After finishing our conversation with Hiiro san, we left the Throne Room.

The four of us ran down the long hallway that clearly ignored the building's shape.

According to her, because she used her power, her reason is being slightly taken away by Kaigyo, but performing precise movements for a short period of time is no problem.

It will surely go well.

Above all, the fact that Ooki was not in this room backed up my confidence.

"Ok... Ooki san wasn't here."

"I guess she couldn't show her uncool side to her beloved Giraiguu sama. In other words, she hasn't been cornered that far yet."

She's trash who colluded with students to drive Yumemi chan and me to suicide in the first place.

She must be more accustomed to cowardly actions than I am.

Right now, she's probably targeting someone who is fighting individually—thinking that, I want to meet up quickly.

"Right now, she's probably targeting one of the three who are fighting."

"Three?"

"That woman doesn't have the guts to interfere in the battle between Suguro and Marin."

However, no matter how you looked at it, Marin was being pushed back.

She also needs help.

"For now, Ushizawa san, please leave the hotel and meet up with Akabane san and the others. I want you to wait in a safe place until the battle is over."

"...Got it, Ai will stay quiet."

Even while saying that, she probably really wants to fight.

Since the Inoue sisters are at the center of this, she's not unrelated either.

But just this once, her level hasn't gone up at all, so she has no choice but to endure it.

We pass through the path continuing from the Throne Room and emerge into the hotel hallway.

This is where we temporarily part ways with Ushizawa san.

She tightly gripped Inoue san's hands, pressed them to her forehead, and prayed fervently.

"I pray that Ai and Big sister can meet again."

"Ai chan..."

"It's an absolute promise, Yoshino Big sister. No suddenly disappearing or anything like that. If you do, Ai and Hiiro will cry day after day just like we did six years ago."

In Ushizawa san's spoiled-child-like expression, there was a childishness I had never seen before.

I'm sure they troubled Inoue san together with Hiiro san just like this six years ago too.

Even so, I thought there was no human who didn't have a lingering attachment to life, but maybe that's not quite the case.

Now that she mentions it, her current self, knowing her true identity, seems to have a certain precariousness.

The fact that she is the same existence as the Casts means that someone who was sacrificed exists—perhaps because she is someone with a strong enough sense of justice to become a police officer, she probably hates that kind of thing.

"I understand, I promise. The three of us will survive and leave this place."

"Yeah, a promise with Ai!"

Firmly intertwining their pinkies to make the promise, and finally smiling at Inoue san, Ushizawa san waved her hand and left the hotel.

I'll have her survive no matter what—I felt like I received that kind of pressure.

We move our feet forward once again.

Around the time the stairs came into view ahead, Inoue san asked me.

"Who should I fight?"

"Either fight Shiromachi kun on the 2nd floor, or Nakami san on the 3rd floor, but—"

"Is Runa on the 3rd floor?"

I nod at Rea's words.

Rather than seeing her clearly, it was by a process of elimination.

Then she tightly clenched her fists in front of her chest, looking like she had made some kind of resolve.

"It will be a fight to the death, are you okay with that, Rea?"

"Not just okay, I actually want to settle things properly."

She's strong.

To Rea, Nakami san is like Yumemi chan is to me, right.

No matter how much she betrayed me, if she actually appeared before my eyes, I would definitely hesitate.

"Got it, I'll leave Nakami san to Rea."

"Yeah, I'm going to blow away all these awful feelings."

"Then I should fight the guy named Shiromachi on the 2nd floor, right. There should be one more, Suguro, but are you going, Erika chan?"

"I even learned skills that look useful for that purpose."

Honestly, I did hesitate about Shiromachi kun, but—if I leave him to Gii, she should be able to trample on his dignity sufficiently.

Similarly for Nakami san, if she loses to Rea, her pride should be crushed.

In that case, I naturally end up heading to Suguro kun's place.

I can't let that scumbag, who acts like a martial artist but participated in kidnapping Yumemi chan, keep getting carried away forever.

Coordinating with Marin... well, I can probably manage.

