“Aoi did…?” Yukimi asked, eyes wide. Aoi, standing next to her, smiled bashfully. “I just went along with the rest of the group. I wasn’t alone… Mimi, do we have enough food for Yukimi, too?” “Of course!” Mimi nodded before casting a glance toward the boys at the other end of the table. “I mean, it’ll be one less refill for someone, but I won’t be hearing any complaints from the boys, will I?” “Stop busting our chops! When are we gonna eat…?!” Oono sobbed. The other boys nodded as well, hungry. “Ha. This will take just half a minute, then,” Aoi said, giggling as she picked up the ladle from the floor and passed it through her inventory with a practiced hand. Using the now clean ladle, she began swiftly dishing up tomato stew from the large bowl of second helpings. Mami also put together a side plate of spinach sauté from the frying pan and placed it before Yukimi. This time, there were no interruptions as the boys and girls shouted, “Let’s eat!” scrambling to pick up their spoons. Yuuma scooped up a bit of fish and potato together, shuttling it to his mouth in a single bite. The stew had barely cooled off, causing him to burn his tongue a little, but even that pain brought tears of joy to his eyes. Back when they had acquired the dried fish in Thula Village, it had been as stiff as a board, but now, whether it was down to how Mami had rehydrated it or to her Cooking skill, it felt plump and juicy between his teeth. The potato, meanwhile, despite having absorbed plenty of the soup, was fluffy and infused with steam. Yuuma diligently chewed as the richness of the fish, the savoriness of the potatoes, and the sweet acidity of the tomato spread across his tongue. “Mmm… This is so good…,” Masato Takio moaned. Most of the other boys nodded their heads in vigorous agreement, their mouths too busy with chewing. The texture of the sauté, with the tenderness of the spinach and the crispness of the bacon, was equally delightful, while the rye bread, something Yuuma wasn’t very used to eating, was freshly toasted and fragrant. Yukimi seemed completely exhausted at first, but after a spoonful or two, her hand picked up pace, and in just a few minutes, she had polished off about two-thirds of both of her plates. Waiting for his opportunity, Yuuma spoke to her once he saw her take a drink of water and let out a relieved sigh. “Yumura, do you mind if I ask you some questions?” Yukimi flinched, shrinking backward, but she must have known this was coming as soon as she arrived at the shelter. She lifted her head again, turned her eyes toward Yuuma, and nodded. “Y-yes… Of course.” “In that case, could you start by telling us what the situation is like up on the fourth floor…?” The other students had all been engaged in noisy chatter. One by one, they fell silent. The only sound now was the restrained clatter of cutlery against plates. Yukimi began to speak in a soft voice. “After the playtest ended and everyone left their Caliculus capsules…when Watamaki… Everyone knows about that, right?” Most of the students nodded, like Yuuma. Oono’s face crumpled slightly, likely remembering how his friend Yukihisa Miura, aka Beloshi, had died. Yukimi’s gaze, which had lifted for a moment, dropped to the table again as she continued her faltering explanation. “I ran away with Aoi at first, but the elevator wasn’t working, and there were already so many people trying to go down the stairs… That was when Teragami shouted that we should go up instead, so I followed her to the other stairway.” Kyouka Teragami was the captain of the girls’ volleyball team and was also one of 6-1’s class representatives. Her trust among the girls was more ironclad than even Sugamo’s. There were probably plenty of students who would be willing to follow her. “I was certain that Aoi was right behind me…but once we reached the third floor, I realized it wasn’t her; it was somebody else. I tried to go back down, but one of the boys shoved me forward… and then the next thing I knew I was already on the fourth floor.” “That’s what happened to me, too!” Aoi said, clasping Yukimi’s hand. “I thought you had come with me… But by the time I realized you weren’t there anymore, we were already down here, and there was no going back. I’m so sorry, Yukimi…” “It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault.” Yukimi squeezed Aoi’s hand before turning back toward Yuuma again. “The reason we skipped the third floor and continued up to the fourth was…because we could hear adults screaming, coming from the third-floor playroom… The fourth floor was quiet, though, and the fire door leading up to the fifth floor was shut, so we huddled quietly in the elevator lobby for a little while at first. That was when a horde of huge caterpillar creatures, about the size of Shiba Inus, came pouring out from the playroom…” Yukimi’s entire body trembled in fear as she relived the memory. The boys, who had been listening quietly, murmured among themselves. “Those things…” “Imagine running into those before upgrading your character class…” If Yuuma’s conjecture about the monsters in Althea originally being human was true…then the massive bugs that Yukimi and the others had encountered were probably the adults that had dived into Actual Magic from Playroom 03 on the fourth floor. Of course, Yuuma kept that thought to himself as he waited for Yukimi to continue. Yukimi placed her left hand over her right, which was still gripping Aoi’s hand, and took a deep breath. “There were about fifteen of us, but pretty soon, none of us could move,” she said. “Not long after that, though, Haizaki and Niki came up the stairs from below and defeated all the bugs for us with their bare hands and magic.” “M-magic…?! You mean, they had already