Mokushiroku Arisu - Volume 01

by Kagami Takaya

  Before long, parts of the wall fell off. And a classroom appears on the other side. Shiro then passes through to the other side.

  And just like what Himi said, on the other side were teddies. Three of them.

  "Teddy!"

  "Teddy!"

  "Teddy!"

  They come attacking Shiro all at once. Shiro is unable to take any countermeasure.

  "Yousuke!"

  He yells.

  "I got it! Rather, I've already activated my magic! Reverse-Force switch!"

  I know of that magic. The forces in the targeted area will be reversed for an instant. Only an instant. Just for one instant. However, even if it's only for an instant, a magic that's able to reverse forces requires great power.

  The bodies of the teddies that were attacking Shiro fell back. The teddies are surprised but, it's all over. Shiro takes up his stance again. He didn't throw his spear immediately. Even in this precarious situation, Shiro is completely calm, and as if he is adjusting his angle of aim, tohn, tohn, tohn, he ascertains his footing.

  "It should be here."

  And he hurls the spear in one stroke.

  The spear pierces through one of the teddies. And at the exact same time, the other two stop in their tracks. And then,

  "End it."

  In the next instant, the tip of the drill exploded. All three teddies were scattered to the four winds simultaneously. Shiro's movements were wonderful. The enemies were easily defeated not because they were weak. With his movements just now, even if they were many opponents, they could have been taken care off without a glitch.

  "All right, it's over ~. You guys can come over now. We're going to get to the outside!"

  "Yes!"

  "Orh!"

  Himi and Yousuke pass through the hole.

  They are quite a good team, it seems. Both Himi and Yousuke trust Shiro, and Shiro answers with the same trust. If not for his numbers, what Shiro said about being able to win against Gunjou might just be true.

  I slowly pass through the hole. Shiro looks at me and said.

  "Aren't you slacking off?"

  "Haha, I'm actually a NEET at home."

  Though I don't even have a home.

  Shiro smiles and says.

  "I wonder whether it was really a good idea to have paid six million to hire such an unmotivated fellow."

  I smirked but did not reply. I merely ascertained the state of the classroom with half-opened eyes.

  A classroom without anyone.

  Desks.

  Blackboard.

  In a small corner of the blackboard, a message written in chalk went like this.

  『Every one of you, I'll kill all of you. Every one of you, I'll kill all of you.』

  The same line was repeated twice.

  I look at that with half-opened eyes, and say.

  "The words 'every one of you', means the same thing as the words 'all of you'......"

  Every one of you, I'll kill all of you.

  Every one of you, I'll kill all of you.

  The composition was as ridiculous as falling down the ass of a horse.

  Were the brains of Asahi Momo filled with moss, or, was there a special reason for her to make them rhyme in a meaningless way?

  The cursed song that plays while activating magic via the 《Headphone Fuzz》 emphasizes on the rhyme to stimulate the brain. That's why users of the 《Headphone Fuzz》 become hardcore at using rhyming words in their daily lives. But, a 《Headphone Fuzz》 isn't available to a normal civilian. Normal civilians aren't allowed to use them.

  And, the diseased girl this time --- Asahi Momoka should have been a civilian. If she had been a practitioner of magic, this fact would definitely have been in the reports from the scouting corps.

  The reason is because, there had been many a times, that a labyrinth brought forth by a diseased magic user had a high level of difficulty and a really nasty nature.

  Every one of you, I'll kill all of you.

  Every one of you, I'll kill all of you.

  There isn't any light --- rather, it's a dark classroom that has no fluorescent lamp installed.

  I looked intently at the blackboard for a while ---

  "...... hey Shiro. Wait a minute."

  I say.

  Shiro and the rest are just about to exit from the window into the schoolyard.

  "Hn?"

  From behind me, on the other side of the wall, I can hear the soft voice of Gunjou.

  "We broke into the infirmary. Now, let's get out into the schoolyard! Let's just finish this off!"