When we arrived at the 2nd floor, we parted ways with Rea.

We are acting separately, but I'm not worried.

Hiyami san is a bit sketchy but smart; she should protect Rea properly.

And when we went out into the hallway, a fierce battle between Gii, Nemusia, and Shiromachi was unfolding there.

◆◆◆

A few minutes ago—Gii, who was entrusted with dealing with Shiromachi by Erika, was fighting him 1-on-1.

Shiromachi holds a rifle, and furthermore, small satellites equipped with gun muzzles—Guns Orbit—are floating around him.

He doesn't need to give them instructions; they automatically snipe the target.

The range is several hundred meters—it would be quite a threat if fighting in a wide area.

However, in a battle inside this hotel, it can't be said that he's fully utilizing that long range.

However, in Gii's case, it was a problem that went beyond the issue of range.

The automatically fired bullets constantly attacked Gii, but each time she calmly dodged them by changing the shape of a part of her body or creating holes in it.

"Dammit, you have a body like a cheat!"

"Gishishishi, they're not hitting at all. I feel sorry for the guns."

"Making lame provocations—Comet Tracking!"

Bullets are fired from his irritated muzzle.

However, their target was clearly off the mark with Gii.

And when they hit the wall, they reflected in irregular directions, this time accurately targeting her.

Comet Tracking—it's what you'd call a homing bullet.

But the part that differs from a general one is that it targets the opponent by repeatedly ricocheting.

The bullets fired from Shiromachi's gun repeatedly ricochet.

That is the effect of a skill called Albedo One, and there is a limit to the number of ricochets depending on this skill level.

However, limited only to Comet Tracking, it repeats ricocheting "eternally" until it hits the opponent.

Therefore, the option to "dodge" disappears for the opponent.

It should be quite a threat against a human opponent—however.

"It's useless no matter how many times you try."

Gii opened a small hole in her own body, just large enough for the bullet's outer diameter to graze it.

And the bullet passes through her body.

That is judged as a "hit."

In fact, her slime body is scraped off, albeit slightly.

Now that she had grasped the "knack" like this, the majority of Shiromachi's attacks didn't even hit Gii anymore.

"I'll torture you to death like this... in a way that Erika will rejoice. Swimming Snake Whip (Eijaben)."

Gii's arm extended sluggishly as a whip.

But it snapped midway and fell to the ground.

Just as he thought that, the fallen arm split into several fragments, floating fluffily and creepily approaching Shiromachi.

"This again, you never learn!"

Shiromachi and Guns Orbit shoot them down with precise aim.

The "swimming snakes" that bite if they get close.

Normally, even if attacked, they would smoothly dodge, but Shiromachi, who accurately shoots through his opponents, doesn't struggle there.

But the troublesome part is that Gii herself also approaches at the same time as those snakes.

"Blanket Octopus Whip (Isouben), and Nine-Tails Whip (Kyuubiben)."

Tentacles sprouted and branched out squishily from Gii's back, and the whip extending from her arm also split to target Shiromachi.

Approaching from right in front of him, they are like a wall of tentacles.

There's no end to shooting them down one by one.

"Don't bring those creepy things near meeeee!"

Shiromachi managed to avoid the tentacles piercing from all directions using solely his physical abilities.

He jumps up, twists his body, kicks the ceiling, lands on his arms, and uses only the strength of those arms to do a somersault and take distance from Gii.

"Predation Whip (Hoshokuben)."

A "biting" whip closes in on Shiromachi, who had fully dodged and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Pale Blue Dot!"

When he shot through that whip with a bullet, slime burst with a splat! and stained the wall black.

(Originally it's a skill that causes massive bleeding, but against a slime, I can't even tell if it's working!)

But with this, he survived the opponent's attack for the moment.

—Just as he thought that, Shiromachi felt bloodlust behind him.

(A new enemy?)

Thinking that, he turned around along with his gun, and there floated a "snake" he was supposed to have shot down, about to bite him at any moment.

"What the hell is going on—!?"

