Through the GANTZ surveillance interface — visible only to him — Chris watched as every class discovered the rule exploit within moments of each other, then silently, mutually agreed to turn the whole thing into a frantic relay race.
He propped his chin on one hand and let out a quiet, contemplative exhale.
'As expected. Even when the rules are similar, if the mode is different, the story never plays out the same way twice.'
Especially now that someone had already triggered the top-scoring gimmick and raked in ten thousand points simply by touching the enemy base — the measly five hundred points you earned by winning a duel were practically worthless against that kind of inflation.
Actually, back when he'd first watched Alice in Borderland, Chris had always been curious about one thing: why, once the protagonist's group had already eliminated one of the enemy players and held a numerical advantage, did they still go through the motions of playing by the rules instead of just... trying to touch the base again? Why insist on going through all that complicated maneuvering at the very end?
Five versus four. Wasn't that an overwhelming advantage?
It always felt a little like the plot was actively working against them.
Still — even though Ayanokoji and Katsuragi had found the exploit this time around, if everyone just kept sprinting back and forth like this, the whole exam would eventually devolve into nothing more than a pure endurance race.
Especially with Class D having both Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and Koenji Rokusuke — two physical freaks of nature — on their side. That was practically a guaranteed win before the race even started.
Of course, this was a flaw in the Club K game's own design. There wasn't much point in criticizing anyone for it.
But still... this was boring.
Just as Chris was starting to feel the dullness settle in, something on the screen caught his eye — Amase Kazuna's hand shooting out to yank open the helicopter's cockpit door without a moment's hesitation.
'Good. That's exactly the kind of fish who isn't afraid to shatter the balance.'
He gave a quiet, approving nod to himself.
At some point, Karuizawa Kei had drifted close to his side. She spoke in a voice low enough that only the two of them could hear:
"I... what am I supposed to do now?"
Chris pulled his gaze away from the window and glanced sideways at her. On the surface she looked calm. In reality, she was wound tight as a spring.
"Sometimes," he said, with a weight behind the words, "the person who steps up naturally becomes the center of attention." He let a beat pass. "The opportunity's already been placed in front of you. Whether or not you can actually grab it... that's on you."
Karuizawa Kei lowered her lashes slightly at that.
She didn't ask for more. She just pressed her lips together in silence.
Truth be told, her outburst against Yamauchi that morning — and the impulsive declaration that she'd volunteer for the Preliminary Test — had been at least partly driven by emotion getting the better of her.
After all, just like Koenji and the others, she'd already lost one of her precious extra lives as punishment for trying to contact her family. She knew that better than anyone.
For someone who was, at her core, absolutely terrified of dying, voluntarily walking into danger went against every survival instinct she had.
But... Chris had been right there, watching from below.
She'd pledged her loyalty to this man just last night — offering to consolidate the Class D girls as their leader, in exchange for his protection.
And with the tension between the boys and girls running that hot at the time, if she — one of the leading figures among the girls — had chosen to back down, she could basically kiss goodbye any future chance of holding real influence over them.
Weigh two evils and pick the lesser one.
Compared to some unknown monster out there, she was far more afraid of losing the only shield she had: Chris.
That was how Karuizawa Kei had worked it out in her head. Now that Chris had put it that way, she found herself at a loss for how to respond.
Then Sato Maya leaned in from the side, breaking the silence in a hushed voice:
"Kei, Ichinose from Class B just came by — she says there's something urgent she needs to talk to Chris about. You want me to... go head her off for you?"
Karuizawa Kei said nothing. She just quietly looked toward Chris.
Chris paused, then straightened up and said:
"It's not early anymore — she probably wants to talk about tonight's official exam. Business first."
And with that, he left. Decisive. No lingering.
If it had been before, Sato Maya would have curled her lip and muttered something like, "God, what a poser."
