Nearly a month has already passed since he was brought to the "castle".

　They are fed three times a day and allowed some freedom of movement.
　There were plenty of video games, manga, and other entertainment items brought in from the original world to kill the boredom, but Koganei Yoshiki didn't do much with them. He'd tried to pick up the social game novelization books he loved so much, but he just couldn't bring himself to open them.
　Once, I asked for a retro game I rarely played. But, again, I stopped doing that before I did most of it. I'm sure that Soraki Kyousuke must have been particularly fond of these games, but I still don't know how good or interesting they are.

　It's been a month since they spent time in this castle, which means that almost a month has passed since Suou died.

　Akeno taught me many things because 'unlike Suou, I'm not good at hiding things'.

　That they were brought to this world by the plans of their blood family. That the queen of the class, Benii Asuka, was a member of that blood family. The story of the factors possessed by the bloodline, and the "filter". The story of the ability known as Phase 2. A story about the pecking order within the blood family. A story about the purpose of the blood family.

　The fact that Akeno is the one who killed Ryota Washio.
　That it was Kyosuke Soraki who killed Suou.

　When he heard those stories, Koganei couldn't fully process the information and could only give a vague reply. He didn't feel anything like anger; instead, he remembered a feeling of loss a short time later.
　I didn't even get a chance to apologize to him; I lost the chance to see him forever. He could have grabbed onto Akeno back then. But Koganei didn't and couldn't do it. Maybe he hadn't been able to accept Washio's death, even for himself.
　So what about Suou's death? Soraki Kyousuke, who took his friend's life---if he could hit him, he still couldn't. Would the fact that Kyousuke was the first friend Koganei had gained at school have any bearing on that?

　After all, maybe Koganei Yoshiki as a being is an insensitive creature to the life and pain of others.

　It was on that day, just over a month later, that he took action.

　From time to time, Akeno would come to check on Koganei. But he said it was for no other reason than 'because Suou cared about him', he said. There was a formal apology for killing Washio, but that was all. Apparently, Akeno himself doesn't like Koganei so much.
　However, thanks to that Akeno, Koganei was able to use the Phase 2 ability, Spirit Possession, to his advantage. It was a combination of a rare race and a rare ability. A pawn-class blood race would not be an opponent. Therefore, as mentioned earlier, they were allowed to move freely in the 'castle'.

　The reason why Koganei is not infused with the Blood Race Factor is because once they become a blood race, they will need to regularly consume the blood of High Elves in order to prevent drought. The High Elves are a rare race whose numbers have been greatly reduced, and their blood is not easy to obtain.

　In other words, Koganei is not currently under the king's control. If they wanted to attempt to escape or rebel, perhaps it was possible.

　Leaving the room for the first time in a long time, Koganei wandered around the "castle". Where is this base really located? He remembered crossing the ocean twice, but Koganei didn't know much more than that.
　Eventually, Koganei stepped into the room where the "King" was sleeping.
　The "King" barely survives with his ragged body floating in a flask. In front of the King's flask, a girl sitting on a throne is chained to the flask, alive only to speak the King's words. The scene is so hideous that Koganei would frown at it.

　From the throne, there are voices speaking. Looking, two figures were exchanging words with the girl who was speaking for them.

''........Mm?''

　The girl sitting on the throne suddenly raises her empty face.

　Her gaze turned to Koganei. Koganei gives a small bail.

''You're the high elf from the example. It's been a long time since I've seen you.''
Hi.

　She feels a cheap pity for the girl, and a strong sense of disgust for the king in the flask that makes her talk.

　Part of Koganei's mind was that the reason they had been transferred to this world, Washio's death and Suou's death could all be traced back to this "king".
　Of course, without the King, he would not have been able to gain the power of the High Elves and enjoy a brief moment of euphoria, nor would he have been able to make friends with the good-natured man named Suou. Nor could he have developed a friendship with a pleasant man named Suou.

　But he couldn't help but feel grateful to that king of the flask.

'What were you talking about, sir?'

　Not wanting to be silent, Koganei asked and stepped towards the flask.
　The two men and women standing in front of the flask gave a small click of their tongues.

