Lie:verse Liars:Chapter 7

"This is the building."

Tanaka led the six of us to a 10-story commercial building which was a short walk away from the family restaurant.

He and the rest of us, who were making their way through the building as if they knew it all by heart, passed by the elevator, opened the fire exit door, and began to ascend the empty flight of fire escape stairs.

　Then, halfway between the second and third floors, while we were a little further up than before, we came across a familiar object.

"I see...so there it is."

A crack shown in space is in front of us that only we, the Awakened, could see.

According to Caliburn, that crack is a tear in the boundary between our real world on the front side, where we live, and the special space on the back side, called the "Void".

The "tear" - what we third-generation awakened people call a "hole" - is not only the entrance to the "False World or Gisekai," but also a trace of someone being lured into the other side at this place.

The problem is that we do not know who disappeared here.

All we know is that on the other side of this "hole" there is a "false world" created by using the victims who disappeared.

"Sasamiya. Please inform Caliburn for entry into the "false world"."

"Yes!"

Following Tanaka's words, Sasamiya-san launches "Cain" on her phone and begins to type something.

There is a rule that we third-generation Awakened must report to Caliburn through the "Cain" app when we enter the "False World" and when we also return to the real world.

The reason is quite simple. This is because the "false world" is out of range and our phones are basically useless there.

In other words, even if something happens while you are in the "false world," there is no way to report it to the real world.

Well, in terms of meaning, it would be the same as the mountain climbing report you need to fill out before climbing.

Caliburn, who basically refrains from mentioning our activities as "Awakened," has also informed us to strictly adhere to this procedure in the event of an emergency.

"I finished making the application."

Tanaka nodded at Sasamiya's words and looked around at us.

"Then let's go."

The rest was business as usual.

We reached into the hole, the entrance to the "Gisekai", and--

--By the time we realized it, we were standing in a "false world".

"......Looks like we're in another strange place we found ourselves in."

We arrived in a large Japanese-style room with tatami mats.

Beyond the open sliding door, a courtyard with a small pond was seen in the back.

It appears that we are in a reasonably sized Japanese house.

I went out to the edge of the courtyard and looked over the walls surrounding the house.

"I see. So this is what it looks like this time."

An ordinary townscape spreads outside the house, just like in the real world. The difference was that there are no signs of life, only silence.

"You know I've always wondered, how are all of these "false worlds" even created?"

Kon, standing next to me, says, that every "false world" is created differently every time, and there is also a lot of speculation among us "Awakened" about how these worlds are created.

Was it randomly generated? Was it from the tastes and preferences of the fake beasts?　Or was it from the influence of the victims who are the human pillars that create this "false world"?　And so on.

But in the end, we know nothing about the truth.

While I was thinking about this, Tanaka opened his mouth.

"First off, we will go to the place where "Mayu" is located as we planned earlier."

"And then what? Where was this 'cocoon' thing you were talking about in this 'false world'?"

"It's on the second floor of a house that is about two kilometers east of here."

"That thing surely was hidden in a very confusing place huh."

"Basically, we will continue to do our usual policy of not fighting the "fake beasts" as much as possible... By the way, what do you think is the reason behind this policy, Sasamiya?”

The newcomer Sasamiya's back straightens at Tanaka's sudden question, who plays the role of the teacher.

"Our objective is to rescue the victims. No matter how many of them we defeat, fighting the endless fake beasts will only hinder the rescue operation. Ideally, we should avoid letting them know that we have entered this false world, and should try to be as stealthy and sneaky as possible."

There is no advantage to fighting "fake beasts" in the "fake world.

　Unlike most games, there is no money or materials to be gained by defeating them, and there is no way to gain experience and improve your level.

If you are recognized, you will be attacked, and if you make too much noise, other "fake beasts" will come to you, so doing that would only be a hassle.

Tanaka nodded his head in satisfaction at Sasamiya's answer but continued to address me and the others.

"But as I said before, the number of "fake beasts" in this "false world" is much larger than in others. In fact, during our investigations over the past two days, unexpected encounters have led to battles that have revitalized the "fake beasts". Today, until we arrive at the cocoon, I would like to avoid such incidents as much as possible."

