(Jun perspective)
Chapter 24: Devils from Above
The room was unbearably quiet.
Nineteen other male students stood around me, most of them strangers. Every now and then someone would glance at the clock or sigh, but nobody really knew what to do.
Then...
The door opened.
A guard stepped inside.
Everyone turned toward him.
For a split second I thought he had an announcement.
Instead...
He threw something onto the floor.
A metal canister.
"...!"
White smoke exploded across the room.
Knockout gas.
I dropped to the floor immediately, covering my mouth and pinching my nose shut.
Hold your breath.
Just hold it.
The gas swallowed the room.
My lungs screamed.
Every second felt longer than the last.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Almost...
Finally, the smoke began to clear.
I couldn't hold it any longer.
I gasped for air.
"...Hah..."
I looked around.
Everyone...
Every single person...
...was unconscious.
"What the..."
I slowly stood.
"...Almost everyone."
Someone else was still awake.
"I know you..."
"Toma Kirisaki."
"The Class 1-A student."
He looked completely unfazed.
"It took you that long to figure that out?"
"That's kind of embarrassing, don't you think?"
I ignored the insult.
"Why the hell would they do that?"
He shrugged.
"Who knows?"
"Maybe they've all gone mad."
"I have to warn everyone."
I turned toward the wired phone.
"Because that's what Daiko would've done?"
...
My body froze.
How...
How did he know exactly what I was thinking?
Toma sighed.
"What bores me more than shallow personalities..."
"...are people who borrow someone else's ideals."
"Tell me."
"Do you actually want to help everyone?"
"Or are you still trying to become the next Daiko?"
I clenched my fists.
"From what I've heard..."
"Daiko was a liability."
"Shut it."
"You don't know the first thing about him."
"Oh?"
"And somehow you do?"
"Because you're a genius?"
"I've seen your grades."
He smiled slightly.
"Now that Daiko and Hiro are gone..."
"You're Class 1-C's worst student."
"..."
"I don't have time for this."
"I'm warning the others."
I reached for the phone.
"I wouldn't."
I turned around.
"Why?"
Without hesitation...
He ripped the wired phone off the wall.
The plastic shattered.
"What are you doing?!"
Instead of answering...
He reached inside the broken phone...
...and pulled out a tiny microphone.
I stared.
"...It's bugged."
"Just as I expected."
"...How..."
He brushed the hair away from his eyes.
"My theory was correct."
"This was the Phantom Bishop's doing."
"That's impossible."
"The administration did this."
"I think..."
"...someone in the administration is helping the Phantom Bishop."
"They've probably been supplying them with private points."
"...So throwing knockout gas was their plan?"
He shook his head.
"No."
"I don't think so."
I looked around the room.
"So how am I supposed to warn everyone now?"
He pointed upward.
The ventilation shaft.
"...You're kidding."
"It's either that..."
"...or do nothing."
...
I hated admitting it.
He was right.
I jumped.
Barely managed to grab the vent.
With enough force, I broke it open and climbed inside.
"I've got this..."
The vents were cramped.
Every movement echoed.
I crawled through what felt like an endless maze before hearing familiar voices beneath me.
I kicked open the vent.
"...Whoa!"
I fell straight through.
"Ouch..."
I rubbed the back of my head before looking around.
Room 17.
Kaito.
Ryohei.
Naoki.
Reina.
All staring at me.
Kaito blinked.
"What in the hell are you doing here?"
"And who the hell are you?"
I quickly stood.
"Listen!"
"I know this looks bad."
"The administration's gone crazy."
"They threw knockout gas into our room."
Ryohei folded his arms.
"How exactly are we supposed to believe you?"
"I promise I'm telling the truth."
Naoki stood calmly.
"Assume you're right."
"What exactly do you expect us to do?"
Reina spoke next.
"Why didn't you call us?"
"Because..."
"...the phones are bugged."
"Someone from your class."
"Toma."
"He showed me."
The room became quiet.
At that exact moment...
Naoki finished solving his puzzle.
Kaito smirked.
"...Fine."
"We'll believe your little story."
"For now."
"Go warn everyone else."
I nodded.
Back into the vent.
More crawling.
More darkness.
Eventually...
I heard another familiar voice.
I opened the vent and dropped through.
This time I landed on my feet.
Room 23.
Before I could say anything...
Someone slammed me onto the floor.
"What the hell?!"
Satoshi had pinned me down.
"Who are you?"
"Enough."
Shuto immediately pulled him away.
I caught my breath.
"Listen..."
"The administration's gone crazy."
"They're throwing—"
"Knockout gas."
Someone finished my sentence.
I turned.
Shinko.
He was leaning against the wall like he'd expected me.
"I'd assume this involves the administration."
Ichika smiled.
"Well..."
"Do explain why a useless Class C student is here."
"I need you guys to trust me."
Kenji scoffed.
"And why exactly should we?"
"I already went through this in Room 17."
"I'm not making this up."
Ichika shrugged.
"Fine."
"We'll believe you."
"But first..."
"Who do you think the Phantom Bishop is?"
"...What?"
"Why are you asking me that?"
"Answer."
"...Fine."
"I think..."
"...the student government created the Phantom Bishop."
"To protect themselves."
"And framed Naoki."
The room became silent.
Then...
Ichika.
Kenji.
Shinko.
All three burst into laughter.
"I can see the logic..."
Ichika admitted.
"But why would we hide behind some fake identity?"
"It isn't my style."
Shuto interrupted.
"Jun."
"You've got more rooms to visit."
"Keep going."
I nodded.
As I climbed back into the vent...
Ichika called out.
"Oh..."
"Stay away from Room 43."
"...?"
What was that supposed to mean?
I ignored him.
A few minutes later...
I heard voices again.
I broke through the vent.
Dropped down.
And froze.
Twenty girls.
All staring directly at me.
"..."
"...Right."
"So that's why every room I've entered only had guys."
"They separated us by gender."
"Makes sense..."
Before I could even finish standing...
Someone wrapped an arm around my neck.
A chokehold.
"You'd better have one hell of a reason for being here."
Reika.
I struggled.
Couldn't break free.
She was ridiculously strong.
"Enough."
A calm voice echoed through the room.
Reika let go.
I stumbled forward, coughing.
I looked up.
Hina.
She smiled gently.
"What do we have here?"
"Would you care to explain yourself?"
At that moment...
I finally understood why Ichika warned me to avoid Room 43.
It wasn't because it was full of girls.
It was because...
Some of the girls in this room were far scarier than most of the boys I'd met.