He hurriedly tried to shoot it down, but even with the help of Orbit, it wasn't enough.

The snake opened its mouth wide, bit into Shiromachi's shoulder and thigh, and tore off flesh.

Furthermore, not satisfied with just that, it thrust its face into his body, trying to dig deeper and deeper.

It was a movement as if specialized purely in inflicting pain on the opponent.

"Gu, gaaaaaaaah! The same face... there are two of you!?"

And what Shiromachi saw was the exact same figure of Gii that had been standing in front of him just a moment ago.

He was supposed to be fighting 1-on-1, but before he knew it, it had become 2-on-1.

He wondered if he was being shown a hallucination, but he was actually feeling pain and sustaining wounds.

With a desperate look, he used his hands to tear off the snakes trying to dig into his body.

"Gishishishi, actually we were twins."

"Wrong... that's your skill too!"

"Gishi, you found out? You found out?"

Twin Whip (Souseiben)—a skill that generates a "clone" with the exact same appearance as oneself.

The clone moves with the exact same will as the main body, and can use the same skills as the main body.

In other words, her fighting strength simply doubles.

"Blanket Octopus Whip (Isouben)—finally with this whip, I can turn you into mush!"

"Don't come closerrrrrr! Cascade Bullet!"

The bullets Shiromachi fired turned into grapeshot the moment they hit the wall and ricocheted, raining down on the opponent.

And the scattered bullets ricocheted again individually, splitting and turning into grapeshot once more.

The sheer number of them was so great that Gii's body transformations couldn't keep up.

"Tch, annoying."

Gii retreats for a moment.

But from behind, the other Gii is closing in.

"Orbital Resonance—pull that one away!"

When Shiromachi issued the order, one of the satellites flew towards Gii.

Just as it seemed to pass her by, it got behind her.

"A pincer attack?"

"Not even close!"

An invisible force field generates from the satellite.

Then, just like metal being attracted to a magnet, Gii's body floated softly and was pulled towards the satellite.

"Desperate to keep me away."

"Obviously!"

"You should just quietly die. You won't last long anyway."

"Talking like you know everything—"

"I do know. The end of you guys."

『Gishishi』

The two Giis laughed from the front and back.

Irritated, Shiromachi aimed his muzzle at the one who had been halted by the Cascade Bullet.

"Don't think you can keep that composure forever! Take this, Event Horizon!"

He pulled the trigger.

If he fired a normal bullet, Gii would just transform her body and dodge.

But this time is different.

At the exact same time he pulled the trigger, her chest burst with a splat!, scattering black slime.

"Ah...?"

"My gun has bullets that cannot be dodged, you know."

Event Horizon—it is a cheat-like skill where a hit is guaranteed the moment it is fired.

Since firing and hitting occur simultaneously, it cannot be dodged or blocked; it was truly a sure-kill strike.

Shot through the chest, Gii's body swayed and tilted.

Shiromachi smiled, anticipating his victory—and there, Gii finally laughed maliciously with a "Gishishi."

And she rapidly approached him at the same speed as when she was unharmed.

The tentacles growing from her back automatically pierced him.

A faint red line appeared on his cheek as he barely dodged it.

"You're alive even with your heart crushed!"

"No one said my heart was there."

"Always so cowardly—"

"Thanks for the compliment. Gishishi."

Not only from the front, but from behind as well, the Gii who escaped the effects of Orbital Resonance was closing in.

There was no longer any place for Shiromachi to escape.

Pierced in multiple places by the Blanket Octopus Whip, and with the Nine-Tails Whip also closing in.

If magic is poured into his body with this, he will be obliterated without even a corpse remaining.

(Is this as far as I go—)

In reality, a new life as a monster awaits him, though.

And just as the whip extending from Gii's hand was about to pierce him—

"Intersecting Chain Rope. Now, bind her."

A woman's voice echoed from behind him.

And the extending chains wrapped around Gii's body.

"Guu...!"

"Complete capture. Do you understand that your power has been sealed as well?"

Bound body and arms, Gii became completely unable to move.