'They were giving orders to Glenn and Sink for the future.

　The king replies with the girl's mouth.

　Glenn, Sink are these two men and women. A man in a tuxedo and a woman in a gothic dress, both of whom may be dressed for our world, but they look Japanese. They may be dressed for this world, but since they look Japanese, Koganei thought, the smell of cosplay can't be removed.
　From the looks of it, it's not a pawn. As a rule, it's Knight and Bishop who act in a two-man cell.

'It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Glenn.

　In a less friendly voice, the man said, "I'm Sink.

'I'm Sinc. You're the high elf who came through the gate. I wonder if Akeno brought you here.
Yeah, well...

　So Koganei noticed that Glenn and Sink were holding hands the whole time they were talking.
　Rear. Explode, Koganei's mind still has a conditioned reflex to think, "Explode," he thought. But there were no more friends in between who could say it and laugh at each other.

'Glenn and Sink were recalled the other day from the lingering northern front.

　"Wang" explains to Koganei.

In light of the delays in the gate project due to Asuka's defection, we need to change our policy, slightly, in the future.

　The Gate Project. The plan was to turn Koganei and the other students of the 2nd year class 4 into monsters and make them subordinate.

　According to Akeno, nearly half of the students in the class, including Koganei, were expected to have combat abilities comparable to those of the Luke and Queen classes if they reached Phase 3. The original plan had been to throw them onto the battle fronts around the world and cut through to the heart of the Central Empire in one fell swoop.
　However, with Beni's betrayal, that plan was crushed. "The march to the Central Empire is essential to the revival of the King. They intend to withdraw the blood clans that have been skirmishing with the humans in various regions and switch to a different strategy.

Did you know that Luke 'Scarred', the man who fought the Queen, returned to the castle badly wounded?

　Glenn asked, and Koganei shook his head.
　"King," he laughed.

'Red is a loyal man. He must have expected that to happen, and made his move. In fact, one of the several results I hoped for has now been brought about.
That's what you wanted, right?
'Your classmates have probably been displaced to different parts of the continent. It was a deliberate accident of transition. I'm sure Asuka was also bitterly disappointed in the aftermath of the collision in order not to kill them and also to fight off Red.

　Your classmates are displaced?　All over the continent?
　Koganei was upset. According to Akeno, they were close to running out of filters. Does that situation mean that his classmates have fallen apart? It's too dangerous. If the situation is bad, they could be individually eradicated or captured.
　At that time, Koganei didn't think that if they were captured by the Blood Clan, they would be able to meet again. Once a certain number of classmates had gathered together, perhaps the Blood Clan would start injecting themselves with factors to get them to Phase 3. In that case, neither he nor they would be able to go against the Blood Clan.

'We've already organized the pawns and are moving to capture the dismembered people with Shakko at the center. The orders I'm giving to Glenn and the others are an extension of that.

　Finally, Koganei's body stiffened with tension. In other words, he already had his sights set on it.

　With a vacant expression, the girl's mouth continued to spin the king's words in an indifferent manner. The next words were not directed at Koganei, but at the two blood relatives.

''We must proceed with the expansion of our forces, and while the two of you will now head to the new continent, there is much work to be done. As I've told you,''
I know. "King."

　Glenn said, squeezing Sink's hand tightly.

''We will ensure that the orders you gave us are carried out. We will not make the same ruts as Suou and the others again.

　At those words, Koganei frowned slightly. It's a good thing that you're able to get a good idea of what's going on, because you can get a nuance of disrespect for Suou's presence from Glen's mouth.
　Glenn and Sink bow to the "king" and take a glance at Koganei before leaving the hall. They said they were heading to the New World. Will there be any clues to their dismembered classmates there? Somehow, he wanted to follow them, but he couldn't think of the best excuse.

　The girl sitting on the throne, her strings snapped and she fell completely silent. The "king" closed his mouth as if he paid no attention to Koganei's movements.




　He went on and on, but there was not a blade of grass in sight. It was as if Kyousuke remembered the time three months ago when he was wandering in the wilds of the western part of the continent. What was different from that time was that now they didn't even know where they should return to.
　The sun was high, indicating that the time was probably past noon. The sunshine that was blazing slowly did not rob Kyousuke, the skeleton, of his strength, but it was Rin who was worried.

