A crimson-black sky. Ash-gray clouds.
The wind carried screams soaked in despair and laughter edged with madness.
From something stained red all over its body, the screams faded away. From something else—wearing a hood that resembled both a panda and a bear, with round ears split white and black along the midline—mad laughter leaked out.
It was a scene I had witnessed countless times. Ever since the world had fallen into despair and that had become everyday scenery, boredom ruled my thoughts.
"Carry it! Carry it!"
From inside a crumbling building, a group in those hoods dragged out a man whose life or death was unclear, shouting in cheerful unison.
He was still breathing. My talent allowed me to analyze his condition without hindrance even from twenty-five meters away.
Then something about his tattered suit caught in my memory.
Recalling a certain purpose, I followed the worthless group.
They entered one of the collapsed buildings. Going deeper inside, they stopped at a room with a door.
The futuristic door was heavily locked, apparently fingerprint-activated and accessible only to specific individuals.
The group knocked politely twice.
"We brought it!"
The leader shouted loud enough to be heard beyond the door, and it opened at once.
Standing in front of the door was a woman in a nurse's outfit.
Unevenly cropped long black hair, a tear-shaped beauty mark, and distorted red eyes so striking they overshadowed everything else.
She was almost certainly not a sane human being.
"Ah… thank you very much."
Her timid, fragile voice alone gave it away. She bowed repeatedly, showing no trace of authority.
She was clearly the one who had ordered them to bring the item—the one giving commands—yet she always appeared frightened and meek.
She had the group carry the man inside and lay him on the bed.
Using my spy talent, I slipped in unnoticed.
"Fufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufu…"
Once the group left, she unleashed a smile of pathological excitement, as if releasing something long suppressed.
With that eerie smile still on her face, she began securing the man to the bed with bandages.
Then the man regained consciousness.
"…S-stop…"
"Be quiet, please~!"
She continued the binding in a glossy, leisurely tone.
It was a complete reversal from the timid attitude she had shown earlier, but I had already seen through this as her true nature.
Well, calling it her true nature might not be entirely accurate—but it was the real her right now.
"There we go~! A patient who can't do anything to me is all ready!"
The man's mouth was gagged; he could only groan.
His desperate cries of resistance echoed in the impeccably hygienic room, but to her—humming as she fetched medical tools—they were no plea for salvation.
She prepared a large array of instruments as if for surgery, then straddled the man.
"I was always bullied, you know. I can't even remember all the reasons anymore, but it was probably because I looked weak~
Everyone always bullied me and looked down on me. Especially those hopeless people who couldn't study… they bullied me the worst.
They even mocked the medical knowledge I worked so hard to gain. If I got a good score on a test, those were the worst days. But that's exactly why I never stopped studying medicine, no matter how much they bullied me.
Do you know why?"
She asked the question, but with his mouth sealed he could say nothing.
At the sight, she writhed with evident delight.
"The answer is because I love patients. I studied desperately to become a doctor so I could meet injured patients
After all, patients are always weaker than me. Their lives are completely in my hands. No one would ever bully me then, right~?"
She was twisted. Her personality had been warped by bullying.
It wasn't that she was inherently weak; the environment had created her distortion.
"It started when no one helped me after I got hurt from bullying. I had no choice but to treat myself, so I needed the knowledge for that.
And as my treatment skills improved day by day, I became certain of it. Ah… injured people really are weaker than me!"
The Ultimate Nurse held a syringe and aimed it at the man's neck.
I possessed that talent as well. Though called "Health Committee Member," it was a talent granted only to those with medical knowledge and skill rivaling a doctor's.
That was why I could instantly identify the substance she was about to inject.
"That's not something meant to be injected directly into a human body."
I stopped the reaper's hand descending toward the patient.
The contents were a highly addictive drug—one that destroyed the brain, inducing hallucinations and heightened excitation.
A narcotic, and an extremely potent one at that.
"…Who are you?"
"Let's just say I'm someone in the same position as you."
She turned cold, swirling eyes toward me and shook off my hand.
In the process, she dropped the syringe; the liquid spilled across the floor.
"Do you need something?"
Many potent drugs require delicate handling. Some become toxic when vaporized.
Fortunately this one was harmless in that form, but leaving it there was not the behavior of someone with doctor-level knowledge.
"I have no business with you."
I sliced through the bandages binding the patient with a knife-hand strike.
The man, freed from the gag, drew in deep breaths and tried to return to normal breathing.
"Haa… haa… I'm saved! Thank you, long-haired guy…! W-wait, you're—!?"
