Volume 4
Chapter 2: The Third Monster
Shinko jumped down from the windowsill and landed inside the library as though entering through a window was the most normal thing in the world.
The atmosphere immediately changed.
Several nearby students stiffened.
A few left entirely.
Fear was an interesting thing. Most people tried to hide it, but their bodies usually revealed it first.
Shinko Sukamo had only been at the National Institute for Future Leaders for a single day, yet people were already reacting to him as though he were some kind of threat.
I couldn't blame them.
The first thing he had done after introducing himself was reveal that he knew my full name.
Naoki remained seated.
I stayed where I was.
Neither of us moved.
Neither of us had any reason to.
I glanced around the library.
Fortunately, none of the students appeared to have heard Shinko say "Kei Fushimiya."
At least that problem could wait.
Shinko casually walked forward.
"Tell me something."
His eyes shifted toward Naoki.
"Do you know what non-ranked students are?"
Naoki answered immediately.
"They're students who aren't ranked."
His tone remained calm.
"They don't belong to Classes A through D. They're not tied to classrooms the way ranked students are."
He closed his book.
"They generally pursue their own studies."
Naoki continued.
"A first-year ranked student would be referred to as a Class 1-A, 1-B, 1-C, or 1-D student. A first-year non-ranked student is simply called a freshman."
Shinko nodded.
"Yes."
A smile appeared on his face.
"That's what the NIFL dictionary says."
The smile disappeared.
"But in my eyes, they're followers."
The room grew quieter.
"Nobody's."
His gaze shifted toward the library windows.
"They call this an elite institution."
He laughed softly.
"All I see are children playing in a playground."
I leaned back slightly.
"If you keep underestimating people, you'll eventually lower your guard."
Shinko looked at me.
"And?"
"You'll lose."
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then Shinko smiled.
"Oh really?"
He stepped away from the window and pointed downward.
Neither Naoki nor I understood what he was referring to immediately.
We approached the glass.
Below us, several students stood near one of the school walkways.
I recognized them instantly.
Hiro.
Daiko.
Shuto.
Haruto.
Hiro was sitting on the ground.
Crying.
A bouquet of red roses had been dropped nearby.
A girl was walking away.
Rejected.
That was enough information to understand the situation.
Daiko and the others appeared to be comforting him.
I looked back toward Shinko.
He wasn't looking at Hiro.
He was looking at the entire scene.
As though it represented something larger.
Naoki seemed to understand immediately.
I wasn't entirely sure what conclusion he had reached.
Shinko finally spoke.
"These foolish apes have no idea what's coming."
His voice carried no anger.
Only disappointment.
"I've been here for one day."
He folded his arms.
"And the structure of this place is already obvious."
He sounded almost bored.
"Class D gets looked down on."
"Class C gets ignored."
"Class B challenges Class A."
"And Class A sits comfortably at the top."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"I understand why."
The library remained silent.
Then he looked toward the ceiling.
"But I have a feeling this upcoming exam will eliminate many of these pathetic students."
There was no hesitation in his voice.
No sympathy.
Only certainty.
He turned and began walking away.
Then he stopped.
"I do hope the three of us get the opportunity to mingle during the exam."
The word sounded strange coming from him.
Not because he meant it literally.
It sounded more like a challenge.
Or perhaps a prediction.
A faint laugh escaped him.
As he reached the exit, he paused once more.
"Oh."
He looked over his shoulder.
"I left you and your student government friends a little gift."
Naoki raised an eyebrow.
"A gift?"
"You'll find it interesting."
Naoki stood and walked toward another window overlooking the student government building.
I followed.
The moment I looked down, I understood.
Hundreds of students.
Protesting.
Shouting.
Gathering around the freshman student government building.
Most of them appeared to be from Classes D through B.
The leaked messages had spread exactly as intended.
The situation was escalating.
Naoki's expression remained unchanged.
If anything, he looked mildly amused.
"What did you do?"
Shinko shrugged.
"Nothing important."
His answer came too quickly.
"All I did was water the seeds the Phantom Bishop planted."
The wording was interesting.
Not my seeds.
The Phantom Bishop's.
I decided to test him.
"How do we know you're not the Phantom Bishop?"
Shinko looked at me.
For a second, he seemed genuinely entertained.
"This is your first day."
I continued.
"And suddenly the Phantom Bishop appears."
His smile widened.
"I think you're looking at the wrong detail."
He tapped the side of his head.
"The Phantom Bishop appeared one day before the special exam."
I remained silent.
He continued.
"That's what should concern you."
The logic wasn't unreasonable.
Shinko crossed his arms.
"And I didn't even know what the Survival Gauntlet was until fifteen minutes ago."
He nodded toward our phones.
"The leaked messages were my first exposure to it."
That much was difficult to verify.
Still, his argument made sense.
"If I were the Phantom Bishop, what exactly would I gain from exposing an incident that occurred months before I arrived here?"
Neither Naoki nor I answered.
Shinko turned to leave.
Then he stopped one final time.
"Oh."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"One last question."
I already disliked where this was going.
"Did your teachers happen to tell you to go to sleep around six?"
The silence answered for us.
Mr. Unagi had said exactly that.
Shinko chuckled.
"I thought so."
For the first time since entering the library, his expression became genuinely interested.
"So it's exactly as I expected."
Neither Naoki nor I responded.
There wasn't enough information to form a conclusion.
But clearly Shinko had already reached one.
He walked away.
A few moments later, he disappeared from sight.
The library became quiet again.
I stared out the window.
The protests continued.
The Phantom Bishop.
The leaked messages.
The special exam.
And now Shinko Sukamo.
Too many variables were appearing at once.
Eventually, I left the library and returned to my dorm.
The room was empty.
I sat down on my bed.
For several minutes, I simply thought.
The timing of everything felt wrong.
Shinko's arrival.
The leaks.
The warnings about sleep.
None of it seemed disconnected.
Yet I couldn't see how the pieces fit together.
I leaned back and stared at the ceiling.
"Hm."
This wasn't good.