  The other team seems just about to get to the outside area as well.

  Shiro says.

  "Damn! They already got out huh...... hurry, let's overtake Gunjou here!"

  Himi says.

  "The window here is nearer to the school gate."

  Yousuke says.

  "As expected of Himi. Let's win this time, Shiro!"

  "Yeah, of course!"

  Shiro puts his hand on the window.

  It's bright outside the window, and the wide area of the schoolyard's visible. It has a calm, peaceful, tranquil scenery with the afternoon sun shining down.

  But it's strange.

  It's clearly strange.

  Gunjou's team should have exited into the schoolyard.

  But no sign of them could be seen through the window.

  And at that moment, I notice the change that is taking place on the armband I'm wearing.

  Below the 『Class 5』 that was written on it, there were twenty ☆ marks. They were stars that indicated the number of classmates.

  But those stars have started disappearing.

  Potsunh, Potsunh Potsunh, three of them disappeared in one go. They have either escaped, or,

  "......"

  Are dead.

  "Crap."

  I open my eyes wide, and yell.

  "Shiro! Don't open the window!"

  But it's too late.

  Shiro has opened the window.

  "Eh?"

  It's night outside the window. More like, it has the color of darkness.

  Plains that are colored with darkness.

  A red moon.

  Blue clouds.

  An abnormal scenery.

  A scenery made by an abnormal creator.

  In other words, the school yard we had been looking at was fake. It was a lie shown to us by Asahi Momoka.

  However, according to the reports from the scouting corps, there should have been a schoolyard before us.

  In other words, even the scans done by the scouting corps were a lie made by Asahi Momoka.

  This is a high rank labyrinth that was masqueraded as a labyrinth with rank 0.4.

  Right now, even the real difficulty of the labyrinth is unknown to us.

  It might even be at rank 100.

  "Damn, she got us."

  I moan.

  But it's already too late. Khiiiih, I can hear an unpleasant howl from something in the darkness outside the window. I don't know what it is. But there is no longer any time to idle around and grin foolishly with half-opened eyes.

  I have already activated my magic. Waving my finger. The cursed song flows out from my 《Headphone Fuzz》 and fills my brain.

  【In an instant ♪ In a flash ♪ In the time of a flash ♪

  The flash of time, the flash of an instant ♪ In an instant ♪ In a flash ———】

  "Acceleration switch!"

  I yell. Clink, a switch flips in my body. My magic activates. I can tell that my body has accelerated. I have only a second's worth of acceleration.

  But, just one second wouldn't cut it!

  "Shiro, get away from the windoooooowww!"

  I close the interval between Shiro and me in one go. And grab the back of Shiro. Planting my feet into the ground, I pull Shiro to me with all my might.

  "Uwah."

  Shiro's body flies back into the classroom.

  And at the same time, a strange being enters from t
he window. It is a snake-like creature that looks like a plastic toy with four sections.

  Khiih, Khiiih, the snake howls as it comes flying in.

  "...... kuh."

  I twist my body to dodge it.

  However, the snake's target isn't me.

  It's aiming for Himi.

  "Eh, eh......"

  Himi couldn't even react. At any rate, she's on all-support. So in the first place, she doesn't possess any magic that can deal with it.

  "Damn!"

  I yell. I re-activate my magic, but won't be able to make it.

  Grabbing the shoulders of Himi, Yousuke yells.

  "Dodge it Himi!"

  Yousuke has already activated his magic.

  "...... Spider Legs switch!"

  With that, he steps up to stand in front of Himi. And holds out both his hands. From the center of both his hands, something resembling the eight legs of a spider appears, and threads start dancing out, creating a barrier of threads in front of Yousuke.

  The toy snake crashes into that barrier. Khiiih, it screams. And the barrier was easily broken.

  "...... huh."

  By the time Yousuke uttered that, the snake has already penetrated the center of his left breast.

  "Gah-hah."

