Vol 1 Chapter 1 (1/2)
Chapter 1 - The Transfer Student with a Bad Personality
My little sister has been gone ten years
I'm already seventeen years old
A high school student's summer
A classroom
The blazing rays of the sun
From the balcony, the view of a common schoolyard can be seen
The boys and girls from the nor at one another happily
Looking at that peaceful scene, ” The trash are living with a trashy face huh”
With half-opened eyes, I htly sardonic manner
As I do that, a voice from the side speaks to me
”Who are you referring to as trash?”
It is a female voice
”Contrary to your docile appearance, you have quite the nasty tongue huh”
I turn my eyes in the direction of the voice
There, standing beside irl I did not know
She is in a sailor unifore irises Perspiration lines her neck
”Who?” I ask, to which she replies
”Are you asking my name? Or my number?”
She asks, s the one who called out to me
By the e are on the balcony of a classrooh』 in Tokyo I am there to take a transfer interview examination
Right now in the classroo for their names to be called
I look into the classroo that there were still , ask ”Has my name already been called?”
She smiled
”I don't even know your name, so hoould I knohether your name has been called?”
”Then why did you come out of the classroom? It's hot here, isn't it?”
”I can't deal ith air-conditioners”
”Fuuhn”
”And I' friends either”
She gazes into the classroo nervously for their interviews, their backs erect
”At any rate, only a few of the people inside can enroll in the school Besides, even after getting in a nuht?” she says suddenly
A number of them will die
That's right
This is that kind of school
But I s friends, I guess?”
”Uh pity, I suppose?”
”Ah?”
”You don't seem like you have any friends So I came to talk to you”
What a shi+tty, unnecessary favor
I look at her in exasperation and say, ”I see Putting aside how many friends I have, at the very least I don't have the confidence of irl like you”
”Ah-haha You really are pretty brash despite your docile look”
”Not as much as you”
”Ah-ha”
Laughing, she stretches her hand out to me
”I'et in, please look out for me”
I look doith half-lidded eyes at that slender, arrogant hand that was deain turn my eyes to the schoolyard I take out the headphone specially used with ht ear, and affixed it
”Hey, don't ignore me You won't be able to make any friends with that kind of attitude you know?”
Shut up, I think, no longer bothering to reply
Music starts flowing fro music stimulates my brain stem intensely
As before, Ah-haha, Kiri laughs A strange woman
At that moment, a faint voice came from the classroom
”nosuke Arisu shi+nnosuke, are you here?”
No one answers Obviously Since Arisu shi+nnosuke is my name
Frohs with deep interest
”Ah~, I know your name now, shi+nnosuke-kun”
””
”Sensei is calling you If you don't go, you et into this school Or is it that the music from your headphone is too loud and you can't even hear my voice?”
”My left ear is empty,” I reply
I pushof the balcony, and open theto the classroom
The teacher looks at me and asked, ”Are you Arisu shi+nnosuke?”
”Yes”
”We're going to do your transfer interview Come”
I nodded, and leave the classroom
Fros out, ”Do your best, okay~ It'd be nice if we ain”
I'm not the least bit interested
Ignoring her, I close the classroom door
♦
Nothing but a name, the Interview Room is just a normal classroom
There are four interviewers Men and women in their early twenties
All four of the across what appeared to be documents on their desks
One of them, a woman, asks me, ”Your naenchaya High Is that correct?”
”Yes”
I nod
I smirk with half-opened eyes
Right noear the school uniforh
”Duringthere?”
”I was just a rather normal middle school student”
”Haha, I don't think a rather norh”
”Really?”
”This is a school where you ht die, you know?”
”I know”
”The students here put their lives on the line and work hard to kill young girls to save the world”
”Yes”
”Then the reason why you chose this school is because you want to save the world?”
I shake my head at that question
”No”
”Because you are a patriot?”
”Not that”
”Then what?”
”Purely for money Because this school pays based on ability To be honest, I don't care about what happens to the world”
””
”Ah, or is it that you are looking for the passionate type? If that's the case I can also act like that, you know? Aah, I really want to save the world,” I say in a monotone and the female teacher waves her hand in displeasure
”We don't need you to do that Answer honestly”
”Then, it's for s”
The teachers start whispering a themselves Their pens run across the docu, ”Someone with a terribly bad personality showed up” Or ood that he's honest”?
