“So, Sounosuke?”

“Ah, you’re up.”

I responded to Shouko’s voice while pushing myself upright.

Yesterday had been Shouko’s turn for duty, so after we’d tidied everything up, we fell asleep together.

And now, without a second's difference between us, we woke up at the exact same time.

Just as the Mystery Blackboard said, it must be the mandatory wake-up call at five in the morning.

Feeling my way, I reached the window and opened it; outside was already bathed in dim light.

“We only have ten minutes. Let's hurry up and get ready. We'll form a party with everyone else and gear up.”

“U-um...! B-but before that, t-that... ”

Shouko stood up, came over to me, and pressed her lips against mine in a quick kiss.

“Morning, Sounosuke. Last night was intense, wasn’t it?”

“Ah, y-yeah, good morning, Shouko. Thanks for last night.”

The memory of what I had done with Shouko surfaced, and my crotch instinctively began to stir in response.

Naturally, it wasn't the time for that sort of thing, so I managed to hold myself back.

"Mm-hmm. Ah, assuming it's fine if I stay in my uniform... what about Sōsuke?"

"Ah, yeah. I'll change into my uniform too."

I arrange the uniform on top of the desk.

"Then, I'm heading to the hallway first."

"Got it."

I hurriedly changed into my uniform and then stepped out onto the hallway.

Shōko was waiting there, but none of the others were around yet.

If I put my ear to the wall, I could hear sounds coming from inside, so they must be in the middle of changing into their uniforms.

Gently, Shōko reached out and took my hand. My heart skipped a beat, but I returned her grip.

"It's way too late to do anything else, isn't it? I want to wash my face, and I need to fix my hair, plus I fell asleep in my uniform earlier so it's all wrinkled..."

"At the very least, I could rearrange the storage space right now to get your uniform."

"Thanks. But... no. It smells a little bit like Sōsuke, so I'll just leave it as is."

Shōko said this while lifting up her collar and sniffing it intently.

It wasn't calculated coquettishness... she was probably just saying it naturally.

My chest felt struck through by Sho's cuteness just as the corridor doors burst open in rapid succession, with everyone filing out.

Sho hurriedly pulled her hand away from mine. It seemed she was too bashful to hold hands while being seen by the group.

"It seems you can summon the party function just by focusing on it, kind of like when we open up the ability-related explanations."

Chiyu had apparently already verified this right away.

When I focused on the "Party" function—there it was.

• Kusano Souji

• Affiliated Party—None

• "Create Party"

• "Join Party"

"So first, one person creates a party, and the rest of us join that party, right?"

The flow Hinata described sounded correct.

"If so, our leader is settled: Sousuke-kun?"

In response to Shion's words, everyone except me nodded in unison.

I felt a mix of pride and embarrassment.

Still, since there was unanimous agreement, I had no reason to decline.

I concentrated on "Create Party" and immediately created the party.

・Affiliated Party——『Sousuke's Party』

The name is too on-the-nose, but I'm told it can be changed later, so I'll treat it as a placeholder.

There's no time to waste agonizing over details.

"Ahh, 'Create Party: Sōsuke Party' just popped up under 'Party Members.' If we join this, does that mean we can all fly together?"

Yoko, followed by the rest of the group, had apparently found it as well, and my "Party Function" displayed a notification stating, "You have received requests to join the party."

I accepted all four of them.

"Alright. Everyone, quickly gather your essential gear and meet outside the front entrance. There's a chance this location could be discovered during the event, so let's stash everything for now."

Since everyone was traveling light, they were able to gather outside the entrance right away.

I stowed away the house, the bathroom, Mashi-ro's fenrir hut, and the stone walls enclosing the grounds.

All that remained was the fence for the entrance, with its posts still embedded in the ground.

Since this was "connected to the earth," I couldn't store it without digging it up. Leaving it as is should be fine.

"Sōsuke! Can Mashi-ro teleport with us?!"

Meiko's panicked voice.

"Ah, I forgot to ask about that. Unless she’s particularly stubborn, I think Meiko’s summoned beast can teleport along with you..."

"Mashi-ro, if we suddenly disappear and leave only you behind, will you follow our scent to find us?"

Mashiro nodded with an air of absolute certainty.

He took another look at his companions.

Everyone was wrapped in flax-colored robes that concealed their bodies, and they had pulled their hoods up to hide their faces as well.

With this setup, there shouldn't be any chance of their true identities being exposed, provided no one knew about their abilities.

Of course, it would be dangerous if someone were to get a good look at them in close proximity, but since the group was planning to ride on Mashiro's back, it wasn't an issue.

Just to be safe, they had all been made to carry concealed blades, though he could only pray that they would never need to use them.

