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Classroom of Doom
Volume 25 - Chapter 173: Narcissist's Cradle Arc - Part I.

Volume 25 - Chapter 173: Narcissist's Cradle Arc - Part I.

Every block in this school ranges from five hundred meters in height and a hundred in width; all in the structure shape of a building with a rising crescent top. However, it's noteworthy to mention that block F does not uphold such luxurious traits, as a matter of fact, it holds little to nothing in resemblance. Especially is the case when considering the prestigious block A where the top floor is abundantly over the top; far overreaching the other block's tops.

Centralized at the north side of the school as a whole, at the top level, on the first floor of the two floors, the student council body held a meeting in bright morning daylight.

"This is an absolute disgrace." Liyuga, one of the now-seven members of the student council, on the right side of the rectangular fashionable table, stated his disappointment with visible rage all over his face "How? How on Earth did this happen?! This is outrageous and the worst part of it all is that there hasn't been a single body found! This school is done for if this ever gets out!" He slammed his right fist onto the table's surface which was protected by a red mantle all over it.

Each student council member was seated on a small elegant throne that was covered in gold and had black pillows in its bottom and back areas. Furthermore, their height slightly towered their users as it held two meters and fifty centimeters; accompanied by a very small width of sixty centimeters. Aside from the main black horizontal door which had the appearance of a gate in terms of design---on the south side of the room, the north side was by a singular gigantic window occupying 80% of the wall and it served as a way to portray the strong solar illumination onto the room, but it was mainly an enhancing factor when it came down to the target of who the light was essentially directed towards.

"It can't get leaked, no matter what..." Skan remarked, on the left side of the table, southwest direction "But the students already know and the absence of the six hundred students is making them panic; questions are being raised. Our school's students numbers prior to this were 2186 and now they are six hundred less. A quarter of our students just vanished due to a "slip" on Phoenix's fault and now we are left to deal with this..." Krale, left to Skan, looked to the north side of the table, where the main head lies "President, this is definitely Phoenix's fault but more importantly, we can't keep ignoring their existence... Despite having no direct evidence that it was them, just the very fact that it's public knowledge that Phoenix took various airplanes with those students to that island---which is the same island where the criminal upheld their monthly exam: it's enough for us to know that it's time." Krale laid out his real thoughts to the president, whose appearance was poorly illuminated due to the stark contrast between the bright light emitting from the window behind him.

Not the president himself, but instead, his new right arm, spoke.

"What do you propose? Specify and elaborate, if possible." Her name is Andrea; an Italian girl posing a height of 1,72 cm, amassing long thin dark brown hair that would extend until her bosom, gorgeous serene light blue eyes, and more importantly, through her fair skin, anyone could see an impenetrable seriousness at all times in her expression "We expel them once and for all. They contribute absolutely nothing to our school; as a matter of fact, the longer they remain, the more prejudice it will bring in the long run!" Krale's proposal was intercepted with silence as Andrea looked at the president first and upon seeing that there was no reaction from his side---as she is sitting on his left side, she spoke for herself and the law of reason that had to be clarified "I'm afraid that's impossible to achieve for a variety of reasons." She united her fingers and entered in a state of reason.

Before she would speak, the president turned his back on the entirety of the student council and elevated from his chair; ultimately walking up to the window's boarders so he could see the grandiose sight only granted from such a position----his back body now visible to all.

"The first main reason is the fact that they are not students endorsed in our school; ergo---not our possession. They strictly belong to the private institution controlled by an international governmental force that holds various countries tied to the program they take. If they are not our students, then we can't essentially issue anything against them as they can only be expelled through their program's characteristics." Andrea's words weren't well received as another member interrupted her.

Seated on the right side of the table, right to the middle east, a semi-tall laid-back young man who is actually a freshman, said some words.

"That alone represents the entire issue, doesn't it? The fact that they have immunity to that degree makes us useless in every sense, Andrea." He sighed as he placed his right hand on his face's right side.

To the youngest member of the student council who has short spiky upward blonde hair alongside yellow eyes and an overall abhorrent expression to him, Andrea calmly answered.

"I was not done, don't interrupt me again, Bryce." Bryce, feeling the pressure, gulped and kept his mouth shut "The second main reason is: The merge is no longer a viable option." Reintroducing a concept that was brought up once by Percy Phoenix some time ago, Andrea took a greater dive into it as she closed her eyes momentarily "The "Merge" is the name of the process for which the government is labeling in case anyone desires to buy the criminals that are within the program. Their price corresponds to their jail sentences x10. Needless to say, but it takes an incredible amount of financial wealth to perform a single purchase unless you are abundantly rich." Andrea hinted at Percy Phoenix and of course, everyone in the room got the message "Now, this isn't to say that the merge is impossible because if the principal wants, he could very well go out of his way to perhaps purchase one of the criminals and since it was done on the principal's behalf, it would make the criminal officially a student of this school to which, expulsion is possible." Andrea offered a solution.