Well, whatever it is, it doesn't matter to me
The fe to evaluate your ability”
”Here?”
”Yes This ti the test number seven hundred and twenty Which means most will fail Especially those who have impure motives and only have eyes for money, like you”
”Ohh That will be problematic~”
I smirk
The fein Sakuma-sensei”
The male teacher whose name was called stands
While he stands, I snap the fingers of nal for the Headphone Fuzz《 Intra-Cerebral Magic Activator 》[1] affixed in ht ear
A roaring sound streams from my headphone
Rhythm
Beat
Melody
Along with the jolts my brain stem intensely
The curse fills the area responsible for , the me ic are completed
Saku, also sticks a headphone in his ear Sensei's right hand lights up with purple flames
It is a ic drawn forth by his 《Headphone Fuzz》
As expected of Sensei
His activation is fast
Well, that's all there is to it though
Sakurins broadly and says, ”In this school, people die even during interviews”
”Is that so?”
”You ht of us for quite a while; that kind of attitude pisses me off”
”Haah Sorry about that”
”Then, shall we start?”
”Sensei, please feel free to come at me”
While saying that, as if picking up the rhyther ofthat causes three-diht, I manipulate my 《Headphone Fuzz》
I can load six s into the 《Headphone Fuzz》 that I can select fros and activate the 'acceleration' song
Looking at er, the female teacher cries out, ”Sakuht back froh level 《Flash-Node Labyrinth》”
But it's already too late
My gray ic
From the headphone, the cursed piece continues to replay into me
【In an instant ♪In a flash ♪In the time of a flash ♪
The flash of time, the flash of an instant ♪In an instant ♪In a flash ———】
I murmur, ” Acceleration switch ———”
Clink, a switch flips in ic activation I can tell that my body is accelerated I can only accelerate for one second, but that is plenty I kick the floor In an instant, I reach Sakuht before his eyes I take a knife out of the pocket of ainst Sakuma-sensei's neck I could have killed him, but
”Oh my, did I miss the documents that would exempt me of responsibility in the event that I killed a teacher?”
Sakulares at me
”damn you”
Ignoring him, I withdraw my knife Kept it away
Furtherht a sharp object to school”
The female teacher then replies, ”If you need that as a weapon, then if you apply through the proper channels”
”There won't be a problem?”
”Correct”
”Well then, I'll make the application once I'm accepted”
On hearing those words, the fe about? There's no ill let a talent like you—who can overwhelht?”
I look at the female teacher with half-opened eyes and say, ”In other words?”
”You've passed Welcoether,” says the female teacher as she extends her hand
——— Let's save the world together
I take a knife out of the pocket of ainst Sakuma-sensei's neck I could have killed him, but
On hearing that delightful response at my successful enrollment, I replied, ”Erhm, I said this earlier, but I have no interest in the world so please spare ”
♦
Upon co out of the interview classroom, the next interviewee looks at ain, shi+nnosuke-kun How did it go?”
It is Kiryuu Kiri, the girl who spoke to me earlier
I look at Kiri and answer, ”Nothing special”
”You got accepted?”
”Probably, I suppose”
”As expected, you are good”
”Which part of ?”
”The moronic aloofness part”
”Ah-haha, you went and said it, huh”
I laugh and smirk sardonically
”So, is soood?”
Kiri puffs out her chest and replies, ”Well~, with irl with only outer beauty, right?”
I look at Kiri's face She ht indeed have a face that was a little well-featured You could call her a beauty, I suppose And her body is slender and, to top it off, her breasts are big
I look at that bulging chest with half-opened eyes
” Aah, you'd call that a brainless big-breasted woman, I suppose?”
”Ah-ha, if you get ahead of yourself Iyou, you know, Mr Aloof bastard”
”Ha, try me, Miss Breast-Only Woman”
I snap ers three times My 《Headphone Fuzz》 activates
At the saers She takes out a small headphone from her pocket
Just froer than that Sakuer than me well, that would be a different story
Kiri grins and says
”Just kidding Jokes aside, I'll see you later~, shi+nnosuke-kun”
She opens the door
”I' this interview”
The classroom disappears
She is really a strange woain for all the trouble it would cost Fail the intervieoman
I stop the sound froh Then turn around and continue down the corridor
No one is in the corridor
The school is divided into 《Norh School Curriculu Curriculu Curriculu is a daily occurrence
I exit the school building
As before, the blazing rays are strong enough to make one feel faint
The schoolyard is filled with the lively sounds of boys and girls
The schoolyard is shared by both curricula and it was thus filled with the untroubled laughter of boys and girls reveling in their youth
” Ha-ha, reveling in their youth, what fools, ain't that the truth?”