"No need to shout every time. Just as you know I'm a Remnant of Despair, I know you're with the Future Foundation."
The material of this man's suit matched that issued to Future Foundation personnel.
I had also confirmed the telltale logo. That was why I judged him useful.
"…So in the end, you're just another person getting in my way. I thought since we're in the same position, you might love her too."
"I thought only Matsuda truly loved her… but there's another one here. Though in your case, you might simply have been made to believe that against your own will."
"Are you mocking my relationship with her? I won't forgive that."
"You don't have to forgive it."
Ignoring her killing intent, I proceeded with my objective.
"Tell me which branch Makoto Naegi is currently staying at."
"…I-I don't know. I don't know anything."
The man answered in obvious panic.
But he wasn't lying. He was simply terrified of me.
"A waste of time, then."
I spat the words and started toward the entrance.
Yet I had one more thing to say, so I paused.
"Mikan Tsumiki, I'll be seeing you again soon.
When that happens, I'll also have orders from your beloved, so be obedient."
I said what I needed to and left the scene.
She screamed something after me, but the sound of me kicking the door to pieces drowned it out.
I stepped outside, swept away the attacking group, and headed home.
…
"Another dream, huh."
I occasionally had dreams involving the Remnants of Despair.
It wasn't out of guilt, yet for some reason memories of them kept resurfacing.
Memories I had once erased to infiltrate the Future Foundation were now returning.
I didn't know why.
I didn't know, but if they continued, they might have some connection to this world.
With that thought settled, I kept a faint wariness in my mind and began preparing for the day.
...
Mid-October had arrived, bringing a chill to the air now that the sports festival was over.
We were approaching the midpoint of the second semester—a time when new changes tended to emerge.
All students had been gathered in the gymnasium for the general election to decide the members of the next student council.
For most first-years, it was an event that held little interest, so nearly everyone spent the time looking bored, sneaking glances away from the watchful eyes of upperclassmen and teachers.
I was no exception; nothing about this assembly sparked my curiosity.
On the stage, Student Council President Horikita was receiving commendations while the rest of the council members saw him off upon his retirement.
I passed the empty time without even looking up, simply listening to the speeches.
When President Horikita's address ended, thunderous applause filled the gymnasium, and Nagumo Miyabi stepped forward to deliver his inaugural speech as the new student council president.
In summary, he declared his intent to bring revolution to this school.
He wanted to transform the existing meritocracy into an even more thorough one.
By shattering the old methods and driving further change, he aimed to create something better.
Though his words seemed to negate the accomplishments of the previous council, their impact was immediate.
His lengthy yet resolute speech ignited great enthusiasm among the second-year students.
"How boring."
Considering the possibility that this world is a constructed program, I had already predicted potential changes and concluded they would pose no obstacle to "graduation."
Six months.
That was the length of time I had spent in this world.
Unless the concept of time here differed from the program's internal clock, it meant I had consumed an immense half-year.
Since that encounter, there had been no further contact from Hajime Hinata.
Thus, I could safely assume that events were proceeding as planned toward whatever "graduation" this world was designed for.
The reason this world had been created remained unclear due to insufficient information, but one thing had become evident over the long months: the people connected to the school were neither NPCs nor alter egos.
Their reactions were human—neither mechanical nor limited to scripted responses. Of course, a few might resemble NPCs, but so far none had aroused suspicion.
In other words, this was not a program created solely for me.
It was reasonable to conclude that the other people here existed within the program for their own "rehabilitation" or "learning."
If an operation of this scale—placing so many individuals simultaneously inside a program—was possible, then the Neo World Program must have been completed.
Among the many Ultimates who contributed to the Neo World Program, the Ultimate Programmer and the Ultimate Neurologist—both of whom played major roles—had already passed away.
The Ultimate Therapist, Miaya Gekkogahara, had taken over afterward and managed to give it form, but after lending her strength to Makoto Naegi at the Future Foundation, her whereabouts remained unknown.
Then who had built it? More precisely—who had guided the Neo World Program to completion?
The answer was simple: Hajime Hinata.
With Kazuichi Soda's assistance and utilizing my talents, he had brought it to fruition. Everything aligned once I considered that.
Because Hajime Hinata had approached me wielding my own talents, I could form a hypothesis bordering on certainty. And if that hypothesis was correct, then this world being set after the second defeat of Junko Enoshima was effectively confirmed.
The original world was either still in ruins or had been restored through the efforts of the Future Foundation.
Lack of information prevented any further speculation about the timeline.