　Rin doesn't even merge with Kyousuke, but slowly crawls on the ground and moves.

''........Are you okay?''
Yeah, yeah. It's totally fine!

　He replied, moving his body meekly.

Is Kyousuke-kun the one who's okay?　Does it leave any damage to your body or anything?
It's not like that. It's fine.

　Rin, who is always so energetic, is obviously not talking much. It's probably not 'totally hokey'. But how to pursue it here? When I was unsure of what to do, Rin switched to a different topic first.

''I wonder where they've all gone?

　Indeed, that's what we should be most concerned about right now.

It's partly because of where we've come from.

　The clash between Beni and Luke that occurred on the ship. That clash of power was undoubtedly the cause of the transference of Kyousuke and the others. We don't know the details of the mechanism, but perhaps Beni anticipated this to some extent and acted on it. If he fought Luke with all his might, the ship would be destroyed. The transposition was intentionally caused.
　But it probably wasn't coordinated until they were sent to where they were being sent. This situation, where none of the other classmates are in sight, is what tells us that.

''Umm.... Kyousuke-kun.

　Rin said, sounding like an animal.

'What?'
I'm hungry.
'Oh, come to think of it, I haven't eaten anything...'

　This place is not far from the sea. If the direction of the sea is known by some means, the direction of the sea will change the direction we should take in the future.
　If the sea is in the north, then there is a high probability that this is a place further south than the Albadamba. This is the so-called New Continent. I hear that the northern part of the old continent has a cold climate, so it's not this place.

　Anyway, is it a meal?

I wonder if I can find something to eat. I wonder if we can find it in this place.
'I wonder if they could cook if they found it......... We don't have a child who can build a fire, we don't have any cooking utensils, and we don't have Aya....

　As he said it, his feet naturally turned toward the ocean. It seemed more likely than looking for it in the wilderness.

　The sandy beach stretches out, and there is also a bit of vegetation growing in this area. It's a fern plant I've never seen before. Rin stretched out her body to its leaves, tore them off and tried to swallow them. But soon after, she spits out the leaf furiously.

''Peh!　Peh!　Oh, no!
Who ate the shells of the shrimp too?
Oh, I don't remember doing that...

　Kyousuke also picked up a fern plant and threw it into his mouth. A fierce bitterness and sourness spread in his mouth. I'm not equipped with the ability to spit it out, so the plant just slips down my throat and falls to the beach.

I certainly can't eat this.
Right?
But I don't think I'll be able to fish...

　No food.

　Could this, by any chance, not be a very bad situation?
　Having not been inconvenienced for nearly three months, it took Kyousuke a while to reaffirm how bad the current situation was. But he was still blessed back then. It was only natural when he thought about it. That dungeon was a facility that the bloodline had set up for them to live a survival lifestyle.
　This was different. This is a place that not only tests your survival skills, but also your luck as to whether there really is something to eat. Kyousuke racked his brain to find something he could use from the contents of the books he had read in the library before.

''(Still no brain)'

　I guess I still have a lot of room in my heart because I can only come up with silly jokes.

'Anyway, we'll just have to dig up the sandy beach and look for shells and crabs and stuff, nah...'
Hmmm, life is so boring...

　As it was, Kyousuke decided to use his bony fingers as a rake to steadily dig in the sand.

'Kyousuke-kun, it's probably an ebb tide right now, right?'

　Rin said, pointing to what looked like a barnacle stuck to a slightly higher rocky area.

'Yeah, looks like,'
That means that the shells in the beach must have holes in them that have water pipes sticking out of them.
'Ah, yes. The eye of a clam.

　That's the trick to finding clams at low tide. When the tide is high, the underground clams make holes in the sand to breathe and release their water pipes. However, at a busy tidal borehole, the sound of people's footsteps is so loud that the "eye of the clam" is easily withdrawn.

You're as knowledgeable as ever in the weirdest places, aren't you?
Heh heh. More compliments.

