Basara instantly received a call to which he was not allowed to decline.
"Yes..." He understood the gravity of the situation as the students within the class watched the chaotic situation unfold "Everyone, back to your original seats NOW!" His orders were heard and thus, Basara went straight forward to the last desk within the third row where the collapsed three new transfer students were allocated in.
At the same time, five black-suited guards rushed inside the classroom at grand speed.
"What the hell?!" Rayazaki was startled by the quickness in their footing "Take him out!" The leader of the guards abruptly ordered that as they locked in Daniel "Hold up, what the fuck?!" Kawahara got up "Kawahara, DON'T do anything." Basara shouted with such immense strength that the whole room full of students didn't dare to think twice "But----just what the hell is this----?!" They saw Daniel, taken by two guards on each side, Elijah carried by a guard, Ellie and Samantha too, though their conditions far worse in comparison.
A silence struck the classroom as they had no idea what just happened except for one person in particular.
----------------------------------------
"Poisoning, to be specific, cyanide poisoning." A quick report had been performed by the school medical doctors in the private medical section of block A, where students were not allowed to meddle "Cyanide..." The doctor's vision narrowed as he took a long glance at their pale bodies laying in the medical beds "The fastest poison to act, known to take minutes; depending on the dosage, even seconds to kill... And you mean to tell me that they died from cyanide poisoning?" The doctor questioned the head doctor of the hospital "It's far more likely that they took something beforehand, a few minut-----" Doctor Hwan shouted "Don't SCOLD me in something I've known for longer than you have!!" The hospital doctor cowered "They were in a call with me through my grandson's phone the whole time!" He argued.
Though cowered and feeling intimated, the middle-aged hospital doctor within block A, gave the doctor a more surefire reasoning.
"It had to be the bottle then, sir..." Retaking another look at what happened through the footage in a computer, the doctors were beyond clear.
A loud buzzing sound was made to the doctor in the form of a call, but he declined the call instantly.
"Absurd, Daniel Lead intook the content of that bottle and he's doing fine! As a matter of fact, he's still alive, by contrast to these three!" The doctor argued fearlessly "But it's the only logical explanation!" Another call was made to the doctor "Why you-----" Furiously, he declined the call again and even thought of shutting off his phone but for several reasons, he couldn't "How on earth would the water bottle be mixed with cyanide and he got to walk out of it freely?! He would need several antidotes to counter that and that's even assuming that he somehow has access to all of that!" The doctor countered "...Sir, they died from cyanide poisoning... If he or someone else mixed it in the bottle and he took several antidotes prior, then... It would result in simply water, because water and poison together result in simply water..." Doctor Hwan thought it was strange.
Yet another call was made.
"A rundown inspection has to be performed." The doctor was annoyed "There is no lingering evidence that it connects to him yet, but if it's acknowledged, then he can die from execu-----" The call was spammed over and over as a newform of gaining his attention "DAMN IT, YOU STUPID CHILD, SEOK!!" He wanted to cut his phone in half but picked up the call from Seok instead "DO YOU NOT REALIZE THAT I HAV----" Seok's loud voice interrupted the doctor with godspeed.
Not only Seok, but a wide multitude of people, including some of the individuals from the student council, formed a circle over the myriads of computer screens that were accessible within that room; the location being unknown.
"The viewership skyrocketed just a few minutes ago!!!" His enthusiasm spoke volumes to the doctor "What...?! How?!" The doctor was feeling mixed as he received the news "Our viewership from the start wavered from 150,000 viewers to 200,000, but a clip just sent viral and it jumped to 350,000 suddenly!!! Holy shit, the chat is going crazy, it's fucking epic!" Seok grouched at the galore of comments swarming in the comment sections within the streaming platforms scattered across the globe on the dark web "What clip?!" The doctor asked "The one where the three of them died, what else?! Oh---although the vomiting one got attention too, but holy shit, everyone went batshit crazy at their deaths HOLY FUCK!!!" Shaken, the doctor was forced to understand something.
Albeit, at the same time, he wanted to determine something else, so he ended the call abruptly, leaving his grandson hanging.
He needed to deal out a call to the guards within the block in order to carry out his wish.
However...
"....?!" The surprises didn't end as he received a call from someone he could not possibly ignore, thus he picked it up without delay "Yes?" He was met with a snark voice; though he knew who he was, they had not met prior "Doctor Hwan, the one and only?" It wasn't old by any means, but not young "Yes, that is me." Doctor Hwan composed himself as the name from the call spoke heights "I would like to know why you removed him without my authorization." To the point, he cut off Doctor Hwan's corners short "He's the prime suspect of the deaths of those three, I believe a thorough investigation should be----" He disliked the reasoning by a mile "Oh no, no, no! Their deaths----they increased the avenue, do you not REALIZE, doctor Hwan?" Doctor Hwan was shocked at his reasoning ".....I see..." Though he understood at the same time "I will put him back in, principal Wojak." Dissatisfied, doctor Hwan was forced to accept it.
The other side of the call is from a place where the afternoon sun is visible though from a very high standpoint.
To be in his place, would be the equivalent of climbing to the peak of that school.
