The hallway was eerily quiet.

I could hear nothing but my own footsteps.

The wriggling lump of flesh turned out to be about the size of a human when I got closer.

And it had hair growing from it.

It had a face.

It was wearing a school uniform—

I stopped right there and rubbed my eyes.

"...It's starting to look like Shimakawa Yuya."

Of course, I don't know what his real face looks like.

We have no relationship, after all.

So this isn't a hallucination my brain is showing me, but rather something that lump of flesh is "showing" me.

For what purpose?

Right now, I don't feel like my body is being pulled towards it like Meiji sensei's was.

"Hey, can you hear my voice?"

I called out, but there was no reaction.

He remained motionless, his vacant eyes directed at the floor.

Is he really just a monster?

For a monster, I don't sense any murderous intent from him.

Loneliness, isolation—could such a bizarre evolution possibly give birth to a monster that exudes such feelings?

The distance between me and Shimakawa Yuya closed to about 10 meters.

The moment I took a step forward from there, multiple zombies suddenly appeared above my head as if they had teleported.

The zombies wearing school uniforms surrounded me in a circle, trying to attack me by using the momentum of their fall.

"Tch, so it was a trap after all!"

While complaining, I spun around once, swinging Dreamer.

The zombies' bodies were cut cleanly in half, and their outstretched hands fell to the floor without reaching me.

Stepping over the corpses, I moved forward again.

Then, Shimakawa Yuya was gone, and a girl with long hair wearing a tattered school uniform stood there.

Another zombie? No, if it were, there's no way it would just be one.

Without getting closer, I used Duplicate Duo to dual-wield my knives and threw an Illusion Dagger at her head and body.

Then, the girl's long bangs lifted, revealing a huge mouth that took up most of her face.

"Kyaaaaaaah!"

A high-pitched voice resembling a woman's scream rang out from it, and the Illusion Dagger that received that "sound wave" shattered into pieces.

Furthermore, having bathed in that sound, I felt its vibration resonate heavily within my body.

I couldn't even move my body properly.

"What is, this... ga, guh...!"

Just as the smell of iron welled up, a large amount of thick, sludgy blood overflowed from my mouth.

My vision also dyed red, and I realized blood was flowing from my nose and eyes as well.

That's not just a sound.

The scenery seems to be distorting from the vibration.

It's an attack named "Vibration" that possesses directivity.

"Gu, oooooooh!"

Forcefully putting strength into both legs, I roll to the side and escape.

Then the monster turned its neck and chased after me.

I want to dodge, but my body feels heavy.

HP is [18/40], I still have leeway, but my internal organs feel like they're in shreds.

I quickly cast Healing and recover my wounds—alright, I managed to do it without a declaration!

Next, I kick the ground and jump upwards.

Naturally, the opponent chases after me, but its movements aren't that fast.

While doing a backflip in the air, I activate Spread Dagger.

I don't need to voice this one either, I'm unusually focused right now.

The split blades rain down on the opponent like a shower.

The monster screams "Gyaaaaah!" and loses its balance, but desperately tries to aim at me.

But at this point, the opponent can no longer follow me.

I kick off the ceiling to accelerate, landing behind the monster.

Then, I unleash a powerful strike with Power Stab toward the back of its head.

"Drop dead!"

"Gyaa—a"

Its head is severed, and that grating voice stops.

Looking at my uniform stained with vomited blood, I let out a sigh, "Haa."

And the next moment, I was falling.

"What is it this time?"

What exactly am I being made to relive?

Sky above, the nostalgic school building beneath my feet.

In other words, it seems I threw myself off the roof.

And on the ground—countless needles made of human bone are placed.

"I'm telling you I'm not Nanase san!"

Changing my posture in mid-air, I plunge the Dreamers in both hands into the wall of the school building.

With a loud grinding sound, gaririririri, and scattering gravel, blade scars are carved into the stone wall.

And my body gradually decelerated, coming to a halt just before I would have been skewered on the ground.

"Phew, my arms hurt... plus the roof is so far away."

Pulling out the knives one by one and stabbing them back into the wall, I aim for the roof bit by bit.

Looking up, there was the figure of Shimakawa Yuya looking down at me.

"What are you trying to do, Shimakawa Yuya! I don't think I'm the target of your revenge!"

When I called out to him, someone peeked out from beside him.

—It's Tatsuoka senpai.

Naturally, zombified.

And just like that, he fell, passing right beside me.

Tatsuoka senpai gets smashed against the ground and skewered. Kind of refreshing.

"Are you saying your revenge is something else? Or maybe—"

Someone else falls from the roof again.

This time it was a woman with long hair, similar to the monster from earlier.

Unlike Tatsuoka senpai, her aim was precise, coming down beautifully right from above me.

I flicked it away with my knife and called out to Shimakawa Yuya again.