awakened?!” Aoi gasped in surprise. Yukimi nodded. “Yes. None of us had any idea what was going on… If we could have had a chance to think about it later, we probably would have realized how strange it was that they had figured out how to upgrade their classes so quickly, but at that point, they just seemed like heroes. It felt like, so long as we listened to Haizaki and Niki, everything was going to turn out all right…” “Yatsuhashi and Toojima were among the group that went upstairs, though, too, weren’t they? You’re saying they just quietly went along with whatever Haizaki said?” Takato Sera cut in. It was a reasonable question. Kennosuke Yatsuhashi’s father was on the Nozomi City council while Shuutarou Toojima’s mother was a financial investment influencer, and both boys had pretty overbearing personalities. They were the type, to put it simply, who believed that money solved everything and, despite only being elementary school students, were constantly trying to wheel and deal their way to the top. But Haizaki and Niki only received normal allowances for their age. Yuuma doubted that Yatsuhashi and Toojima would give a rat’s behind about anything Haizaki and Niki might say. Yukimi smiled slightly, apparently aware of what Sera was getting at. She nodded. “Yatsuhashi and Toojima screamed their heads off at the first sight of those bugs. I guess the balance on someone’s QREST doesn’t matter much at times like these.” “Yeah, I guess not. Sorry for interrupting,” Sera said. Yukimi shook her head gently. “After they defeated all the bugs, Haizaki and Niki had us move to the back of the elevator lobby… There was an automatic door on that side, too. It wouldn’t open, but Niki broke the glass… There was a large room inside with rows of sofas and recliners.” The more Yukimi spoke, the steadier her voice became. Yuuma tried to picture Althea’s floor plan in his mind as he listened to her. Each floor except the first one was primarily taken up by a large circular playroom. However, there was also an outer donut-shaped space that encircled the playrooms. On the second and third floors, this space was taken up by machine rooms containing appliances such as air-conditioning units, electrical devices, and networking equipment, but Yuuma seemed to remember there being amenities, such as relaxation and conference rooms, on the fourth. Assuming they were able to secure the entrances, those rooms would probably be a lot more comfortable than the shopping area that the first-floor students had converted into a shelter. “Once we were all inside, Niki completely sealed the entrance with the Earthwall spell… We were all so relieved. Some of us even clapped… I can’t believe we were so stupid…,” Yukimi whispered. Aoi stared at her, puzzled. “What do you mean, Yukimi…?” “It was a trap… It was all a trap.” A trap? The other students began murmuring among themselves. Yukimi glanced furtively up at them, her voice growing more strained. “After Niki sealed the entrance, he gathered us all in the center of the room and said he would make it so that we could all use magic here in the real world. Haizaki was the only one who stayed back, standing by himself in the corner… None of us suspected a thing when Niki began chanting his spell. Not me, not any of the others.” Yuuma was already painting a vivid mental picture of what must have happened next. The only thing required to allow the other students to use magic—in other words, to upgrade their classes—would be to tap the Actual Magic icon on their virtual desktops. That was all. There would have been no need for Niki to cast a spell on anyone. “It was a petrification spell…wasn’t it?” Yuuma asked. Yukimi nodded softly. “…It was. Niki cast a wind spell with his right hand and Petrify with his left, then spun around in place, engulfing us in a mist that turned us to stone. That was only the first step, though…” “The first step…?” “Haizaki, he…” As Haizaki’s name left her mouth, Yukimi began trembling more violently than ever before. She gradually got herself back under control as Aoi stroked her back. Her face, however, remained pale. Yuuma and the others clearly needed to know what happened next. Yuuma waited patiently. Eventually Yukimi took a deep breath, finally getting to the real meat of her story. “Haizaki waited outside the petrification’s area of effect. Afterward, he approached and began touching students on their forehead, one by one. He would hold his finger against a student’s head for a full minute, and then a blazing crest would suddenly appear where he touched them… Once the crest appeared, the person could no longer disobey Haizaki. It was his demon exploit, Guild Leader.” “G-Guild Leader…,” Yuuma repeated. Many of his previous questions had now been answered, but just as many new questions had suddenly formed. Ryuugo Nunono and Shizu Metoki hadn’t been complicit in the attack on the shelter as Niki’s bodyguards, despite their generally upright personalities, simply because they had been ordered to do so. They were under the mental control of Haizaki’s demon exploit. And yet there hadn’t been anything robotic about their expressions, once the wolf masks were removed. Yuuma had been able to see a clear glint of consciousness in their eyes. Tomori Shimizu had not seen Nunono and Metoki directly, but she apparently had a similar question. She addressed Yukimi, speaking calmly. “When you say they could no longer disobey Haizaki’s orders…what exactly does that look like?” “Wait a moment, Yumura,” Sawa said, interrupting Tomori in a quiet but tense voice. She was standing next to Yuuma, who could feel her readying her left arm in order to be ready to cast at a moment’s notice. “Based on what you just said, you