Original chapter: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n0383ht/17

"I'm ba—"

"Welcome back!"

When I returned to the infirmary, for some reason, Rea, who had been waiting near the entrance, eagerly welcomed me.

And she grabbed my hand and vigorously shook it up and down.

She must have been bored, but there was no need for her to wait here... though I'm a little happy about it.

"Who are they?"

"Let me introduce you. This is my younger sister—"

"Kuragane Marine! And over there is Hiyami Ruka. The princely duo of the first years!"

Before I could introduce them, Shimakawa kun blurted it all out.

Why won't anyone let me finish my sentences?

His energy is strangely high, and even looking at the faces of the other three first-years, I can tell they're excited.

"You mentioned it yesterday, but are these two really that famous?"

"You can tell just by looking, right? Look at their appearance! Their charisma is outstanding, and they're always surrounded by other students, so it's hard to even catch a glimpse of their faces."

She really is my exact opposite in every way, Marin.

Even being praised this much, she doesn't seem embarrassed at all.

Yet she loses her composure so easily when it comes to me.

"To Ai, it looks like Kuragane san's younger sister is holding something dangerous."

"A Japanese sword, huh—so the sisters both have similar powers."

"Ah, yes. He explained, so let's skip the self-introductions. I heard there were survivors, but I didn't expect Meiji sensei to be here."

"I was saved thanks to holing up in the infirmary."

Do they know each other? They exchanged such words.

Meanwhile, Hiyami san was looking around the infirmary as if appraising it.

"That bread... So Erika senpai made it to the school store too."

"Were you the ones who took the bread from the school store, Hiyami san?"

"Securing food was our top priority. However, if you made it that far, Class 1-E was just a little further."

It seems the classroom Marin and the others are using isn't that far away.

Marin was fighting until she reached a comparable level, so perhaps it was bad luck—or maybe good luck—that we hadn't bumped into each other until now.

"Hmm, hmm, the survivors' health condition doesn't seem to be as bad as I thought. Right, Marin?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"I wanted to see what you thought."

"...It's true that I certainly don't trust Erika yet. But she seems more decent than I thought."

Even if it's thanks to Hiyami san intervening, it's disgusting hearing Marin say something like that.

And her condescending attitude pisses me off.

Calm down, me. Stirring things up won't do any good.

I'm the older sister, I'll tell myself that.

However, as if to mock me trying to maintain my composure with a hand on my chest, Tatsuoka senpai made his move.

He stood in front of Marin and, with a pale face, opened his mouth.

"Kuragane Marin kun, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Who are you?"

"I am Tatsuoka, a third-year. Could you please take me to your classroom? I desperately want to get away from this room, please!"

Tatsuoka senpai bowed deeply.

To do that in front of first-years, he must be driven into a corner so much that he has to throw away his pride.

"Let's hear the reason."

It's because it's uncomfortable being looked at with suspicion, right?

"There's a corpse buried in the wall here, and it seems to be Nanase san from my class."

Ah, that's it.

Whatever his true feelings are, there's no doubt it's definitely creepy.

"I can't stand sleeping and staying with something like that!"

"A corpse, you say—"

"It's the skeletal remains Erika senpai told us about on the way here."

Right, after asking Marin about Kaisei kyou, I told the two of them about Nanase san's corpse as an answer to their question, "Why did you ask that?"

Including the high possibility that it was used in some kind of ritual.

"It's a hard story to believe right away, but..."

"Then you can just take a look."

Sensei shifts the shelf with accustomed movements.

When the skeletal remains appeared, Rea, perhaps out of fear, looked away and tightly gripped my hem.

"This is quite a magnificent skeleton."

"I heard it was a suicide by jumping, is the damage to the head a scar from that?"

In contrast, Marin and Hiyami san approached without hesitation and observed it from close range.

"Now do you understand? Please, take me with you!"

"Let me think about it for a bit."

"You can't!"

"Meiji sensei, is this the only buried corpse?"

"As far as I know, yes, but there might be others."

"How about we try breaking the wall?"

"This is someone else's property, Ruka."

"I guess that's a no-go?"

Saying that, Hiyami san glances at me as if asking for permission.

"It's not my property either, so why not? As long as you don't break through to the outside."