Andrea's solution, however, raised a question among the present members, especially to another female member called Vanessa.

"Isn't the principal literally forced to at least purchase a few?! At this rate, their influence and existence alone would be sufficient to permanently upset the atmosphere among the students of the school. Furthermore, if they aren't put in check, our reputation will decrease! Nobody will respect us because the criminals haven't been dealt with yet the principal on his own accord decided to sign a deal with the government just so they could house the criminals inside the school...! What is the principal thinking?!" Rightfully so, Vanessa complained and now, the main center of attention spoke from afar, looking down on the school below "Frankly, you're absolutely right." Still without turning his body to the table; the president spoke as Vanessa became glamorous at his approval "Albeit the principal's power over the school is nigh omnipotent, that doesn't allude us from our tasks, doesn't it? There's no need to play detective and find out who is responsible; they are criminals and for that reason alone, I believe that they should entirely be restricted from our school as a whole. However, if expulsion is not an option, then there is a way to manufacture that very phenomenon." Though confusing at first, it was eventually understood by the present members.

Bryce exulted himself by erupting from the throne-chair as he understood.

"Y-You don't mean...!? But will the principal approve...?" Everyone looked in the president's direction "I'm afraid that it's not irrefutable for not even he can hold his breath against this calamity to come." Just barely, through his dark blazer and stern glasses---they felt the impending eyestare from him as he became convinced of his own judgment against the criminals.

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3 pm.

"And that will be all for today; dismissed." Basara closed his book and the classroom had officially ended "Daniel, stay." As they were all starting to exit the classroom via the main door on the southeast side of the room, only Daniel remained though some were curious enough to stay for a bit yet they ultimately didn't "Put them on." Basara tossed what appeared to be a pair of cuffs to Daniel's table but they were far thicker and would cover a larger part of the wrist "Leave your bag here, you'll get it done when we're done. Hurry up." Daniel was deeply looking into the cuffs as he had never seen such cuffs before.

However, ultimately, Daniel decided to cuff himself and leave the school bag in the classroom midst of a bright mildly tempered start to an afternoon.

Journeying all the way to central block A through the chains of paths underneath metallic roofs while also attracting partial attention due to how Basara was carrying Daniel by a chain that is tied to his handcuffs, they were aiming toward the first floor of the block---nowhere near the higher levels.

Passing through the elegant red carpet covered with famous philosophers in golden statues situated on the borders of the carpet itself; the carpet that extended itself onto the middle of the wide hall with no windows---only side doors to the left and the right; leading to private rooms----ultimately would reach to either a shiny diamond-covered staircase that would lead upward or a private room on the complete north.

In front of the golden door with designs reminiscent of past-century East Europe architecture, Basara stopped walking as he held the left doorhold with his right hand.

"Go." He said to Daniel, not showing any emotion at all "......." Daniel looked at him and after looking forward only, did Basara open the door for Daniel.

As the door opened, Basara gave the chain that was connecting to Daniel's cuffs to the guard inside; however, Basara did not walk any further and simply closed the door once Daniel got inside.

"Welcome, Daniel Lead." Daniel was absorbing the little details of the wide room with a relatively small ceiling such as the poor illumination strictly formed by the fact that there is only one light source being the central oval lamp that shines to the small metallic table with two chairs on each side---one being completely out of touch in terms of design as it served its purpose independently from the average chair opposing it; there were also two people present to which Daniel had no idea how to identify them as he stood a few meters away from them on the doorstep "Take a seat, this will be a very, very, long thorough questionnaire and I wouldn't want you to feel tired all of the sudden, so come on!" The enthusiastic old doctor urged Daniel to move forward.

Daniel's eyebrows became rather stiff as he knew that he had walked into something that he wouldn't come out unscathed. But what truly was triggering his strings was the elderly doctor's attitude; it was that abundantly clear narcissism that somehow managed to stifle him but also because Daniel was sent to sit on an electric chair.

He could wait and get sent there regardless by the second person in the room who was dressed entirely as a guard; upholding every item on the table such as multiple radios, two guns, two batons, two handcuffs, and most importantly, this nameless guard was holding a cellphone on his right hand to which Daniel envisioned could become troublesome depending on what it was being used for.

However, Daniel exited the darker portion of the room and slowly but surely as his chain hit the ground subsequently, got close to the electric chair that was opposing the elderly doctor who wore a green robe with long sleeves though they were rather wavy; resembling that of a kimono. His round silver glasses emitted a powerful reflection to the point of tunneling any vision when it came to the doctor's eyes, should Daniel want to see them.

There were a few items on the table that Daniel took note of.