should have turned to stone along with Teragami, Yatsuhashi, and all the others, right? So how do you know what happened while you were petrified?” “…!” The other students gasped in unison. Sawa was right. Aria and the other five students who had been petrified, on the first floor, had no memory of what had happened while they were stone. Which would mean that Yukimi must have somehow avoided being turned to stone. But Niki’s demon exploit, Guaranteed Magic Proc, meant that his status effect magic always worked. “I can explain that as well…,” Yukimi said in a faltering voice. She took her hand away from Aoi’s and glanced around at the other students. “Would somebody cast a debuff or disabling spell on me?” “What…? But why…?!” Aoi exclaimed, concerned. Yukimi, however, smiled softly. “Don’t worry,” she whispered. Yuuma made eye contact with Sawa and Nagi before steeling himself and volunteering. “I’ll do it.” “Thank you.” Yukimi stood up and took two steps back. Yuuma stood up as well and pointed his left hand toward Yukimi. “Tenebris…premis circumcludo.” A purple orb of light appeared, before transforming into multiple tentacles that raced toward Yukimi, enveloping her body over the top of her clothing. The shadow magic binding spell Dark Bind caused no damage or pain. It did, however, completely prevent a person from moving both their arms and legs. The only way to escape the spell was to either grapple your way free through brute strength or to somehow cast a dispel on yourself even with your hands bound. Yukimi, however, simply stood there, offering virtually no resistance as the tentacles ensnared her. With Yuuma’s current shadow magic skill, the spell would last for more than three minutes. Yuuma was starting to wonder how Yukimi possibly planned to get out of this, when— Yukimi’s eyes flashed with a dark beam of light, at which point the tentacles unraveled and disappeared without a sound. The students let out astonished gasps, but silence returned with unnatural speed. They had all quickly realized what had happened. Yukimi had used her demon exploit to make Yuuma’s Dark Bind disappear. “Y-Yukimi…?” Aoi ventured, still seated, her eyes wide. Yukimi flashed an unguarded smile. “It’s okay, Aoi. My power can’t hurt anyone,” she whispered, before returning to her original spot at the table and flopping back down onto the floor. She glanced up at Yuuma, who was now speechless, and then turned her eyes toward Sawa as well. “That was my demon exploit, Anathema. It allows me to dismiss any debuffs, disabling effects, curses, or other similar statuses affecting me.” It was a perfectly clear explanation, but it took Yuuma a moment to process what she was saying. Did that mean…Yukimi could essentially cancel any status ailment applied to her? Since the ability couldn’t protect her from actual damage—for instance, from physical attacks or heat—it didn’t sound like that powerful of an exploit at first. On the other hand, however, depending on the enemy type, it could shut some foes down completely. After all, Niki’s Guaranteed Magic Proc had no effect on pure attack magic. The only thing it boosted was magic with a proc chance, such as petrification, sleep, or instant death effects. That would make Yukimi’s Anathema, with its ability to cancel out such effects, the perfect counter-effect. “I see… So you basically nullified Niki’s petrification spell with your own demon exploit,” Sawa said, apparently satisfied. She now had another question, however. “But in that case, when did you get in contact with your demon? And why didn’t Niki and Haizaki realize that you weren’t petrified?” “…” Yukimi pressed against Aoi’s side, as if scared, but Aoi’s hand on her back seemed to calm her down. Her face relaxed, and she began speaking again. “I heard the demon’s voice for the first time when I was already petrified all the way up to the neck by Niki’s spell. Everything suddenly went dark, and it felt like I was falling… The next thing I knew, I was in some strange kind of room, neither reality nor the game, which is where I met my demon…Amy.” Amy. Yuuma glanced furtively at Tomori as the name imprinted itself on his mind. Noticing Yuuma’s gaze, Tomori nodded faintly in response. Likely meaning that the demon Amy was one of the seventy-two demons of King Solomon. “When I learned that Amy was a demon and that it was possessing me, I was scared out of my mind at first… But Amy said they were here to protect me. And they taught me about the vires…my demon exploit. Amy explained that I could easily protect myself from petrification by activating my Anathema ability, but that would have led to a fight that I had no chance of winning. Since the petrification could be broken at any time, Amy suggested I wait and see what happened.” “Wait and see? But how…?” Yuuma asked. Yukimi cocked her head to the side softly. “I’m not sure I know how it works, either, but Amy opened up a huge window, like a holo-window, that allowed us to watch what was happening out in reality. That was when Haizaki began touching the petrified students, one by one. Before long, it was my turn… I couldn’t actually feel anything there in that room, but I saw him press the middle and pointer fingers of his left hand against my forehead, and then after about a minute…I got this really strange feeling…” Yukimi raised her left hand and pressed it against a spot near the center of her brow as she spoke. “Before Haizaki touched me, my only feeling toward him was anger, like I couldn’t forgive him for doing something so awful to everyone when he was supposed to be student council president. Well, that and fear, I guess… But after his touch, it was like a stream of cool water suddenly poured into my head, and