  Yousuke throws up blood and collapses.

  All that happened in a moment.

  Yousuke might already be dead.

  I look at the scene.

  With a teary face,

  "Noooooooooooooo!"

  Screamed Himi, but there isn't any time for that. I start activating my next magic. At any rate, we have to deal with that snake but ------

  At that moment, Shiro jumps.

  "Penitence Severance switch!"

  He screams angrily. A huge knife appears in his hands that have already been raised upward.

  And as the snake is just about to spring up for the second time, he slashes down at it --- slicing the floor apart --- no, the space apart.

  That packed a tremendous amount of destructive power.

  The snake was destroyed.

  But, Yousuke is on the verge of death.

  Shiro yells.

  "Yousuke!"

  Himi is already by the side of Yousuke. She's using her magic. A magic used for closing up wounds. A magic used to stop bleeding. However, she doesn't have a high enough level of magic that can close up such a big wound loaded in her 《Headphone Fuzz》.

  Himi is crying.

  "T-The bleeding isn't stopping...... the wound won't close...... what should we do...... i-it's all my...... my fault......"

  "Gah, ah...... kuh, this is bad, damn."

  Said Yousuke. But it isn't just bad. At this rate, he's going to die.

  Those who are weak will die.

  This is such a place.

  Shiro too goes up to Yousuke.

  "Sorry Yousuke! I, I let my guard down!"

  He shouts.

  But it isn't the time for him to be shouting. A time limit exists here. There isn't time to be concerned with the wounded.

  I look up, and say coldly.

  "...... Yousuke should be escaping right? Let's leave him and move on."

  "F**k you!"

  Shiro says, but I reply with half-opened eyes.

  "What? More like, you should also say your thanks to me. I saved your life. When we go back, promise me that you'll pay me another 20 million or so."

  "............"

  Shiro glares at me.

  Yousuke grabs Shiro's arm and says.

  "...... i-it was my mistake. Don't fight. Besides, it's like what the transfer student said. Go on ahead, Shiro. If we stop here, the 3 million people in Yokohama city will die."

  I smile and say.

  "...... see, the one who's dying has the soundest words, doesn't he? Let's go."

  Shiro narrows his eyes.

  Yousuke appears to have started his Escape magic. His 《Headphone Fuzz》 has been activated. If he gets out of here, he might be saved. Or he might just die. While I have no clue as to what would happen, at the very least, there isn't anything that can be done here.

  The smell of overflowing blood.

  Haah, haah, his breathing is sounding ragged.

  Yousuke says to Shiro.

  "...... h-hey Shiro. You have a goal right. Then win. Get the better of Gunjou, kill the girl and save the world."

  Somehow, it seems like Yousuke knows about Shiro's secret. I look down at Yousuke, then Shiro, and the crying Himi.

  What in the world is the relationship between the three of them? Why has these three grouped together in a class whereby nearly everyone is a subordinate of Gunjou?

  Well, right now, I don't have the time to think about such things.

  "...... would you guys stop your melodrama here? We don't have much time."

  Yousuke then looks at me. With a wound in his chest, and mouth smeared in blood. Maybe he won't make it.

  "...... h-hey, transfer student."

  "What?"

  "...... s-say, can you come over here for a sec?"

  "Huuh? Just hurry up and escape."

  "...... p-please. It's hard for me to raise my voice."

  Yousuke's voice rasps from the blood in his throat.

  "How troublesome."

  Without a choice, I move to beside Yousuke. And he grabs my arm. And pulls me to him. And tells me.

  "...... I, have a favor to ask."

  "Hn?"

  "S-Shiro, is an amazing guy...... so, please protect him...... in my place."

  "...... I'm fine with that, so you will be paying me?"

  "Fuh, ha-haha, fine. I'll pay you. But...... I already know this. That you are...... you're a pretty nice guy."

  "Aah?"

  Yousuke is saying some shitty, heavy stuff.