"Oh and one last thing----" He walked to the balcony where the full height of block A could be seen in comparison to all the others; a crystal clear towering height crushed all of them mercilessly, but especially the faraway block F, the smallest "Yes?" Doctor Hwan's eyes widened at the request "...Sir, if I may inquire-----" Doctor Hwan didn't find this method to be authentically well-thought out but Wojak was relentless in his pursuit which made doctor Hwan hopeless "It will be applied in the next round..." The doctor gulped as the call ended "Well..." He cleaned the sweat of his forehead as the other doctor watched silent though nervous "They are criminals so it's not a problem..." He reasoned as he made yet another call.
----------------------------------------
He was back rather quick and was dragged by force into the classroom by two guards who then closed the classroom, but not before one of them told a sentence to Basara from afar.
"You have one minute to explain, after that, the round starts." Basara didn't reply back as he watched him close the door "Daniel, to your seat." Daniel simply walked to his desk where Lus was now, where Elijah, Ellie, and Samantha were previously.
Needless to say, he was both blessed and cursed with attention-seeking glances from his classmates though they dared not speak as Basara would deliver crucial information about the upcoming round.
"The groups will be random from this point onward." Basara clicked on his remote and allowed the projector allocated at the center of the ceiling of the classroom to project a roulette "The rules will remain the same. But there will be an additional rule..." Basara took a heavy breath as he kept the students in suspense "The death of a participant will terminate all the activity for today, but it won't work if the orchestrator is caught or has any conclusive evidence linked to them." Basara closed his eyes as he said the words that he was not fine with; a visible discomfort was spread "Huh...?" Tateyana was the first to react "Sorry, what?" Tsudo couldn't believe the words that Basara had just said "I will repeat myself one more time." Even Basara found it hard for them to process this right away "If one of you dies and there isn't a way to find a conclusion to who "killed" such person, then the day ends." He was simplistic this time.
Given the extreme lack of time, Basara was forced to get things rolling.
"The groups will now be chosen." The entire class was thoroughly shocked and as the groups were chosen in the roulete, a simple question emerged "Teacher, are we allowed to use any means to kill someone?" Daniel instantly earned horror glances from his classmates "Shut the hell up, Daniel..." Basara exasperated "You of all people saying that..." Basara was anxious suddenly.
Very quickly, however, the groups were decided and were separated into five brackets since there were only 20 students left.
Group A was made of Akimiyashika, Hinagiku, Rayazaki, and Daniel.
Group B was made of Ikkiri, Gale, Kawahara, and Hyunda.
Group C was made of Kuzan, Shizuku, Kanawari, and Tsudo.
Group D was made of Arkalee, Tatsu, Lus, and Yukishiro.
Group E was made of Stratos, Sagasuga, Sana, and Tateyana.
After quickly adjoining themselves into their tables, Basara started to distribute the challenge sheets.
It goes without saying that the atmosphere was beyond heavy.
"Start." Basara declared.
All students had stripped off their blazers and were only wearing their inner white uniform shirts due to the heat.
On the east side of the classroom, on the south side, group B was allocated. On the north side of it as well, was group D. To the central row, in the middle area, group E was allocated. On the west side, otherwise the third row close to the opening doors, in the south side, was group C, and lastly, on the top side, was group A.
The idea remained the same; each group had to write down a challenge with a ill-intended nature to another group though this challenge would be random.
However, the new rule gave birth to some interest.
"Hey." Daniel stunned Akimiyashika, Hinagiku, and Rayazaki momentarily just by talking "Interesting rule, don't you guys think?" They glanced at his apathetic eyes "From my understanding, if any of us dies, the day is concluded if they can't find conclusive evidence. In other words, we get to enjoy the entire day." Daniel giggled "Now, I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired as hell." Daniel displayed a sleepy and tired expression "So, any one on your mind who you wanna kill?" Daniel asked the poisonous question "You killed them, didn't you?" Rayazaki was the one who asked "Elijah, Ellie, and Samantha?" Daniel turned to his right to converse with Rayazaki "Who the fuck else, shithead?" Daniel hummed "Hmm... I guess the suspicion is on me. What, do you think they drank poison or some shit from the bottle? But I was drinking from it, so how would you explain the fact that I'm completely alive and kicking?" Rayazaki was pissed off "That's the fucking thing, I can't explain it nor anyone else for that matter!" Daniel went back to his question, however.
image [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/9c3e3c59-8f24-49ce-8a2b-546d1bb52197/dhbfsnl-be5b547f-58de-4abe-a98a-0e13fb863898.png/v1/fill/w_1093,h_731,q_70,strp/group_a_by_kumokuroro_dhbfsnl-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9Nzc0IiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvOWMzZTNjNTktOGYyNC00OWNlLThhMmItNTQ2ZDFiYjUyMTk3XC9kaGJmc25sLWJlNWI1NDdmLTU4ZGUtNGFiZS1hOThhLTBlMTNmYjg2Mzg5OC5wbmciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTE1NiJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.eGq67BafAig1IM4YZh096LoU2_jvrXmwncDqlEbLkxE]
This time with the other nervous two individuals in mind.
"I'll ask again, is there anyone you specifically would like to see get killed off?" Daniel was not hiding the fact that he very much enjoyed this particular rule whatsoever "........" His targets had someone in mind for sure.
