Chapter 195: Infinite Corridor, The Cabin in the Woods

She opened her eyes.

What filled Hayasaka Ai's vision was an endless corridor built from something like mirrored crystal.

No sky. No edges.

It sprawled out in every direction, folding into geometries that flatly refused to obey physics.

And the most staggering part of all: set into those walls, which shimmered like stained glass, a separate moving picture appeared every few paces.

She looked closer.

In one wall, countless naked, colossal titans crowded around an even larger skeleton, trampling the earth flat amid billowing steam.

In another, a pale, powerfully built man stood in a field of ruins, an odd eight-handled wheel floating above his head, humming as it turned.

Farther off, in a single slab of crystal, an orange-red nine-tailed fox the size of a mountain howled at the heavens, compressing a black sphere of energy in its jaws that looked capable of unmaking anything it touched...

Kei Karuizawa swallowed hard and drifted a step closer to Chris without thinking about it.

"These... don't tell me every single one of them is a real, separate world?"

The girl's voice came out small. "If we want to make a contract with a Contract Beast, do we have to walk into those pictures and go looking?"

That was no easier than sitting an exam!?

"Relax. Let me see what the Controller says."

Chris rubbed his chin, face perfectly calm, and offered the reassurance without breaking stride.

Kei Karuizawa nodded obediently and watched him raise his arm, fingertips tapping across the Controller interface at his wrist.

The pale blue three-dimensional projection everyone knew by now bloomed in midair.

Besides the green dots at the center that obviously stood for the five of them, there were faint red dots scattered deep in the mirrored corridor around them, flickering in and out of view.

Chris tried tapping the nearest one.

[Target: Steel Giant - Magnugiga]

[Traits: A Contract Beast positioned as a super-heavy weapons platform and ultra-high-defense bulwark. Upon a successful contract, it grants the host matching heavy reinforced armor and a large-caliber tank cannon. Its Final Vent can release "End of World" at up to 7000 AP, delivering a wide-area annihilation bombardment.]

[Fatal Flaw: Absolute superiority in firepower, but the body is ponderous and all but immobile, making it an easy target.]

Chris then opened the red dot beside it.

[Target: Wing of Darkness - Darkwing]

[Traits: A support-type Contract Beast built around high-speed aerial combat and ultrasonic interference. Upon a successful contract, the host can summon the dark bat and spread its wings for high-altitude flight. Its Final Vent is "Flying Dive" at 4000 AP: Darkwing becomes a cape wrapped around the host, who rises into the sky and then spirals down to skewer the target.]

[Fatal Flaw: The broad skill set and support capability come at the cost of raw damage. Requires skilled handling by the host.]

[Note: 1 AP = 0.05 tons.]

"One AP equals 0.05 tons..."

"Which means," Amikura Mako's lovely eyes widened a fraction, "contract that Magnugiga and you basically conjure up a bruiser packing at least three hundred and fifty tons of punch?!"

She turned her head, glancing at the walls on either side in confusion. "Then what are all those scenes we just saw? Aren't the monsters inside them Contract Beasts too?"

Hiyori Shiina, who had been quietly studying their surroundings this whole time, spoke up thoughtfully.

"The way I see it, the pictures on these walls don't look connected to one another at all."

"They might be projections of other parallel worlds... or the scenes themselves might each be a separate instance world, temporarily linked to the Mirror Beast World we're standing in."

"Who knows — maybe the Contract Beasts we're meant to bind evolved from the monsters reflected in here in the first place."

Chris nodded at Hiyori's chain of reasoning.

The sensitivity unique to a literary girl was on full display.

In truth, this place was a waystation he had built by copying the Fifth Dimension where the Watcher resides in Marvel's What If...? series.

An endlessly extending labyrinth, its walls reflecting countless parallel universes.

Whenever he wished, he could pass into the Mirror Space of any corresponding parallel world, then use that Mirror Space as a springboard to formally enter the instance.