"Yes, go on, don't be afraid now!" Enthusiastic and giggling, the elderly doctor with long white hair extended his extremely right skinny hand in the direction of the electric chair "Oh, but first..." The doctor spoke and the nameless guard whose face could barely be seen as his frontal hat greatly covered it with an overpowering shade.

Connecting a USB driver onto Daniel's cuffs' upper side since it does have a receptor, the guard was then able to drive the cable that was now linked to Daniel's cuffs all the way to the vagrant polygraph on the right side of the table.

As for the polygraph---not to be confused with a lie detector device, on the right side of the metallic table; strictly not on the table's surface, but literally on the right area next to the table, a one-meter machine lay. Perhaps a copy of the authentic genuine article, this polygraph resembled greatly the model 5D created in 1960. With a seemingly endless variety of buttons to its upper side, it was mainly able to revert the attention all the way to the center where the blood pressure is noted on the lines of paper through the graphs.

Still, Daniel sat on the electric chair which had a volt storage on the very top of it.

"No need for the usual lie detector strategy---I like it better this way! So, Daniel..." The doctor took a sip of his mildly warm green tea on his right side; elevating it to his lips before speaking to the silent Daniel once more "When was the last time you had a truthful conversation with another person?" Daniel looked to his right and he, the guard, and most certainly the doctor, could now get a read on Daniel's blood pressure as it was being synthesized on the polygraph which had a central television just for the sake of allowing a better grasp onto the waves "......" Daniel didn't reply.

His blood pressure was showing no sign of elevating as it remained in a calm state. Likewise, the same could be said for his respiratory state, therefore, by not replying, Daniel was not forced to participate in this conversation.

"Oh mother of---Give him a spike, will ya?" Talking to the guard, the doctor ordered and via touch to the personal phone on his right hand, he was able to send a barrage of electricity onto Daniel's body "AAAGGHHHHH!!!!" Caught off guard as his entire body was brutally ravaged by the volts; to the point of emitting some outer spark, Daniel's position was now known to him "It seems that we have started on the wrong foot, Daniel..." He fiddled with his long white thin beard with a smug look on his face as he gazed upon the electrocuted Daniel who was having trouble physically composing himself "I'm going to ask you again, so make sure you don't miss it." Daniel's vision became blurry as the voltage had severely damaged him "When was the last time you had a truthful conversation with another person?" The doctor repeated himself to Daniel.

Managing to somehow recompose himself, Daniel's body frequently twitched but now, he had his eyes on the elderly doctor.

"...Not too long ago... Two days ago, I think." Daniel didn't specify and the doctor took a look at the blood pressure which was on the rise, but there was also the fact that Daniel had been electrocuted "That's a good boy. So, Daniel, I must ask because it's a first time for me----even for someone as old I!" The doctor laughed "What acts did you do to receive a 1000-year sentence?! That's practically ten lives; if they are well lived, of course!" Curious, the doctor was spilling saliva and Daniel tried to remember the cause of it all "......I don't remember." Daniel, with some shame, said such a cliched line, and the doctor, as well as Daniel "Don't give me that!" Although the heart rate was perfectly calm and far from showing signs of a lie being told, the doctor felt as if Daniel was somehow tricking the polygraph.

Naturally, an order for Daniel to be electrocuted again was issued and this time, the doctor waited until Daniel was physically composed, though this took a few minutes.

"What did you do to receive a 1000-year sentence? It's entirely classified for some reason but you want to know the most interesting part? Here I'll tell ya." Barely composed, Daniel with his eyes half-open, listened to the doctor "The crimes of all your classmates have layers of classifications and some took a real deal to uncover since this type of information is very, but very, valuable. We adults; the sovereigns; the pioneers---we treat this like a chess game and for pawns to be as valuable as pieces...?! Such an outrageous doing!" He further complained "But what I'm saying Daniel, is, you are a very interesting creature; shrouded in a deep mystery that not even you seem to remember. So here is the more relevant question; you said you don't remember any of it and let's assume that's true... Therefore, how far into it can you remember? Think of your oldest memory and describe it to me." The doctor asked.

He allowed Daniel to compose himself even further as Daniel was showing signs of attempting to remember as far back as he could.

"Right before you were enlisted in the program, you were arrested for killing four young men, Daniel. You remember that much at least, correct?" The doctor made Daniel visit the part prior to his enlistment "...Yes..." The doctor continued after his agreement "Who were they, Daniel?" He asked and saw Daniel's blood pressure rising "...I don't know...!! I can't remember anything past my detention time and when I came to it, my crime was told---I had killed four people..." Daniel was showing visible struggle as he wasn't understanding himself "Oh dear Jesus, what am I to do with you..." He gave the command and Daniel was electrocuted once more as the doctor judged that Daniel was blatantly lying to his face.