Akimiyashika was utterly emerged with the thought and as for Hinagiku, she was more divided on whether or not she should actually be listening to what Daniel is implying.
"...How would you go about it...?" Akimiyashika raised her head and asked "I can't go into details. Because after this round is over, our groups will be shuffled. In other words, I could quickly become a target." Daniel reasoned "But are you saying there is a way to kill someone in this exam without getting it to you?" She asked "I believe so, yes. It's pointless to make a group fail over and over because it'll be random, so you can't really pinpoint target someone unless it's this round. And even then, for you to strictly want to kill someone, it would have to be done not here----but elsewhere." This was confusing to Akimiyashika "What?" Daniel went a step further and Daniel whispered something to the three of them "No matter how ruthless your challenge, it's not enough. So if you think you can kill someone with a challenge, then cease that nonsensical reasoning already." Daniel was quick to shatter their delusions.
On the other hand, the other groups were also delving into their own strategies.
"Toxic." Shizuku spoke out loud "So much for that..." She sighed as she looked at Kanawari, who was trembling "Stop..." Kuzan looked at her with a mean glare "Or what? God, what a shit group, right, Tsudo?" She seeked his approval "Yo, shut up and think of a damn challenge." He wasn't in the mood for her tricks "Hmm... Hm..." She looked around to the other groups "Can you kill someone with a challenge?" She asked the three of them and got their attention rather quickly "...No, the teacher wouldn't allow it. You can't just make a challenge that implies such things, Shizuku." Kuzan gave his thoughts but she was bored with his lackluster understanding "That's not it..." She sighed.
image [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/9c3e3c59-8f24-49ce-8a2b-546d1bb52197/dhbftv5-e9b72527-2f47-49d8-ada7-db3e6b5fed6a.png/v1/fill/w_1090,h_733,q_70,strp/group_c_by_kumokuroro_dhbftv5-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9NzYzIiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvOWMzZTNjNTktOGYyNC00OWNlLThhMmItNTQ2ZDFiYjUyMTk3XC9kaGJmdHY1LWU5YjcyNTI3LTJmNDctNDlkOC1hZGE3LWRiM2U2YjVmZWQ2YS5wbmciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTEzNSJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.t2YfeqwX0wDmWgvp5GTlKrulNm_5LrGD8Y78JVSDTag]
She explained.
"We trick the teacher." Tsudo was curious "How? He will just reject any challenge that implies lethality or highly dangerous. A proof of that is that stupid compass game, it's extremely dangerous but not lethal to the point where you could die from it." Tsudo reasoned "That is indeed stupid, yes. However, I'm talking about a challenge that seems harmless on the surface, but can actually kill someone accidentally..." They were confused to say the least "I don't care..." Kanawari said "All of this is fucking stupid..." She projected a traumatized look in her eyes "This rule is just fucked up, it's promoting murder!" She began to tremble "Kana..." Kuzan spoke in her direction.
However, by doing so, Kuzan earned her retribution.
"Don't ever talk in my direction again, you piece of shit." Her words were hollow and full of hatred "Do us all a favor and kill yourself in a way that no one would be able to tell that it was you so your life can actually have a purpose." Her trembling resumed and she hugged herself while looking at the surface of the table "........." Kuzan felt hurt but didn't fight back "Oh it's pointless with this group it seems..." Shizuku reasoned yet Tsudo was in deep thought; he looked at the north of the third row as he pondered something.
Kawahara was done writing the challenge.
"Not that it's any of my business but..." Hyunda relaxed back on his chair and asked as he gathered their attention "If there was someone you could kill in our class, who would that be?" He looked at Kawahara, Gale, and only then, Ikkiri "All of you motherfuckers could die for all I care." Kawahara boldly told "Kill yourself." Gale retorted "Would be fucking great, wouldn't it? Actually, how would it even look like, to be the last one standing? Shit, that would be kinda hype, to have some sort of competition like that, not gonna lie..." Kawahara was too busy imagining the scenario in his head, so Hyunda looked at Gale instead "Why do you ask?" She was slightly bashful towards Hyunda as she got a good read on his physical structure "I'll keep it real, I don't want to spend another ten hours at this. I don't know why this happened, but I don't necessarily believe everyone in this classroom is mandatory." Hyunda added something "I think that one person going out of the equation could very well transition into one less enemy." His reasoning was appealing to Gale.
image [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/9c3e3c59-8f24-49ce-8a2b-546d1bb52197/dhbft37-51d42ee7-2266-4691-ad32-a11fe6789c46.png/v1/fill/w_1093,h_731,q_70,strp/group_b_by_kumokuroro_dhbft37-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9Nzc0IiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvOWMzZTNjNTktOGYyNC00OWNlLThhMmItNTQ2ZDFiYjUyMTk3XC9kaGJmdDM3LTUxZDQyZWU3LTIyNjYtNDY5MS1hZDMyLWExMWZlNjc4OWM0Ni5wbmciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTE1NiJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.eVRoCE3TsJOAh7yncb9zSSfWVhIVuyPrwHeLBSYIM9c]
Gale flickered with her bangs intertwining with her right finger.