"Kamukura-kun, the speeches are over."
Something gently poked my cheek several times from the side.
When I turned, Shiina was gazing at me with a calm expression.
I had been so lost in thought that I hadn't noticed the election assembly had ended.
It had been a while since I'd turned my mind at full capacity, yet focusing on only one matter was a truly pathetic state.
If the researchers who created me could see me now, they might fall into despair themselves.
I thanked her and slipped into the flow of students exiting the gymnasium.
Investigating this world, I realized, made for quite an effective way to pass the time.
...
Several days after the major school event of the student council election, a moderate tension hung in the air inside Class C's classroom.
At the teacher's podium stood Sakagami-sensei, holding a rolled sheet of white paper.
The students had been informed in advance what today signified, so even before the chime they had taken their seats amid this atmosphere.
And with good reason—today was the announcement of the midterm exam results.
This school's rule was unforgiving: a failing grade in even one subject meant expulsion. That was why the mood carried a heavy weight.
Sakagami-sensei looked seriously into each student's eyes in turn. Once he had finished, he broke into a bright smile.
"You're all wearing good expressions. Then let's get right to it—I'll announce the midterm results now."
He unrolled the paper and posted it on the blackboard so the entire class could see everyone's scores.
Forty classmates, five subjects each. A red line had also been drawn across the sheet.
Needless to say, that was the failing threshold. Any name listed below it would mean expulsion.
Yet no one had crossed that line.
A variety of reactions rippled through the room.
Some quietly pumped their fists in silent celebration, others shared their relief with friends, and a few practically danced with joy.
Their expressions of happiness differed by personality, but the underlying sense of relief at having cleared the hurdle was largely the same.
"The sports festival results are also reflected in these scores. Some of you exceeded 100 points, but all such cases are treated equally as perfect scores."
Conversely, the ten lowest-ranking students across the school had started the exam with a ten-point penalty.
No one from Class C had fallen into that bottom ten.
I hesitated slightly over whether I should praise those who had followed my guidance.
"Damn it, I'm dead last again."
Ishizaki grimaced as he spoke, then immediately clutched his head.
The failing line was 40 points. Being the closest to it, Ishizaki was the student in Class C most at risk of expulsion.
Hovering around the low 40s in every subject, one misstep would send him straight to the abyss with a one-way ticket.
Of course, in Class C, he wasn't the only one lingering near that mark.
The class average came out to 57 points, meaning a fair number of students shared roughly Ishizaki's academic level.
Incidentally, Ryūen was positioned close to that average as well.
"…Tch. I'm off my game."
Ibuki, seated toward the front, muttered under her breath.
During the first semester exams—when I had overseen things—she had posted quite strong results, but in this second-semester midterm she hovered around 60 in every subject.
That was above the class average, yet it seemed she couldn't solidify her own study methods when left to herself.
She was neither a prodigy nor a genius.
If things continued this way, she would dip below the average; to take the next step forward, she needed to develop her own approach to studying.
"Hey. Help me study for the upcoming finals."
Ibuki turned only her face toward me.
"Why not have Shiina teach you?"
"That's the plan, but it'd be more reliable with you around, wouldn't it?"
"No. Unless Ryūen asks me to, I won't."
The proto-faction I had intended to crush during the sports festival was already growing overconfident.
If I offered free assistance now, classmates teetering on the edge of failure would likely swarm me.
With the rule that failing meant expulsion, those weak in academics would readily discard their pride and seek instruction from anyone with high scores to avoid being forced out.
"Stingy. Petty. Miserly."
"Call me whatever you like."
She turned forward with a sour expression.
Once the other students had finished checking their own scores, Sakagami-sensei resumed speaking.
"As you all know, next week we will administer short tests covering questions from all eight subjects in preparation for the second-semester final exams.
Some of you may have already begun studying, but I'll say it once more for emphasis."
With the sports festival behind us, the remaining cold months would become a season of suffering for students who struggled with academics.
The second semester featured short intervals between tests—a veritable storm of examinations. The constant pressure of the word "study" was something they despised with every fiber of their being.
"…One more week. This is seriously bad."
"Don't worry, Ishizaki-kun. Like the short tests conducted in the first semester, the results of these upcoming ones will not affect your official grades.
These tests serve as a comprehensive review of everything covered so far, allowing us to gauge how much knowledge each student has truly retained."
Hearing that the scores wouldn't impact grades, Ishizaki's face immediately brightened.
As always, he wore his emotions plainly.
"However, that does not mean the results of these short tests are meaningless.