After a few more minutes, the doctor resumed his questioning.

"That was all out of curiosity since it's not related to the task at hand at all. Now comes the real test!" Going to the table's left side where there are some files alongside a pen; the doctor opened the files to which Daniel had not a clue to what they contained "It's very simple. I ask, you answer. You don't answer in the range of three seconds, you get electrocuted and then we repeat the same question. For the record, it's already 4 pm, so let's try to keep things at a reasonable pace. If you keep your silence, then you won't like what's to come... Do yourself a favor and answer the questions with clarity so we can all go home early." The doctor was done with his warning to Daniel.

Sincerely acknowledging the information delivered by the elderly doctor who had a serious expression, Daniel released his inner rage via a long heavy breath and then sat on the electric chair just like a normal person would.

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"Unfathomable..." The doctor's eyes opened wide "What?" Daniel didn't understand the doctor and the doctor quickly corrected himself "Nothing, mind you. Daniel, do you know anything about the disappearance of the 600 hundred students of this school?" Daniel's heartbeat somewhat rose and the doctor took notice of that "I am aware that they were on that island though I knew not how they got there." Daniel didn't lie to the doctor as the blood pressure exhibited was fairly normal.

The doctor wrote something down as he crooked his head forward; Daniel unable to see just what exactly he was writing.

"Daniel, did you kill any of them, by some chance?" Daniel's blood pressure remained normal as the preparation for this question was already made long ago "I didn't." He simply said and the doctor noted "Percy Phoenix's helicopters drove the students into that island; that much we know as it can be comproved. However, despite a great investigation of the island, no body was found. Why do you think that's the case?" He looked at Daniel with a firm glare "Because the students decided to turn back, most likely." He was countered "That is impossible, the helicopters remained spread over the island so they couldn't have gotten anywhere. Daniel, is there a part of the island that is blind to the naked eye?" Daniel's brain instantly projected the various hidden sections "No." His respiratory rate slightly elevated and the doctor noticed that, making Daniel a bit nervous thus making his blood pressure slightly rise.

Uninterested in teasing Daniel, the doctor continued.

"Do you think it's a coincidence that the students went to the island which was the exact same place where your special exam was held?" Daniel answered instantly "No." He showed no lying signs "When was the last time you killed someone?" With no pause, the doctor asked and Daniel took a second and a half to answer, slightly alienating his timing when it comes to answering "Those four people?" He looked to be in deep thought but his respiratory rate rose to medium "Would you ever kill innocent people, Daniel?" Daniel pondered a good angle for an answer to this question "No, never." He answered with clarity "When you killed those people on the island, did you enjoy it?" The doctor asked "Well, I----" Unaware of the trap, Daniel subconsciously formed the beginning of a sentence but was quickly silenced by himself as he saw the doctor smiling in his direction.

Feeling nervous for the first time to this degree, Daniel's blood pressure immensely rose for a period of time as he tried to calm his respiratory rate though to no avail.

"Now that's more like it, ghahaha!!" The doctor laughed out loud and Daniel tried to assume more emotional control "Daniel, did you kill Percy Phoenix?" Daniel instantly replied negatively "No." And the doctor continued "So you know who killed him." This was not a question, but a statement made out of confidence as the doctor claimed after looking at his perfectly calm blood pressure "I never said that." Daniel denied his allegation "Alright. Tell me, how are you feeling?" Completely unrelated to the island incident, Daniel felt a bit weird after being questioned like that "Not great... The volts hurt." He tried to dodge the core value of the question and the doctor went for the killshot "How are you holding up after her suicide? It must've felt incredibly intrusive to have a special exam on a deserted island while having to process her death like that..." The doctor was laughing while projecting words that could be described as "empathetic" yet Daniel knew that was not the nature of them.

Daniel's heartbeat alongside its natural flux rose to high levels as the polygraph didn't fail to capture that.

"Stick to the damn questions..." Beheading the doctor with his deadly eye glare, Daniel gave that order "Ah, but ya know, Daniel, analytics like me love to trace every detail and seeing how Yulia killed herself with no apparent reason-----" The levels rose as Daniel's body began to tremble in rage "---Deep down in your system, a turmoil must've been born; a frustration of not being able to understand just WHY, she killed herself like that! Surely anyone in your position would seek a method of releasing all that pent up frust------" As the doctor's voice's volume toppled, Daniel's upper body fell on top of the table in order to verbally fight back at the doctor "DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE USE HER NAME YOU PIECE OF SHIT, I WILL FUCKING K-----AAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHH!!!" Naturally, as the guard was watching, he physically intervened and smashed Daniel's head sideways onto the table with a slam.

Not once, but twice, the guard did that and put Daniel back in the chair. Once there, Daniel was electrocuted as his screams of pain were not a new sound to the two in charge here.