"...I do have someone..." She said "No, it's none of you." She additionally reassured "But I'm not telling you. Because it's not as if a challenge can kill that said person, right?" She asked Hyunda but Kawahara answered "Not if you let them know that's your intent anyways. But yeah, that's the gist of it." Hyunda didn't beg to differ "That's right. It has to be done some other way." Hyunda said "But... Then how do you explain what happened?" Gale was referring to the earlier incident "That's exactly my point. They didn't die because of a challenge." Hyunda chuckled "........" Gale realized what he was implying.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
In a different direction, to his southwest side, he looked at Ikkiri, who was looking at him, though down.
"And you?" The eyes were on her "...Uh..." She was unsure what to say "...Why do we have to think of killing each other...? Isn't the rule entirely optional?" Kawahara sighed "Booooooringggggg." He crossed his arms "....It's just my opinion anyways..." She looked down "......." Hyunda took a glance at her as she did so "You don't want anyone gone, really?" He asked her this time "...Yeah." She spoke with reluctance, and Hyunda took a deep breath this time around.
Positioned on the center of the classroom, now that the table was clean though it still smelled of vomit, group E held a conversation in regard to the idea as well.
"In my opinion, make peace with your enemies." Sagasuga offered his words to the group "Sorry, what?" Tateyana found him weird "I'm saying, don't become a target. If someone dies and the murderer isn't found, then you get to go home early, which is good since this new schedule is heavily unbalanced. However, at the same time, if you become too goal-oriented about the benefit of this new rule, it means that you can't idly standby and will have to make it work in your favor, in one way or another." He reasoned more in depth this time around "......." Sana was still glued in her lips so she couldn't talk "So you're saying that we should do absolutely nothing?" Tateyana asked sarcastically "Simply put, yes." Sagasuga didn't deny it "Oh, you're insane, I'm telling you." Tateyana shrugged "No, I'm not. It's an amazing benefit, but whoever commits to it, surely isn't thinking about the consequences to come." Sagasuga said.
image [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/9c3e3c59-8f24-49ce-8a2b-546d1bb52197/dhbfujf-f723be6b-9029-4828-8960-f9cf54c91f29.png/v1/fill/w_1091,h_733,q_70,strp/group_e_by_kumokuroro_dhbfujf-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9NzcyIiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvOWMzZTNjNTktOGYyNC00OWNlLThhMmItNTQ2ZDFiYjUyMTk3XC9kaGJmdWpmLWY3MjNiZTZiLTkwMjktNDgyOC04OTYwLWY5Y2Y1NGM5MWYyOS5wbmciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTE0OSJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.iGYqCBRP8mv9NxhDSr9d9Nq9DuJPP6ePq3i94Ci58mU]
The newest member of the classroom as well as the only survivor of the transfer students, spoke this time, as he felt comfortable around Sagasuga.
"I like Sagasuga's idea." He was reluctant to speak "We shouldn't have to kill anyone but..." He gulped "In case it does happen... I guess I wouldn't mind the benefit... But I don't wanna be a part of it..." Sagasuga nodded "That's the spirit." Sagasuga then looked at Sana "How about you Sana? Are we on the same page?" Sana nodded affirmative "That's great, how harmonious." Sagasuga was delighted "Let's now think of a less harmonious challenge for our poor foes." Sagasuga grinned.
And lastly, perhaps the most dysfunctional group of this round...
"......" A dead silence was formed between the four of them, but Lus eventually broke the ice "Let's not be uncooperative now, we are in the same group, whether we like it or not." She admitted that much "How funny would it be if you died?" Yukishiro taunted her "I'm not dying. Can't say the same for you though." Lus didn't hold back "Is that a fucking threat?" Lus didn't respond "Hey, bitch, I fucking asked you something." Yukishiro became sour "Yeah, I heard. I just figured that talking to a dead body wouldn't do me any good." She appeared extremely confident to Yukishiro "I sometimes wonder where you get all that bullshit confidence from, but I guess since it's bullshit it's normal since it's coming from you." She giggled "........" Tatsu didn't like to speak.
image [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/9c3e3c59-8f24-49ce-8a2b-546d1bb52197/dhbfu6i-6a7a4570-a1c3-4b78-bc7d-e12b272a5867.png/v1/fill/w_1091,h_733,q_70,strp/group_d_by_kumokuroro_dhbfu6i-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9NzcyIiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvOWMzZTNjNTktOGYyNC00OWNlLThhMmItNTQ2ZDFiYjUyMTk3XC9kaGJmdTZpLTZhN2E0NTcwLWExYzMtNGI3OC1iYzdkLWUxMmIyNzJhNTg2Ny5wbmciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTE0OSJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.hua5dmUn9JcE-VKq5M3F01VJutH3Ma9Pk8hxTkb0SeY]
Arkalee was too busy glancing over Hyunda to be useful, so he figured that there was no other choice.
"Can I write the challenge instead?" He looked over to Lus "No." She denied it "I'm the leader here, Tatsu. Didn't you hear me from the start?" In the beginning, Lus declared herself as the leader, so there wasn't any room to argue "No one agreed to that bullshit." But of course, some differed, including Yukishiro "Let's be honest here, no one likes you here, right, Tatsu?" Yukishiro pressured Tatsu "...No comment." He didn't side with anyone and wasn't also necessarily on the hunt for Lus' wrath "Arkalee, what do you think about her, pretty narcissistic, am I right?" Lus fought back immediately "Who the fuck are you to talk about narcissism? You're the most self-centered whore of them all!" Lus' voice was heard throughout the room and gathered quite a bit of attention "It's just a challenge, as long as it's evil enough that's all that matters..." Tatsu stepped in "I agree with you. That's why, you should let me do it." The argument would continue.