But now, knowing what he was actually capable of inside the Black Sphere — and having quietly pieced together the terrifying record he'd built up through a few carefully angled questions to Kushida Kikyo — Sato Maya watched his retreating back with something entirely different flickering in her eyes.
It wasn't about muscles or raw strength.
It was something harder to name. A presence that went beyond the physical. A composed, unhurried quality that felt like it could reach out and press down on your very mind.
Sato Maya reached over and pinched Karuizawa Kei in the side — right at the soft spot above her hip — snapping her out of her daze, and teased:
"Hey, Kei. Honest answer — do you like him?"
"Because why else would you have been standing that close just now? You were totally worried about him, weren't you?!"
"And that look on your face right now? That's one hundred percent 'don't you dare touch what's mine' energy!"
Karuizawa Kei blinked.
Any other time, she would have denied it flat out.
But right now, staring at Sato Maya's gossip-hungry expression, she drew herself up straight and admitted it without any hesitation at all:
"Yeah. I like him. You got a problem with that?"
"Does liking someone really need some grand, noble reason behind it?"
Sato Maya didn't seem annoyed — she was too busy marveling at how unapologetic Karuizawa looked about the whole thing.
"Hm... Usually act all high and mighty, but when it comes to staking your claim, you don't waste any time, do you."
...
Meanwhile.
"Ichinose."
Chris called out to Ichinose Honami, who was leaning against the corridor wall, eyes glued to her phone screen.
Ichinose Honami looked up.
Perhaps because of the gravity of the situation, the softness she'd had on the rooftop earlier that afternoon was gone. In its place was something sharper and more direct:
"Senpai, Classes A, B, and C have all already confirmed our nominees for tonight's official exam. Has your class decided yet?"
Chris nodded, glancing over at Horikita Suzune, who was still at her desk, phone in hand, typing — apparently in the middle of exchanging messages with her brother, Horikita Manabu.
"Yeah. It's Horikita."
Ichinose visibly exhaled with relief:
"Horikita-san — that's good. Saves us the time of having to re-explain all the rules from scratch."
"That said, the official Black Sphere exam is going to open soon. I'd like to use whatever time we have left to work out a tactical division of roles — better to sort that out now than waste time once we're already inside."
Chris looked at her, a hint of something curious in his expression:
"After everything that's happened over the past few days, anyone who ended up being pulled in should already understand why protecting their classmates matters. You don't need to put that much pressure on yourself."
Ichinose nodded in agreement: "I do believe that — but we should still work out the roles ahead of time..."
She didn't finish her sentence.
From inside Class D's classroom, a short, startled cry rang out.
"Ah — Kei!"
Ichinose turned toward the sound.
Following the direction of Sato Maya's trembling, outstretched finger, she saw it: Karuizawa Kei, who had been standing near the front of the classroom, was being slowly enveloped from the ankles up in a curtain of pale blue data-light.
And it wasn't just Karuizawa.
Ichinose spun around — and saw the same teleportation effect materializing across her own body and Chris's.
"How is it this early?!" Ichinose's brow knitted tight. "It's barely been twenty minutes since four o'clock!"
Chris considered it for a moment, then offered a theory:
"Something probably went sideways with the Preliminary Test."
"Don't panic. Once we're in the Black Sphere Space, we can just ask GANTZ directly."
Ichinose had no choice but to accept that and nod.
The light surged and blazed.
The two of them, along with Karuizawa Kei and Horikita Suzune, were transported into the Black Sphere Space.
When their vision cleared.
The elites from each class materialized one by one around them. The damp, musty smell of the place hung thick in the air. Karuizawa Kei — stepping into this space for the very first time — instinctively turned her head, scanning the crowd for Chris.
Ichinose, for her part, was considerably calmer.
The moment she touched down, she walked straight to the Black Sphere at the center of the room and asked:
"GANTZ, why did the official exam start so soon? Did something go wrong on the Preliminary Test side? Is someone in danger?"