Of course, actually forcing his way across the barrier between universes required the [Enma Blade] in his hand to slice the dimension open as a medium.

Otherwise, if a casual touch was all it took to cross over, then later — while they were subduing Contract Beasts or trading blows — anyone who got knocked into a wall would be swept straight into another universe.

Still, for right now, Hiyori Shiina's words had handed Chris a route he'd never considered.

If the Blank Card Box could capture the Nine-Tails outright, or even Mahoraga...

One would supply nearly limitless Chakra as a power source; the other only had to spin the wheel above its head once to adapt and become immune.

If either of those could actually be turned into a Contract Beast, that would be downright criminal, wouldn't it?

But it was a daydream and nothing more.

The [Blank Card Box] sold for a mere 30 S Points in the presiding god's shop — cheap transitional gear for the early stages.

Its material and its rule-based ceiling were exactly what they were.

Using a tool like that to force compatibility with — and bind — some rare beast from an entirely different worldview...

That came with a very different price tag.

In other words... it'll cost extra!

Chris reined his wandering thoughts back in and spoke at an easy pace.

"Maybe so."

"But until we work out what these walls actually are, we'd better stick to hunting for Contract Beasts."

"Let's finish what we came here for first."

The girls nodded as one.

Then their eyes met across the group, and the mood turned faintly awkward.

Everyone was clearly wrestling with the same problem: who got which of the two Contract Beasts they'd found.

Resources were limited, and whether you argued from decency or from cold practicality, the first pick belonged to Chris.

Noticing how stiff the girls had gone, Chris tossed out a reminder.

"I've got Demon Possession. I don't need one of these to boost my combat power. For me the Blank Card Box is just a tool for crossing Mirror Space. You pick first — I'll grab whatever's left over."

With that, he tapped the Black Sphere Watch on his wrist, hefted the [Blank Card Box] and the Enma Blade, and started off at a slow walk toward Magnugiga, taking point.

Seeing him hand over the resources without a second thought, the girls hurried after him.

Amikura Mako looked around at the general reluctance to speak first and broke the silence herself.

"Anyone have thoughts? This decides whether we live later on, so let's just say it out loud and hash it out."

Hiyori Shiina considered it a moment, then stepped back voluntarily.

"I already have the [Phantom Mask], and I'm not good at physical combat to begin with. Close-quarters fighting is my weak point... I'll pick last."

Kei Karuizawa wanted power badly — power to protect herself — but she was just as unsure of her own fighting ability.

"Th-then I'll hold off and see too..."

She hadn't even finished when Hayasaka Ai, walking behind and to one side, cut in.

"No. Shiina-san, since you have the Phantom Mask and you aren't suited to physical combat, handing Magnugiga to you is actually the perfect fit."

She'd been professionally trained, after all, so Hayasaka's tactical sense was nothing to sneeze at.

"Magnugiga's weakness is that it's too heavy to move — but you don't need to move anyway. You've got the Phantom Legion for cover, so an ambush is the last thing you need to worry about. And if it ever gets dangerous, you just duck into Mirror Space and hide."

Amikura Mako jumped in at once. "Hayasaka's right! If you're specializing in ranged fire, that combination is honestly pretty great!"

Hiyori Shiina turned her head slightly, saw that Kei Karuizawa had no intention of contesting it, and gave a small nod, accepting the arrangement.

"If that's how it is, then I'll take Magnugiga."

"Then... what about Darkwing?"

As a Contract Beast offering flight, ultrasonic interference and extreme mobility, Darkwing's value for staying alive and getting away was frankly a good deal higher than the lumbering Magnugiga's.

Truth be told, all three of the remaining girls were tempted.

Even Kei Karuizawa, watching Hiyori Shiina land a perfect match, found herself wavering over whether to lean on Chris's favoritism and stake a claim to that bat.

And just as the mood was thickening —

Chris cut their deliberations short without even turning around.