One minute was left to decide on the challenge but on Daniel's table, it was about something else entirely.
He commanded their attention through the nature of his words.
"I don't find it nonsensical." Daniel spoke "But none of you want to speak your minds, so I'll just say this: Lunch time is approaching." He looked at the clock "Right now, it's almost 2 pm, after this round is over, we will be given an interval of 30 minutes, assuming we do ace the challenge given and guess correct, if not then simply 20 minutes-----and during that time, whoever wants to tell me who you want to die, can talk to me about it." Daniel used words which could only be described as absurd "Do you realize how suspicious those words make you?" Rayazaki pointed it out "I didn't kill them, Rayazaki." Daniel defended himself "Oh for fuck's sake, you're not fooling anyone on this. I don't care if I don't have evidence, you're connected with their deaths somehow." Rayazaki didn't back down and Daniel also didn't care.
He preferred to steal the attention of the other two girls in question here: Akimiyashika and Hinagiku.
"Preferably contact me before I enter the male dorm because I'll have to eat and will only be available many minutes after." Daniel didn't pressure them as they gave serious thought.
Though by now, it was evidently clear that to them, the offer was too good to pass on.
----------------------------------------
"Nothing?! Not even a single gram of cocaine or drugs or anything like that?!" The doctor confronted the guards at the perimeter "We searched every room and there was not a trace. Girls included, sir." The head guard reassured "What a load of baloney..." The doctor refused to believe them "Is there any other place you'd like us to search next, sir?" The doctor dismissed the guard unwarranted question with a hand signal as the doctor went back inside.
By climbing down into a dark staircase, the doctor would find himself in the room where all the activity was monitored.
In this room, footage with cameras that watched the classroom, the dorms, hallways, and many others, were allocated.
A figure of deserved respect, though much younger, was now present.
"You will have to forgive my tardiness, doctor Hwan. The school's council president is not such an undemanding position by contrast to what you might think." He didn't look at the doctor "Hmpf, sturdy brat." He sat down on the couch with the young man.
As of now, the doctor observed him as he was rewatching everything that had happened.
"Ah, there it is." He pinpointed the timing and skipped to it which indicated he already had prior knowledge "......." The doctor rewatched the event "How did they die?" The sight of Elijah, Ellie, and Samantha collapsing was a sight for everyone in the room to glance at "Cyanide poisoning." This gave birth to a series of questions "They didn't intake anything within that last hour, so it came from the bottle based on their actions. How is he unscathed, doctor?" He used that last word very precisely to the point of irking the doctor "...Probably a combination of antidotes." The doctor's lack of confidence in his words was showing "How on earth did he have access to that?" He was surprised "How am I supposed to know?! In the first place, how the hell did he have access to poison in the first place?!" The doctor didn't understand the origin of certain things.
This got him thinking as he put his right hand fingers on his chin.
"Did you do a sear----" The doctor interrupted him "Yes, it's been done. And no, nothing." The doctor sighed in annoyance "I see. The answer is simple then." This caught the doctor's attention "What do you mean?" He turned around to the doctor this time; his glasses reflecting the plasma light "It's clear he has access to lethal methods but he needs to obtain them from somewhere, and that place would be one that isn't open to the world. It can't be found, it's a secret hideout." The doctor couldn't exactly agree "Bullshit, that would require a level of construction prior." The doctor spoke "You said it yourself now." He chuckled ".......Are you serious..." The doctor gained far more stress.
But still, this conversation wasn't going anywhere.
So, he changed his point.
"It's a surefire way to erase them one by one. Day by day, they'll grow exhausted of this. Thus, we present them with a solution. Clever, right?" He was feeling proud "I don't fucking care, they're trashy criminals, they can kill themselves for all I care..." The doctor wasn't thoroughly honest "Hmm..." And he knew that "But what if Daniel Lead dies?" The doctor was triggered "Gahaha as if!" His response was confusing "Oh?" But the doctor corrected himself "Don't get me wrong... He may have defeated my first wave, but it's just a matter of time before he runs out of options. Do you know what enables killers to be found? Is it their lackluster methods? Their predictable killing patterns? Attraction to someone?" Doctor Hwan posed the question.
Though the other didn't answer as he wanted to hear the doctor's answer.
"It's consistency." He spoke what he thought was the truth "No matter how smart ya are, if you're consistent at it, you'll be found in no time." As for the student council president who had yet to give his name, he didn't speak back and instead, started to walk out the moment he saw that the round was over.
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"Groups A, B, and E, you're allowed to enjoy your thirty minutes of lunch time!" Many of the students within that section were beyond happy and started to leave the classroom immediately "However, groups C and D will stay here an extra ten minutes, so that's less time for you guys!" Basara started to walk to the closing door as did many others as well.