all my negative feelings toward Haizaki disappeared as if they had never been there to begin with.” “Your feelings disappeared…? What does that mean?” Kenk asked, taken aback, but Yukimi just shook her head vaguely. “When I try to think of it now, that’s the only way I can explain it… All my anger and fear was washed away, and a great flood of faith and gratitude toward Haizaki swelled up in its place… Suddenly, I believed, deep down in my heart, that everything would be okay so long as I did what Haizaki said. That Haizaki could never be wrong.” “And…that was Haizaki’s demon exploit, his Guild Leader power?” Kenk muttered, scratching his forehead several times. Yuuma’s forehead felt a little itchy as well, but he resisted the desire to scratch and urged Yukimi to go on. “When did you finally activate Anathema, Yumura?” “After Niki had removed everyone’s petrification.” “Wait… Niki removed their petrification? But he’s not a Priest.” “I think he used the Green Breeze spell.” “…” Yuuma was left dumbfounded once again. According to the guidebook, the wind spell Green Breeze was “an area of effect spell capable of removing nearly all negative statuses.” That description would make it extremely powerful, capable of putting most holy magic to shame. The problem, however, was its chance of success. Even against a low-level poison effect, it had only a 50 percent chance of success. For things like paralysis and weakness, that chance dropped to 30 percent. And when it came to the worst status effects—things like petrification, metallization, or blindness—the spell had less than a 1 percent chance of working. In other words, it was more of a Hail Mary, to use when your whole party gets hit by lower-level statuses such as poison. The user’s wind magic skill likely increased the chances of success as well, but that would only mean going from a 1 percent chance to maybe a 2… Just then, Yuuma realized his mistake. “Of course, Niki’s exploit…,” he muttered. “As long as a spell has even a 0.0001 percent chance of success, Niki’s exploit allows him to raise that chance to a 100,” Sawa said, picking up where Yuuma left off. “Yes. He only had to use Green Breeze once in order to cure everyone of their petrification,” Yukimi said. Her fear of Niki could be heard in her voice. She continued with her explanation, looking even more frightened than before. “At the time I was under the Guild Leader effect as well, so it didn’t seem strange to me, either… But after being de-petrified, no one complained about what Niki had just done to them. We just assembled in front of Haizaki instead… That was when Haizaki gave his speech. He said he was going to lead the world to its proper form and that he wanted us to help him do it… And we all cheered and promised to serve him…” “Lead the world…to its proper form…” Yuuma felt like he had heard something like that before. He furrowed his brow, but it did not take him long to remember. Niki had said something similar last night, just before retreating from the shelter. “You will all understand soon enough…what is needed to rectify this world.” At the time, Yuuma had assumed Niki was talking about returning Althea, which had been overtaken by the game world, to its original state, but if Shin Haizaki had said something similar, Yuuma wasn’t so sure anymore. And when Haizaki said “this world,” maybe he didn’t just mean Althea. Maybe he was referring to Algol, as well… “But you freed yourself from Haizaki’s demon exploit right away, didn’t you?” Aoi asked. Yukimi shivered slightly as she replied, “I had planned to activate my Anathema ability the moment I left that room in my mind and returned to reality… That’s what Amy told me to do. But after listening to Haizaki’s speech along with everyone else, I started to feel like I should just stay like I was… No, that’s not quite right. Every time I started to have an even slightly negative thought about Haizaki, I felt that cool sensation again, like water running into my head and washing away my thoughts, just like I had when he used his Guild Leader power on me. And after enough times of that, I stopped wanting to resist altogether…” “I wonder if Niki is under the Guild Leader power as well…,” Yuuma murmured, half to himself. Yukimi cocked her head. “I don’t know… If he is, I think he must have already been under its effect by the time they cleared out the caterpillar creatures on the fourth floor. But those two were always close, even before all of this.” “When did they transfer here again?” Kenk asked. “In the third grade,” Hokari answered. “But they were practically a tag team from day one. Considering how close Haizaki and Niki are, I’m not so sure Haizaki would have needed to bother using his Guild Leader ability or whatever it’s called on Niki in the first place.” The other boys nodded in agreement. Yuuma agreed—but that would also mean that, in the few minutes between when they had left their Caliculus capsules and when they had sprinted up the stairs to the fourth floor, Haizaki and Niki had already figured out the situation and put together a plan to put the other students under their control. Yuuma didn’t care how great those two were, that still seemed a little hard to believe. “After finishing his speech, Haizaki had us all awaken and then announce our class, level, and skills…,” Yukimi added. Yuuma returned his focus to what she was saying. “I did so as well, telling Haizaki that I was a Priest and that I had taken the holy magic and wind magic skills…but that made me remember talking to Aoi about what skills we should take during the playtest, and I suddenly wanted to see her again so badly… That feeling wasn’t erased by Haizaki’s demon exploit, so I said I needed to go