As if I were singing a cursed song, I h escapes me when I think of how lame my words were
I could never understand how they could laugh without a thought in their brains, innocently and unconditionally Somehow, it seems like ever since one froh
But at the very least I ah
The reason being, aside froe sickness called the 《Labyrinth Disease》 brought a drae to the world, I supposed
The sickness is defined as:
《Labyrinth Disease》
A strange sickness that afflicts only girls who are sixteen or younger
With herself as the center, an afflicted girl will give rise to an extra-dimensional labyrinth around her
The scale, structure, and composition of each labyrinth varies It can take on the forantic house, plains like those in a game, et cetera It appears to be influenced by the past personality of the infected girl
The area of effect is at least two kilometers in radius and can extend to hundreds of kilometers
If the girl in the center of the labyrinth is not killed before the enveloped area becomes anchored to the real world as an 《Eternal Labyrinth》, it becomes impossible to return the affected area to normal
All these things started just ten short years ago
The world was of course thrown into chaos
Most of the countries that were unable to deal with the sickness had their lands transformed into 《Eternal Labyrinths》 and disappeared
Right now, probably a quarter of the lands in the world have been turned into labyrinths It was especially bad in the third-world countries, whose ies were not that advanced
Almost all of Africa was transformed into labyrinths
The ions of countries like Australia and China were also nothing more than labyrinths
Even advanced countries like Ae cities
But even so, the huh as they are, survived
And during that tiht back froies that were completely different froreater prosperity
That new technology was, ” ic”
In that peaceful schoolyard, I once again snap ers
What huy called 'Magic Converted from Labyrinth Spoils'
Flooding the inside of a hu the spiritual do ——— was the explanation given for this new technology
I tap the 《Headphone Fuzz》 in ht ear twice
Depending on whether the headphone is attached to the right or left ear, the ht brain respectively I love to have my left brain jolted I love to ic
Exiting the schoolyard, I see a motorbike parked on the street
Astride the irl ears a white lab coat over the sailor uniforh》
”Onii-sairl
However, it isn't like she's my little sister She's my cousin
Sanae Yayoi
Fifteen years old
A first-year at 《Metropolitan Kichijouji High》
The daughter ofthe labyrinth disease
The daughter of ht inits onset
I say, ”I thought I said that I don't need you to pick me up”
”But Onii-sama, you are not yet familiar with the area here”
”That's not possible, right? I was born here in Kichijouji you know?”
”That's only relevant until you were eight, isn't it? When your little sister, Saki, died, you immediately left the research faci home”
I stare at Yayoi with half-lidded eyes, then start walking
Yayoi hurriedly gets off herit, comes up onto the sidewalk close to e
”Why are you turning your back on me? Please hop on”
”Because I told you not to come pick me up”
”No way”
”And also, Yayoi, let's get soht”
”Eh, ah, yes”
Astride the irl ears a white lab coat over the sailor uniforh》
I say to Yayoi while s, ”Toto save That's why don't go spouting such nonsense I'll kill you”
Yayoi's eyes widen in surprise Oh no, she seenore her and walk on
”Well, that's how it is So don't coain~”
” Ah, erhm, I'm sorry I don't really mean that”
Yayoi desperately pushes her bike alongside Since I' mean, I don't relax my pace
Being short of breath, with her chest heaving, fuuh fuuh, she goes, ”I, s-spoke out of line Regarding the research on how to save Saki, I too, aet the maximum amount of cooperation possible Onii-sama, I do understand that your infiltration into 《Metropolitan Kichijouji High》 is all for the sake of saving Saki”
I look down at her with half-opened eyes and smirk
”Haha, so what if you understand? All the researchers at the facility laughed at the seven year-old irl who has turned into an 《Eternal Labyrinth》 can never be saved Saving your little sister is just a silly thing a kid like you would say Didn't they say things like that?”