"Ohohoho!" Laughing in Daniel's face from across the table, the doctor couldn't control himself "Why, yes! It does look like there is a turmoil inside you, Daniel! Have you ever wondered how deep the rabbit hole goes?! GHAHAHAHA!!" Further laughing as Daniel received repetitive shockwaves midst his painful experience, the doctor became more and more interested in Daniel.

For the upcoming four hours, the doctor would utilize his methods to question Daniel in all sorts of things until he was satisfied.

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8 pm.

Dark, as the newborn spring is still relatively close to the prior winter, the school's atmosphere was embroidered in night-time. If there is something that the school has to show during night-time it's the amount of light pillars it has in every corner. No matter where one goes, every five-ten meters there is bound to be a light pillar.

However, it's important to notice that circulation around the school campus after 10 pm is strictly forbidden, but even so, despite the two-hour difference, many students were comfortable inside their dorms as the quality of their dorms varies from what block they are endorsed in.

Kicked onto his rear while being tossed to the outer ground outside block A with no one around, Daniel's body was thrown by the guard who was responsible for him during his session with the doctor.

Now fully closed, block A no longer had any access as the guards officially shut the whole block down as it only works from 7 am to 8 pm. Lingering and struggling to make physical movements as his face was practically adjoined to the cold stark night ground, Daniel's lifeless eyes watched the moon slowly rising from the left angle.

"Ahh..." He could barely get up, looked forward and saw an illuminated path that led all the way down south; which was the main path to the other blocks from block A and if Daniel continued down south and followed the usual routine, he could get to his dorm in no time "How the hell..." His posture kept tilting back and forth like an undead person as the upward blinding lights intersected with his appearance the more he traveled on his own "...I need to talk to Hyunda..." Daniel felt immediately the urgency to talk to Hyunda and as such, he made his way to the dorm.

Once there, he entered through the main door as it was opened while supporting his movements with his right hand on the wall in order to gather some strength.

He passed through the room of their dorm's guard; George Kentucky and continued to advance north as the faraway illumination grew stronger contrasting the currently poor insufficient lamps filled with electricity that offered intervals to its function.

He saw two individuals only in the cafeteria but they were not eating. Illuminated now by the stronger lights, Daniel walked into the cafeteria with a wide width and a somewhat tall ceiling as it always has been. Currently, the windows are still open and thus the night wind infiltrated the atmosphere yet the two individuals seated on the very central table of the room playing what seemed to be a game of chess; paid no mind to that minor detail.

Panting, Daniel slowly walked in their direction and they greeted him.

"Welcome back, Daniel. How was the session with the doctor?" Sagasuga asked though not looking at Daniel but instead looking at the chess board as he decided his move "He can barely move, Sagasuga, what kind of question is that? Take a seat and drink some water." Hyunda alluded to his right seat but Daniel took a nearby chair and placed it in the middle of the east side of the table so he could watch the game from a central perspective "Good choice." Sagasuga lowly commented and after Daniel drank the cold water from the medium-sized piece of glass that was placed on Hyunda's right side; he talked "How do you two know about the doctor?" Hyunda answered "Kuzan was bitching about it yesterday but you must've not noticed. That's how." Hyunda explained and Daniel accepted his reasoning.

Sagasuga made a complaint toward Hyunda in regard to the game.

"I don't understand why you can't just part ways with the bishop pair, Hyunda. It's not key-crucial to winning every match." He remarked and Hyunda countered as they spoke in monochromatic voice tones "Shut up, freak. Stop offering me queen trades, you know how much I hate equalizing." Hyunda had to move his queen to optimal squares in order to avoid trading with Sagasuga's queen as Hyunda had a file with doubled pawns; something that could be argued to be a slight advantage in the middle/end-game "So?" Sagasuga talked to Daniel "It was something else... I've never seen such a polygraph before... It incorporated five components into its reading. I know heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration were there, but I couldn't figure out the other two. Furthermore, the more conscious I got and tried to manipulate the truth the more it backfired." This caused Hyunda and Sagasuga to withdraw their vision from the board and look at Daniel simultaneously "Does he know?" Hyunda asked, utterly serious.

Daniel looked at the two of them with a displeased look as he felt that he wasn't being trusted at all.

"Hell no. He used some tricks on me but it was mainly torture in the form of eletruction... My fucking skin is fried, I can still feel the zaps..." This was true as Daniel would find himself twitching regularly "Good job. And, fear not, Daniel----no matter how much they dig, they will never find conclusive evidence. As long as you remember that, you have nothing to fear." Sagasuga smiled at Daniel "It's going to be annoying, so bear with it. After all, they just lost a quarter of their students so there will be naturally some repercussions..." Hyunda began to be vague "Do you two know if something is going to happen?" Daniel asked as he figured that their intel would provide to be resourceful.