Then the clone she created with her skill also vanished, and her skills became unusable.

"Ooki chan, you came to save me!"

"My beloved student is in a pinch, after all. I just did what is natural as a homeroom teacher."

The one who appeared was Ooki, who was supposed to have fled from the 2nd floor.

She had temporarily escaped to the 1st floor to let Erika and the others pass, and then immediately returned to the 2nd floor.

And coincidentally stumbling upon Gii and Shiromachi's battle, she launched a surprise attack.

"Now, Shiromachi kun, kill the traitor who opposes Giraiguu sama."

"I'll do it even if you don't tell me. So many of my buddies have been killed by this monster..."

"It can't be helped. They did things that got them killed. Shiromachi too, and Ooki too."

"You sure have the nerve to say that in this situation!"

Shiromachi suddenly fired at Gii's head.

However, her vitals are not there.

With the top right of her head blown off, she laughs while deliberately recreating the destroyed brain and showing it off.

"Gishishi, it's the inside of Inuzuka. A premiere showing. Sexy, right?"

"You bastard, mocking me to the very enddddd!"

He continued firing repeatedly, but only Inuzuka's flesh was getting damaged, and Gii remained unperturbed.

What the Intersecting Chain Rope seals are only skills.

Since Gii possessed the characteristics of a slime from the very beginning, they remained unsealed.

Therefore, until all the slime parts are completely destroyed and only her heart remains, she will not die.

And if they take that much time—naturally, help will arrive.

"Triple Cast, Wind!"

Three blades of wind fly from behind Ooki.

"Ooki chan, behind you!"

"Chain Binding Prison! Gu, u...!"

Ooki instantly defends with a shield of layered chains.

But contrary to her expectations, that magic seemed "heavy."

"This power with the lowest rank magic... this is bad."

"If you are going to act as a shield, then I can go all out without holding back. Tornado!"

Furthermore, Nemusia hurled a fierce tornado at Ooki.

Objects and lights placed in the hallway were swept up and smashed to pieces within the wind.

Having just defended against the blades of wind, she caught the magic in the same posture, but that was the result with the weakest magic.

There's no way she could fully withstand magic with drastically higher power.

"Guuuuuuh! Why, why can Ikuna Yumemi use magic!"

Blown away, Ooki was shocked when she saw the face of the girl who entered her field of vision.

Of course, when that happens, Gii's restraints are also released.

"Crap. Hey, don't run away, you bastard!"

"I decline."

Gii hooked her arm on the wall, contracting it like rubber to rapidly move away from Shiromachi.

And standing next to Nemusia, she smiled with satisfaction, "Heheh."

Because the only "enemies" in front of her were Shiromachi and Ooki.

"If there is no worry of catching you in it, I can go all out. Overcast!"

When Nemusia twirled her staff, the jewel attached to its tip emitted light.

(Crap... is something huge coming!? I can't use Event Horizon yet because of the cooldown, I have no way to stop her!)

No matter how superior Shiromachi's agility is, there is no way to dodge a strike of explosive power unleashed in this narrow space.

"Wyvern Rage!"

A green dragon made of wind magic was generated behind Nemusia.

The dragon opened its mouth wide and spewed out a mass of power created within its body.

"Ooki chan, let's cooperate and stop—Ooki chan? Hey, Ooki chan!? Don't tell me you ran away!"

Ooki's figure was already gone from there.

Realizing their numerical advantage had crumbled and sensing defeat, it seems she quickly escaped outside through the window.

Even while he was doing that, the condensed mass of wind closed in on Shiromachi.

"Orbit, use anything to protect meeeeee!"

Simultaneous with the impact, an explosion of air occurred, smashing the hallway and walls to pieces.

Shiromachi, who was at the epicenter, should have been blown away without a trace remaining.

However, as a satellite flew towards Wyvern Rage, it changed its trajectory with the gravitational pull it emitted.

And the mass of wind flew outwards from the already destroyed wall.

"Haa... haa... so Orbital Resonance can be used like that too..."

