at this point?”
“The academy was the one that withheld information. We’re well within our rights to respond accordingly.”
With that, Shinzaki shrugged.
But even he seemed to be taken aback by this situation.
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