"Then, I may be of some help to you just for a while."

Sasamiya-san, who sees Kon smile casually explains, "Kon's main role is to observe things. from afar by acting alone and shooting enemies at long distances using a sniper rifle," Tanaka said.

"I'll be accompanying Tanaka and the others as a backup for Sasamiya-san. How do you want to handle it though?"

"I'll continue doing what I normally do, so you and the others will have to adapt to the situation as you see fit."

"Understood."

"Okay team, deploy your disguise now."

The members of Team T nodded in response to Tanaka's voice, and everyone concentrated.

A pattern appeared on the bodies of Tanaka and the others, and soon after, a weapon appeared in each of their hands.

Tanaka holds a katana with a blade that fits in the hilt. Gouda has a huge mallet that he can carry on his shoulder. While Hosoda has a submachine gun.

Sasamiya-san, whom I was a little worried about, deployed her "disguise" without any difficulty. Sasamiya-san had a huge sword just like Tanaka-san.

　--"Disguise".

It is one of the abilities that those who have become "Awakened" acquire.

It is used as a term for the weapons used by the "Awakened" to fight the "fake beasts," but technically it is "the ability for the Awakened to materialize their own unique image in the false world".

The weapons that each of the "Awakened" possesses are, so to speak, symbols that embody the image of the "Awakened" themselves to fight and defeat the "fake beasts," and by bringing forth the "disguise," they are able to display the superhuman strength of their own image.

Simply put, it's just like the transformation items that a shape-shifting hero or a magical girl owns.

Tanaka, who had just finished deploying his "disguise," began to look around as if he had noticed something.

"Huh? Where's Kon Komame?"

"It looks like she's already gone."

Kon who was standing next to me just a few minutes ago is already gone. She always leaves without a trace or sound.

"Komame sure is the same as ever."

"We can get in touch with her if we need anything, she'll come back anyway."

While saying that, Tanaka tapped the wireless earphone already attached to his own ear with his finger.

This earpiece is a special communication device provided by Caliburn, and even in the "false world" where phones are out of range, it can be used as a radio-like device to communicate with your friends at a certain distance.

"Well then, see you all later."

Tanaka's words were met with nods from the members of Team T.

The five of us left the house, which had a "hole" leading to the real world, and began moving toward our destination.

The Awakened, who are currently deploying their "disguises," have improved physical capabilities.

If possible, you can run on the roofs of the buildings and head straight to your destination. However, we would run the risk of being discovered by the "fake beasts," so in a dense residential area like this one, it was more appropriate to proceed along the street while hiding.

Tanaka was in the lead, followed by Sasamiya-san and me, while Gouda and Hosoda are in charge of the rear.

"Stop. There is a group of "fake beasts" ahead. Let's go around."

Tanaka, who was moving forward, stopped abruptly and gave instructions to those of us in the back.

"The physical capabilities of the "fake beasts" have improved, and their sensory organs have also been strengthened, so they are now able to sense their surroundings more clearly."

Tanaka's directions are precise, as he seems to have a good grasp of the route to his destination based on his prior research.

"Ruu-kun, if you continue to move forward, you will encounter a Fake Beast on the move, so please take cover if you encounter it."

At the same time, information from Kon who was observing the surroundings from a nearby hill was also sent to us.

Thanks to this, although the speed of progress was slow, we were surely succeeding in getting past the "fake beasts".

We are used to this situation, but there is only one girl who seems to be more nervous than she should be.

"Is everything all right, Sasamiya-san?"

"I'm fine, but please don't talk to me. The fake beast might find out our location."

I tried to talk to the nervous Sasamiya-san, but she brushed me off. It seems that Sasamiya-san's favorability toward me is extremely low because of the incident at the family restaurant. Her aura of "don't talk to me" is quite strong.

"Was Sasamiya-san's "disguise" made with Tanaka's help, after all?"