"She says it's fine."

"Don't push it onto me. Ruka, you're more suited for this kind of thing, aren't you?"

"I don't really want to use it because it's not elegant."

Come to think of it, Hiyami san, unlike Marin, doesn't have anything that looks like a weapon.

Then, a gray gauntlet appeared on her right arm.

Even though I say gauntlet, it's many times thicker and bulkier than her actual arm.

With a rugged appearance as if carved from a block of rock, it certainly lacked any elegance.

"Good grief, to think the kendo gauntlet I was wearing just in case I got bitten would end up looking like this."

"That's a pretty explanatory line."

"You hit where it hurts, Erika senpai. If I don't say it, people will think this reflects my mental state, right? Even though it's just something I borrowed from Marin that turned out this way. The name 'Gyges' isn't cute either."

I understand how she got that power and the reason why she's not enthusiastic about it.

However, since my "Dreamer" also has a name that feels somewhat ironic, perhaps the weapons given are unexpectedly like that.

I wonder what kind of unpleasant name Marin's sword was given.

While I was thinking about that, Hiyami san punched the wall with the gauntlet named "Gyges."

"Don't go crushing the Buddha too, now!"

Perhaps she has martial arts experience, it was a punch with her waist put into it.

BOOM! The whole room shook, and the sound of the impact echoed through the hallway.

And the wall of the infirmary crumbled, revealing something resembling bones from inside.

"It seems they've come out."

"Two skulls—including Nanase san, at least three people are buried here."

"We found 'em that easily, huh."

"Ai couldn't help but think there might be many more..."

It's not necessarily limited to the infirmary, either.

If we find them at this pace, maybe hundreds of bodies?

"If there are many people buried, it doesn't seem like it's just our students. I wonder if they procured corpses from outside too."

The reactions upon seeing the corpses were divided.

Setting aside me, Marin, and Hiyami san, who are used to fighting zombies, it's strange that Meiji sensei seems completely unfazed.

"Ai thought if it was just Nanase san alone, there was a possibility they were trying to hide an incident. But with this many coming out..."

"They're doing it systematically. The ritual theory Sensei mentioned might be highly likely."

There's still no proof, but the possibility has greatly increased.

"Then the school really is involved..."

Rea said anxiously.

Well, it certainly looks that way.

"So far, I haven't seen any teachers turned into zombies. How about you, Marin?"

"Now that you mention it, I haven't encountered any either. Only students."

"Does that mean the teachers knew about this situation beforehand!? If so, Meiji sensei, you too must know something—"

"I thought it was suspicious, that's why I went so far as to dig the wall to investigate, didn't I? But I don't know anything beyond that."

"I can't trust you. My desire to leave this place has grown even stronger."

"Even if it has grown stronger, I still haven't decided to take you."

"Why, Kuragane san!"

Marin sighs and speaks with a slightly tired demeanor.

"The ones in our classroom are all first and second-years. They are mentally exhausted in this situation. If an unknown third-year comes, there's no telling if the fragile peace maintained there won't collapse."

"I wouldn't do anything to disrupt the atmosphere!"

...Pfft, oops, I almost laughed.

You're the one breaking it the most, Tatsuoka senpai.

Look, even Meiji sensei is glaring at you.

Even Mitsurugi san, who has been silent, has a slightly exasperated face, you know?

"On the contrary, I will unite the first and second-years, and surely be of use to you—"

"No."

Marin cuts down the boastful Tatsuoka senpai decisively.

He stood there dumbfounded, "Eh?"

Even Hiyami san jumps in.

"She's saying that type disrupts the atmosphere even more. Sorry, but we can't take you."

"H-How could... but there are corpses here!"

"This is just my intuition, but if corpses are buried for a ritual, the other classrooms probably aren't exceptions. There's a possibility they used the school itself as a device to gather grudges in order to summon Giraiguu, after all."

"We should investigate on our end too."

"In a different classroom. I want to keep this fact hidden from the survivors in Class 1-E."

Well, seeing Tatsuoka senpai's panic, that's understandable.

In that sense, Meiji sensei also lacks delicacy.

No—but in Sensei's case, maybe she wanted to tell him that Nanase san was buried here, more than the fact that corpses were buried.