Because those results will have a significant influence on the upcoming final exams."
Ishizaki-kun blinked repeatedly.
This school would never make things that straightforward, and that much was obvious.
"Based on the results of these short tests, we will form pairs—two students each—from within the class."
"Pairs? What's that supposed to mean?"
Ryūen-kun shot back, puzzled.
"It means you will take the upcoming final exams as those pairs. The finals consist of eight subjects for a total of 800 points, and the pair's combined score must exceed a certain threshold. That is the nature of this final exam."
Gasps of surprise rippled through the students.
Sakagami-sensei raised a hand to quiet them and continued.
"Though you will take the exam as pairs, it remains a written test. The process itself is no different from usual.
However, there are now two distinct failing conditions. The first is when the pair's combined score in any single subject falls below 60 points.
For example, suppose Kamukura-kun and Ishizaki-kun were paired. Even if Ishizaki-kun scored 0 in mathematics, as long as Kamukura-kun scored 60, the pair would be safe."
In essence, the pair simply needed to surpass 60 points per subject.
The students, though startled, began to nod in understanding.
Sakagami-sensei moved on to the second condition.
"The other failing condition occurs when the pair's overall total falls below the cutoff line set by the school.
That line has not yet been finalized for this year, but in past years the overall cutoff has hovered around 700 points."
700 points between two people. Calculating the average per subject across all sixteen (eight each), that came to 43.75 points.
Even if both scored above 60 in every subject—480 points total—it would still fall short. Thus, individuals could not afford to fail any subject, just as always.
"And the crucial point of this final exam is that if a pair receives a failing mark, both members will be expelled.
Incidentally, should anyone be absent, estimated scores based on past performance will be granted only if the absence is deemed justified; otherwise, all subjects will be treated as zero.
It would be wise to be paired with someone in good health."
Sakagami-sensei delivered the warning while scanning each student's face.
Pairs were truly bound together—sink or swim.
Even if one member avoided failure, if the other fell short, both would be dragged down together.
It was a grueling exam, requiring not only personal study but also teaching one's partner or pushing beyond normal limits to secure excess points.
Yet to me, this exam felt utterly boring.
No matter the circumstances, my own scores would be perfect—full marks across all eight subjects, 800 points.
With the cutoff around 700, I alone could carry the total.
Even if my partner scored zero across the board, the pair would clear the exam.
"Two questions, Sakagami. How are the pairs decided? And why is the cutoff still unclear?"
Ryūen-kun fired off the uncertainties without hesitation.
"The pairing method will be announced after the short test results are released. The reason the cutoff remains unclear ties into the additional task I'm about to explain."
"After the results… meaning the pairs are determined by short test scores?"
"Who can say? As always, you'll have to deduce the method yourselves. You're quite accustomed to that by now, aren't you?"
"Kuku, fair enough."
Ryūen-kun grinned as he twirled a mechanical pencil between his fingers.
Then he began jotting notes.
The image of him gripping a pen felt utterly out of place, yet the action itself was the correct one.
It served to organize information and ensure nothing was forgotten.
"Now, let us move on to the other task that has been prepared.
For this final exam, each class will be responsible for creating the questions that appear on the test. Of course, the task does not end with mere creation.
The questions your class produces will be administered as the final exam to other classes. The truly important part begins here, so listen carefully."
Sakagami-sensei cleared his throat once and pressed on.
"This exam will pit classes against one another in overall scores. Victory is achieved by outscoring the opposing class.
For instance, suppose Class C competes against Class B.
Class C will solve the questions created by Class B, while Class B solves those created by Class C. Once both classes have taken their respective tests, the resulting overall scores will be compared, and the higher-scoring class emerges victorious."
I had suspected it would not be a simple pair exam, but this school never failed to complicate matters.
This elevated the challenge to the level of a true special exam.
Moreover, the structure suggested each class would likely face two opponents.
For example, questions created by Class C might be given to Class A, while Class C received questions from Class B.
"And because this is an inter-class competition, class points will naturally fluctuate.
Points change in two scenarios: when another class solves your class's questions—'attack'—and when your class solves another class's questions—'defense.'
Based on the final overall scores, CP will shift between the classes involved in each 'attack' and 'defense.'
The amount transferred is 50 CP to the class with the higher overall score and –50 CP to the loser.
Note that when 'attack' and 'defense' involve the same opposing class—in other words, a direct one-on-one matchup—the fluctuation doubles to 100 CP."
Students had to maintain the school's per-subject minimum of 60 points while surpassing the customary overall cutoff around 700.