Despite belonging to a losing group, Lus didn't hesitate and took a heavy stride to Daniel as he was about to leave the classroom.
She pulled him by his left forearm and quickly spoke something to his left ear.
"......" Yukishiro witnessed that and started to distance from Tatsu and Arkalee, since they were from the same group, however, she looked at Arkalee and signaled her to get going with her as well as she cast a glance at Shizuku from faraway.
Additionally, Gale also came along and so, the four of them were together on the south central table of the room.
Lus noticed this, but did nothing as she judged it wouldn't benefit her strategy.
"What the fuck did that bitch tell him?" Yukishiro asked lowly "I wouldn't know, she literally whispered to him." Arkalee said "I have an idea, let's kill the bitch." Yukishiro spearheaded that "How?" Gale asked "We four gang up on her in the bathroom and stab her with a knife to death. Then we flush the knife down, the bathrooms don't have cameras." Yukishiro's plan lacked caution to say the least "Hold on... The hallway to the bathroom does though..." Shizuku said.
But to this, Yukishiro gave her detailed planning.
"...Oh, that could work..." Arkalee agreed "But why Lus? Let's kill Ikkiri instead, no?" Yukishiro instantly differed with her "Goddamn it, Arkalee, fuck off with your Ikkiri obsession just because she likes your man, for fuck's sake!" She couldn't hold back anymore "She has to fucking die." Arkalee didn't back down "Lus needs to die more, the bitch is plotting to kill me. So, do we agree with the plan?" Yukishiro was looking for an approval "......" Though reluctant somewhat, none differed.
Lus watched them with a predator look, fully aware of what they might have been saying.
And so, when the ten minute mark came, Basara opened the door and they were able to be free for lunch time.
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"What the hell?" They were dumbfounded by her behavior and strange course of action "She literally took her lunch in a box and hasn't come back ever since..." Arkalee noted as the four of them watched Lus eat in her box from afar in one of the benches that's in-between the two dorms "Just what the hell is she planning..." Yukishiro was beyond skeptical, but it became evidently clear the moment they saw him walk out of the male dorm.
Lus was displeased by his tardiness by a long shot.
"I said twelve minutes, not eighteen." Daniel saw her blissful figure indulging in her meal with care "Sit." She told him as she used her right hand to clear the leaves off the bench on her right side "Who made that meal?" Daniel didn't sit yet and simply looked at the meal, which was spaghetti with two boiled eggs "Relax." She confidently sliced one of the eggs "I used the free time in the morning from winning of the many rounds to make my meal ahead of time." This prompted another question from Daniel "Where did you place it?" His tone was serious "...That's not of your business." He didn't care enough to pursue where she put it so he tried another angle "Did you put it in a place where others could reach out to it, somehow?" She answered very confidently "Trust me, no. If you're worried that someone has poisoned this or placed anything on it that might kill me, then don't worry, they would never guess where I placed it." She smirked.
Daniel judged that she was telling the truth and took a seat now.
"So?" He hurried her "I need to know beforehand, has someone else reached out to you with the desire to kill someone in class...?" She looked at him with a pressuring look "Yes." He didn't deny it "......." Lus was taken by surprise but not much "...Am I a target...?" She asked and tried to judge the answer not based on what Daniel would say but based on his expression "Yes." But she took his words with far more consideration "...Why are you telling me this then... Are you trying to manipulate me?" She gave him a threatening stare "You don't understand." Her expression stiffened "You asked me if you're a target; does this necessarily mean that I was tasked with targeting you?" Lus understood immediately.
She wrapped her fork around the spaghetti and took it to her mouth.
"....." She finished swallowing "I don't have to question it, I just know you were involved." Daniel was tired of the accusations "Don't accuse me without evidence, it's getting annoying..." He said something in addition "What did you want to talk about?" He rushed her again "Do it again." She said ".....?" He didn't fully understand what she meant "Kill someone and end the game for today." A vice could be seen in her eyes "Hm..." Daniel was glad that there was a point to this conversation "I'll get to the point..." Lus looked to her surroundings and saw Yukishiro, Gale, Arkalee, and Shizuku having lunch but also watching them from afar "......" Daniel knew this naturally.
Lus spoke her mind about who she wanted to die.
"That's who I want dead. I don't care how you do it nor if you're caught, just them dead, is enough. Look, I frankly doubt you'll be able to pull it off. Most of the girls are avoiding being together and those that are----are in groups. But I am not one of those so I'm subjected to ploys far more than I should. That's why I want you to do it. Even so, it's something that requires methods beyond my knowledge, not to mention resources which I find... Just cryptic and mysterious to obtain, if I'm really honest..." She gave a long rundown of her thoughts to Daniel "And what do I get in return if I do that?" Daniel tilted his head all the way back as he watched the boys in the canteen waiting for him "My undying loyalty." Daniel looked interested "Whatever you do, as long as I'm not a target of your agenda, I will not question it. Get her off the classroom, and in return that's what I will reward you with." Daniel's eyes widened "...You mean that? Really?" Lus was creeped out by how serious he looked at her.
But even so, she weighted the benefits and then explained what she really meant by "undying loyalty".
