Everyone fell silent for a moment.
"How do you know that?" Rika asked.
Fujimiya turned to her and began to explain.
"Okay, let's start with the simplest clue — the promotional registration poster. Did you notice it said there would be 200 participants? Now, look around. There are 198 seats in this room, and 100 rooms in the resting area. If we assume 100 people are resting in their rooms, the other 100 should be here on these seats. But here's the important part: when someone enters a room, a green light turns on. However, when we first arrived, none of the lights were on."
Stella remained silent, clearly processing Fujimiya's long explanation.
"You've got amazing deduction skills," Kuroichi remarked.
"Let's find ourselves a seat," Fujimiya said.
They all looked for a comfortable place to sit and settled down.
Not long after, Lina woke up from her faint and realized she was lying on Fujimiya's lap.
"What the...?" As she sat up, Allen's jacket slipped off her shoulders.
Her face turned red instantly.
"Kyaaahhh!" Lina screamed.
Fujimiya and the others were startled.
Allen quickly picked up Lina and carried her to the rest area so she could change.
Once in the room, Allen waited outside as Lina changed her clothes. After a few minutes, they returned to the seating area, where a monitor in front of them flickered to life.
TESTING 1 2 3, OKAY.
YO, WELCOME BACK EVERYONE! IT SEEMS SOME OF YOU ARE... MISSING.
"Back to the main topic — did you notice anything strange in Stage 1?"
The room went dead silent.
"Yeah, we decided to combine Stage 1 and 2 due to a small rule adjustment!"
"This, Stage 3, is a MANHUNT. You'll be given 60 seconds to run. Your objective? Retrieve the golden cup."
"Sounds easy, right? Well, you'll be hunted down by the Seven Supreme Students... including myself."
"But honestly, the cup is 500 kilometers away, so good luck with that!"
"Anyway, that's it for the rules. You've got 5 minutes to prepare."
The screen turned off, replaced by a countdown timer.
The students returned to their rooms.
As Allen's team was heading back, a lone girl approached them.
"Um… can I join your group?" she asked.
Allen turned to face her. "Where's your team?"
"They've all been eliminated. I'm the only one left."
"I see..." Allen looked at the others.
"Bring her in. She can introduce herself," Stella said.
Once in the room, the girl introduced herself cheerfully.
"My name's Marie. I'm a healer, and my hobby is... being lazy."
Fujimiya raised his hand. "Alright, that's enough for introductions."
They all chatted casually while waiting for the countdown to end. The conversation made them feel more connected. Allen, who initially thought Fujimiya was just trying to mess with him, slowly realized Fujimiya was actually trying to help.
Stella smiled, happy that Fujimiya called her by name.
But deep down, Allen sensed something off about Marie.
The bell rang, marking the end of the rest period.
Everyone gathered in the hall, preparing to run.
A whistle blew — the game began.
The students dashed off, Allen's group among them. They performed parkour moves, dodging traps along the way.
Suddenly, the monitor lit up again.
IT'S TIME. THE SEVEN SUPREME STUDENTS WILL BEGIN THE HUNT.
At first, many students underestimated the threat and pressed forward.
But then, a stunning dark-skinned woman with blonde hair blocked the path.
One student tried to rush past her — only to be blown away instantly.
"Oops... maybe I overdid it a bit," she said playfully.
The others froze, shocked by what just happened.
"That's... Makina, the Wrathful One," someone whispered.
Elsewhere, Allen and his group were forced to split up as the Seven began their pursuit.
Before separating, Allen was tasked with protecting Marie.
But during their run, without warning, Marie stabbed Allen.
"Marie... what... are you doing...?"
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
Allen collapsed.
Out of the shadows stepped Grimore, clapping slowly at Marie's success.
Confused and in pain, Allen suddenly remembered — Marie was one of the Seven.
"My plan worked perfectly," Grimore said smugly. "You thought you were the best, Allen. But in this world, I am the peak."
Allen slowly stood back up, bleeding but alive.
"That... really hurt."
Marie flinched and backed away behind Grimore.
Grimore drew two small daggers and lunged forward.
"Give me a buff, Marie."
Marie quickly cast a buff spell on Grimore.
Grimore charged at Allen.
System: Demon Eye activated.
You have altered the story. The destruction of your sword no longer occurred.
Allen summoned the Sword of the Shinigami and blocked Grimore's attack.
"Block," Allen muttered.
The impact forced Grimore back several meters.
"Is that all you've got?"
Grimore stared at Allen, burning with rage.
TO BE CONTINUED...