Sasamiya-san, who looks somewhat taken aback by what I said to her, compares the large sword at her waist with that of Tanaka, who was walking in front of her.

"At first I couldn't get the disguise right, but after watching Tanaka-san fight, I somehow managed to get to make it."

It is common for newcomers to the Awakened to have trouble creating their own "disguises".

The reason behind this is clear: it doesn't make sense when people ask "Give me a weapon capable of defeating a "fake beast."

We don't know what it is or how to imagine it.

　This is where the "mimetic method" comes in handy.

By actually seeing other "Awakened" fighting with a "disguise" in front of you, you can put your own image into your mind and imagine it.

Tanaka is not intimidated by the huge and vicious "fake beasts" in front of him. His superhuman movements are unbelievable for an ordinary human. He handles weapons with the deftness of a master at his work. This is combined with the existence of a powerful weapon to put down the monster.

Based on what she saw, she imagined herself fighting it, and created her own "disguise".

For this reason alone, this newly awakened is accompanied by a master, and the weapons of such a newcomer tend to be the same as those of a master actor.

Sure, there is a knack to it at first. But once you get the image, any human being can become a powerful warrior who can overpower monsters in an instant.

That is certainly one of the excellent points of having a《disguise》.

"Haizora-san is always empty-handed, why is it that you don't have your "disguise" out?"

Sasamiya-san asks in the opposite direction.

"Is there a problem with that?"

"If you don't put out your "disguise," you, the "Awakened," won't be able to become strong, and you will remain as a normal human, it would be dangerous in the "false world" if you stay like that."

"The "Awakened" are not strong because they are Awakened but because they can handle the ability of "disguise"."

"I'm sorry you're worried, but if it's my "disguise," I already have it out."

"What? Where is it?"

"This."

　I held up both of my hands in front of her as I said this.

"Are those...... black gloves?"

"Yeah."

Seeing my hands like that, a puzzled Sasamiya-san asks me.

"Are you going to hit...... the "fake beast"?"

"Well, I guess it's kind of the same thing."

"Is that ...... really okay?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"I don't know, it looks ...... like it would be harder to beat than a regular weapon, and I can't imagine how it would be beaten."

　I can't imagine how to defeat it too.

"It's quite important too. "Sensory discrepancies are sensitivities that should be emphasized in our "disguise". If you sense such elements, you should dismiss them as 'something you can't do, and something that doesn't suit you,' then eliminate them from your options."

"......When you say that, it sounds kind of frustrating. It makes me want to do it even if I'm not meant to. ......"

That sounds like what the serious Sasamiya-san would say alright. I'm not sure if I understand how she feels about this.

"There is a phrase saying, 'overcome your weakness,' but I think it also depends on the situation. It's not a matter of 'putting your own sensibilities first and eliminating the options that don't suit you,' but of 'sticking to the options that don't suit you and forcing yourself to change your mind."

Hearing my words, Sasamiya-san muttered, "I see."

"I was just thinking......that Haizora-san has some interesting ideas sometimes, doesn't he? I'm a little impressed."

"I just said something that came to my mind at random just now, I just made it sound cool."

"I take back what I said before. From now on, I will not listen to anything you say, Haizora-san."

In the midst of such normal conversation, I feel Sasamiya-san's steps lighten.

It seems we weren't on such bad terms after all.

After that conversation, while many fake beasts continued to roam about, we finally reached our destination by taking our time while receiving precise instructions from Kon that was watching things from above.

"The target is that house."

　Tanaka pointed to a two-story house that seemed to blend in with the surrounding landscape as we hid in the shadows.

It really just looks like an ordinary house.

There is someone trapped there.

The location where the victim is being held looks so ordinary that it is hard to tell where it even is.

If this were a dungeon of some sort and the victim was being held at the far end of the dungeon, you would know without hesitation that they would be held in some dark cave, but for some reason, "fake beasts" often hold their victims in what would be called "ordinary" houses in a video game.

　I don't know if they are trying to make us find them or not, but it is very troublesome for those who are looking for the victims easily.

Well, there are still some clues left for us either way.