"That was close just now."

"Surprisingly tenacious. But Ooki ran away, so it's just Shiromachi left."

"By the way, is it alright to assume you are Gii?"

"Yeah, I'm Gii. And you are?"

"I am Nemusia. I look forward to working with you."

"Anyone who is Erika's ally is extremely welcome. Nice to meet you!"

The two of them exchanged introductions casually at their own pace.

But while Shiromachi indeed seemed to have escaped the predicament, the situation had worsened by the fact that Ooki had fled.

It was a situation where it couldn't be helped that the opponents were showing leeway.

"Nemusia, be careful, that guy uses a weird skill that hits the same time it fires."

"The same time it fires?"

"For a normal human, it's dangerous if their heart is targeted."

"Then... how should I defend against it?"

"Shift the position of your heart."

"...No, that is impossible?"

Nemusia being given an impossible task the moment they meet up.

While breathing heavily, Shiromachi pointed his muzzle at her.

"I was praying you'd stay quiet... but I guess the result doesn't change whether you say it or not. Since it's definitely going to hit anyway."

"Nemusia, hide behind me."

"U-Umu."

"Doing that is useless, even if there's a wall, as long as I know your position, it will absolutely hit."

"He says so."

"What do we do."

"What do we do indeed..."

No countermeasures—yet Nemusia speaks casually.

"A normal human I finally met, and on top of that, you look exactly like Ikuna. If you die, my frustration will be relieved too. I was getting irritated because I couldn't hit anything no matter how much I shot since earlier!"

Aiming at her, Shiromachi mercilessly pulled the trigger.

"Event Horizon!"

Simultaneous with firing, the bullet pierced Nemusia's chest, and blood splattered from her back.

Seeing that sight, he laughed out loud.

"Ha, hahahaha! Nice, it has to be like this after all. Unlike Suguro, fighting isn't really my style; violence should be one-sided. I just wanted to trample over people!"

He trembled his shoulders, certain of his victory.

On the other hand, Nemusia, who received the gunshot—

"U, mu... as expected, there is nothing to be done about the pain. However, compared to the pain of death, it is not a big deal."

While grimacing slightly, she was still alive.

How could something so absurd happen—Shiromachi's expression froze, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

"Are you not a normal human either..."

"No, I am a normal human."

"Then die when your heart is shot through!"

"Haha, a human does not die just by having their heart removed, you know."

"Don't speak such nonsense!"

"Of course, I would die immediately after, but if there is even one second of grace, regeneration is possible, is it not?"

Realizing what Nemusia meant, Shiromachi widened his eyes.

"You used Healing at that exact moment... To think it could be prevented with such a trick. Even though I finally learned it, what a defective skill!"

"Gishishi, finding faults with your own power is so uncool."

"In the first place, the power of Heroes was originally created to oppose Kaigyo's Gangrene. A battle between those possessing the same power was not anticipated."

There's even a skill like Resurrection.

If you wanted to, you could adopt a tactic like using party members as a wall and just continuously reviving them.

If both sides fought like that, it would become an eternally unsettled conflict.

"However, that power of yours is different from ours. It is thought to be, so to speak, 'imitations' created by Kaigyo to defeat Heroes and Apostles. If so, it should naturally be adjusted for anti-human combat. But as it stands, it is merely a monkey mimicking; it is only natural that defects are found."

"Blabbering on with your cheeky nonsense...!"

"In addition, perhaps because that skill of yours is of a high rank, it seems that currently a declaration is essential for activation. If so, it is easy to time my healing to match it."

"You can say whatever you want. Say that stuff after you kill me!"

"Then I shall do just that. Mystic Familiar—Go, fairy of the wind."

A fairy emitting green light appears around Nemusia.

Almost at the same time, Shiromachi's satellite fired a bullet at her.

Then the fairy reacted to it, releasing a blade of wind and cutting down the bullet mid-air.

"A skill of the same system!?"

"In terms of power, it is a superior version. Now, Gii, let us press the attack!"

