[Monster 'Human' killed . Congratulations, you have leveled up to 55!]

At the voice echoing in my brain, I involuntarily stopped in my tracks.

The other four were also bewildered and exchanged glances.

"That message just now... Does that mean Shimakawa Yuya died? As a human."

"Shimakawa Daichi passed away with him."

"I think Shimakawa Yuya was at least rewarded, somewhat better than just being destroyed."

At Marin's and Hiyami san's words, Rea tightly clenched her fists against her chest, biting back her sorrow.

But what unsettled my heart wasn't that.

The message I heard just now—it was the same as when I killed Shudou kun.

It's true that Shimakawa Yuya was turned into a monster while still living as a human.

And perhaps he was able to die as a human precisely because his physical body as "Homesick" perished.

But what about Shudou kun?

He certainly had the thoughts of a monster, but there shouldn't have been any changes to his body.

Or did it just not affect his appearance yet, and there was a possibility he would become a monster in the same way?

If so—then me killing Shudou kun was completely the right thing to do, wasn't it.

"I don't know... I wonder if that was really okay."

Ah, this is bad, this is bad.

Beside me, Rea is trembling, suffering.

This is no time to be smiling.

Hold it in, me.

"We... don't know if we'll be alive tomorrow. No, we don't even have a guarantee for our lives an hour from now. Just standing still like this, we'll get caught in the collapse and die."

I managed to calm down somehow.

Yeah, I'll think about it later.

In the first place, it's a fact that our lives are in danger.

Looking back, the hallway is collapsing.

If we fall, it's a headlong plunge into a bottomless abyss.

The collapse is still continuing, and we can't stay still forever.

"Since it's a place like this, if they could die satisfied, I'm sure they were happy."

Rea chewed on my words, but seemed unable to fully swallow them.

She kept her head down, the next words not coming out.

"Try not to overthink it. Only the person themselves understands the value of their life or death. At the very least, you have absolutely no responsibility, Rea."

"Yeah... I'll do my best to think of it that way."

It was an answer that suggested it would drag on for a while.

With what happened to Meiji sensei as well, she can't recover immediately, huh.

I just hope I can support her as much as possible.

Then we started running towards the doors again.

We advanced in silence for a while, but Marin suddenly called out to Gii.

"You called Gii, right? I want you to answer my question."

"Gii?"

"In the end, what exactly are you? Why did you take the form of the girl named Nanase, and how were you able to converse with Shimakawa Yuya?"

I was planning to ask about that myself later when things calmed down.

She did say something about having Nanase Asami's shell.

"I have a mother. We are born by stuffing garbage into our mother's leftovers. In order to be used as predatory organs."

Gii said that with an extremely serious expression.

But it didn't seem to get through to Marin, as she,

"Could you speak in a way I can understand?"

Glared at her overbearingly.

However, Gii, still unfazed, continued talking at her own pace.

"Most of what we eat is sucked dry by our mother, and we are only given the remaining dregs. That's why I'm soooo grateful to Erika! The reason I was able to become me is all thanks to Erika being there!"

I somehow—understand, maybe?

"...I don't understand anything at all."

Marin is like this, though.

"Gishishishi, it's enough if Erika understands!"

"Did you understand it?"

"Probably."

"Care to translate for me?"

"Even if you say that, it's hard because I only understand it intuitively."

"Not you too..."

"Haha, it's fine if we don't know, Marin. We won, that's enough. Right?"

"Life seems easy if one can be as optimistic as Ruka."

Marin said with a resigned look.

That's fine.

Gii is probably smart.

You can tell from how she impersonated Nanase Asami and managed to persuade Shimakawa Yuya back there.

For someone like her to be vague with her words, there must be a reason.

At least, a reason that wouldn't cause any disadvantage to me, whom she feels debt of gratitude.

I turn my gaze to Gii.

Then she looked back at me and laughed happily, "Gishishi."

Yeah, it's probably fine.

We continue running down the red hallway in silence.

No monsters are coming out of the side classrooms anymore.

We just dash through the long, single path that is quietly collapsing.

Before I knew it, Rea was holding my hand.

I squeezed back tightly.

So that we won't be separated even if something happens.

So we won't repeat what happened with Yumemi chan.

And then we ran the length of the hallway and kicked the doors open.

◇◇◇

"Uhyaaaaaah!?"

Before I knew it, the floor was right in front of us, and I pulled Rea close as she was about to crash.

Marin and Hiyami san made a cool landing, and Gii, being a slime, got down to the floor without any problems.

We were the only ones who rolled over while still clinging to each other in an embarrassing way.

"That surprised me..."

"Ai is worried if you're hurt."

Mitsurugi san and Ushizawa san, who were waiting in the infirmary, peeked at us.

"A-ahaha... I'm fine, I'm fine. Erika protected me."

"I'm glad you're safe, Rea."

Lightly dusting off our uniforms, we stand up.

"Um... Ai doesn't see Shimakawa kun."

Ushizawa san asked anxiously.

Rea's expression clouded over.

That seemed to generally convey the situation, but I decided to speak without hiding it.

"As for Shimakawa kun, he stayed behind saying he wanted to be with his brother."

"Doesn't that mean he died?"

"That's right."

"Kh... Shimakawa kun..."

Tears welled up in Ushizawa san's eyes.

Mitsurugi san also seemed quite shocked, looking up at the ceiling and sighing.

"But it's not like he died in battle. He died satisfied."

Gii provided some supplementary explanation there, but,

"...I wonder if that makes it somewhat better."

"Ai thinks the fact that he died remains unchanged."

It doesn't seem to have been a very good follow-up.

