Behind me are figures of monsters chasing after me, pattering the ground and raising their voices in anger, "Guu! Guu!"

Unlike zombies, it's difficult to judge how strong they are.

"Let's test their strength first... Illusion Dagger!"

I turn around and throw a blade.

The dagger pierces the leading individual, and its entire body quivers with a squelch from the impact.

From what I can see, it doesn't look like they took much damage.

Like the Eaters, magic might be their weakness.

"Guuh!?"

"Gu!"

"Guuuu!"

However, contrary to my impression, the other slimes let out exaggerated, surprised voices and stopped in their tracks.

I can't see their faces, but they look confused and chaotic.

Then they huddled worriedly around the individual pierced by the dagger.

"They're monsters with more expressive emotions than I thought... and they don't seem that strong either."

Are they even the same kind of monsters as zombies?

There's no harm in trying.

I took a step closer to them.

Then they let out frightened cries, "Guuuuuuh!", and stepped back as well.

With each step I took, the group retreated, and when I leaned forward—

"Guuuuuuuuuh!?"

They fled while making a huge fuss, returning to the classroom they had been in.

"What weird monsters..."

It's almost like I'm the monster.

Which isn't entirely wrong, though.

I chased after them and peeked my head into the classroom.

The slimes were huddled together in the corner of the room, looking like a single mass.

And seeing me, they are trembling and incredibly frightened.

I enter the classroom.

Okay, no traps.

I approach the mass of slimes just like that.

They don't try to attack me after catching me off guard; even now, they're just frightened.

It feels like bullying the weak, and I'm starting to feel sorry for attacking them.

"Are you the type of monsters that doesn't attack humans?"

They probably won't understand, but I try talking to them.

Then, with a squelch, just one individual poked its head out of the mass,

"Gii,"

It answered.

Are they trying to communicate with me?

It seems there are two types of cries, "Gii" and "Guu." I wonder if they have some meaning.

"Is it safe to assume you can understand my words?"

"Gii!"

"...Are you humans?"

"Guu."

"Are you not humans?"

"Gii."

"Are you my enemies?"

"Guu."

"You won't attack me anymore?"

"Gii! Gii!"

This means—it seems "Gii" means affirmation and "Guu" means denial.

I'm surprised, to think there are actually monsters that understand human speech.

Well, given Nemusia's vibe, she seemed like she came from another world too, so maybe it's not strange for non-human creatures to exist.

Thinking about it that way, are the Goblins and Eaters were teleported from other worlds? They clearly have a different vibe from the "Gangrene" zombies.

In the world I live in, there are animals that harm humans and animals that don't.

I don't sense any malice or murderous intent from these slimes at all... and it doesn't seem like they're lying.

I don't know if this sensation of mine applies to non-humans, though.

"Giii... Gii!"

The representative slime slipped out of the mass with a squelch, and took something out of a bag hanging next to a desk.

It handed it to me.

It was chocolate in a bag.

"This, for me?"

"Gii!"

"Um, is this like a token of friendship?"

"Gii!"

When I accepted the chocolate, the slime held out its hand to me with a squelch.

It had five fingers and the same shape as a human's.

When I timidly shook it, a squelchy handshake was exchanged.

Immediately after, the mass of slimes separated, lined up in a row, and clapped.

"Giiii! Gii!"

"Gii! Gii!"

I don't really understand, but they seem happy.

Is this like... we formed an alliance or something?

Well, if they aren't going to attack me, that's fine...

It doesn't seem like there's any point in staying here any longer, so I left the classroom.

Even after I left, the sound of applause continued to echo from inside the room.

"If I'm not careful, this might be more exhausting than fighting monsters... Plus, I let Nemusia get away."

My shoulders drooping slightly from mental and physical fatigue, I trudged on and resumed exploring the school building.

◇◇◇

It took over an hour to reach the dead end opposite the infirmary.

Even though I was defeating monsters along the way, at my current speed I should have traveled over 10 km.

However, there was no exit to the outside within that span.

Fortunately, there was a cooking classroom at the dead end, so I borrowed a large amount of seasonings from there.

There was also a long hallway to the left after leaving the cooking classroom, where monsters were swarming and wriggling.

Maybe the current school building is shaped like a vast square.

So far, the paths I've figured out are the straight hallway connecting the infirmary and the cooking classroom, and the hallway leading right from the infirmary to the school store.

If we're only talking about the outer edge, I've explored a little over a third.

That said, the places to investigate aren't just the outer edge, but also the complex, maze-like "inside of the square."

I want to finish exploring before the monsters undergo further complex evolutions and become unmanageable.

"Investigating this vast area alone might be tough..."

I ponder with a hand on my chin as I walk back toward the infirmary.

At that moment, I felt a piercing bloodlust at the back of my head.

It was an intense presence carrying clear "hatred," different from that of the monsters.

I pretended not to notice and kept walking forward.

Since I always have Dreamer in one hand, I have no anxiety about intercepting.

If the opponent attacks, I'll turn around and unleash a skill.

I keep walking—and the moment I stepped forward.

The murderous intent turned into a tangible blade and attacked me.

"——!"

Without a sound, without a voice, a thrust from a Japanese sword aimed right at my throat.

"Dual Slash!"

I unleash a slash as I turn around, deflecting the aim with the first strike.

Then, with the second strike, I further repel the blade and break the opponent's posture.

Jet-black hair sways beautifully and infuriatingly.

The culprit's eyes widen in astonishment for a brief moment.

But the murderous intent is quickly recharged, and Kuragane Marin glares at me with eyes filled with hatred.

I immediately follow up with Power Stab.