"Just as I suspected, the "fake beasts" are all guarding the house."

As said by Tanaka about the house in question, many "fake beasts" can be seen swarming around the place in sight.

The actions of the "fake beasts" are quite simple.

They patrol or roam around the fake world. They eliminate intruders. And they guard the "cocoons".

In other words, the places where many "fake beasts" congregate means that the "cocoons" in which the victims are trapped may be nearby.

A look around the area reveals various types of "fake beasts".

"Kon, do you have a grasp of the situation over here?"

"Don't worry, I'll be watching you the whole time."

That line is not reassuring at all from a mental health standpoint, but let's leave that aside.

"How many fake beasts are there?"

"As far as I can see, about 30 of them."

Once we finally arrive at our destination, we will find ourselves surrounded by a crowd of "fake beasts.

What do we do to these "fake beasts"?

It was obvious. Once we get there, if they get in the way of our rescue operation, we must exterminate every last one of them.

"So what's the plan, Tanaka?"

"How about we all rush in and take them out and use Komame's sniper as the signal?"

"Great, that's simple and easy to understand."

"Sasamiya, try fighting in your own way."

"Tanaka-san helped me train for this."

"Yeah."

Tanaka replies cheerfully, but Sasamiya's expression was stiff, I could tell that she was putting a lot of unnecessary effort into this mission.

"Don't worry about it Sasamiya-san, I'll be right by your side to provide backup."

"I won't get my hopes up then......."

Sasamiya-san gives me a look of dejection.

　We each take our positions, and I direct the snipers to the Kon as Tanaka signals.

Bang!

A long-range shot from the roof of a distant building blew away two dog-shaped fake beasts that were lined up in the line of fire at the same time.

　As if on cue, everyone jumped out and attacked the "fake beasts".

One of them noticed our approach and turned around, but by that time, its head had been chopped off by a large sword that Tanaka had pulled out of its sheath.

Tanaka and his team, now in possession of their "disguise," attacked as the "Awakened".

Tanaka swung his katana as he weaved his way through the "fake beasts," and Gouda's great hammer blow blew off the upper body of another large fake beast. Hosoda, too, uses his submachine gun to blast the fake beasts bodies into a million holes.

One after another, the "fake beasts" fell to the ground, and with their deaths, they turned to black ashes and faded into mist.

　Among them, only Sasamiya-san's movements were slow and sluggish.

The "fake beasts" did not attack her, as she was the only one who was unable to move.

One of the bear-shaped fake beasts runs to Sasamiya-san and swung its arm out as if to scoop her up.

The blow was received with the large sword held in front of her, sending Sasamiya-san flying backward and crashing into a wall. The concrete wall cracked as she was hit by it.

If she had been a mere human being, she would have suffered severe bruising all over her body, and if the blow was even a bit stronger, then she could have died instantly.

However, Sasamiya-san stood up quickly even though she was unsteady.

Since she was able to deploy "Disguise" and was strongly aware of her defenses, she should not have sustained much damage from the impact.

　--But still.

"Hahahahaha."

Sasamiya-san's complexion was pale. The expression on her face shows fear and atrophy.

This isn't good.

A shadow cast on Sasamiya-san. A bear-shaped fake beast that had closed the distance stood in front of her.

"Hee!"

A small scream rises from Sasamiya-san's mouth, and the fake bear swings its arm down.

"Nope you can't do that~"

The next moment, the fake bear's arm swung down at Sasamiya-san's head and its body flew across the floor in an impossible trajectory, slamming into the ground right next to her.

The bear-shaped fake beast stiffens, not knowing what just happened.

　However, in the same way, I don't want Mr. Sasamiya to freeze up as well.

"Now here's your chance!"

My voice made Sasamiya-san gasp, and she swung her large sword horizontally to cut off the fake beast's arm.

She then thrusts the sword into the throat of the roaring bear-shaped fake beast, the fake beast stopped moving and turned into black ashes, and disappeared.

"You good?"

"That ...... thing you just did was ......."

"Yeah, that was my "disguise"--"

"That was dangerous!"