Perhaps thinking she said something unnecessary, Gii looked a bit down.

It was then.

Just as a rumbling sounded from afar, the ground beneath our feet began to shake.

"What, an earthquake?"

Mitsurugi san said that, but we know it's not just an earthquake.

"Is this entire floor starting to collapse!?"

"Marin, let's return to our classroom."

"You're right, Ruka. Erika, we'll join up in front of the stairs. Take the people here and head on ahead."

"Roger that. Good luck, you two."

I waved and saw off the two as they dashed out of the infirmary at full speed.

Meanwhile, the left-behind Ushizawa san and Mitsurugi san directed anxious gazes this way.

"Ai heard it's collapsing now."

"What does that mean."

"The boss of this floor, Shimakawa Yuya, died, so it seems the whole thing is starting to break down."

"I was absolutely sure it was only that hallway or the gymnasium..."

"Since it was structured that way, there's no point in complaining. Mitsurugi san, there's an open party slot, so join in as a member. Just in case something happens and you die."

"You say such ominous things... but if there's a slot, I'll gladly join."

With this, the party members are the four of us: Rea, Gii, Ushizawa san, and Mitsurugi san.

And since my level exceeded 50, there's room for one more.

That said, unless we find another survivor, it won't be filled.

...Come to think of it, I wonder what happened to that girl Nemusia.

If things go badly, there's a possibility she doesn't even know the location of the stairs to the second floor, right?

Well, even if I say that, I don't know where she is either, so there's nothing I can do.

"Erika, we should take all the remaining food!"

"Let's also take as many clothes as we can. They can still fit in the smartphone, right?"

"We don't even know if we'll find supplies on the second floor, after all."

We stuff all the tools and food placed in the infirmary into the smartphone.

And finally, we put our hands together in front of Meiji sensei's remains covered with a cloth in the corner of the room—

"In the end, we couldn't give her a burial anywhere."

"Ai thinks it can't be helped. Even if we put her outside, she'd just be eaten."

"Her soul is no longer here. Meiji won't get angry even if she's left behind."

"Yeah... I think us surviving is what will make Sensei the happiest."

"Exactly as Rea says. Now, let's go."

We left the room behind.

◇◇◇

The figures of monsters were completely gone from the first floor, and we were able to reach the stairs easily.

The wall made of Shimakawa Yuya's flesh that used to be there was gone, making it possible to head to the second floor.

The wall of the landing was illuminated by light resembling natural sunlight, making it look as if the path ahead connected to the outside.

Further down the hallway, the collapse had already begun, with the floor and ceiling being swallowed into the abyss.

We can't wait for a very long time.

"I wonder if Marin san is okay..."

Rea said anxiously.

I mean, she calls Marin with "san".

She used polite language with Meiji sensei too, so it's not like she just drops honorifics with everyone.

"The shaking is getting stronger and stronger. Ai is scared..."

"If it gets dangerous, we can just go to the second floor first, right."

"I don't think Marin is the type to complain about that kind of thing."

Though she might make sarcastic remarks to me personally.

While having such a conversation, the sound of many footsteps approached.

"Gii, we made it in time!"

From around the corner came Marin, Hiyami san, and the 6 survivors.

I heard the survivors' physical conditions weren't very good, but hearing that they could escape this floor, they showed bright expressions for now.

"You waited dutifully, huh."

"I thought my little sister might get lonely."

"Hmph, how patronizing."

"Hahaha, there's no need to fight even at a time like this. Now, let's hurry."

Keeping their running momentum, Marin and Hiyami san climbed the stairs.

Just as we were about to follow, a popping sound rang out.

And something pierced through Marin's chest, who was leading the way, scattering blood.

Hiyami san, bathed in the blood splatter, let out an uncharacteristic, frightened voice, "Ah...".

Marin collapsed onto her.

Hiyami san, catching her, screamed with a pale face.

"Marin!"

"No way... wh-why!"

"A bullet..."

The bullet that penetrated Marin's body was embedded in the wall to my right.

Readying two Dreamers, I step in front of Rea.

Gii also readied her whip and entered a combat stance, while the others with no combat experience huddled together in fear.

Then, a woman descended the stairs with a light step.

Seeing the face standing on the landing, I involuntarily yelled.

"Ookiiiiii!"

It was the appearance of our homeroom teacher, Ooki Ranko.

Upon hearing my voice, she looked down at us with eyes like she was looking at trash.

"I thought I heard a dirty squeal like a pig, and it's Kuragane san! Addressing your homeroom teacher without an honorific, and surviving unbefitting of your worth, you truly are a useless student through and through."

"How cruel... saying such a thing to a student! Even though Meiji sensei was so splendid!"

At Rea raising her voice like that, Ooki smiled broadly.

"Hello, Rea chan."

"Don't call me by my name, it's disgusting!"

"Don't say such things, because I am—"

In the middle of her sentence, Ooki's face turned black, and began to melt into mush.

Eventually, from underneath it, a bizarre figure appeared with its skin peeled off, nose and ears sliced off, and throat gouged out.

Then, just as suddenly, the melted face reformed into a different shape.

"I'm your mother, you know?"

Her voice and face were reconstructed, and standing there was not Ooki Ranko, but Oogi Ranko, seemingly Rea's mother.

"That's... something like that... are you really, Mom?"

"Yes. Even after getting divorced, I changed my face and have been watching you all along. Because it's my duty as a mother."

"That's... Mom..."

"You're moved by my love, aren't you, Rea."

"To think you were... such a broken person...!"

Even if she went crazy for Kaisei kyou, she must have treated Rea kindly as a mother at some point.

That image clashed with the current situation, leaving Rea's heart in a chaotic mess.