Looking at her three subordinates who always followed her in her antics,
Hanazake Warabi sniffled, putting on an air of Big Sister's authority.
"Did you understand?!"
"Yes, Big Sister!"
Looking at their Big Sister, whose eyes were clearly red but who was desperately trying to act cool, the Three Beasts nodded vigorously.
Their voices were perfectly synchronized, even carrying a slight sob.
And,
In another secluded corner of the Academy,
The shadow of an old tree was as thick as undissolvable ink.
Tamaba Satori squatted under the shade of the tree, fiddling with several poisoned blow darts in her hand.
In the shadows behind her, a petite figure with short hair—Misogi—stood quietly.
"Are you really going? Little Satori."
Misogi's voice was somewhat raspy, revealing clear concern.
"That world... might be even more cruel than he said."
"Cruel?"
Tamaba Satori stopped what she was doing and tilted her head.
The smile on her face remained innocent, yet it carried a chill that made one's spine tingle.
"Is this world not cruel, then?"
"It's just that the blades are hidden beneath the smiles."
"Besides..."
Tamaba Satori stood up and patted the dust off her skirt.
"If I leave, won't you no longer have to be that shadow, Sister?"
"You can go back to being the real Little Satori, or go back to being Misogi."
"Isn't that quite interesting?"
Misogi fell silent.
After a long while, she finally spoke cautiously, her voice so soft it was nearly scattered by the wind.
"You must come back alive."
"Of course I will."
Tamaba Satori smiled with narrowed eyes, waved her hand, and turned to leave.
...
At the same time.
Aichi Coexistence Private Academy, top floor.
The Academy Director's office, which symbolized the highest power in the entire academy.
At this moment, an indescribable fragrance of tea permeated the air.
"I am truly very sorry, Lord God."
"This happened so suddenly, and the academy is in a remote location, so we didn't have time to prepare tea and snacks worthy of your status."
"Please do not take offense at such crude offerings."
The woman speaking was the nominal Academy Director of this school—Fujibayashi Yoshino.
She had professional, short deep-purple hair and wore a well-tailored business suit.
Her usual calm and composed demeanor as a powerful woman in control of everything was now completely gone.
With her hands folded in front of her, she bowed slightly, as if even her breathing was deliberately slowed down.
"No matter."
"I came uninvited in the first place."
"As an uninvited guest, it would be somewhat rude to be picky about the host's hospitality."
Heimdall did not dwell on trivialities like the tea.
Instead, he took a small sip of tea and set the cup down.
The crisp sound of the porcelain hitting the saucer made Fujibayashi Yoshino's shoulders tremble slightly.
"Besides."
"Compared to the tea."
"I am more concerned about another matter."
"Regarding the purpose of my visit and my intention to take those children away..."
"I assume the Academy Director has already told that child what happened here?"
That child.
As soon as that pronoun was mentioned, Fujibayashi Yoshino's breathing visibly hitched for a moment.
She naturally knew who the child Heimdall was referring to was.
—Narukami Koharu.
She was the half-sister of Inaba Tsukiyo.
A genius who used Kōyō.
A genius swordsman who had defeated her biological mother and forcibly seized the title of 'Second' when she was the same age as Inaba Tsukiyo.
She had mastered the two great instant-kill techniques of Kōyō—'Pure Thunder' and 'Leiming'.
She was the 'Thunder God' who struck fear into the hearts of countless swordsmen.
In addition to that.
Although Narukami Koharu was at another school, she had countless ties to Aichi Coexistence Private Academy.
One could say that the current system of Aichi Coexistence Private Academy was established with Narukami Koharu's direct influence.
The purpose of this move was to treat the academy as a massive petri dish, hoping that through the cruel slaughter here, the strongest 'poisonous insect' would emerge as the final survivor.
"Yes."
Fujibayashi Yoshino lowered her head, her voice tightening slightly.
To lie in front of a god would undoubtedly be foolish.
"When you first descended, she already sensed the anomaly."
"I reported the situation truthfully."
"And she said..."
Fujibayashi Yoshino paused, seemingly weighing her words.
"She thinks it's very interesting."
"After all... since even a Lord God has taken an interest in her 'Gu insects,' it proves her eye was correct."
"Gu insects, huh..."
"How arrogant."
"Treating lives with infinite possibilities as mere insects."
"However..."
"It doesn't matter."
Heimdall did not mind her phrasing.
—After all.
From the moment humans stepped out of their caves, the instinct for competition was carved into their genes.
Whether it be society or school, in a certain sense, are they not just different forms of jars?
Living in groups gives weak individuals the right to survive.