to the toilet and just kept trying to keep my thoughts on Aoi along the way.” “I used my Anathema power once I was in the bathroom… If it hadn’t been for Aoi, I would have never been able to break free from the Guild Leader effect,” Yukimi declared, taking Aoi’s hand in her own once more. Shin Haizaki’s Guild Leader demon exploit eliminated any feelings of antipathy toward him and replaced them with feelings of adoration. Honestly, it was a terrifying power, almost like mind control. No, more like brainwashing. Sawa’s Magic Skill Boost, Nagi’s Silent Rapid Cast, Aria’s Lightning Transformation, and Niki’s Guaranteed Magic Proc all worked by empowering skills or attributes found within the game, but Haizaki’s Guild Leader power extended beyond just the bounds of the game. After all, there was nothing akin to a brainwashing skill within Actual Magic’s original system. In any case, Yuuma now knew why Niki had gone out of his way, when he attacked the shelter, to turn everyone to stone without injuring them. If he had been successful, Haizaki would have swept in afterward to use his Guild Leader ability on everyone. Nagi seemed to have reached the same conclusion. “If Niki and Haizaki planned to use the Guild Leader ability on us as well,” she said, her voice tense, “I don’t think they’re going to give up just because they failed the first time. Next time they attack, they’ll probably bring a lot more people with them.” “Sheesh… Speaking of which, how come they all had stuff like swords and armor?” Kenk asked. “I thought we couldn’t take weapons from AM out of our inventories.” Yukimi hesitated. “I’m not sure, either…but I think it might have something to do with Toojima’s demon exploit. Apparently, it involves strengthening his inventory.” “Strengthening his inventory…?” “Yes. Haizaki ordered that all the food and drink in the lounge be placed under Toojima’s supervision. Toojima is a Merchant, so his inventory would have already been larger to begin with, but that still should have been too much stuff to store in one person’s inventory…” “So if his demon exploit has done something to his inventory, that could mean he’s able to remove weapons from AM as well,” Kenk said, groaning, before glancing toward Yuuma. Kenk didn’t need to say it out loud. Yuuma immediately understood what his childhood friend was trying to say with that look: We are officially boned. If Niki and the others attacked again, the problem wasn’t just that they might come with more people this time. They could be fully equipped, as well. Whereas the closest thing to weapons the first floor had on hand were Kenk’s hammer and Yuuma’s chain. Their other front liners were left to fend with things like iron pipes and steel bars. Of course, for all they knew, one of the students on the first floor might also have an exploit related to their inventory. After lunch was over, they should probably check whether Nagi could use the Holy Bands spell yet, and if she could, they should get everyone to figure out what their exploits were without further delay. Yuuma steered the conversation back toward the main subject. “It sounds like you used your Anathema ability to cancel out the Guild Leader effect pretty early on yesterday. Why didn’t you run away immediately?” “The entrance to the shelter was being guarded in two-hour shifts. Haizaki was worried about intruders, not about someone trying to run away, but if anyone caught me trying to leave without permission, it would have made it pretty clear that I wasn’t under the Guild Leader’s effect anymore…” “So…you had to wait for your chance to sneak away?” “I didn’t exactly sneak away. It was finally my turn to take watch,” Yukimi said simply. Yuuma stared at her. Since Yukimi had just abandoned her watch to run away, it wouldn’t be long before it became abundantly clear that she was missing. And obviously, the first-floor shelter was the most likely place for her to go. Would Haizaki be willing to wage all-out war between the two floors to get her back? Yuuma didn’t think Haizaki was that belligerent by nature, but the entirety of Class 6-1 was now possessed by demons. Yuuma’s old ideas about his classmate might not hold true anymore. Yuuma wanted to ask Yukimi about the other students’ classes and demon exploits, in case it did come to war, but before he could get the chance— “Um, Ashihara? Now that I’ve told you so much, can I ask you a favor as well?” Yukimi said urgently. Yuuma agreed without thinking. “O-of course, as long as it’s something I can do. What kind of favor…?” “I want you to bring Aoi and I to the town of Calcina, inside Actual Magic.” “Calcina…?!” It was Aoi. She stared at Yukimi, her eyes wide. “Is there something you need to do there…?” “No. But don’t you get it, Aoi? We can flee together to Calcina,” Yukimi said, a smile on her face as she took both of Aoi’s hands in her own. “You know, right? That when we enter AM, our bodies disappear inside the Caliculus machines. It’s safer there than it is here, in Althea. Aren’t you tired of being in danger all the time…?” “…” Aoi was Yukimi’s one and only best friend in the entire world, but even she seemed to have been surprised by this request. Her jaw dropped and her eyes went wide. After a few moments, however, she squeezed Yukimi’s hands in return, answering her in a firm voice. “I’m sorry, Yukimi. But I can’t go to Calcina.” Apparently, that wasn’t what Yukimi had expected to hear. Her eyes immediately went wide. She blinked several times, a somewhat forced smile appearing upon her face. “Why not? We promised to always be together, didn’t we? You’re not scared of Amy, are you? Don’t worry; Amy will stay in my mind. They’re not a bad demon.” “No… It’s not that I’m scared of the