The surface of the Black Sphere pulsed. A line of white text appeared:
[Everything proceeds in accordance with the rules of the exam. These are the choices the examinees themselves made. (^_^)]
Ichinose fell silent.
Sakayanagi Arisu, supported by Kamuro Masumi, spoke up then — her voice light, almost airy:
"Ichinose-san, rather than agonizing over things that have already happened — why not just get the exam started?"
"After all, Katsuragi-san and the others who were forced in as intruders are completely unarmed right now. Unlike us, they don't have any Black Sphere equipment to rely on."
Ichinose understood that some things were more urgent than others. She took a deep breath:
"GANTZ. Tell us our target."
—Hmmmm—
The Black Sphere's display shifted.
In the meantime, Chris crossed the room to Karuizawa Kei's side. Her body was trembling slightly.
"Don't be scared," he said quietly. "Just stick with Sakayanagi and her group. I've lent her the enhanced rifle I exchanged for with my points — judging by the design, it's a long-range sniper type."
"So your job is to stay in the rear with Kamuro and provide cover for her. Don't go wandering off. And if things go south, just run — no need to stick around and fight."
He glanced up at Kamuro Masumi:
"That work for you?"
Kamuro Masumi nodded like her head was on a spring:
"Absolutely, no problem at all! Karuizawa-san, you're with me then. Listen to me — grab the Capture Gun when we're picking weapons. That thing doesn't have any aim delay, so it's way easier to use than the X-GUN!"
Meanwhile, Ryuuen Kakeru was coldly scanning the room.
Apart from Class A, which hadn't changed much, Class B had sent Ichinose Honami and Amikura Mako; Class C had him and Yamada Albert; and Class D had Chris, Horikita Suzune, and Karuizawa Kei.
'Looks like Karuizawa Kei got the random slot this time.'
But if no one else was here... what exactly had happened with the Preliminary Test? Had the test triggered some kind of mechanism and never properly ended? Or had the winning class simply chosen to forfeit their spot in the official exam?
Carrying that question with him, Ryuuen followed the others to the Black Sphere.
The image displayed on the Black Sphere was unmistakable — several enormous steel robots, each one assembled from countless intricate mechanical components.
[Go hunt the alien invaders!]
[Target: Decepticons ×6]
[Description: Silicon-based mechanical lifeforms. Marked with sharp, angular Decepticon insignia. Frequently disguise themselves as military vehicles.]
[Likes: Power, domination, conquering everything! Also Megatron and destruction!]
[Catchphrase: Decepticons crush Autobots! All hail Megatron!]
[Time Limit: 60:00]
[Failure Penalty: Total elimination of all participants]
[Friendly Reminder: Due to one particular examinee's spirited performance, there are quite a few intruders this time around. The Decepticons also vary significantly in ability level — whether that's an opportunity or a challenge is entirely up to your own resolve~ ]
"Robots..."
Horikita Suzune stared at the screen, still apparently not quite back from whatever mental space her message exchange with her brother had taken her to:
"They can even disguise as military vehicles, so these things must be absolutely massive. Against something like that, is the Y-GUN really... appropriate?"
"Idiot."
Ryuuen Kakeru let out a contemptuous snort and pulled a Y-GUN pistol from the Black Sphere's weapon cache:
"You could already tell from the last exam — the Parasytes went after us specifically because we had Y-GUNs. That tells you all you need to know about which weapon is the most threatening to these things."
"Not to mention, the X-GUN has a pathetically short range and requires a lock-on first — and then there's a three-second charge delay after that lock. Against mechanical monsters this size, that three-second window would be more than enough for us to die several hundred times over."
Sakayanagi Arisu gave a measured nod of agreement:
"Ryuuen-san makes a fair point. And given that these are robots that transform from military vehicles, we should assume heavy machine guns — or even miniature missiles — are entirely possible."
"We may have the basic equipment GANTZ provides, but we are still flesh and blood. Without a Combat Suit for protection, close-range combat with war blades simply isn't viable. All things considered, the Y-GUN offers by far the best cost-to-effectiveness ratio."
