Part 84: Trial 3, Part 10

I don't understand what's happening.

I don't know what started it...

It's all over...



And with that I opened my eyes. I didn't know how long it had been.





: G...gh... Oww...

Apparently, something hit me, and I lost consciousness. That's all I understood. The dull, throbbing pain in my head proved that much at least.





An empty bookshelf... Huh? Empty...?

: Gone... It's all gone!

The yearbooks...the student registry...and...even the note that had fallen on the floor. It's all...gone?

: What does this mean...?

But my brain refused to do any more work. The insistent pain in my head began to spread across the rest of my body.

: F-For now... I should go back to my room... Get some rest...



My body was heavy with pain, my mind heavy with thought. I dragged myself back toward my room.



Somehow, I made it back to the 1st floor of the school.

: Gh... Nng...

The farther I walked, the more I felt... Things are getting blurry... Can't see...in front of me...

I couldn't stop myself from collapsing right there. And after that...

"..."

: Hm...?

"..."

As if from a vast distance, I heard a sound...

"..."

It was faint, but undeniable...

"..."

: That sound... It's coming from...the gym...?



As I desperately hauled my shaky frame toward the gym the sound for stronger and stronger.

*KRAK* *DGAH*

*GAGUNK* *BAGYAH*

What's going on...? It can't be nothing... Here...in the gym...?







I didn't make a sound as I opened the door to the gym... The sounds coming from inside, meanwhile, only intensified that much more.

*Kacha! Bakyu!*

*Hagagya! Hiya! Paching!*

*Bakya! Dadadun! Shashashasha!*













Before me there raged a battle beyond anything humanly possible. No...one side's not human, that's for sure. But... Regardless, I couldn't stop staring. I forgot to move, or even breathe...

(Conversation)

: Why you...! What do you think you're doing?
: ...
: I asked you a question! What's the meaning of this? How dare you defy me...? This wasn't part of the deal!

The deal...?

: I've made a decision... I will no longer retreat, no longer compromise, no longer regret... I've made my decision! I'm going... to resist you!
: Hmm... Okay. But...you do realize what will happen if you go through with this, right? You haven't forgotten, have you? What I'm holding hostage...?
: ...!?

... What am I looking at...? What am I hearing...? A hostage?

Then...could it be...? The mastermind's spy is...