On top of that, the entire class needed to outscore its opponent(s) in total points.
Pairing with a strong student might prevent expulsion, but the class-point stakes ensured no one could slack off.
"To address a likely question about this exam—commonly known as the Paper Shuffle—
All student-created questions will undergo strict and impartial review by the school. Questions outside the designated scope or of clearly excessive difficulty will be revised, so exercise caution."
"What happens if a class fails to produce questions and answers?"
"In that case, as a remedial measure, the school will substitute a set of prepared questions.
For the record, assume those substitute questions are of low difficulty."
Failing to produce questions would essentially guarantee defeat.
A truly demanding exam.
"Finally, regarding the opponent class you are all likely wondering about: each class will submit its preferred opponent in advance.
If multiple classes select the same opponent, the matchup will be decided by lottery. Submit your choice by the day before the short tests."
"Kuku, no need for all that, Sakagami. Our opponent is Class D."
"Ryūen, a single person's opinion does not decide for the class. Gather consensus first."
"We don't need consensus. Facing Class A or B—who boast higher average ability—in this type of exam would be poor strategy.
Crushing Class D, where the academically weak are gathered, is clearly the simplest and most efficient path. Wasting time on discussion would be pointless."
Anyone object? Ryūen-kun's tone challenged the room.
Naturally, no one spoke up. They could not defy him, and this time his logic was impeccably sound.
The circumstances left little room for emotional rebuttal.
"That settles it. No objections, right, Sakagami-sensei?"
"You really are an insolent student."
Though he sighed in exasperation, Sakagami-sensei was smiling.
He undoubtedly had reservations about Ryūen's methods, yet he could not help but admire the boy's brilliance.
"That concludes the preliminary explanation of the short tests and final exams. Any questions?"
I had questions, but I wanted Ryūen-kun to deduce the pairing rule himself, so I remained silent.
Confirming there were none, Sakagami-sensei ended the period.
Since this was the final class of the day, a brief homeroom followed, and we were dismissed early.
"Wait. Everyone stay behind."
Once Sakagami-sensei left the room, Ryūen-kun's voice halted every classmate.
No one heading to club activities or home was allowed to leave.
"I have important business to discuss with all of you. It might take a while, depending—but that's up to you how quickly we wrap it up.
Let me be clear: anyone who slips out now will find they can never remain in this class again. Understood?"
With that threat hanging in the air, no one dared move.
In truth, the classmates merely looked flustered, their feet rooted in place.
"I'm heading out."
Breaking the tense silence, I addressed Ryūen-kun directly.
I could already predict the topic of the coming discussion.
Staying would yield nothing new.
"No. In today's meeting, you're the executioner."
Executioner.
The word confirmed my prediction.
The executioner is the one who carries out punishment on the condemned.
And here, the condemned was obvious: the traitor exposed during the previous sports festival.
In short, this was a witch hunt.
"I already know who the traitor is. My presence would ruin any suspense in the game."
At that, he looked momentarily surprised, then laughed.
The class erupted into murmurs at the word "traitor."
"Kuku, I see. But you're fine with that? The very people you looked after during the sports festival turned traitor."
"Punishment from you would be far more terrifying to them."
"Fair point. I did want to see how you'd handle the execution, but having the game spoiled would be irritating."
With that, he waved me off as if brushing away a nuisance, gesturing for me to leave.
"This will lower my standing a little. As compensation, I'll cooperate with studying to a reasonable extent for the finals."
Hearing that, Ryūen-kun clicked his tongue in annoyance, his expression sour as he scratched his head with the hand he had been waving.
"…I don't know what you're scheming, but I can tell you pulled something again."
Perhaps from our growing familiarity, his intuition was spot-on.
The fact that I had let the traitor slide would surface from Manabe eventually. My presence at this discussion would only create needless confusion.
To avoid such a troublesome—utterly irrational—situation, it was better I not be here.
I picked up my school bag and walked toward the door.
Ignoring the countless stares fixed on me, I stepped into the hallway and kept walking.
***
Hi everyone, I hope you're all doing well. I just wanted to let you know that right now I'm working on a really good and promising naruto fanfic. If you're interested in reading it, feel free to give it a try:
[Naruto: Pathological Liar]
Synopsis:
After reincarnated as a worthless member of the Hyūga branch family...
Fate handed me the worst possible script, but that's fine... I was born to be the greatest actor.
Are you ready?
My name is Hyūga Kumokawa.
I'm going to weave one enormous lie.
And make the entire ninja world dance to it.
---