But at the same time, it constructs a larger jar.
Just as if you put a hundred poisonous insects in a jar, the one that survives in the end will inevitably be a monster that has absorbed all their toxins.
Survival of the fittest, natural selection.
No matter how many layers of civilization these words are wrapped in.
The bloody cruelty at their core has never changed.
Narukami Koharu saw through this.
Thus, she even pushed things along, attempting to cultivate the strongest Gu King.
Heimdall was not repulsed by this; on the contrary, he particularly appreciated the move.
"Speaking of which."
"Before I descended to this world, in the list of candidates I had drawn up, there were indeed a few other names besides the current ones."
"Among them..."
"Coincidentally, she was included."
"However..."
"This time, I am only taking these few people."
Heimdall gave Fujibayashi Yoshino a meaningful look.
"As for her..."
"If she wants to see other sights."
"Then let her be prepared."
"The next time I descend..."
"I want to see what kind of surprise she, as the greatest Gu King, can bring me."
As soon as these words were spoken.
Fujibayashi Yoshino's whole body jolted.
Even with her head lowered, one could clearly see her folded hands tightening slightly.
The shock in her eyes flashed for a moment, only to be quickly replaced by an even deeper sense of awe.
"Yes."
"I will convey your will to her truthfully."
With that, Fujibayashi Yoshino bowed deeply.
...
A moment later.
On the plaza in front of the main gate of Aichi Coexistence Private Academy.
The sun was setting in the west.
In the empty plaza, all non-essential personnel had been evacuated.
Kirukiru Amou stood with her arms crossed, tapping the ground with her toe.
Beside her.
Inaba Tsukiyo held her tachi, quietly resting with her eyes closed.
Rin had already packed her mask into a small box and kept it close, and was now seriously checking the luggage she was carrying.
And.
At this very moment.
"Hurry up, hurry up! Fierce Person, stop dawdling!"
Hanazake Warabi was struggling to drag the Black Bear, which refused to move for its life.
The poor Black Bear's claws dug into the ground, leaving several deep marks, and it let out a whimpering sound as if calling for help.
"Oh my, if Warabi-chan can't pull it, Little Satori can help~"
Tamaba Satori squatted nearby, playing with a few blow darts that gleamed with a cold light, and said with a smile.
"For example... how about a needle to make it fall asleep?"
"I don't need your fake kindness!"
Hanazake Warabi hurriedly blocked the Black Bear, glaring at her warily.
"Don't poke my Fierce Person with your poison needle!"
As for Kikakujuo Mary.
"Ah! My hair conditioner! And my tea set!"
"I really can't take any of this with me?!"
She was worried about the overstuffed suitcase that couldn't be zipped up, her golden curls now a mess from her frantic grasping.
"You can't take it with you."
Amaha Zansan gave her a cold glance.
"Apart from weapons and necessities, all other baggage is to be discarded."
"We are going to fight, not on a picnic."
"But..."
Kikakujuo Mary tried to argue.
Just then,
An invisible pressure suddenly descended.
The previously noisy plaza instantly fell silent.
Everyone instinctively looked up towards the school building.
Heimdall's figure appeared on the steps.
He scanned the crowd.
"Are you all ready?"
"R-Ready!"
Rin was the first to stand straight and reply loudly.
Others also nodded.
Even Kikakujuo Mary, who was still struggling with her suitcase, gritted her teeth and kicked the suitcase aside, clutching only a thick dictionary to her chest.
"Then let's go."
Heimdall didn't waste any more words.
He raised his hand and lightly pointed at the void ahead.
Buzz—
A azure portal appeared out of thin air, its rotating ripples resembling a deep vortex, exuding an unsettling aura.
"Cross this door."
"Ahead lies Orario."
"And the starting point of your new lives."
With that, Heimdall stepped through first.
Amaha Zansan followed closely, a feverish smile on her lips, without any hesitation.
Inaba Tsukiyo, Rin, Tamaba Satori...
One by one, they disappeared into the portal.
Finally,
Hanazake Warabi took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the chain.
"Let's go! Fierce Person!"
"Awooo..."
The Black Bear let out a mournful howl, hugging its cub, and followed.
One person and two bears rushed into the portal.
As the portal swallowed everyone,
The next second,
The wind stopped, and the clouds dispersed.
Only a few leaves rustled by the wind and the abandoned suitcase remained.
At the window of the principal's office,
Fujibayashi Yoshino looked out at the empty plaza.
Usukurebara Chōka quietly slipped onto the plaza and dragged Kikakujuo Mary's suitcase back to the girls' dormitory.