"As far as I remember, the things we should be most wary of are 'airplanes,' 'fire,' and 'guns.' Blades in general come next, but they're a pretty significant step down from those."

The group had shared all the information regarding what the other students said during the initial dream.

"So regarding fire, you mean it would be a huge problem if we ended up in a forest and a fire started?"

Shion frowned, looking thoughtful.

Carrying lighters or matches could easily escalate into a massive disaster if those flames spread to the natural surroundings.

He couldn't imagine anyone being that stupid, but it was better to be prepared for everything.

If they remained vigilant, they would be able to respond without panicking even in the unlikely event that things went wrong.

「『Guns』are dangerous to begin with, but 『Airplanes』are particularly risky if they can be stored and deployed the way Sousuke does them.」

"Aa. If you don't mind collateral damage, you could position an airplane directly above a light orb and go for it."

I suppose it's a choice we shouldn't make, considering the penalty, given that we have no idea how many classmates might get caught up in it.

"If we assume suicide ramming attacks are possible, the 『Undead』 kid is dangerous too."

At Chiiyu's words, I nodded and said, "Yeah."

"Mmm. That kid isn't someone who hurts others, but..."

Shouko, who was that kid's friend, made a subtle face, but there's no loss in staying on guard.

Moreover, the terrifying aspect of the 『Undead』 kid lies in how they interact with penalties.

If someone gets killed, points equivalent to five years of coma are subtracted, but what if that applied to the death of the 『Undead』 kid as well?

With infinite reserves, there's a possibility you might kill them in an attempt to stop someone who will do anything.

In that case, the side doing the killing would presumably be subject to the penalty.

The death penalty is applied to the person themselves as well, but that one is for a hundred days' worth.

It would seem like an adequate countermeasure, but as you can see, such a tactic ends up being viable after all.

"...I'm guessing enough time has passed now—what!"

Without any warning at all.

The scenery shifted abruptly.

They were still within the forest, but they were no longer in the shadowed area near the cliff that had served as their base camp.

A quick check revealed that his companions, including Mashiro, had been transported there alongside him.

The 'Party' system was functioning correctly.

"Being teleported... it's terrifying when you actually experience it."

Fuhou was quietly astonished by the phenomenon that had just occurred.

"Mashiro? There! Phew, I'm glad we're together!"

Shouko lunged toward Mashiro.

"...So it's starting, huh."

Shion seemed tense.

No, they were probably all feeling the same way.

At that moment, the sky blazed with light.

"Yeah, look at that."

Where Chiyu pointed at the sky, a sphere of light hovered, slowly descending from above.

They had been told it would appear at a position visible to all participants initially, and indeed, that was the case.

From here on out, the participants would compete to reach that target.

"Everyone, get on Mashiro's back. Chiyu, I need you to boost me."

Everyone moved with swift efficiency.

Chia’s enhancement magic caused my body to glow faintly.

"Let's go."

It was a battle for the light orbs.

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「S, Sōsuke?」
「Yeah, I’m awake.」

I answer Miko’s voice and sit up.

Yesterday, it was Miko’s turn to clean up after the others, so we went to bed together after she finished.

And now, we both woke up at the exact same time.

Just as the mysterious blackboard said, it must be the forced awakening at five in the morning.

I fumble my way to the window and open it. The outside is barely starting to get light.

“We only have ten minutes. Let’s hurry and get ready. We need to form a party and get our equipment ready.」

「Y-Yeah…! B-But before that, I…」

Miko stands up and comes to stand in front of me, pressing her lips to mine.

“Good morning, Sōsuke. Last night was intense, wasn’t it?」

「Y-Yeah, good morning Miko. Thanks for last night.」

Thinking about what we did with Miko, my crotch almost reacts.

Of course, it wasn't that bad, so I managed to keep my cool.

"Yeah. Well, I'm fine with my uniform, but what about you, Sōsuke?"

"Yeah, I'll change into my uniform too." I laid my uniform on the desk. "I'll go out to the hallway first." "Okay."

I hurriedly changed into my uniform and went out into the hallway.

Shōko was waiting, but no one else was there yet.

I could hear some noise, so they must still be changing into their uniforms.

She quietly took my hand, and I returned the gesture despite my heart skipping a beat.

"Ten minutes is too harsh. I want to wash my face and fix my hair, and I fell asleep in this, so it's all wrinkled."

"I could rearrange my closet to fit in your uniform, even now."

"Thanks, but... no. I like the way you smell, so I'll keep it like this."

She lifted the collar and sniffed it, saying so.

She wasn't being flirtatious... just naturally saying it.

I was struck by how cute Shouko was when she was blushing, and then the doors to the hallway started opening one after another, and everyone came out.

Shouko hurriedly pulled her hand away from mine. She seemed to be embarrassed to be seen by everyone.