"Have you finished killing everyone, so you have no choice but to kill unrelated people now?"

That's a monster's instinct.

Since his duty as a human is finished, is there nothing left to do but increase the number of victims?

Whether he affirmed that question, or whether I just ruined his mood, this time dozens of women rained down.

The aim is sloppy, so I only need to deflect the ones that look like they'll hit me, but,

"What a pain."

Climbing up little by little won't get me anywhere.

"I don't know who you are, but don't hold a grudge against me for using you as stepping stones—Sword Dance!"

I set the 8 corpses in my vision as targets.

Jumping up using only the arm strength holding the knives, I first slash the closest one.

Once I gain momentum, the mysterious power of the skill swiftly guides my body towards the roof.

Eventually, with too much momentum, I flew to a position where I was looking down on Shimakawa Yuya.

While falling, I slash at him standing on the roof.

However, that slash never hit, and once again the surrounding scenery switched.

"A burning house... This really isn't just a regular monster, is it."

I'm being shown this.

No, or perhaps it was originally meant for the students who bullied him, not me.

I lower my hips to avoid inhaling the smoke and aim for the exit.

From outside, I could hear the sirens of fire engines and the murmurs of onlookers.

I finally reach the entrance.

I haven't been attacked by monsters so far, but I don't think it'll just end by me going outside like this.

I kick the door, heated by the flames.

But it won't budge.

With my current strength, it should have crumpled in one hit, at least.

It's as if it's protected by a mysterious power.

"I guess this isn't the exit."

While I was moving, the flames gained momentum, and the amount of smoke also increased.

Are they planning to roast me alive?

As I thought that, I saw a human figure running towards me from beyond the smoke.

Its steps were unsteady, perhaps from inhaling smoke, but it was clearly aiming for the entrance—no, this is no time to be watching.

It's not human anyway, so I'll crush it with a preemptive strike.

"Blood Pirouette!"

The moment I threw Dreamer, it immediately began rotating at high speed, flying while sweeping away the smoke with the wind it generated.

And when it hit the figure, it shredded the enemy with a grotesque guchurururu sound.

Without a voice, the opponent fell to the floor.

Its figure was that of an adult woman wearing clothes.

However, her face was crushed, making it impossible to distinguish who it was.

But I can guess.

It's probably Shimakawa Yuya's mother who burned to death in that fire.

And the fact that the scenery didn't change even after I defeated this one means the "father" is still somewhere.

"Cough... At this rate, I'll die from lack of oxygen...!"

I hurriedly search the other rooms.

Then I found a monster's figure in the living room.

The opponent runs towards me the moment it spots me.

First, I throw an Illusion Dagger to keep it in check—then, with a roar of "Guoooooooh!", its body burst into intense flames.

The thrown knife burned away before touching the opponent.

Furthermore, the ignited flames didn't extinguish, and it approached me just like that.

If I get hugged by that, my body definitely won't hold up.

"My skin feels like it's burning even from a distance... Won't it go out with Water?"

I try shooting a water ball, somehow imagining it would be useless.

Then I was able to slightly weaken the momentum of some flames, but it immediately evaporated.

But—it seems more useful than I thought.

"Ooooooh... Uwooooooh!"

The blazing monster reached out both hands and accelerated further.

"The time I can approach is only an instant, I have to finish it off before my body gets scorched!"

First, I continuously shoot Water towards the opponent's head, weakening the flames' momentum, even temporarily.

I immediately move forward.

Just getting close scorches my eyeballs, rendering my vision useless.

Not only my uniform, but my skin is also scorched with a sizzle, and the pain of burns assaults my entire body.

But—

"Ooooooh, Dual Slashuuu!"

Before both my arms become useless, the opponent's head is torn to shreds.

I immediately cast Healing on myself.

My vision returns.

Then I'm back in the hallway I was in at first, with a pink lump of meat in front of me.

"Haa... So you don't have any more scenery you want to show me?"

The opponent answered nothing.

But as I get closer, that voice gets louder.

'Let me go home.'

'Dad, Mom, let me go home.'

'I want to go home.'

A sad voice, like a lost child.

'Where is this.'

'There's no one here.'

'It's pitch black, bright red, and I can't hear anyone's voice.'

When I get right in front of it, the words become clearer—

'There's no one here.'

'I'm not here either.'

'Someone, find me.'

No matter how much I listen, I don't understand the meaning, so I stabbed it with my knife.

Then a massive amount of blood spurted out from inside, and it deflated like a water balloon.

Looking around, there are no similar monsters, so I guess I can relax for now.

[Monster 'Homesick Replica' killed. Congratulations, you have leveled up to 41!]

That announcement echoed in my brain.

I had been relieved, but immediately felt a chill.

Replica?

The one just now wasn't the real one, but an imitation?

Indeed, Shimakawa Yuya did say "I'm not here either" but—does that mean the main body is somewhere else?