"It doesn't include any stupid benefits, so don't get the wrong idea. But I vow to show cooperation against this stupidity that's ongoing, so think of me as an ally, is what I'm saying." She felt the need to clarify "And------" Some loud footsteps were heard from behind as Lus turned her head around, likewise so did Daniel "An ally?" Yukishiro gave a mocking stare to Lus "How cute..." Shizuku launched herself forward, going as far as letting her chest hit Daniel's back "...." Daniel immediately got up and bounced it off "What the hell do you whores want?" Lus showed no quarter "I was just curious why you were eating here on your own only to find that you and Daniel were having a heart to heart talk... My oh my, how suspicious..." Yukishiro giggled "You two wouldn't be plotting something, would you now?" Arkalee looked at Daniel and Lus "You're going to die." Merciless, Lus spoke to Yukishiro.
She was not able to take this with a logical mindset.
"What the fuck...?!" Daniel began to leave the scene as he figured that there wasn't anything else to do "........" Yukishiro, Shizuku, Gale, and Arkalee began to circulate Lus from all angles "What the hell do you want?" Lus tried to get up from the bench "Agh!" But was put down immediately by Yukishiro on the spot with a right hand push, causing the remaining leftovers of the lunch box to fall on her clothes "You're fucking done for, you bitch." Shizuku took a hold of Lus' top pink hairstrands, close to her top hat "AGH, LET GO OF ME!!" Additionally, Arkalee and Gale also did the same but from multiple directions, Shizuku began to spill the food from the box on her face-----though Lus simply used her hands to protect her hat at all costs "Not so tough on your own, ARE YOU NOW?!" Lus accidentally, or rather----out of instinct placed her glance on the faraway Daniel who had his back turned against her "......." He halted his footsteps for a while and gave some thought about this.
And then took back and went in the direction where they all are.
"Huh? The fuck do you want? Do I have to remind you that your girlfriend killed herself? HAHAHA!!" Yukishiro laughed it off "........" Daniel looked at Yukishiro in particular "Let her go." He said with a hollow tone "Or what, huh?! What're you gonna do, mister?" She taunted him further "For every five seconds you keep your hands on her, one of you will die today." The silence was created and the laughter ceased "What..." Unsure how to react, Yukishiro wanted to laugh but at the same time, as she looked at Daniel's deep dark eyes, she knew that he was not lying "Ten seconds, two of you go." Gale was sweating "Fifteen seconds, three of you go." Arkalee was nervous as well "And lastly, if you four remain here after twenty seconds, then you four will die today, without fail." He finished delivering his unbelievable words, as Lus saw Daniel with a saving grace.
He reminded them of the actuality.
"With that said, five seconds have passed, so one of you is dying today." Daniel didn't move from his position whatsoever and kept his mental clock ongoing "......" Gale was the first one to remove her fingers from Lus' hair "Huh?! Don't listen to him, he's not going to----" Arkalee subconsciously removed her fingers as well "Eight----" Daniel announced the live countdown "What the hell---Yuki, just drop it, he's fucking insane!" Shizuku backed off while ultimately removing her fingers from Lus' hair too "Nine----" Against her will, Yukishiro removed her fingers "Hm." Daniel took a last glance at Lus and then went back to where he was originally going.
The four threatened girls watched him calmly leave the scene with disgust yet fear as they did not know what to make of his words.
"...." Lus' eyes glistened as she saw Daniel leave the scene.
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All of the boys, except Stratos, the new face, were summoned to Daniel's room.
Not only was it crowded, but incredibly suffocating. Yet Daniel took the center of attention as he took a seat on his desk's chair.
"I missed out on my third dish for this shit, this better be worth my fucking time." Rayazaki, with his back against Daniel's closet, glared at Daniel "I'm kinda curious, I mean, you called all of us out here, a place that the girls couldn't possibly have access to our conversation, so this is spicy shit, I just know it." Kawahara confessed; his seat being on the tip of the bed all the way to the right.
Daniel didn't bother to hide what was on his mind, but before doing that, he wrote a specific sentence in a white sheet and showed it to everyone.
Upon reading it, most of the boys had a conflicted expression but they didn't utter a single word as they understood what it implied.
Only then, did he tell them.
"I have a deal to propose to all of you, should you cooperate and follow my orders for today." Tsudo was eager to learn "Speak it, then." He told "Alright. The plan is to kill Yukishiro." This sparked reactions "Dear lord, why?" Sagasuga sighed "Good fucking riddance, holy shit, I'm in." Kawahara didn't deny his enthusiasm "Ehhh... Isn't she like super observant and impossible to manipulate though?" Rayazaki had a more reserved opinion "She doesn't strike me the type to be put down easy..." Tsudo spoke nervously "How do you intend to do that?" Tatsu asked.
Without hesitation, Daniel was quick to elaborate on the plan he had for her demise.
"......Holy shit, what is your brain even made of?" Tsudo was dumbfounded to a sheer depth "Sounds utterly absurd, but considering how many of us are involved... I wouldn't say it's necessarily impossible." Rayazaki shared his thoughts "But why Yukishiro?" Kuzan asked "She's beyond problematic. Sooner or later, she's a bomb that will detonate, and I figured that out of all the girls to take out, it would be her. Besides, it would be a waste to just let this opportunity pass by. Unless any of you want to stay inside that shitty classroom for the next eight hours." That was obviously not the case "God fucking NO." Rayazaki quickly expressed himself "I'm so fucking sleepy I feel like I'll vomit every second." Tsudo spoke "I will admit that I find the amount of hours spent on a day here, to be extremely unfair." Sagasuga didn't disagree "But hold on..." Tatsu noticed something off the mark.