Needless to say but since they are members of an organization that controls such a superbase possessing highly advanced technology, their knowledge would be far advanced, in Daniel's mind.

"There's no telling, Daniel." Hyunda's answer made Daniel confused "You're not serious... You always know things ahead of time, Hyunda." Dead serious, Daniel spoke to Hyunda but Sagasuga replied in his steed "It's different now, Daniel. Whatever happened before didn't involve an event of such a scale and as such, no matter how we come to terms with it, there will be consequences. We are a force to be reckoned with." Sagasuga also vaguely spoke "That doesn't say anything. It's just a matter of time before the interrogation sessions go from questions to torture. We have no rights as we are utensils of the program. You do realize that if nothing is done, then there is no telling what might come, right?" Daniel looked at the two of them who resumed their game; their eyes on the board once more "That's exactly what we've been telling you. If it's a matter of time, then we wait." Hyunda said to Daniel.

However, Daniel wasn't agreeing with their lack of "activity" and so, his expression got sour extremely quickly.

"Sigghhhhh..." Hyunda heavily sighed as he saw Daniel's face and then looked at Sagasuga "Draw?" Sagasuga asked "Yeah." Sagasuga and Hyunda began to put the chess pieces back to their original place and once they were retracted, Sagasuga got up from the table "I must attend to my usual routine, so with that said, goodnight, Daniel, Hyunda." Sagasuga showed courtesy as he saw himself out of the cafeteria, leaving Daniel and Hyunda all alone.

Daniel faced Hyunda as he sat on Sagasuga's previous seat; the chess board was taken away by Sagasuga who stuffed the pieces onto two mini-chess piece bags.

Hyunda didn't say anything and was prompting Daniel to speak up.

"You said you'd tell me today, Hyunda." Daniel didn't forget Hyunda's words "Hm... That's true." Hyunda limited himself to those words "So?" Daniel insisted "You don't pass, Daniel." Unapologetic, Hyunda gave Daniel the answer but most definitely not the answer he was looking for as Daniel's expression became maddening "What the fuck... Hyunda, I killed all of them, without fail. Those six-hundred pigs; I slaughtered all of them. How the fuck did I fail? Explain." Hyunda didn't hesitate to deliver another part of the truth "It's your methodology. We don't necessarily need people who take too much time with their actions. Daniel, whether you like it or not, you prolonged their suffering for your own enjoyment when the mission was to simply eradicate them with the help of the Galilei device which allowed you to control the time in the respective sections. However, you chose to entertain yourself instead of fully prioritizing the objective. No matter how you look at it, Daniel, you enjoyed it." Daniel gritted his teeth as he didn't want to accept it.

Daniel tried to retort back.

"It shouldn't matter that much if I enjoyed it! You understand, don't you, Hyunda?! After Yulia killed herself, I was left with so much sadness, anguish, sourness, and... rage..." Daniel's killer face came to life and Hyunda witnessed it "How was I supposed to not enjoy it...? The island felt great, Hyunda! I miss it so badly! Always being in control; I miss that feeling! I need it!" Daniel's lips' corners widened as his psychothic smile showed "You get it, right?!" Daniel wanted some confirmation and Hyunda smiled back at Daniel "Damn right I fucking do." Hyunda also exhibited a psycothic smile "But to be a member of the organization it means that we have to be pawns for our leader and our leader prioritizes efficiency above all; he detests emotion put on the line when a mission comes up." Daniel's face was reverting back to his normal one; his disappointment started to show "I said yes, but Sagasuga and the other members who reviewed your trials unfortunately decided against it." Hyunda expressed his sincere words and Daniel was left speechless.

For three whole seconds, Daniel couldn't muster a reaction to the information he had just received.

"...No way... After all that, I..." Still conflicted, he couldn't accept it "............" Hyunda silently watched Daniel put his two hands on each side of his head as he looked at the surface of the table; not looking at Hyunda "..If I had known, I would've told her the whole thing... Maybe she would have done it..." Hyunda became interested in Daniel's words suddenly "What do you mean?" He asked and as Daniel began to lowly laugh midst his anxiety session, he didn't care to hide his true thoughts "That chick, Syndrana, has the whole equation wrong, haha..." Daniel confessed "The anti-death equation?" Hyunda asked "Oh yeah, the one and only... You showed me a portion of the equation; the one known to the books, but Hyunda..." Daniel now looked at Hyunda "It's all wrong! The books presented a simpler equation and..." Hyunda allowed Daniel to continue; as Hyunda united his two hands---intertwining his finger while adjoined his frontal face to them "It's strange but it's like I have all the calculus in my head somehow. Things have been crazy lately, Hyunda. Did you know? I tried to remember what I did to get here but I only knew that I killed four guys; anything prior to that is pitch black!" Daniel began to hysterically laugh "Am I going crazy? Hey, Hyunda, say something. You're creeping me out with your silence, come on, man..." Daniel begged Hyunda to talk.