demons,” Aoi said, shaking her head quickly before glancing around at the other students seated around the table. “Mimi, Tomori, and Chise are here, too… So are all our other classmates. I’m a Priest. I have to keep everyone safe. Of course, that includes you too, Yukimi. Why don’t you stay here? So we can help everyone? Together.” “…” Yukimi froze in shock. Mimi Hariya tried speaking to her in a gentle voice. “Yukimi? I know you always felt like I was in your way whenever we did class events. That’s fine. But it doesn’t matter how much you wish it otherwise, you and Aoi can’t go on living in your own tiny world forever. Today, in just one day, Aoi has grown so much stronger than she was before. She’s not that same Aoi who used to tremble in the corner with you.” Mimi was right. Yuuma wasn’t sure what the exact turning point had been for Aoi, but during their mission, she had transformed into an extremely competent and reliable ally. The difference was like night and day. Both in terms of her character level and mental fortitude, Aoi had probably shown more growth than any other student in the shelter. However, Yukimi shook her head back and forth repeatedly, as if she couldn’t accept what Mimi was telling her. “What would you know about Aoi…?” Yukimi said, her voice raspy, her lips trembling. “Ever since kindergarten, Aoi and I have been each other’s only real friend. Whenever I was sad, it was always Aoi who comforted me. And when Aoi cried, I cried with her. And that’s…that’s never, ever, ever going to change.” Yukimi’s voice took on a distorted ring, which seemed to grow the more she spoke. Aoi tried to sit up properly on her heels, but Yukimi was still gripping her hands tightly and refused to let go. Yukimi was apparently squeezing harder than it looked. Aoi’s face started to twist up in pain. “Yukimi, stop it!” Mimi shouted, grabbing Yukimi by the left shoulder, unable to stand back and watch any longer. “If you really are Aoi’s friend, then you need to accept that she’s changing!” “You shut your mouth!!” Yukimi shouted, her voice echoing off the shelter walls. She let go with her left hand and swung it hard to the side. “Ahhh…!” Mimi let out a small scream and recoiled. Fresh drops of blood sprayed from the three cuts that had just been scratched onto the back of her hand. Yukimi didn’t seem to care, not even when some of that blood splattered on her own cheek. She just shrieked again, her voice growing shrill. “Aoi doesn’t change! Aoi doesn’t get stronger! She will always be my tiny, weak, adorable Aoi! Forever and ever and ever!” “This is bad… Her ratio!” Sawa shouted. “Quick, hold her down!” Yuuma shouted, racing around the corner of the table and diving onto Yukimi from behind. He grabbed both of Yukimi’s shoulders and tore her away from Aoi, pressing her against the floor. Kenk, Oono, and Hokari joined on either side to help. “Somebody, get the rope…!” The nylon rope they’d used to secure Aria when she was petrified had been coiled up and left on one of the display racks near the eat-in corner. Yuuma took his right hand off Yukimi’s shoulder and pointed at it. The moment he did so— “Kya… Agggrhhhh!” —Yukimi roared. It was like a beast’s roar, a sound that had no business coming out of the mouth of an elementary school girl. She swung both arms out wide; Yuuma and the other three boys were sent flying, hitting the floor and shelves hard, backs first. Yuuma lifted his eyes, staring in shock while two curved black horns grew from Yukimi’s forehead as she swayed to her feet. When Yukimi had first appeared at the shelter, there had been no sign that her demonization ratio was high enough to be dangerous. They knew she had used her demon exploit, so it must have been at least 10 percent, but that was true for Yuuma as well. How could a ratio suddenly skyrocket like this? Let it stop at demon form. Don’t let her rampage, Yuuma thought, praying as hard as he could. In order to stop Aria’s rampage, Yuuma had been forced to strong-arm his way into her internus, but he doubted he would be able to do the same with Yukimi. He had barely ever even spoken to her at school before. But there was no need for Yuuma to worry about that. What happened next went far beyond anything that Yuuma feared might happen. Yukimi slowly lifted her arms over her head in the shape of an X. Her arms bulged with thick cords of muscle. “Hyaggghhh!!” With a wicked shout, she swept her arms out to the side, causing the Yukihana Elementary School uniform she was wearing to explode into shreds. A pair of obsidian wings flapped open on her back. Her body and her limbs were enveloped in a film of the same color, and her hair stood on end like flickering flames. At last, a shadowy aura flared to life in her eyes. Yukimi—no, whatever this presence was that had been Yukimi up until a few seconds ago—bared a set of sharp-looking fangs. She spoke in a voice that dripped with delight. “Gya-ha-ha… At last, this body is mine…” She cracked her neck loudly, side to side, and held her right hand up to her face. The fingers were longer and thicker than before, their five claws glinting sharply like small knives. The voice that came out of her grinning mouth was shrill and metallic. “They’re not a bad demon… Ah-ha… Ah-ha-ha…” She flicked her hand to the side dismissively, her tone suddenly growing cold. “Whoever heard of a nice demon. You’d have better luck finding a rectangular sphere,” she said, mocking her host, Yukimi. Aoi remained seated, her face contorting. There was still a desperate glint of hope in her eyes, as if she was still in denial. “You’re the demon Amy, aren’t you…?” Yuuma asked stiffly. The demon glanced at him with shadowy eyes, a cynical smile appearing upon her