"Aren't you all making this a little too easy on yourselves?"

"Nobody's stopped to ask whether we can even subdue this Mirror Beast."

Hayasaka Ai caught his meaning instantly and picked up the thread.

"He's right."

"Let's wait until we actually meet it and see what it chooses. A contract goes both ways — that's fairest for everyone."

Kei Karuizawa and Amikura Mako traded a glance and nodded along.

"Works for me."

Meanwhile.

In the real world, at Keyaki Mall on the grounds of Advanced Nurturing High School.

Akane Tachibana had finally dragged her mood back up out of the gutter and was getting ready to haul her haul back to the dorm.

Then the phone she'd shoved carelessly into her uniform pocket buzzed once.

Advance notices from the Black Sphere often arrived as text messages on students' phones.

Which meant Akane Tachibana, who had been through this several times now, was painfully attuned to that particular vibration.

Her chest tightened. Her fingers opened on reflex, the bags dropping to the pavement, and she yanked the phone out.

The notification on the screen confirmed her dread had not been wasted.

[A lost ghost has been detected, currently contesting a Revival Match within an extra instance.]

[As Qualified Ones of the same school, you possess the right to open the test early. You may take the gamble for a chance to be randomly inserted into that extra instance and aid your schoolmate.]

[So — what is your choice?]

[Please decide before four o'clock this afternoon...]

"A Revival Match?"

Akane Tachibana stared at the screen. Before the fact of an early test could even start bothering her, that unexpected phrase had hijacked her attention.

Now that she thought about it... Ichinose had mentioned something like this to her once.

Those who died inside a Black Sphere exam had a vanishingly small chance of becoming a ghost — dead but not entirely dead — and lingering in this world in that form.

And if they endured whatever specific trial the Black Sphere set for them, the Black Sphere would grant them one chance.

So...

The "chance" the Black Sphere had spoken of was this Revival Match?!

Akane Tachibana's brows drew tight.

The designer goods she'd dumped on the ground stopped mattering entirely. She spun on her heel and strode toward the Student Council Office.

And in every corner of the campus, plenty of others had reached the same conclusion.

Fūka Kiryūin, Kiriyama Ikuha and the rest of the Qualified Ones already slated to take part in this second- and third-year test dropped whatever they were doing almost in unison and hurried toward the student council.

By the time Akane Tachibana arrived, the corridor outside the Student Council Office was packed with upperclassmen wearing worried faces.

She sighed and didn't bother wasting breath scolding the gawkers.

She simply leaned on the Combat Suit's assistance and carved herself a path straight through the crush of bodies.

She pushed the door open and walked in.

One look at the grim expressions on Miyabi Nagumo and the others, and Akane Tachibana went straight to the point.

"About that message... now? We're opening it right here?"

Miyabi Nagumo glanced up at her, fingertips drumming lightly on the desk. "Senpai, you finally made it. Good timing — we've all been waiting on you for the vote."

Akane Tachibana's mouth twisted. "And I'm the one person you couldn't do without?"

Fūka Kiryūin, leaning against the window frame, shook her head, breezy as ever. "We'd already made up our minds to join. The only reason we hadn't hit confirm was that we were waiting for you, Senpai."

"After all, a 'Revival Match' is something none of us have ever run into before."

"Even if we can't be much help inside that instance, just getting some information about the 'world after death' out of the classmates fighting the Revival Match... that alone would be an absolute win for us."

"What people fear is the unknown. Once you have a rough idea of the shape of it, a lot of problems stop being problems."

Kiriyama Ikuha spoke up from the side. "The logic checks out."

"It's just that, before that... considering we may end up lending our items out in the Time Chamber, being caught without any gear of our own would be more than a little inconvenient."

"So the plan was to wait until everyone was here, confirm what cards each of us is holding, and then decide."

Akane Tachibana understood at once.

She reached into her uniform pocket and drew out the [Phantom Mask] that Honami Ichinose had lent her yesterday for self-defense.