”Those weren't my words Besides, I was only six then I can't remember what the adults said then”
”But that's their research policy The country's policy”
”But that's not my policy ——— at the very least not the policy of the research lab that I'e of”
I look at Yayoi once again
Sailor uniform with a white lab coat
At just fifteen years old, she is a genius entrusted with one of the research labs of Taikou Pharmaceuticals—famous for their research on the labyrinth disease
Both her father and mother had been researchers at Taikou Pharmaceuticals, and she too is one
But still, it is coe that from the onset of the labyrinth disease in a patient, she definitely couldn't be saved No, perhaps it was more like the world's policy was that they shouldn't be saved
At the onset of the disease in an infected girl, if she isn't killed within a li area will be permanently turned into a labyrinth That's why shea second
Once a labyrinth becoirl in the labyrinth The area and its people that have been transforirla second
This is the coe that the world held
In other words, after the onset of the disease in an infected girl, she could no longer be saved To begin with, there isn't any research being done towards saving them
Thus, even a company like Taikou Phar 《Medicine》 or 《Magic》 to kill the girl without wasting a second
Theirs is a coy froht of ”I want to save my little sister”
Thus I shouldn't have anything in common to talk about with my cousin, who heads one of their research labs
”Onii-sama,” Yayoi says
”I' brother”
”I adore you like a big brother”
”You are a bother”
”Onii-sama”
”You're annoying, you know?”
”Onii-sama, you traveled the world went around the labyrinth disease research facilities in the world, you ed to find out more about the labyrinth disease, didn't you? I also heard that you did so Saki”
””
”So hoere the other countries? Like the way they are treating the girls whose illnesses acted up ———”
I interrupt her and say, ”So, you are a spy after all? Did Taikou Pharained?”
On hearing that, Yayoi shakes her head frantically
”I-It's nothing of the sort I just want to be of help to you, Onii-sama”
”You are lying”
”I' the truth I have always been, in”
The words stop instantly as Yayoi shuts her mouth with a troubled look, for some reason
”What is it?”
I urge, but Yayoi shakes her head
”It's nothing But, please believe in”
Cutting her off, I say, ”I won't believe you Except for ”
”Ah”
”Are you done? Then leave”
”Please wait”
”I won't wait If someone sees you with ain”
Yayoi's eyes go wide immediately
”Ah, ah, could it be that your cold attitude is all for my sake”
But still, I interrupt her
”Not that Don't take it wrong, idiot It's purely because I hate you”
”That's a lie!”
”Whatever Since I won't be seeing you again”
”Onii-sama! Allow me to prepare a place for you So let's let's both think about Saki's situation and e should do froether”
”You are really annoying,” I say, turning around
With a start, Yayoi quivers
And with that, it ends
My cousin, who is on the verge of tears
The
”Goodbye then, Yayoi It was nice to see you”
I wave my hand and leave
♦
I go ho at is a small hotel
I have five pieces of luggage in my room
The red bag contains ic
The green bag is filled with fake passports and identification docuet into the research facilities of various countries
The res are filled with my daily necessities It wouldn't be a problem even if I were to lose them
I open the green bag used for identity fabrication, which is protected by a high level of security
Then, fro, I transfer the fake docuh and
By the way, the truth is I went around to various research facilities in various countries I was even once part of a secret intelligence institution where icians were raised in inhumane ways
” To think that someone like that could enter a Metropolitan school, japan's security is really crap”
I smirk to myself
Furthermore, the place I'm enrolled is the one burdened with the country's most classifiedCurriculum》
Ever since high-level y was discovered in the labyrinths, the world was caught in an ongoing race of military expansion
Be it countries
Be it large scale corporations
Dangerous radicals, anizations were eet y
Since whoever can get hold of better and y will control the world
Thus, the technologies used for clearing 《Labyrinth Diseased Girls》 possessed by each country become their most important classified secrets
” Or could it be that they were already done with investigating round?”
Saying that, I take the headphone out ofwas a 《Headphone Fuzz》 which could be found anywhere and easily handled by anyone
General purpose, type 2 《Headphone Fuzz》 ———
If I were asked to coicians who could only be found in a peaceful place without advanced training like japan The one that Sakuma-sensei used was just such a headphone
However, with these I wouldn't be able to eic that I love and often use I throw the general purpose type 2 headphone into the red bag roughly and take out a 《Headphone Fuzz》 which has lureen and black as its base colors
General purpose type 1 ——— a headphone made out to be activated by a totally different mechanism