I thrust my knife right between Marin's eyes.

"New Moon."

But something invisible repels the blade with a dull sound, altering the trajectory of the thrust.

Even though Marin shouldn't have swung her sword.

New Moon—did Marin use a skill too?

"Crescent Moon."

Having recovered her posture, Marin steps into my space and swings her sword.

An ordinary vertical downward swing.

But from there, a crescent-shaped blade is unleashed—and I throw an Illusion Dagger to collide with it.

The power is equal.

They cancel each other out, and the offense and defense move to the next phase.

Marin dives into my space at an imperceptible speed.

"Broken Moon!"

What she unleashes from there is a sharp upward slash from a stance resembling drawing a sword.

From my current posture, I can only defend.

But I'm already used to this pattern.

If that's a "third-stage" skill, simply defending will just result in both of us being slashed to death.

"Sword Dancer...!"

First, I clash with Marin's Broken Moon with my first strike.

But I'm easily repelled, completely outmatched.

However, the convenient thing about Sword Dancer is that, regardless of my posture, I can move to a desired location at close range and unleash the next attack.

I circle around behind Marin.

Her slash hits empty air.

And the second strike aimed at the nape of her neck—

"Insolent!"

But Marin blocks it with the wrist of her left arm.

The blade tears through flesh and stops after severing about half the bone.

The fact that I couldn't cut it off means—as expected, her physical durability has also been enhanced.

But Sword Dancer isn't over yet.

Just as Marin turns around to counterattack, I move behind her again, and the third strike—

"I won't let you!"

Along with a voice filled with spirit, thirteen swords float around Marin.

Her skill activated even without a declaration.

Are there activation methods other than the one I know?

The floating swords all slash at me with sharp trajectories as if she swung them herself.

First, the first sword blocks my attack from Sword Dance.

Next, three swords unleash slashes from different directions.

I use the fourth strike of Sword Dance purely for evasion, escaping the sword encirclement.

Fortunately, it seems a sword disappears once it's swung.

And they don't have the power of Broken Moon.

Even so, it's a raging thirteen-hit combo, and I'm giving it my all just to evade.

The remaining nine swords fly toward me as I momentarily put some distance between us.

"Spread Dagger!"

This is the skill that's effective at times like this.

The diffusing blades shoot down five swords.

Four left!

"Water! Fire!"

Holding both hands out, I fire water and fire bullets simultaneously, shooting down two.

"And while I'm at it, Illusion Dagger!"

If I shot down one with a throw—I'll catch the last one directly with Dreamer!

"Guuuh... Pretty heavy!"

Since it's a strike from a skill, it's intense; if it's just this one, I can repel it.

Alright, I somehow made it through unscathed!

But before I realized it—

"Die, Erika."

Marin herself was closing in right before my eyes.

The sword raised above her head glints.

The blade is swung down from the nape of my neck toward my shoulder—and I deliberately step forward.

I can just heal the wound with Healing anyway.

Also, unlike kendo, there's no rule in a death match saying you can't touch the opponent's shinai (bamboo sword for kendo).

"guh...!"

A heavy, dull pain runs through my shoulder.

A cold sensation sinks deep, gouging the bone with a crunch.

But that's as far as it goes.

Marin's arm is grabbed, and she can't put any more force into the sword.

"You, have you lost your mind!"

"You're the one who came to kill me first, Marin!"

A situation where neither of us can use both hands.

I open my mouth wide and bite into Marin's neck.

Passed down directly from zombies—I guess you could say.

Because my strength was enhanced, tearing off the opponent's flesh was easy.

Sinking my teeth into the flesh with a squishy sensation, I thrash my head and tear it off with a rip!.

"Gaaah! You, you in-human!"

Her artery severed, Marin steps back while spewing a massive amount of blood.

The sword was pulled out along with her, and I spat out the mouthful of my sister's disgusting flesh.

"Healing!"

And simultaneously, we both treat our wounds with healing magic.

"We sure are sisters!"

"Just thinking that I share blood with the likes of you makes me sick!"

"Same here, if you weren't my sister, my life might have been a little bit better."

"As if. Hell is fitting for a piece of trash like you who toys with people's lives!"

"I'm already living in hell enough!"

"Then die and fall into an even deeper hell!"

Round two was immediately about to begin.

Sisters don't need a reason to kill each other.

Especially Marin, who probably built up a lot of frustration living in the same house as trash like me.

If a situation arises where murder is permitted, she would definitely use her pointlessly sharp mind to stack up excuses and try to kill me.

Because we are sisters.

Because even if we want to separate, our blood won't allow it.

I feel a stronger hatred than anyone else—

"Stoooop!"

Someone shouted loudly, stopping our physical interaction.

Running toward us in exasperation was a girl with short hair and an androgynous appearance, who looked undeniably frivolous.

"To think you'd suddenly start trying to kill each other after finally meeting a survivor, I'm truly not impressed."

"...Who are you?"

The woman bowed respectfully and said.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Hiyami Ruka, a first-year student. I am the best friend of your younger sister, Marin, and her future wife connected by the red thread of fate."

Seeing Hiyami san like that, Marin looked exasperated.

"Ruka, why do you know that Erika is my older sister?"

"I've grasped at least that much about your family environment, Marin."

"You have a stalker disposition as always."

"It can't be helped that I ended up like this. After all, I truly love you from the bottom of my heart, Marin."

Saying that, Hiyami san produced a red rose from nowhere and handed it to Marin.

"Please accept this, my honey."

She was a weirdo at a glance.

The bloodlust emanating from Marin also withered, and her cheek twitched.