"We've confirmed the situation enough. Next, we head to our base, Erika."

"Please wait, Kuragane-san! Kuragane-saaaan!"

Turning her back, Marin heads for the exit.

Tatsuoka senpai was shouting disgracefully, but he was ignored.

However, it seems Marin has agreed to take me to the classroom.

Seeing the situation in the infirmary, I wonder if she judged me trustworthy as a "survivor," if not as an "older sister."

I'm not happy about it, though.

Hiyami san was also about to leave the infirmary, so as I tried to follow, someone tugged my sleeve.

"...Rea?"

Rea brought her face close and spoke to me in a small voice.

I thought I had gotten a little used to it, but I let my guard down.

She's too close, it makes me nervous.

But Rea herself is completely serious.

"That younger sister had a Kaisei kyou flyer, right? And she seemed to know about Giraiguu."

"Ah... that. Apparently, it wasn't Marin's, but our mother's. She was invited to attend a gathering."

"Did she attend?"

"Yeah, Hiyami san also said there's no way Marin would attend, so for now I trust that part."

"But if that's the case, your mother is..."

I thought that would be a relief—but contrary to my expectations, Rea gripped my sleeve even tighter with an anxious expression.

Ah, I see. Because Rea's mother was also deeply involved in Kaisei kyou.

How am I supposed to comfort her at times like this again?

Being comforted by someone—I've only ever experienced that from Yumemi chan.

I don't really want to imitate that.

But, I don't know any other way.

I pat Rea's head and give her an awkward smile.

"It's okay, my mother isn't here. You don't have to be anxious."

"Erika..."

Rea looked up at me with tears in her eyes and a dazed expression.

Thump, thump, my heartbeat quickened. Not violently, but calmly, yet with a certain heat.

Surrendering to the pleasant heartbeat, I felt like I could smile naturally.

"Well, I'm off. See you later."

"Yeah, take care."

Waving my hand, I leave the infirmary.

Then, right nearby, Marin and Hiyami san were waiting.

For some reason, Marin is staring intently at my face.

"What?"

"I'm surprised that you have a human side as well, Erika."

Saying that, Marin started walking.

Hiyami san and I walked beside her.

"Are you mocking me?"

"I've lived my life being taught that Kuragane Erika is inhuman. Since my parents said so, I thought it must be true. Knowing that you killed a man named Asanuma in a cruel manner, I was convinced it was true."

"Mom and Dad don't know anything about me. Because they don't look at me. You know that too, right, Marin? How I've been treated at home."

"...I suppose so."

They conveniently treated me as if I didn't exist, and conveniently treated me as a failure.

I was sometimes used to relieve our parents' stress, and sometimes used to boost Marin's self-esteem.

I was called the disgrace of the Kuragane family, yet despite that, I was a convenient tool for them.

"Also, I didn't kill Asanuma kun. He turned into a zombie right in front of me, so I just cleared my grudge to my heart's content. If anything, he should be grateful to me that it ended at that."

"I have no intention of accepting that."

"The hypocrisy of a blessed human."

"Even so, if I condone an act that toys with human life, I'm finished as a human being."

"You're already finished a long time ago."

"What did you say?"

"You've done things like that to me. Am I wrong?"

Marin trying to be a decent human being at this point is comical.

Even if she was taught that it's okay to treat me however she wants because I alone am "not human" in this world—that also means that as long as she recognizes someone as "not human," she can be infinitely cruel to others.

No matter how much she pretends to be a good person, that stain won't disappear.

"Even if you received that kind of education from our parents, there's a limit. Thinking about it again, it's a miracle I haven't committed suicide until today. I feel that even more when I look at others who have lived normal lives. I wonder what would have happened if I died. I doubt our parents would even hold a funeral, but would you have been a little sad, Marin?"

"I probably wouldn't even shed a tear."

"Right? You understand perfectly!"

Marin is gradually losing her escape routes.

No, rather than that, she's acknowledging it.

If it was going to be like this, I should have had a heart-to-heart talk with Marin much sooner.

No, maybe I can only do it now.

Because I have power, I'm her equal, and we're in a closed space with nowhere to run, we have no choice but to expose ourselves to each other.

Because she has no choice but to acknowledge me as "human."

"Ruka, just stop grinning. It's bad manner."

