CH 159.2

「...I'm sorry」

「Me too, I'm so sorry. I tried my best」

「No, I'm sorry too...」

「I didn't manage to kill any of them either.」

『Likewise』

The assembled Shibahou Academy members all bowed to each other with slightly darkened expressions.

――Chihiro and Shizuru, the two of them eliminated out at the same time, leaving only Lucille, Kamishiro, and the four Shibahou Academy members on the field.

Seeing the disadvantage of their numbers, Lucille took out one of them with a snipe from the shadows, but this only made the other team more determined to fight. No longer needing to defend their position, the remaining three attacked Lucille.

「I managed to defeat one more, but I'm out. I thought Yuuki might be able to manage one against two, but...」

It seems that the leg injury he sustained in the fight with Saki had taken its toll on him.

Kamishiro took out one of them, but was unable to avoid the fire of the remaining one and was hit by a bullet. Kamishiro was defeated just in time.

「Kamishiro-kun, do you think you can heal that wound?」

「Well, the interval is short and we have time to move around. Still, I'll keep playing it cool. I'm sure the pain will lessen as time goes by」

「Okay. Well then, excuse me for a moment」

「Wait, Orwell-senpai!?」

Lucille, squatting down slowly, put her hand on Kamishiro's left leg.

She then rolled up his training wear from the ankle and started a brief medical examination.

「Well, it looks like it's just a bruise. This is just a layman's diagnosis」

「Thank you very much.... But I would be surprised if you touch me suddenly」

Chihiro understood this feeling well.

But when he nodded his head, Hana stared at him. Was there something that had offended her?

Well, this bespectacled literary girl exhaled.

「By the way. What do you think we will do in the next event of survival」

Her question made all of them tilt their heads with subtle expressions.

Frankly, they had no idea. The staff had just informed everyone to meet at a slightly secluded spot on the school grounds in fifteen minutes.

But considering what to use Hana's [Looting] slot for, there is no way they can just say "I don't know".

「...there is a lot of greenery at the back of the house, so maybe they do something there.」

Chihiro mutter to himself, remembering the time he visited Suzu's log house.

If the terrain is full of trees and grass, it will have a "survival" feel to it.

However, the competition is supposed to be over by the end of the day, so they are not supposed to be camping.

At this point Chihiro and the others start to worry about the time, so the group decides to talk as they move.

『Survival games and such』

「We will just do it as hard as we can.」

Frankly speaking, Chihiro had enough of gunfights.

After all, even though he was wearing camouflage clothes and training clothes, there were still little marks on the places where he was hit.

Due to this, he insists that air guns and BB bullets are the same thing, even if he is told that they are air guns and BB bullets.

Suddenly, Yotsuba spoke.

「I want to tell you about something」

「What's that?」

「Only one of us will survive. Is it survival something like that?」

「That's more like a death game, isn't it?」

When Hana pointed this out with half-lidded eyes, Yotsuba giggled.

Immediately after that, she turned a straight face and muttered quietly.

「...I guess there won't be any deaths. At least」

The words were so disturbing that everyone fell silent.

Whether or not they will be okay, whether or not they will make it back alive...it's a bad idea not to lose the battle.

At the moment, each school has only one win each, and the situation is still a quagmire.

To beat their rivals Shibatsuru Academy, they need to win here. Considering Chihiro and Kaito's bet, they can only allow "only Shibatsuru Academy can win", and of course, the best way to achieve this is for Shibahou Academy to win.

「Fortunately, Maria-chan and her friends are here to watch the competition, so after hearing about the competition, I will use my [Looting] immediately」

「That's reasonable.」

If still in doubt, Hana would use Suzu's [Cognitive Obstruction] as before.

Anyway, for now, they moved to the meeting place, thinking that there would be less chance of confusion if it was a competition in which they had to move around the field.

「...ah」

In fact, the designated place was that log house.

A number of staff members including Kaede were standing in front of the building, and the representatives and spectators were gathered around the log house. It was as if the staff were guarding the log house.

（We're not going to do it in there, are we?）

（I don't think so...）

Or is there someone inside?

While Chisato and Chihiro were talking to each other, a staff member started to talk.

「Now, I will explain about the fifth event」

Chihiro heard someone gulp a breath.

It might have been his own. After all, even the outline of this fifth event had been kept secret.

The reason for the secrecy - was it because the staff did not want the representatives to take any possible countermeasures?

「Before I start, I would like to confirm that all five members from each school should participate, is that correct? We will not accept any changes in the number of participants after hearing the explanation, so please let us know if you wish to withdraw」

...It seems to be a way to keep everyone out of the vicious competition.

Well, everyone, too, are tired and injured from the four competitions so far. Under the strain of the competition, they are afraid of the threats.

But Chihiro and the others, on the other hand, were relatively calm.

Well, Yotsuba's earlier threats helped them to prepare themselves for the competition.

「Well, even if you say so, we have to do it」

「...yeah」

In the end, no one from other schools dropped out. The faces of the participants tightened as they decided to participate in the event of their own volition.

The staff's threats may have been a staging for the final event.

「Okay. ...First of all, let me introduce our special guest for the last event」

Special guest.

The meaning of these words was soon revealed.

The log cabin door opened on the staff's signal, and out from inside came the special guest.

「Everyone, it's nice to meet you...」

――Silence overtook the scene.

A seemingly ordinary woman appears, sitting in a wheelchair.

The sight of her left all twenty representatives in stupefied silence.

「...ah, we might die for real...」

「Hahaha...」

Lucille's muttering was not so funny.

Because...

She is the "only one" S-ranked Lost Item in Japan whose photo and resume are publicly available.

While the crowd was still in an uproar, Kaede, Chihiro's sister, steps forward and takes over the explanation.

「She and I will chase all of you away, and you will be eliminated when you become unable to move. The one who remains until the end - his/her school will be the winner. This is the content of the fifth event, Survival」