face. “What good will it do you to ask that? When you’re all about to die now anyway.” “…!!” Yuuma inhaled sharply. Many of the other students let out small screams as well. Yuuma knew—instinctively, not through reason—that this was no idle threat. Yukimi’s consciousness was no longer contained within her flesh. Is this what could happen once past 50 percent…? Complete demonic takeover? Panicking, however, was exactly what the demon Amy would want them to do right now. It didn’t matter how much her stats had increased, she was still just one person. Surely there was still a way to restrain her, without taking too many of her hit points, until they could wake Yukimi back up. Yuuma spoke again. He needed to stall long enough for the other students to regain their cool. “Your friends, the other demons, are inside us as well… If you kill us, the demons inside us will die, too. You don’t want that to happen, do you?” “Friends…?” Amy arched an eyebrow, her lip curling up on one side. It was a look of contempt. One that Yuuma doubted Yukimi had ever made before in her life. “Those other laggards are no concern of mine. Besides, I smell the hardheaded stench of Bael upon the children here. You reek of his sect. I’m sure Lord Agares will be thrilled to do away with as many Baelites as we can.” “B-Bael…? Sect…? Lord Agares…?” Yuuma blinked several times. He was pretty sure he had never heard any of these terms before. As Yuuma’s gaze wavered, he caught sight of movement in the distance. Someone had circled around behind Amy at some point and was now trying to sneak up on her from behind. The student had long hair, which was pushed to one side in a swoop. It was one half of the trading card game duo—Tomonori Tada. He held the uncoiled nylon rope in both hands, probably planning to tie Amy up with it. But that was far too dangerous. What was he thinking?! Yuuma almost yelled at Tada to stop, but that would have just made Amy notice him and attack. All Yuuma could do, instead, was try to hold the demon’s attention in order to increase Tada’s chance of success. “D-do demons have sects? And does that mean…you’re part of the Agares sect?” Yuuma asked, his attention divided between Amy and Tada. Amy burst into grating laughter. “Ah-ha-ha… Do we have sects? Even you little brats have already split up into two floors to fight among yourselves, and you have barely even been alive for a decade.” “But that’s the demons’ fault, too, isn’t it?! The demons possessing Haizaki and Niki have been goading them on, haven’t they…?” Amy’s smile faded slightly. “Are you sure about that? Those brats seem surprisingly committed to—” Just then, Tada, who was already within a meter of Amy, flipped the rope over his head like a jump rope, attempting to snag Amy with it. Yuuma tensed his right leg as he prepared to dash forward. However, it was almost like Amy had eyes in the back of her head. She spun around on a dime, thrusting at Tada’s solar plexus with her right hand. Yuuma expected Tada to go flying as the punch landed and collide with the display racks behind him. But that was not what happened. SPLUD. There was a dull, drenched splat, as Amy’s right hand pierced through Tada’s body like butter and came out the other side. Crimson droplets sprayed from the sharp, razor-like claws that adorned the tips of her aligned fingers. “Nrghhh…” Tada glanced down at his body with a groan, as if he couldn’t understand what had just happened. An alarming amount of fresh blood gushed from his gaping mouth with a sickly gurgle, staining his jacket crimson red. His arms fell limply to his side, the bundle of rope falling from his grip without a sound. “T-Tadaaaa!!” Shinta Aida screamed, the sound seeming to set the hands of time into motion again. Yuuma dashed forward for real this time, cursing his own naivete. Amy wasn’t joking; she wasn’t making threats. She was going to kill them all. Tada’s wound was clearly fatal, but if they could cast a healing spell on him before his HP reached zero, there was still a chance to save him. They would have to subdue Amy as quickly as possible, though, if they were going to get that chance. Every last second mattered. “Binding magic isn’t going to work on her! We have to damage her enough to cripple her!” Yuuma shouted as he brandished the cleansing steel chain in his right hand. Kenk leaped up from the table as well, wielding his Bruising Hammer aloft. With a savage smile, Amy tore her hand free from Tada’s stomach. Without a second glance at Tada, who slumped to the floor, she raised her crimson-stained right hand and still pristine left hand into the air. Although she had transformed into full demon form, her body was still flesh, not steel. She had more muscle than before, but the bones underneath had to still be the same size. On top of that, Yukimi’s level probably hadn’t changed since the playtest ended, whereas Yuuma and Kenk were already level 15. There was no way Amy was going to be able to block a full-powered swing from Yuuma’s chain and Kenk’s hammer at the same time without getting injured. Yuuma was certain of it— Or at least, he prayed that he was certain, as he swung the cleaning steel chain through the air. Amy blocked Yuuma’s chain with her right hand and Kenk’s hammer with her left. There was a sickening crack; both of her forearms bent into hideous angles, as if the bones had snapped. Yuuma quickly checked Amy’s HP. It had fallen by about 30 percent. Amy’s demon exploit was useless against physical attacks, and she was a Priest, so she probably wasn’t capable of using any powerful attack spells, either. As long as Yuuma and Kenk could keep up the pressure on her, she would be incapacitated in no time. “Ahhh… Ahhhh!!” Yuuma’s anger—anger