"Since the talking is over, I won't hold back either. Twin Whip (Souseiben). I'll crush you with the violence of numbers!"

Once again, Gii created her own clone and closed in on Shiromachi from the left and right.

His satellites are fully occupied just canceling out the magic fired by Nemusia's fairy, so he needs to deal with both of them using his own gun.

In addition, Nemusia herself is also free to act.

"Double Cast, Wind Sphere."

『Predation Whip!』

Blades of wind from the front.

Whips biting at him with wide-open mouths from the left and right.

(I have no place to escape but backwards...!)

Shiromachi shoots down one whip while retreating.

And twisting his body to avoid the other whip—

(Besides, there's no way I can handle this difference in numbers!)

The blade of wind sliced off his right leg below the shin.

"I, gi—Healing!"

Shiromachi immediately regenerated his flesh.

But that cannot continue forever.

He allocated his stats focusing on agility.

He allocated only the bare minimum to Magic Power and Magic, so the number of times he can use Healing is about 10 times at most.

Moreover, that healing amount is barely enough to regenerate one leg.

If he sustains any larger injuries, he will have to consume an even greater amount of MP.

While he was doing such math, Gii pierced Shiromachi's body with her whips, causing magic to explode inside his body.

A torn-off arm—just as he regenerated it, this time the tornado unleashed by Nemusia gouged out his lower body, turning it into a mess.

(This is impossible... Ooki chan was right to run away. There's no way I can win against this...!)

Shiromachi understood firsthand that there was absolutely no chance of a comeback.

(But I don't want to run away. I won't be satisfied unless I kill this monster Gii no matter what! That's right, not the me who turned into a monster. Right now, this human me, with these hands!)

To do that, it's impossible unless he sacrifices his own life.

Abandon all defense and pour all firepower into Gii.

By doing that, he should finally be able to kill her.

"Your movements changed. Given up?"

"Like hell I have!"

"I'll kill you either way. Gishishi, Nine-Tails Whip!"

Gii's whip, splitting into 9, attacks Shiromachi.

He dared to plunge into them himself, repeatedly unleashing skills whose cooldowns had ended.

"Zu, oooooooooooh! Blow awaaaay!"

But even that was a hit-or-miss gamble.

Because Gii is cloned, he no longer knows which one is the main body.

If the Gii he focused all his firepower on right now was the fake, then it's all over.

The bullets Shiromachi fires are clad in a curse that forces massive bleeding on the opponent, slice through whatever they touch leaving a trail, and repeatedly ricochet until they hit.

Furthermore, bullets that split every time they ricochet, bullets that take root inside the opponent's body, and Event Horizon that hits simultaneously with firing—he truly unleashed all the firepower he had.

Then, for some reason, Gii interrupted her attack and tried to take distance from him.

"Are you the real one! Haha, I gotcha, for everyone's revenge!"

"...?"

Seeing Shiromachi rejoice, Gii tilted her head.

At her reaction, as if saying she didn't understand why he was rejoicing, he felt a strong chill.

And, as if swapping places with the retreating her, a woman holding tonfas jumps in.

"Hammer, Break!"

Inoue struck Shiromachi in the face with all her might using her raised tonfa.

"The woman who was getting in our way!"

Interrupting his attack, Shiromachi hurriedly guarded with his gun.

But the impact of the tonfa was many times stronger than he imagined, and setting aside the gun made with Kaigyo's power, his arms couldn't withstand it.

"Gaaaaaah! What is this, am I being broken from the inside...!?"

The gun falls to the floor.

Bones were shattered solely by the transmitted impact, and his arms had lost all strength.

Furthermore, another shadow approached, delivering a follow-up attack to Shiromachi.

"Shi-ro-ma-chi kun."

"Kuragane chan—you bastard!"

◆◆◆

Quickly slipping into Shiromachi kun's guard, I pierced his stomach with Dreamer.

With a strike enhanced by Power Stab, the blade easily pierced through Shiromachi kun's body.

The squelching sensation of piercing flesh and internal organs.

