Chapter 163 (1/2)

Volume 2

Chapter 142

「Ah, the『Transference Applicants』, a bunch of fucked up criminals.」

「Yuuto?」

Yuuto uttered with clear disgust.

For Yuuto, that was an unusual attitude. And as I was thinking about asking him what happened, the talk on TV continued.

『A tragedy once again repeated itself. Was there no way to prevent it. We decided to ask some experts. First, doctor Kuroi, from the point of criminal psychology what do you think about this incident.』

『Well, crimes committed presumably by the『Transference Applicants』such as theft and property damage are frequent enough, but heavy crimes such as a murder did not happen since the assault half a year ago. The police used that assault case and the scandal that accompanied the leak of the list of individuals linked to that disappearance case and of the footage taken during said disappearance as the pretext for more active actions and were able to restrain the group’s actions.』

『That was one of the reasons why the government announced that Fujinomiya High School will continue to operate even though many assumed that it surely will be abolished.』

『Well, that is a reasonable decision. After all, people that were promptly relocated one after another became targets for the『Transference Applicants』. Well, in a perspective, it made things harder for『Transference Applicants』to take any action. Security of the school was strengthened and people related to the incident also acted more vigilant. Nonetheless, such alertness cannot continue forever. Half a year had passed since that incident that resulted in a fatality, they surely were attentively watching for a moment when the topic will die out and a lapse in alertness will appear. After all, considering their claims, ultimately they don’t have to think about the consequences at all. In that aspect, it can be said that they are not『Criminals that lost their sense of reason』but『Devoted believers of fantasy cult』』

『Believers ?』

『Exactly, exactly. Just like followers of Ikko sect during the warring states period, if they die after accomplishing their goal, they will be able to attain ultimate bliss. In practice, the culprit behind the incident this time has killed himself. If even death, the biggest deterrent, does not restrain them from committing a crime, stopping their criminal activities will be quite difficult.』

『I see, they are looking to accomplish a『Transference to another World』, and in order to accomplish that, they won’t avert even from death.』

『Well, it is unclear if they went to another world or not though.』

On the screen was a face of criminal psychologist laughing cynically to the frequently nodding announcer.

When I looked at Yuuto, seeking an explanation on the subject of this broadcast, he was delving deeply into his thoughts with his eyes closed.

「…That’s right, if you still haven’t heard about it from anyone, then it would be better to explain it properly or you will be in danger as well.」

And with such distressing opening, Yuuto began.

「A lot of things happened since that incident. It became a huge uproar, various investigations were performed but they were unable to discover the cause. The school was closed temporarily, during that period an uneasiness was spreading among teachers and students and started appearing those that were leaving the school. To begin with, three classes of second years and around one class of first and third years disappeared, of course, there was the talk about the abolition of the school. Around that time on the net appeared the video that one of the students took during the incident. That video became a topic and due to that… A lot of people died.」

Said Yuuto with an utterly bitter face.

「People died?… Wa, wait a moment, how did it even come to that?」

I do not know its contents but I really don’t think that a video can lead to death.

「Yeah, and that is why『Transference Applicants』are crazy. Wait a moment. If you search for a bit it should come up.」

Yuuto took out a large tablet computer and after a bit of manipulation, put a certain video on playback.

When I received the tablet, Yuuto decreased the TV volume.

『Good, now it’s fine.』

The video began with a pretty ordinary classroom.

Is that third year’s classroom? A person that I have never seen before, was stacking a lot of erasers on the table, probably going for a domino effect.

『Hey, let’s bet on whatever it will succeed or not.』『Then I bet a lunch that it will stop mid-way.』『Oh, c’mon, then it won’t be a bet.』『You guys! Are you making fun of my efforts!!』

It seems that the video was taken on a smartphone, so quality wasn’t that great but it conveyed the overall atmosphere pretty well.

But that peaceful scene soon turned into a shocking one.

This phenomenon occurred without any premonition.

『Ah, right, how about recording not from the side but from above, from a chair, for example,.』『Okay, at least make it go half-way.』『Just look, now then, whoa, so bright?!』『Uwaaaa?!』

The point of view shifted to a higher position as was told and in the next moment, the screen was enveloped in intense light.

Perhaps scared by that light, the operator tumbled down from the chair with a loud crash.

『Ouch… Wha, What? What happened?』

When the operator rose up and looked to his surroundings with the camera, it revealed that his classmates were caught in shining magic circles.

『Kya, what is this?!』『 What, eh, a wall?』『Hey, what kind of prank is this, don’t interrupt me from studying.』『Huh? What is this, I can’t get out!!!』

The classroom that sank into confusion was filled with distressed voices.

Judging from the video, only ten or so students from that class were trapped inside magic circles but in some parts of the screen, it was visible that in the corridor as well, people were trapped within magic circles.

The sight of them knocking on the walls of light looked almost like a pantomime with an exception that it looked too real.

Then that abnormality transitioned to the next stage.

The one who realized that was a schoolgirl on the edge of the screen.

『No, NOOOOOOOOO!? My, MY HANDS?!』

Shaken by a loud voice, the camera turned towards the girl.

It looked like a scene from a shitty SF movie.

Her fingertips were turning into shining blue particles that then were floating upwards.

When one person realized it, the phenomenon has spread across the room.

『Wha, its a joke right, what is this, what the fuck is this!!!』『No, NOOO!!!』『My hands, my legs are gone, he, help me, someone?!』『It’s, it’s cold, why, I am disappearing…』

Bewildered confusion turned into terrified bewilderment.

The one who was making makeshift dominos and students around him as well, one after another were turning into particles.

『Ha, Hahaha, what, am I still sleeping?』

The microphone pickups puzzled words that might belong to the operator.

Trapped into the magic circle, a man that was trying to make domino with erasers.

Before even a minute has passed since the beginning of that phenomenon, only his head remained. Despite the low resolution, his face , that was warped in horror, and his cries for help were captured quite clearly.

Everyone trapped in the magic circles had disappeared and now only empty magic circles remained.

And like per signal, all of the magic circles dissipated, along with the walls of light as if they were flattened by an invisible thing.

When that unrealistic spectacle came to an end, silence returned to the classroom.

However, the spots where the disintergrated students stood before now remained empty.

『…Ah, got to stop recording.』

Picking up a dumbfounded voice at the end, camera, probably due to a mistake in controls, switched to the phone’s selfie mode and showed the astonished face of the operator before switching off.

「It’s not edited, right?…」

While saying those words, for some reason I could not think that this video was fake.