at this demon for toying with Yukimi and Aoi’s friendship and for mortally wounding Tada—transformed into a howl of rage as he brandished the cleansing steel chain once more. Just then, Amy’s eyes pulsed with dark light, and her heavily depleted HP was instantly restored. “Wha—?!” Kenk gasped in astonishment. Next to him, Yuuma’s eyes went wide. The demon’s arms, which had definitely been broken a moment ago, were enveloped in an ash-gray aura, instantly healing as if time had just reversed. Amy swung both arms downward with tremendous speed. Her sharp claws slashed Yuuma and Kenk jaggedly across their cheeks and chests. The shock wave that followed a moment later sent them both flying. Yuuma hit the floor while Kenk fell onto the table in a cascade of plates and cups. Amy straightened up slowly, a sadistic smile upon her lips. “Not bad for a bunch of little brats…,” she said, savoring her words and fluttering the fingers of her right hand. “My vires, Anathema—Delio Malus—allows me to cancel out any impediment that affects me. Before I manifest fully, it can only affect curses and similar effects, but in its true form, it allows me to ignore any and all impediments and obstacles. Naturally, that includes injuries and sicknesses as well.” “…” Yuuma’s eyes grew even wider. He didn’t have time to register the blood seeping from the wound on his chest, let alone the pain. Yuuma wasn’t the only one left speechless. Kenk was still sprawled across the table. Sawa and Nagi were preparing to cast spells. The other students as well. They all froze. If Amy could nullify injuries—HP damage—just like she could nullify debuffs and binding, she was essentially invincible now. Forget about Yuuma’s Quick Action skill. Even if Sawa, Nagi, or Aria used their demon exploits to cause a huge burst of damage, it would all be pointless if Amy could heal in an instant. Amy dropped her smile. She looked around slowly at the room full of students and then shrugged lightly. “Have you lost your nerve already? What did I expect from children, I suppose…?” With a bored look, Amy glanced down at Aoi, who was still sitting crestfallen at her feet, and then at Mimi, who was next to Aoi. “Who knows? While I’m picking you off one by one, maybe some of the other demons will manifest as well. Unless you want to die, I suggest making your deals quickly,” Amy said, bending down and casually seizing Mimi by the collar. “Ahhh…!” Amy hoisted Mimi into the air, extending her fingers into a point as Mimi emitted a little scream. The claws, which were still grimy with Tada’s blood, gleamed dully. “Agh…!” Yuuma gritted his teeth and tried to scramble to his feet. Sawa extended her hand and began to chant, even though she knew it was pointless. But Amy paid no attention to either of them. With a growl, she thrust her fingers, transformed now into a deadly piercing weapon, straight toward Mimi’s lower abdomen. “No!!” Aoi jumped to her feet with a shout, moving faster than seemed humanly possible and throwing herself in front of Amy’s hand. With a sickening crunch, Amy’s right hand tore sideways through Aoi’s tiny torso. Yuuma watched in shock as Aoi’s HP bar turned yellow, and then red, and then disappeared. Aoi’s arms, however, continued to tremble faintly as she lifted them into the air to cradle Amy’s—no, Yukimi’s—face. “Forgive me, Yukimi…” Aoi’s voice was barely audible. Her hand fell limply to the side, as if a string had been cut. A moment later, Mimi, who had been hoisted into the air by Amy’s other hand, fell to the ground with a thud. Amy didn’t move. She stared into Aoi’s face in amazement. Aoi’s eyes were closed; Amy’s were a little wide. The demon suddenly began to tremble all over. She bent backward dramatically, her right arm still buried in Aoi’s flank. Her limbs convulsed, and a moment later, she plunged to the ground, her knees striking the floor. Amy threw her head back toward the ceiling. There was no expression on her face, but her black horns gradually began to grow shorter. Her hair, which had stood on end like flames a moment ago, fluttered downward, returning to its original semi-long form. Thick tears welled up in her hollow eyes, pooling in the corners and dripping down her cheeks. Her eyes and mouth crumpled, and a hoarse voice escaped her lips. “A-Aoi…” She awkwardly traced her left hand along Aoi’s body, which was now draped over her knees. When she reached Aoi’s head, she cradled it, as if to support it from below. Her face savagely contorted again, with her head still thrown back. The horns, which had retreated by about five centimeters, began to grow once more. With a stuttering motion, Yukimi turned her head to stare at Yuuma. The voice that came from her lips was so strained it was a wonder that Yuuma could hear it at all. “K-kill…me…” “…” Yuuma stood there, frozen, as another plea, even weaker than the first, fell upon his ears. “P-please… I can’t…hold it back…” A pale, flaming gray aura began to flash in Yukimi’s eyes. How long until Amy surfaced again? Five seconds? Three? Yuuma tightened his grip on the cleansing steel chain, squeezing so hard it felt as if his knuckles might burst. He took a step forward. The sole of his shoe squeaked against the floor. Just as he was about to make his move— “Ignis!” —Sawa’s voice rang out sharply from behind, and the air ignited with a crimson ray of fire. The fire, compressed into a line like a laser, hit Yukimi in the middle of her chest and then exited out the other side in an explosion of sparks. Like Aoi’s HP bar a moment earlier, the bar above Yukimi’s head changed color and dropped to zero. Yukimi’s upper body faltered unsteadily and then tilted forward, folding over on top of Aoi’s corpse.
Chapter 48
41 min read