Feeling the realization in my arms that I was killing the trash who ruined Yumemi chan's and my life, my heart was enveloped in joy.

I left it to Gii, but—as expected, I want to stab him at least once myself!

And keeping him impaled, I hoisted Shiromachi kun's body up.

His unsightly appearance, flailing his limbs above my head, is cute like a dying bug.

"O, go... let me, go...!"

"Did you ever let me go when I said that? Now Gii, finish it off."

"Got it, I get to take the best part."

Gii approaches her prey with light steps.

Fear begins to appear on Shiromachi kun's face.

According to rumors, he killed several of the captives for fun, yet he's scared of being killed himself.

Gii's tentacles pierced his body in multiple places.

And emitted light inside his body.

"Hi, gi, aaaaaaaah! Wh, why... why do I have to, die, like this!"

From the pierced areas, his flesh began to swell and bubble as if boiling.

It seems intense pain arises from those parts, and every time it bubbled, Shiromachi kun let out a pained scream.

"It suits you more than anything else, Shiromachi kun."

"Aga, ga, gubu... No. I still... have so many things... ogo, I want to, do...!"

When even under his face and scalp began to expand, he could no longer utter any meaningful words.

I'm getting bored soon—just as I thought that, Gii apparently thought the exact same thing at almost the same time.

The light's output increased all at once.

"Ga, a, igi, iiii, giaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

And Shiromachi kun, echoing a truly spectacular death agony, burst like a balloon.

Leaving only a slight splatter of blood and flesh in this world, all other parts evaporated and disappeared.

In contrast to me who was watching the scene with satisfaction, Inoue san averted her face looking pained.

This can't be helped; it's a difference in values.

"Well then, I'm going to Marin's place. Do your best so we don't lose anyone."

"Have a good trip!"

Seen off by the three waving their hands, I hurried towards the back of the hallway, which was the epicenter shaking the hotel heavily.

◆◆◆

Inoue, Gii, and Nemusia were left behind.

Shiromachi, who had already lost the majority of his physical body.

All that remained were faint bloodstains and pieces of flesh fallen on the floor.

Looking at that, Inoue muttered.

"After being killed this thoroughly, will he really come out?"

Up until now, the humans who turned into monsters were all "party members."

This is the first time someone who was a party leader died right in front of them.

Will the same phenomenon occur?

It would be best if it didn't and he just stayed dead—but even Inoue knows it won't be that easy.

And as if reading her thoughts, dark red particle-like things flowed in from the hotel window.

"It seems he is making his appearance."

"Those grainy things, they give me a bad feeling. If that solidifies, it'll probably be incredibly strong."

"Then I'll use Napalm Shot now!"

Inoue fired from her tonfas toward the particles before the physical body could complete itself.

However, even enveloped in explosive flames, those particles, and the incomplete mass, were completely unharmed as if protected by something.

"It's not working."

"I guess defeating them before they transform is a no-no."

It was an analogy that didn't get across to Gii and Nemusia.

During that time, the particles piled up in the middle of the hallway, forming the shape of a new monster.

It was a red bone monster.

Although its shape closely resembled a Skeleton, there were numerous holes reminiscent of gun muzzles all over its arms.

Its height was about 180 centimeters, slightly shorter than Shiromachi.

When its physical body was complete, the skeleton stood up and faced Gii, who killed him.

"What a nasty feeling."

The monster spoke with Shiromachi's voice.

"If even my consciousness had turned into a monster's, I wouldn't have to feel this miserable."

"Rest assured, Erika will be pleased."

"Yeah, I have to kill Kuragane chan. Of course, all of you too."

"If you vow to never defy us from now on, I might let you go, you know?"

"Hah, with a body like this, I can't do any of the 'fun things' that exist in the world. I have no use other than killing humans!"

He held both arms out in front of him, and fired countless bone bullets from the holes opened there.

Even though Inoue guarded with her tonfas, the power was enough to knock her back.

Against him, who was clearly enhanced compared to when he was human, the three of them—Inoue, Gii, and Nemusia—began their attack all at once.