　The problem is that this is a different world. Do clams exist?
　The fish and shellfish caught by the Uozumi brothers and Sugiura and others on the way to Albadamba were also fish that can be found on Earth. So, I feel that we can expect to see clams.

'Kyousuke-kun, clams live solidly on sloping beaches!
Why do you have so much trivia like that...

　Following Rin's words, the part of the beach where the slope is made, the part of the beach that is hollowed out by the waves, I looked for a hole like the eye of the clam, I could see that the hole like the eye of the clam is popping on the beach.

"Is this OK with you, Himemizu-sensei?
Mm, good. Dig.

　Rin is a slime, so she can't dig. We have to dig the beach with Kyousuke's rake arm (bone), but even so, if we dig about five centimeters, the clams will come out.
　There is no guarantee that this is a breathing hole for the clams, though.

　When Kyousuke digs the beach with a zakuza, small bivalves begin to be unearthed here and there.

''Whoa!

　Rin cried out in excitement.

'A shell!　Shells, these clams!
I don't know. It's possible that it's actually a shell unique to another world that's poisonous.
But they look like clams.

　They picked up the shells as they emerged, and the two of them pondered seriously.

　At a time like this, if Okumura or Gomukawara were there, they would be able to see the poison. Races such as orcs and goblins have extremely strong stomachs and intestines, and there was no way they would destroy their bodies just by eating poison.
　When it comes to body sturdiness and bad eating, Rin is actually a good match. However, she takes the toxins she eats directly into her body, so if it's a deadly poison, it could suddenly become life-threatening.

　Still, Kyousuke somehow asked.

'Do you want to eat, Rin?'
'What?　Wait, I don't think I'm going to like it!
You used to eat shrimp shells?
Hmm......... I wonder why.........

　Rin's words and actions make me feel a little bit uncomfortable. It's not that I feel like a different person. It's just that, for a woman who has been nicknamed "triangle corner", she seems a bit passive towards food.
　Well, the triangle corner itself is not an honorary title, or perhaps she is aware of her maidenhood and is trying to consume a human-like diet. It's too delirious to imitate pursuing that, so Kyousuke won't do it either.

''The question is, how do we sand this out?
You don't have a bucket or anything.

　Kyousuke and Rin murmured, holding the clams that had been secretly gathered.

''Like we can store water elsewhere........ Ah!''
What?
Kyousuke's skull!
You're kidding me.

　Kyousuke shouted back in a conditioned reflex.

''You usually have eyes and ears and holes in them!
Well, I'll cover that up and then...
'If you can do that, you'll get more volume if Rin forms a pool and pours seawater into it.
''Yes.......... I don't want to be sour........

　It's like Rin's whole body has become a taste bud now. Besides, if you soak it in seawater for a long time, it will still be fatal again due to the osmotic pressure. It's probably best not to do this.

Well, even if you don't remove the sand, you can still eat it if you want to.
'Ugh. I think I'm going to say something really jarring...
The question is, how do we build a fire...

　In fact, there are only a limited number of students in the class who can start a fire. After Koganei disappeared, it was exclusively Tatsuzaki's turn to be in charge. Then there were others like Ei, Sakuma and Kaoruko.
　It's difficult to start a fire in a situation where you don't have the tools or abilities.

It's a good idea. It's because we're under a very hot sun. What about making a dried-up version?
It's not bad, but I think I'm gonna skip dinner tonight.
Well.....

　Well, it's not a pear as an option. In that case, though, I'd like to dig up a lot more and dry a lot more.

　When Kyousuke and the others were pondering about the treatment of the clams.
　Not far away, they heard what sounded like a loud explosion. I huffed and looked up and turned my gaze. This is followed by a scream and what sounds like an angry shout, gradually approaching. This is the sound of a battle.

''It's Azunyan's voice.
Oh, Mitarashi!

　At Kyousuke's voice, Rin nodded.

　Attendance number 37, Mitarai Azuki. A member of the service club. Her family's home is a dry cleaner. She's an unusual girl with a tendency to be a bit fastidious, and her hobby is collecting detergents. She is a quiet girl who does not stand out in her class.
　Her reincarnation as a monster is "Azuki Wash. It is a Japanese youkai. She is not a very good fighter. Is she involved in a battle?