And Marin relies on her only escape route, Hiyami san.

Though, that Hiyami san isn't throwing her a lifeline either.

"I'm sorry, a weakened Marin is too cute, I can't suppress my excitement."

"You pervert."

"This is nothing but a reward for me right now."

As I thought, she's invincible. I don't want to make an enemy out of her.

"I wonder what our parents' intentions were in doing those things to me."

"I've never asked either."

"I see, even though you guys were so close."

While holed up in a small, dim attic room in the corner of the house, I always listened to the laughter coming from the living room.

They were family, and I was an outsider. I felt that sense of alienation almost every day.

"You seem to be mistaken, but I hate those parents."

Yet, Marin spits out those words.

Extravagantly, she cuts off the existence of family, which I wasn't even allowed to have.

The arrogance of those who have.

"Even though you laughed together so often?"

"Only on the surface. A pathetic father who constantly pandered to my mother's moods and never defied her, and an arrogant mother who forced her own ideals onto me. How am I supposed to like them?"

I agree with her on that point.

Though, the degree of "hate" is probably different between me and Marin.

After all, Marin—was loved.

"You say they were forced on you, but you've grown up exactly according to those ideals."

Suddenly, Marin stopped walking.

We also stopped and looked back at her.

Marin—dropped her gaze, bit her lip, tightly clenched her fists, and her arms were trembling.

Ah, could it be.

Haha, I see.

Marin truly hated our parents.

But, no matter how much she hated them, parents are parents, and the love was certainly there.

Before she knew it—she had grown into the shape of the "ideals" she was supposed to be rejecting.

An ideal girl, excelling in both academics and sports, striking, and loved by everyone.

She's surely proud of that wonderful self.

But at the same time, she hates it.

A contradiction coexists within her.

"For the first time now, I thought you were cute as a younger sister, Marin."

I couldn't help but bare my teeth and smile.

"Stop it."

Marin's voice is trembling.

I think I might understand Hiyami san's feelings quite well now.

"You don't have to be shy, we are sisters after all."

 "I said stop it!"

Marin raises her voice and grabs at me.

But I'm not scared at all.

I have the emotional composure to accept it with a smile.

"Don't worry, Marin. I still resent you, but I've lowered your priority. If I'm going to kill anyone, those shitty parents come first. To do that, we sisters have to cooperate and survive!"

Realizing that glaring at me has no effect, Marin clenches her teeth in frustration.

That expression poured oil on the flames of my joy, making it blaze even more fiercely.

"Hahahaha! I never knew that Marin, who was so blessed, had a complex about 'growing up exactly according to our parents' intentions'!"

As my laughter echoed, Marin shouted in desperation.

"You're the same, aren't you!"

"Hmm?"

I tilt my head.

Me too?

"No, you're wrong. Rather, it's you. The stronger the light, the deeper the darkness. I always wondered for what purpose, but being trapped in this school, I've finally found something resembling an answer!"

For someone desperate, her tone was crisp as she laid out her logic.

"Hey, Erika. Why did our parents enroll you and me in the same school?"

"In my case, I was told that if I didn't get in here, they wouldn't let me go to high school. I really didn't want to not go to high school, so I worked hard."

"I hated it too. Why do I have to go to the same high school as you."

Now that she mentions it.

This school has quite a high level, doesn't it?

Marin got in by recommendation, but I remember barely making it.

"After making such a difference between us sisters, why is it necessary for both of us to enter Hikarinomiya Academy? Isn't it because our mother, a believer in Kaisei kyou, wanted to offer you to this academy, the center of the rituals?"

Just as parents don't know their children, children don't know their parents.

That's why I hardly knew what kind of person my mother was.

But Marin probably knows.

That she was a devoted believer of Kaisei kyou.

That's why she must have reached that answer.

"To make you, who accumulated negative emotions for 16 years, a sacrifice for Giraiguu."

Marin surely brought this up as a counterattack.

She wanted to hurt me by telling me the shocking truth that I was born and raised to be offered as a sacrifice to an evil god.

But I'm sorry, Marin.

I'm a failure of an older sister.

Because—hearing that story, it made me happy.

Unable to suppress my emotions, I smiled, and Marin, shaken, let out a faint "Eh."