While I was in the middle of explaining, I saw that Sasamiya-san's noticed a tactless "fake beast" attacking me from behind.

But even if that attack from behind was out of my field of vision I lightly swing my right hand behind me.

I clenched my fist as if grasping the empty air and swung it down as hard as I could.

As if grabbed by the neck, the "fake beast" behind me rolled forward on the ground and landed on its belly in front of Sasamiya-san.

"Alright, thanks for your hard work."

I smirked at her, and she reflexively swung her large sword and finished off the "fake beast".

Then, looking up at Sasamiya-san's expression, I read her thoughts and nodded.

"This is what I mean by what I said earlier. To put it bluntly, my "disguise" can reproduce the actions of my own hands at a distance for a split second."

The same is true for the time when I paid off the hand of the "fake beast" that tried to attack Sasamiya-san, the time when I got repelled when the attack on me from behind, and the time when the "fake beast" grabbed me by the neck and it rolled on the ground.

"Are "Fake Beasts" capable of doing that too?"

“There are a few tricks behind it, though. That’s why Sasamiya-san is safe with me, so you don’t have to worry about enemy attacks from now on."

　Saying this, I grab another fake beast's tail in my other direction and casually pull it toward me.

With that gesture alone, another bear-type fake beast that was confronting Tanaka fell forward on its knees as if it was being pulled by its chest, lowering its head to Tanaka's line of sight.

Knowing my ability, Tanaka had no reason to miss the chance and cut off the head of the "fake beast".

"If the "fake beast" that confronted you like that loses its footing, you should take advantage of that opportunity and finish it off. You can do that, right?"

My provocative question made Sasamiya-san look all the more unhappy.

"Please don't make fun of me!"

From that point on, Sasamiya-san's performance was remarkable.

The stiffness she had shown earlier gradually disappeared, and she began to show sharpness in her movements as she defeated the "fake beasts" with as much vigor as Tanaka and the others.

The "fake beasts" are directly related to the image of that of the "Awakened".

Therefore, if the "Awakened's" image of fighting the "Falke Beast" is destroyed, the Awakened will not be able to display his/her strength to that extent.

In "disguise," motivation such as confidence and momentum are important factors to maintain strength, while fear and atrophy are factors that reduce it.

Sasamiya-san, who was showing an overall good performance, made a big jump, and with her sword raised in the air, she cut down all the "fake beasts" in one fell swoop.

The last one was killed, and there were no more "fake beasts" left on the spot.

"You did a great job, Sasamiya."

"No, I still have a long way to go."

Sasamiya smiled humbly but happily at Tanaka's praise.

"Thanks for the help too Haizora."

I'm just going about my business as usual. I'm just doing what I have to always do.

　Sasamiya-san looks at me grimly but with a more curious gaze this time.

"Well... I was surprised by Haizora-san's disguise. I didn't know that a "Disguise" can do something like that."

"This "disguise" is actually quite free. In other words, it's evaluated as a convenient support specialist, but it has a flaw that makes it overwhelmingly inferior to other people's "Disguise"."

"What flaw?"

"My disguise is completely incapable of dealing effective damage to fake beasts."

"...... Well, does that mean that even if you hit the Fake Beast or attack it at a distance, you can't kill it with your Disguise?"

"That's what I meant. At best, it would break its footing."

"But doesn't that make the "disguise" meaningless?"

Sasamiya-san's opinion is correct.

The one common thing taught to the "Awakened", the weapon to defeat the "False Beast" is called the "Disguise.

Tanaka and his team's "disguise" is a perfect example of this.

On the other hand, my "disguise" is far removed from the common sense of such "disguises".

"Why did you go to the trouble of creating such a "disguise," Haizora-san?"

　To Sasamiya's perfectly legitimate question, I responded.

"I thought it was interesting and that it suited me a lot."

Hearing this, Tanaka tapped Sasamiya's shoulder with an expression of utter incomprehension.

"I don't know what Haizora is thinking. If you really want to know, ask Komame."

"Don't casually tell the newcomers about crazy things."