'Let's go, Rin!

　Kyousuke releases the clam onto the beach and tries to run out.
　Naturally, Rin says, 'Yes! I thought she would shout and follow me.

　But in fact, it took only a beat or so for her to respond.

'Hmm ... yeah, let's go. Kyousuke-kun.

　Rin, somewhat hesitantly, merged with Kyousuke. Kyousuke and Rin, who had gained amazing physical abilities through the Stream Cross, kicked up the sand and hurried towards the direction of the sound.




　If they ran for a while, they could see the situation of the battle. Mitarai Azuki was being driven away by several men and women. It took a while for Kyousuke to understand the situation, even though he saw the situation.

''No way, it's a human...?''

　Yes, a human. The dignity of Kyousuke's body makes his whole body tense.

　The Azuki being chased, the "Youkai Azuki Wash", is also a monster that looks not so different from a human. A few humans with weapons are chasing after her, whose appearance could be said to be that of a girl.
　There are five humans in all. There are about three of them with weapons. Two men and one woman. A little later than that, there is one man and one woman dressed in robes and cassocks.

　Adventurers, Kyousuke thought intuitively.

　They were mercenary beings who broke away from the rule of the Empire and organized a guild to act freely. In most cases, when merchants cross the sea or travel long distances, they always ask the adventurers to escort them. Other than that, it is their job to explore uncharted territories and slay monsters.
　As long as they are out of the control of the empire, they are the ones who are thought to be able to cooperate to some extent with their classmates in the second year and four classes, but they were the ones who were thought to be able to cooperate to some extent.
　However, the "monster" they are attacking now is Kyosuke's classmate. You can't let this happen.

Kyousuke-kun!

　Rin called out to me.

'What, Rin!'
You're going to fight those people!
If necessary!

　Of course, Kyousuke has no intention of resorting to violence from the start. But if the other party only considers us as monsters and won't listen to us, then we will fight. I think I've built up that much resolve by now.

''But........you're human, right?
Yeah.
'Kyousuke-kun, are you okay with fighting humans?　Can you kill those ... those people?
If necessary.

　To his own surprise, he didn't hesitate to spit those words out.

'I killed Suou, I killed Tokihara. They were human too. If I had to, I would.
Yes, that's right. We killed them, didn't we...

　Rin's voice, which was muttering, was trembling slightly. That's right, when he killed Suou, when he killed Tokihara, and when he killed the nameless pawn, it was Rin who had merged with Kyousuke. Kyousuke and Rin have killed three "humans" so far.
　Slightly, there was a sensation that made my body feel heavy. It was as if lead was attached to both hands and feet.

''Rin...?''
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I don't know, I just...

　I'm not okay, after all. It's not "totally okay".

　Something is wrong with the current Rin.

　No, or perhaps, perhaps, it was 'Previous Rin' or Kyousuke himself who was strange, and the current Rin is just showing a 'normal' reaction, is it not?
　Kyousuke remembered the word 'filter' that Benii had uttered just before the transference accident occurred.

　However, he couldn't afford to care for Rin any more now.

'Rin, you take care of Mitarai!
What...?
"You can't fight now!　I feel like it!

　Azuki Mitarai was struggling to escape. She was out of breath and her fresh wounds were obvious. When she noticed this one, she smiled with a slight smile of relief. Behind her, the adventurers chasing Azuki also noticed Kyousuke and Rin's presence.

''But, Kyousuke-kun........''
I can fight. Just in case!

　It's only a mental story. How far can you really go against a clique of adventurers?

''Hi, Himemizu-san!　Utsurogi-kun!

　Azuki shouted and ran straight at us. Rin caught her as she jumped into the air.

''Azunyan!''
'Ughhhh.... I was scared. I was scared...

　There was no time for relief as Azuki's voice sipped tears. Kyousuke stepped forward to shelter the two of them.
　The adventurers who were chasing after him also stopped moving in front of Kyousuke and the others. The man who held a sword that seemed to be the leader of the group said the words with a quizzical brow furrowed.

''Skeletons and.......slime?　That's an odd pairing.