Recalling what Ichinose had said to her not long ago, she lifted her head, swept her gaze across everyone in the office, and spoke in a low, firm voice.

"From the look of you, the preparations are fine. Then let's open the test."

"Even if we have no idea how hard a Revival Match is... even if it turns out to be pointless — with a lot of things, you only find out whether they work after you've actually tried."

Miyabi Nagumo pressed his lips into a smile. "Solid resolve."

"If Student Council President Horikita could see you now, I imagine he'd be relieved."

He rose and walked to the center of the office. "This time I'll be going in as a tester alongside you, entering the instance early."

"As for the official exam that opens afterward... Kiriyama and Fujimaki-senpai will take charge of leading that team."

Miyabi Nagumo tilted his face up and spoke clearly into empty air.

"All right then... GANTZ. That's our answer."

A brief silence.

Then a blue light-screen snapped open in midair, and a cold electronic voice followed.

[Approved.]

[Then — may fortune favor you in battle.]

At the same moment that Miyabi Nagumo, Akane Tachibana and the rest were swallowed by beams of transfer light and carried off to the world of Overlord —

The people Chris had selected as Revival Match participants and designated spectators were already in position at a different exam site.

Night hung low; a cold moon rode high.

Dense, lush forest crowded in on every side, and directly ahead stood a countryside manor straight out of a classic American horror film.

Shiranami Chihiro hadn't fully shaken off the daze of teleportation before she found herself bracing for the Black Sphere's chime announcing this third test.

Instead, a familiar voice she hadn't heard in a long time reached her ears.

"Shiranami? I never expected... that you'd hold out this long too."

Shiranami Chihiro turned toward the sound, stunned.

Among a handful of students in the same Advanced Nurturing High School uniform, she picked out Ryūji Kanzaki's familiar face immediately.

"Kanzaki-kun..." Shiranami Chihiro covered her mouth. "You died too?"

The corner of Ryūji Kanzaki's mouth, still curled with the pleasure of running into an old acquaintance, twitched.

"Factually speaking, you're not wrong. I did die."

"Though rather than me, I think... you'd be better off paying attention to Hoshinomiya-sensei."

That startled her even more. She followed his line of sight.

When she got a clear look at the woman sitting sprawled on the grass with a completely lost expression, Shiranami Chihiro couldn't hold back a cry.

"Hoshinomiya-sensei?! So... even the school's teachers can die?"

She turned again and spotted another familiar face. "And Miko? Why are you here too?!"

Miko...?

Ryūji Kanzaki raised an eyebrow, lost as to who that was.

Not far from Chie Hoshinomiya, Yotsuya Miko raised a feeble hand.

The girl's face was the picture of misery, four words practically stamped across it: I have the worst luck. She explained bitterly.

"Um... Shiranami-san, actually, Hoshinomiya-sensei and I didn't die..."

"We're — we're pretty sure we got randomly dragged in as 'Intruders.' Just our rotten luck."

Yotsuya Miko hadn't finished speaking.

The voice that embodied the Black Sphere's will rang out.

[Congratulations. You have successfully passed the prerequisite trial of the Revival Match.]

[From now on, as long as you leave this test alive, you will shed these cursed spirit bodies entirely and be reborn.]

[So as not to waste your time, I will now provide the basic background of this exam site before the test formally begins.]

As the emotionless electronic voice spoke, several lines of text surfaced in front of them.

[In this instance world, an Ancient Evil God capable of ending all life lies sealed beneath the earth. To keep the Evil God from waking, a secret human organization holds a brutal sacrificial rite at regular intervals to please it and keep it slumbering.]

[As of tonight, several among you have been "unfortunately" chosen to serve as this evening's offerings.]

[Should you choose to abandon resistance and let the rite proceed as normal... everyone survives, aside from the designated sacrifices.]

[But the moment something goes wrong and the ritual fails, the Evil God will wake...]

[And the world ends.]

____

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