Absorbing all of this, Hyunda spoke to Daniel.

"If the equation you gave Syndrana is the wrong one, then, Daniel----do you know the true anti-death equation?" He questioned Daniel; breaking his silence "Huh? I----Well, it's tough but... I... I don't... Well, have the full equation... Yet." Daniel spoke a bit too much "Yet?" Hyunda's interest sparked "Ignore that, I must be going crazy." Daniel gulped, realizing his mistake "No, you're not." Hyunda denied Daniel's claim "What?" Daniel tilted his head sideways "I said, you're not. You're not going crazy; you're in the process of becoming just a little more illuminated, that's all. But Daniel... You can't ever know the true anti-death equation." Hyunda's words made Daniel question the basis for such a claim "What do you mean by that?" Hyunda laughed and then answered "There are multiple anti-death equations as there are many more types of equations, but the leader came up with all of them. You can never reach the truth when it comes to such a thing, Daniel. Especially if you're not a member yourself, after all." Hyunda reminded Daniel that he was in fact not included in the organization.

Angry and bitter, Daniel's expression was boiling with rage.

"........" Hyunda's vision narrowed as he seemed to want to say something more "Hey, Daniel?" He provoked Daniel to look at him "You'd do anything to get her back, right?" Pissed by how he was asked such a question with such an obvious answer, Daniel didn't reply well "Are you fucking kidding me with that bullshit again, HYUNDA?! HAVE I NOT PROVEN MYSELF?!" He raised his voice and Hyunda whistled "I was impressed, it was entertaining to watch. In my opinion, many members are slaves to the mindset, but I enjoyed what I watched. That's why, Daniel, if you are still not accepting the rejection..." Daniel closely listened as he thought Hyunda would give him another chance "Ah, no, it's too soon." Hyunda got up from the table which provoked a wave of interest from Daniel as he did too "What?! Hey, Hyunda!!" He chased in Hyunda's direction as he aimed to the north direction "Come on, man, don't leave me hanging! What were you going to say?!" Daniel could not shake off his curiosity as he got in front of Hyunda despite the latter walking nevertheless "Daniel." But now he stopped and faced Daniel face to face.

Hyunda's expression grew far more stern and impatient as his words lacked his usual cool mannerisms to them.

"You're not on the island anymore. Control yourself, already. You've been acting too suspicious, Daniel. You need to lay low and laying low means that you don't go around and try to get every opportunity that you can just to get into the action. I understand that you're traumatized by her death; but I think you have bigger problems to deal with." Hyunda now continued to walk but Daniel didn't chase him and so, Hyunda spoke one last time as he exited the cafeteria "The doctor... He's just the start. Unfortunately for us, we might've attracted attention a bit too much..." Enigmatic, Hyunda left Daniel alone in the cafeteria.

Losing sight of Hyunda, Daniel took the nearest by chair to his left and sat down on the cold empty table; sinking into a state of depression.

With his face crying tears rolled up in his crossed arms, he talked to himself.

"Yuliaaa.... I miss you so much..." His crying grew more and more intense by the second "I---I---I---I don't.... have the... strength to carry on with you...! I'm so attached to you and I can't get over you....I don't want to....!!" He strengthened his physical grip on his closed fists as he gritted his teeth savagely "...Hey Yulia... What should I do now...? Do I just... end it...? I'm so tired........" Daniel sunk his head deeply into his arms.

Without realizing it, Daniel had fallen asleep in the middle of the cafeteria.

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5 am.

At first, it was a massive blow onto the structure that created the landing of it and while doing so, the noise from the collision surely woke several students up.

It felt like an earthquake for a subsequent second and Daniel, who was sleeping in the middle of the cafeteria, woke up in the middle of the night at 5 am, alongside his other dorm mates.

"What the hell was that...?!" Not Daniel, but Rayazaki who was coming down from the second floor with haste, became alerted as the outside noise definitely woke him up "........" Daniel quickly noticed he had fallen asleep and wiped the dry tears off his face as he heard many footsteps being performed across the dorm "What..." Daniel looked outside to the east side of the cafeteria where the windows are still open and midst of the night ambiance combined with no lights at all, he saw a glimpse of what was to come.

Not wanting to stick around the cafeteria as Daniel felt that many of his dorm mates had all gone outside, Daniel took the path to the left----the cafeteria's light being turned off----yet that wasn't such a problem as Daniel could guide himself through the night light somehow.

Running through the main hall, he saw his male companions on the outside all staring at above; like gazing at the stars.

Not a single one of Daniel's male companions was missing as they all looked exactly to one specific place despite the structure of it not being held to a singularity at the very top.