"It seems like you can call up the party function by thinking about it, just like when you open the explanation for your abilities."

Senyuu seems to have already verified it.

I tried calling out the "Party Function" myself— and it came up. ・Kouno Sohatsu ・Belonging Party—none ・"Create Party" ・"Join Party"

"Should one person create a party and the rest join it?" That seems to be the right order, according to Shinbo.

「Then, our leader should be――Kouzu-kun, right?」

Everyone else nods in agreement with Shion's words, except for me.

It's both flattering and embarrassing.

Since everyone agrees, there's no reason to refuse.

I think, "Create party," and immediately form a party.

・Party――『Kouzu Party』

The name is a bit too straightforward, but apparently I can change it later, so it's just temporary for now.

I don't want to waste time worrying about it.

"Ah, 'Party Join' says 'Sousuke's Party.' If I join this, we'll all be able to fly together, right?"

Following Chouko, everyone else seems to have found it too, because my 'Party Function' shows 'Party Join Requests Received.' I approve all four of them.

"Alright. Everyone, quickly gather your necessary equipment and meet outside the front door. There's a possibility that this place will be discovered during the event, so I'll store everything away."

Everyone was light on their feet and quickly gathered outside the front door.

I stored away the house, the bathhouse, Mariko's Fenrir shed, and the stone wall that surrounded the property.

The only thing left was the fence with the posts embedded in the ground for the entrance and exit.

Since this is 'connected to the earth,' I can't store it away unless I dig it up. I'll leave it as is.

"Sousuke! Can Mariko come with us too!?" Chouko's frantic voice.

"Oh, I forgot to ask about that. Unless you're being really mean, I think Chouko's summon can come with us too... "

"Mariko, if we suddenly disappear, will you come looking for us by scent?"

Mashiro nodded vigorously, saying, "Of course!" She took another look at her companions.

All of them were covered in white robes that hid their bodies and could conceal their faces with hoods.

As long as their abilities weren't known, there was no way their identities would be revealed.

Though it would be dangerous if someone saw them up close, the others were planning to ride with Mashiro, so it wouldn't be a problem.

She had them hide weapons just in case, but she hoped they wouldn't have to use them.

"As far as I remember, the things to be wary of are 'airplanes,' 'fire,' and 'guns,' and if we're a bit lower on the list, 'knives' in general."

The first dream showed that the other students were sharing information with everyone in the group.

"Fire would be a big problem if the stage were in a forest and a fire broke out."

Shion looks thoughtful.

Even a lighter or matches could cause a major disaster if they were to ignite nature.

I don't think anyone would be that stupid, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

By being cautious, if the worst were to happen, we could respond without panicking.

「Needless to say, ‘guns’ are dangerous, but ‘airplanes’ are also risky if they can be stored and deployed like you can, Kousuke-san.」

「Yeah. If you don’t worry about involving people, you could place an airplane right above the light sphere and try to capture it.」

Considering the penalties, I think it’s a choice you can’t make, not knowing how many classmates you might involve.

「If you can do a kamikaze attack, the kid with ‘Immortality’ is dangerous too.」

I nod in agreement with Senju’s words.

「Hmm. She doesn’t hurt people, though...」

Chouji, who’s her friend, looks a bit uneasy, but it’s not a bad idea to be cautious.

Moreover, the terrifying aspect of the kid with ‘Immortality’ lies in how well it works with the penalties.

If you kill someone, you lose points equivalent to five years of sleep, but what if that applies to the death of the kid with ‘Immortality’ too?

If you use your infinite lives to do anything, you might end up killing the person trying to stop you, and then you’d be penalized.

If that happens, the person who killed would be penalized.

The death penalty is also applied to the person who dies, but it’s only for a hundred days.

That seems like a sufficient deterrent, but yeah, that’s the kind of tactic that can be used.

"...It seems like it's been long enough, but—" There was no warning. The scenery changed.

The forest was still the same, but we weren't in the shadowed area of the cliff anymore.

I quickly checked, and everyone, including Mashiro, had teleported together.

The ‘party’ seems to be functioning correctly.

"Teleportation... It's terrifying when you experience it."

Deep Law is quietly surprised by what just happened.

"Mashiro? You're here! I'm so glad we're together!" Shokumo threw herself at Mashiro. "…It's starting, huh?" Shion looks tense. Or maybe everyone does. At that moment, the sky shone. "Sukun, look."

A light ball appeared in the sky where Senyu was pointing, slowly descending.

It was supposed to appear in a place visible to all participants, and it did.

Now the participants will compete to reach it.

"Everyone, get on Mashiro. Senyu, please give us a boost." Everyone moved quickly.

My body glowed faintly due to the Thousand Heal enhancement magic. "Let's go" It's a battle for the light spheres.

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