  "Earlier, you were...... frantically protecting Shiro right......?"

  "............"

  "That's why I'm entrusting it. To you...... I'm escaping but...... p-protect, Shi......"

  I cover Yousuke's mouth with my hand to shut him up. And say.

  "Are you an idiot? You'll really die you know? Hurry up and just escape."

  Yousuke looks up at me and smiles.

  "See, you're a nice guy, aren't you?"

  "Shut up."

  "Anyway, please, Shinnosuke. Well then everyone, I'm sorry. I'm going first. See you later...... Escape switch."

  In an instant, Yousuke's body disassembles and disappears.

  He was teleported out.

  With a brooding face, Himi looks down at where Yousuke had disappeared from, and says.

  "...... w-will Yousuke-kun...... be saved?"

  I didn't answer.

  Shiro says with a pained look.

  "Don't worry. He'll definitely be saved."

  That's a lie. With that kind of wound. He has clearly prepared himself for Yousuke's death. And even while on the verge of death, Yousuke was worrying about Shiro.

  What was behind that drive of his? What in the earth happened between this three?

  Shiro stands up.

  And looks out the window.

  "...... damn. Is this a high level labyrinth?"

  I nod.

  "Probably."

  "What level do you think this is at?"

  "Hmm. To show us the kind of lie that instills hope in us, it should be above rank 10, I guess? Maybe around rank 15."

  "Then, lots will die."

  "Yeah."

  "But, we have to stop it. We have the lives of 3 million people in our hands."

  "Well, an ally of justice will think that, I suppose? I'm going to escape if things get rough."

  Shiro looks at me.

  "Then, you can just escape now, you know? Why won't you escape?"

  "Well. I guess I can still continue with this."

  "Hmmmh."

  "Besides, if we clear this labyrinth, there'll be an astounding amount of money right? I'm sure of that."

  "Money again? You're always about that."

&n
bsp; "Yeah. I'm all about that."

  Shiro looks hard at me.

  "...... what did Yousuke tell you?"

  "Nothing. He asked me to protect you."

  "...... ha, what a joke. He's a fool. Still worried about me when he's dying."

  "Yeah. The trust between you guys is creepy. What happened between you guys? Don't tell me it's love?"

  Shiro did not answer. Thus, I turn my eyes toward Himi,

  "You know right? The three of you share a secret?"

  "............"

  Himi too didn't answer. In other words, a 'yes'.

  "What's this? I'm the only one left out of the group. Doesn't matter though."

  I have never intended to become friends with them, so I don't feel hurt or anything.

  But, Shiro says.

  "No, you're one of us. And besides, you saved my life."

  "Then pay me for that."

  "Like I said, we'll be real comrades once we survive this and return. I'll tell you my secret then."

  "Huh? Why are you misunderstanding this and think that I even have any interest in you? Who the hell do you think you are?"

  "Your father."

  "Shut up."

  "Then, let's go. No matter how high the rank of this labyrinth is, we have to clear it. Otherwise, 3 million people will die."

  Shiro once again looks out of the window.

  Then, we jump out into what used to be a schoolyard, into the plains of darkness.

  ♦

  The scenery outside is a harsh one.

  It's completely different from the reports from the scouting corps.

  In the first place, there isn't any school. What's standing there is just a building whose corridor we were in earlier.

  The rest is made up of a vast amount of empty plains of darkness.

  Red moon.

  Blue clouds.

  There're seven broken toy snakes, the same kind as the one that attacked us.

  And......

  Three dead bodies of what used to be my classmates just a while ago.

  Two girls.

  One guy.

  "............"

  They were probably Gunjou's comrades. I can recognize their faces.

  Even after how she cried about not letting anyone die while she was barfing from her nervousness, her comrades got done in just like that. Of course, this is a situation that can't be helped. Even though it's something that can't be helped, I wonder what kind of face did she have then? Was she on the verge of tears, or did she put up an unaffected front, desperately still doing her best, I wonder.