If so, then Sensei is—

I hurriedly explore the surroundings while contacting Rea.

[Erika!?]

Rea's voice answering the call was clearly panicked.

So the one from earlier was a fake after all—

"I defeated the lump of meat Sensei saw. How are things over there?"

[W-Well, she calmed down for a moment earlier, but... right now, there's a lump of meat stuck outside the infirmary, and seeing it made Sensei go crazy again!]

"A new one appeared?"

If what appeared in the hallway was an imitation called a "Replica"—does that mean it can still create new ones?

Then defeating the one that appeared at the infirmary won't change anything?

No, if I can protect Sensei even temporarily—but will I make it? It'll take a few minutes even if I sprint to the infirmary at full speed.

In the first place, why is Meiji sensei the only one being targeted?

[A-Ah, Sensei is... Sensei's body is!]

"If her body is in danger, try undoing Gii's restraint!"

[I already undid it! I undid it, and it's not like she's trying to go outside... her body is swelling, and Sensei is in so much pain!]

Swelling? Suffering?

What does that mean? Wasn't it just showing hallucinations and calling Meiji sensei out?

If an anomaly is occurring in her body—that's right, I definitely defeated a few monsters when bringing Inuzuka san and Gii back to the infirmary.

Gii's level should have gone up... yeah, it's level 5.

She said she'd do rear support, so I should have her learn recovery magic now.

[Healing Lv. 3]

[Cure Lv. 1]

[Gii's Remaining Skill P: 1]

With this—

"Rea, I had Gii learn Healing and Cure. Try both on Sensei."

[Got it!]

But I tried Cure before leaving the infirmary, and it didn't work.

I hope it conveniently works this time.

[Guuuu...]

[No good, neither works!]

"Does Healing temporarily revert it?"

[It doesn't, it's getting worse and worse!]

"I'm heading back to the infirmary! If Sensei forms a party with me, even in the worst case if she loses her life, with magic—"

[Ah, wait please, Sensei! Don't move, you'll die!]

[...Kuragane san, can you hear me?]

Perhaps she snatched Rea's smartphone, this time I can hear Meiji sensei's voice.

Her voice was quite pained and feeble.

"Sensei, I'll be right back, so please hold on until then somehow!"

[Ugh, guh... probably, you see... the one who called it, was me...]

"The monster just came on its own!"

[Investigating various things about Kaisei kyou was... meant to be atonement. Because... I'm a teacher, you know? I should have been able to do more... Nanase san, Yuya kun, and the other kids too, that's right... Fufu, Yuya kun... knew I wanted to be judged, didn't he...]

"Shimakawa Yuya has finished his revenge! Not just Tatsuoka senpai, he killed other students too, and now he's just acting on a monster's instinct. He's not thinking about judgment or anything!"

[If so... then he granted my wish. Because I... killed someone. It's karmic retribution... cough... I see...]

"I'm a murderer too! But I'm alive like this! Humans are the only ones who spin karma, it doesn't spin on its own! There's no need to be judged for killing Tatsuoka senpai!"

[But... I... wanted to do that. I can't forgive it. I couldn't... save Nanase san...]

"I don't care about that! I'll be right back, so Sensei, join my party and—"

[There's no need. I'm... already tired... so this was just right... guh, guh, gahuh]

[Sensei, Sensei!?]

I can hear the sound of liquid splattering and the panicked voices of Rea and the other students.

Sensei is already at her limit.

[Yes... Yuya, kun... you're lonely, aren't you...]

[Don't give up, Sensei!]

[That's right, hold on. Kuragane san will be back soon!]

[Ai doesn't want Sensei to die. Ai wants you to do your best!]

[Gii, what are you doing? Why are you approaching Sensei—]

I don't know what's happening over there.

[...Eh? Ah... I see, Nanase san... will you forgive me...? I see, then, only Yuya kun is left...]

But—I only know that Meiji sensei had accepted death a long time ago, and there's nothing I can do.

[A-aga, gahyu, gu, gaaaaaaaaaaah!]

A loud scream, impossible to believe it came from that teacher, was heard.

Immediately after, a sound like something bursting echoed.

The door of the infirmary far away—beyond it, I could see something slightly red.

I stop in my tracks.

Strengthening my grip on the smartphone, I gritted my teeth.

[N-Noooooooo!]

With a time lag, someone's scream rings out.

This is the first time I've felt so frustrated about someone dying.

However, this world doesn't even give me time to grieve.

The infirmary door opens.

Red, pink, yellow, purple—a lump of meat, a mix of various colors with tangled tubes and masses, slithers toward me.

"...It's Meiji sensei's insides."

Human insides are ugly and dirty.

No matter how beautiful a heart one possesses, no matter how righteous one's actions are.

Embracing someone with something like that could never fill someone's loneliness.

That's what I think, Sensei.