Frankly, it was not just Tatsu, but everyone present.
"What do we stand to gain by siding with you?" The question had to be asked "............" Daniel gave some thought "I need to first know just how skilled you guys are. And then..." Daniel tilted his head up high "And only then will I tell you guys what the reward is-----" Kawahara immediately interrupted Daniel "I'm out if you don't tell." He didn't leave room for manipulation "......" Daniel disliked this but felt as if he didn't have much of a choice "There's a way out." This irked them with curiosity "Sorry, what?" Rayazaki tilted his posture forward "A way out of the cage." Daniel was more specific "Shut the fuck up, you're lying." Tsudo spoke with a fierce vigor "No, no, I'm not. There really is a way out-----" Tsudo interrupted him "Motherfucker, if you're talking about that abandoned classroom then fucking forget it, it's swarmed by guards, I am not listening to your suicide str------" Daniel interrupted Tsudo back this time "It's not through there." A mystery that could not be vanquished was felt in Daniel's words.
Many were in deep thought but Daniel said something else to give a hint.
"An underground passage." Daniel spoke words without evidence "You're crazy. That's just bullshi-----" Hyunda, who had been quiet thus far, spoke "It's not, Tsudo." Tsudo was in disbelief "The abandoned classroom holds a passage that connects to the other blocks as well. Think of it as a sewer system of some sorts." This time, Rayazaki spoke "Even if that's true, wouldn't that mean that the passage can only be accessed through that classroom?" Daniel corrected him "No, there is a passage in our dorm." They were more shocked to know this now "However, this is all I'm going to say for now. The choice is yours. Accept the deal and be rewarded with a way out, or stay at their mercy." Daniel struck his bargain though to them, this didn't feel like a deal at all, since the choice was so one-sided.
On the other side, in the female dorm, Yukishiro, Shizuku, Gale, and Arkalee listened to the entire conversation in Shizuku's room.
"Holy fucking shit..." Yukishiro couldn't hide her surprise as well as her anxiety "Seriously? What the fuck?" She was trembling so hard that the recording device hit the floor "Hey, calm the fuck downnnnnn!" Shizuku held Yukishiro's hands; Yukishiro turning her head to Shizuku in sequence "That was way way too elaborated! They actually will try to kill me!" Gale interjected with her opinion "But it's meaningless now that you know what they will try. Plus, by making Daniel's plan fail, he will lose credibility and the boys won't trust him, which in turn will make them more subjectable to trusting us..." Gale's reasoning calmed Yukishiro down somewhat.
There were less than five minutes on the clock yet they felt like they could reason further.
"...You're completely right, actually... Fuck me, I was just..." Yukishiro kept having the same flashback over and over to where Daniel gave that specific threat saying that one person would die today "It's fine... I mean, I was freaked out too... Because three people have died today and they were in HIS group so how the hell could I have not taken his words seriously?!" Gale spoke about her anxiety "You're right... I was freaked out too..." Arkalee didn't hesitate to share "It's as they say, Yuki-----" Shizuku was interrupted "Don't... call me that... We've been over this so many times..." Her spiteful demeanor was becoming apparent "...The point is, now that we know, he can't do anything about it. Just remember to not eat anything for the rest of the day nor go anywhere on your own." Shizuku offered her advice.
But Yukishiro's paranoia grew.
"What if I have to take a shit? What the fuck then? What if I'm, I don't fucking know, assassinated?!" The three of them found her words to be absurd but didn't feel like it was the right time to tell her that "That couldn't be done without a trace, come on now..." Shizuku gave an anxiety chuckle "HUH?!" Yukishiro grabbed her face with her two hands, scarying Shizuku "DID YOU NOT JUST HEAR THAT ENTIRE PLAN?! THAT MOTHERFUCKER ISN'T HUMAN, I'M TELLING YOU! WHO THE FUCK PLANS THAT FAR?!" Her shouts began to be heard on the outside "I'm not leaving the block, I don't care. I'm staying glued to the teacher. I'm not DYING." Yukishiro became over vigilant.
Though, not vigilant enough as the girls outside of the room they were in, collectively recorded the audio conversation through their burners.
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Mildly warm and illuminated, the classroom felt pleasing.
Yet the atmosphere was dense and massively conflicting.
"I sincerely hope you had a very fulfilling lunch and that you put all those nutrients which give your brain the utmost energy to do your tasks to its fullest potential." Although it could be labeled as sarcasm, Basara genuinely meant that "Let's spin the wheel, shall we?" They watched as the new groups were formed.
The newly formed groups at random were:
Group A: Tateyana, Tsudo, Gale, and Hinagiku.
Group B: Daniel, Kawahara, Hyunda, and Yukishiro.
Group C: Lus, Kuzan, Ikkiri, and Sana.
Group D: Sagasuga, Akimiyashika, Kanawari, and Tatsu.
Group E: Arkalee, Stratos, Rayazaki, and Shizuku.