Then Sakayanagi shifted gears without warning, her keen eyes drifting toward Chris with a quietly suggestive look:
"Though what I'm actually more curious about right now is... where exactly is that 'enhanced rifle' Chris-kun promised to lend me?"
"It wouldn't happen to be... one of those things where unless you specifically ask for it, the Black Sphere simply doesn't hand it over, would it?"
At that, Chris himself looked up at the Black Sphere.
—Hmmmm—
A line of text surfaced on the Black Sphere almost immediately, as if it had been waiting:
[To prevent anyone from forcibly seizing another examinee's high-grade equipment in the preparation room, all private equipment purchased with S-Points must be retrieved by the purchaser directly at GANTZ upon request.]
Karuizawa Kei saw that and couldn't help finding a shred of dark humor in it:
"This system... actually has a sense of... human decency..."
Chris picked up a war blade, then casually handed a Y-GUN to Karuizawa Kei and said offhandedly:
"Then let's just give the X-SHOTGUN straight to Sakayanagi. And don't forget your own equipment — whether it's for self-defense or to pass along to someone else."
Sakayanagi Arisu watched the enhanced rifle materialize out of thin air before her and instinctively reached out to take it — only managing not to topple over thanks to Kamuro Masumi steadying her.
She strained to hold it level.
"The only thing I'm not sure about is whether weapons produced by the Black Sphere... can actually be used by intruders who haven't gone through the system registration."
Ryuuen Kakeru gave her a blank look and flipped her off with his eyes:
"Nobody's tried it. How the hell is anyone supposed to know?"
"Alright! GANTZ, stop stalling!"
"We've all made our selections — quit wasting time and start the transfer. We're on the clock here — people need saving!"
The Black Sphere's screen flickered once:
[テ]
Rewind a few minutes.
Container port. Upper platform.
Amase Kazuna wrenched open the door of the MH-53 assault helicopter in one sharp pull.
She'd expected to get the drop on the "Ghost" worth 2,500 points. What she hadn't expected was that the moment she yanked the door open, a force came surging out from inside the cabin — like whoever was in there had been counting down the seconds, waiting for exactly this moment.
"—!"
A heavy impact.
Even with her exceptional physique, Amase Kazuna was shoved back two full steps and landed hard on the metal grating.
"Ngh..."
She tried to get a look at what hit her — but all she saw was a jacket dropping down over her head, smothering her line of sight.
Amase Kazuna's heart lurched, but the muscle memory drilled into her at the White Room kicked in on pure instinct.
She shot her hand out and clamped down on the arm of the shadow that had brushed past her in a desperate bid to escape.
Got them!
The grip felt slender and soft — unmistakably the skin of a girl.
Feeling the struggle in her grasp, Amase Kazuna was about to wrench the other person down with full force, while using her free hand to tear away the cloth blocking her vision.
But then.
Something she never could have anticipated.
A score-update announcement chimed through the air:
[Class B +3000 points. Current total: 123,500.]
[A top-scoring item has been triggered. The Special Exam commences ahead of schedule. All intruders, please be advised.]
And almost simultaneously — the helicopter parked right beside her seemed to have a soul poured into it without warning.
"Clunk — clack — clack — clack — CRACK!"
The sound was deafening. Jagged, grinding mechanical gears and the thunderous crash of metal folding and reforming exploded right beside her ear like a thunderclap.
Even Amase Kazuna couldn't help but freeze at that.
So when she tore the blinding cloth away from her face, her eyes didn't go to the girl she'd grabbed.
Instinct made her look up — at the massive steel titan now rapidly unfolding, reconfiguring, and rising from the earth before her eyes.
"What... what the hell is that thing?"
Amase Kazuna's pupils contracted to pinpoints.
And Shiranami Chihiro.
Seized that brief, stunned window of opportunity — and wrenched herself free.
She spun on her heel and ran without looking back.
____
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