　Beside the man with the sword, a woman with a poleaxe at the ready, a man with a dagger.
　And behind her, a man in a robe and carrying a staff. There is a woman dressed in what looks like a white cassock and still carrying a staff. Two warriors, one explorer, two magicians, and so on. With his knowledge of fantasy games, Kyousuke analyzed that.

'Are you guys adventurers?'

　First of all, the adventurers buzzed when I asked them that.
　It seems that skeletons talking, is still not commonplace in this world.

''Hey Wombat, is there ever a talking skeleton?''

　The leader of the group asks the man next to him, who looks like a bandit.

'I've heard that undead who have been revived by a renowned necromancer have an ego, but as a species, I don't hear of it.
'I thought the higher species of Hellknights could do magic?　But I don't hear you say you can speak the language.

　The woman with the pole axe continues to speak to the bandit man.

　But there's no sign of a response to our words. Kyousuke decided to pile on the words carefully and patiently, taking care of Rin and Azuki behind him.

We don't mean you guys any harm. And right now...
Don't answer the question, Lesbon-

　The man who looked like a wizard told the leader of the group that he didn't need Kyousuke to tell him that.

'It could be a mimic-like mimic species, not a skeleton.
Yeah, the soulless. It's possible. The kind that sucks your soul out little by little as you carry on a conversation.

　The bandit man called Wombat nodded.
　It's not a very good trend. Kyousuke became impatient.

'Wait, it's not like that!　You just have to let me off the hook!　It's not like you guys are going to go after us...
Well, it doesn't matter what it is. It's a rare monster.

　The leader man readied his sword again. Kyousuke gasped.

''I'm pretty sure you're not just a skeleton.
Bye.

　The man told him, without any particular insanity on his face, just as if to say the obvious.

'Let's take him down.'

　Behind them, Rin and Azuki let out a small scream. At the same time, the three vanguard positions standing in front of them charged at once, weapons at the ready. Kyousuke turns back and shouts.

''Rin!　Mishu!　Run!

　But a thunderclap ripped through the air and a blue bolt of lightning landed around Rin and the others. A man in a robe used his magic. Only one woman, dressed like a clergyman, stumbled around in confusion, but finally, as if she had made up her mind, she activated her magic.
　A strange light dwells on the dagger of the bandit who had rushed in first. Kyousuke felt a chill run down his spine. That light felt as if it was something that should not be touched.

''Oraaah!
Huh...!

　He narrowly avoids a dagger strike fired by the bandit man.

　Continuing on, the leader man swung his sword. Kyousuke, who had just avoided the dagger, didn't have enough time to take an evasion there. The sword strikes Kyousuke hard on his shoulder bone. The bone, made robust by Beni's blood, did not shatter, but it could not withstand the impact and was blown apart.

''Oh, it's surprisingly hard. This guy!

　The man in charge shouts.

'Then leave it to me!'

　The last person to jump out was a large woman with a pole axe at the ready.

''Kyousuke-kun!''

　Rin is shouting behind me. Certainly, if I received that blow, there would be no room for one more. However, the stance had already been broken. The adventurers' coordination is brilliant. Already, Kyousuke is unavoidable.
　Here, Kyousuke was not auspicious enough to prepare for "death". If Kyousuke lost, Rin and Azuki would be next. They can't die here.

　He must find a way to make use of it until the last moment.

　In front of me, the blade of the pole axe held by the woman is closing in on me. It's already too late to avoid it. What other moves can be made?　Kyousuke struggles to think. How can I survive this situation?

　But no matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find anything like that. The situation is hopeless. I couldn't find even the slightest clue to fight back.

''........d*mn it!

　The thing that came out of Kyousuke's mouth was a swear word.
　It's not acceptable for Kyousuke to "end" everything so abruptly and so easily.

　At that moment, a black fire broke the void and swallowed the woman who held the pole axe. The woman's scream echoes and the pole axe is removed. Kyousuke saw an opening and took a slight distance from it.

　The current flame is the Evil Flame's Evil Claw (Evil Flare).

　Did the other classmates come to help? Is it Sakuma or Kaoruko? Thinking this, Kyousuke turned his gaze to see a completely unexpected presence standing there.