"Heavens, what atrocity this is..." Sagasuga, in his green pajamas, commented while looking at it "I mean, it was predictable but I expected it to at least be under a construction time----to just have multiple helicopters drop this on us is fucking cold." Hyunda couldn't hide his surprise either----as he was wearing only white pajama pants with his top naked "Bro!" Kuzan, from Daniel's right---as he entered the outer ara in the middle of the school's concrete---alerted Daniel who couldn't stop looking at it "What a way to start the day off..." Daniel was not pleased as he joined the scene on the frontal side of the boys' dorm.

Daniel still had his uniform on as he didn't sleep in his room; Kawahara walked up to him and agreed with his take.

"Tell me about it. Any idea what exactly this is supposed to accomplish? As far as I can see, the goal is clear." Kawahara looked at it while asking that albeit answering the question at the same time---he wore a black winter robe while yawning "What, can't you see? It's a damn prison cell!" Tsudo, with his wavy light blue pajamas; wearing a malevolent sleepy expression, told all of them.

However, a partial opinion came, not from the boys, but from the girls' side as their dorm was just a few twenty meters away from the boys', all the way to the right.

Akimiyashika, Hinagiku, Tateyana, Gale, Arkalee, Lus, and Kanawari----Yukishiro, Shizuku, and Sana remained at the dorm as they were seeing the scenario unfold through the windows---all wearing their respective pajamas, suddenly walked in the boys' direction.

"It's more than that. It's better if we can access the rooftop, this way we can all see it." Lus, with her pink hair tied to a ponytail, spoke to the crowd of boys present but mainly to the silent watch guard otherwise known as George Kentucky who was absent from the conversation as he stood still with his back against the dorm's door---eating a chicken sandwich "Climb, I ain't moving." Uninterested, George gave the authorization to them.

Without wasting time at all, they all collectively made haste to the third floor of the boys' dorm and climbed onto the rooftop where they could now envision the scenery with far more clarity.

"WAIT, WHAT?! AM I SEEING THIS CORRECTLY?!" Arkalee couldn't hold herself back from speaking up "Why aren't the other blocks... Oh..." Kanawari realized the obvious to which, Lus pointed out "It's fairly obvious by now but for some reason, a gigantic cage was dropped onto the terrain that covers the entire block F and the two dorms----and of course, nothing more." Lus described their reality.

Upholding five-hundred meters in height in the shape of a squared cage with metallic grids to it; its width being that of two thousand---the cage that was placed under their block and their dorms had a completely dark ceiling that would block out any sunlight. There were also no visible doors at sight or ways to get in; mainly because the entire cage looked like a prison cell as the structure that was adjoined to the ground was made of indestructible steel.

However, there was a slight factor that added an extra layer of paranoia to all the criminals present.

A familiar voice spoke to not only Daniel, but to everyone present, from above----specifically from the ceiling's direction though utterly black.

"My, does it look fine!" A robotic senile voice earned all of their attention as they turned their heads in the ceiling's direction which was roughly four hundred meters away from where they are "Who is that...?" Gale asked, skeptical "T-That's----!!" Kuzan immediately recognized it "........." Daniel's expression became rigid as he definitely knew who it was "Welcome to the cage, little birds! Made for you and you only---in this cage, you will be given the opportunity to enhance your social skills by communicating with each other more and more! But that's not all, my lovely pawns! This interaction is restricted to ONLY YOU CRIMINALS!!!" The doctor exhibited a sickening laugh; raising preoccupations "That's why, starting from today, as an agreement has been reached; every day there will be a special exam for all of youuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!" Shock and anxiety hit the atmosphere.

Staggered by the newfound information, the boys and the girls were left momentarily speechless as they fully understood what it meant to have daily special exams.

"T-That can't be! A special exam, every day?!" Shook, Hinagiku couldn't compose herself "Yes, my dear! And I will now tell you all something far more important! Although I am not your teacher, I am the one in charge of making all of the exams, gahahahaha!!!" Once again, his sickening laughter was heard through the ceiling "No, no, no! No fucking way, that can't be right!" Tsudo placed his two hands on his head; kneeling down on the ground amidst despair "The expulsion rate is so absurdly high with every exam and now we have daily exams?!" Everyone watched Tsudo's emotional reaction to the information.

But it was too soon for them to relax, as the doctor delivered more unpleasant news.

"Oh my dear lab rats----you might want to hurry up because if you're not in class in five minutes, you will be expelled, gahahahah!!" The doctor delivered crucial information furthermore "Today is a mighty exception but every day, at 5 am, you will have to come to classes! Forget the usual schedule, I'm talking about something more exquisite, gahahaha!!" Running down the boys' dorm, they moved with great urgency.

Thus, their lengthy battle began.