"I don't think I have to go that far to get to learn more about him. I don't even want to get to know Haizora-san that well, so I'm fine."

　Sasamiya-san is quite harsh.

　After wiping out the surrounding "fake beasts," we quickly step inside the house before any other "fake beasts" come sniffing around the area.

Kon checks the surroundings at the sniping point we saw earlier. Gouda and Hosoda stayed on the first floor to keep an eye out.

The three of us ascended the stairs alone.

"Did you get this far in your other missions?"

"No, I just observed the surrounding area from outside the window and found the cocoon inside."

"So this will be the first time that Mr. Sasamiya will directly see the cocoon?"

While having this conversation, we went upstairs and Tanaka, walking in front of us, reached for the doorknob of the room and opened the door.

The sight of the room took Sasamiya-san's breath away.

"So this is.....the 'cocoon'......"

It really is a white cocoon. Silk threads stretching from all over the room gather in one place, and a large cocoon sits there as if it were wrapped in the silk threads. The size of the cocoon is large enough to keep exactly one person in it.

"The victim is trapped inside there, right?"

　Tanaka nodded "Yes," to Sasamiya, who looked extremely nervous.

Immediately after, the katana in Tanaka's hand transforms into a small knife.

Tanaka manipulated the image of his "disguise" and changed its shape.

The knife cracked the surface of the cocoon, and inside the cocoon was a girl in school uniform with her eyes closed, asleep.

"She is ...... alive, isn't she?"

"Don't worry, she's just sleeping."

It is said that the victim loses consciousness from the moment he or she is dragged to the other side.

They are then placed in cocoons by the "fake beasts" as human pillars to maintain the "false world" and sleep forever without waking up.

Only after they are rescued by the "awakened" like us and brought back to the real world do they wake up. And the awakened victims don't remember anything at all.

"I want to make sure that Sasamiya-san is the one who carries the rescued victim, are you okay with that?"

"Yeah, I want you to make sure you follow through with it."

"All right."

Tanaka called out to Sasamiya-san and began to instruct her on how to rescue the victim.

I went out into the corridor by myself with such a situation on my side and explained what happened to Kon who was probably still watching our surroundings from the sniping point earlier.

"I'll be escorting Sasamiya-san as she escapes."

"Understood."

"How's the surrounding situation?"

"The "fake beasts" seem to be rustling from the fight we just had, but so far it's still normal."

While we were having this exchange, Tanaka appeared in the corridor.

"Let's bring the victim back home."

Hearing this, I said a word to Gouda and the others on the first floor, then peeked into the room where the "cocoon" was, and saw that Mr. Sasamiya, under Tanaka's direction, was using a knife to cut through the white threads that were entangled around the girl.

"Now all we have to do is pull ......"

Sasamiya puts her hands behind the girl's back and tries to pull her out of the cocoon by holding her.

The threads entangled in the girl began to shred with a buzzing sound.

　--until

"！！！！！！！！！！"

　An alarm rang that sounded like a mixture of screaming, yelling, and a roar.

"This alarm gets even more disgusting sound every time I hear it."

It makes me want to cover my ears.

"W-what was that just now?!"

Sasamiya-san, who was holding the victim in his arms, looked at Tanaka.

"The "alarm siren". It's a siren that tells all the fake animals in this fake world that there's an emergency. Listen, Sasamiya. We are going to escape to the real world with the victim. Until then, it is your duty to protect that child."

"I-I understand."

"Haizora, we'll make way for you as planned. Take care of Sasamiya for me."

"Kay."

I went down to the first floor with Sasamiya-san, who was holding the victim and met up with Gouda and the others.

"We'll stay here until the first assault. Once we see an opening, we will get out in one fell swoop."

Gouda and Hosoda nodded in agreement with Tanaka's instruction.

　While everyone was on high alert, we heard Kon's voice in our earphones.

"Ruu-kun."

'"Yes, I know."

The small objects in the house begin to clatter and the ground starts shaking.

And the feeling that something is rushing toward this place is undeniable.

"It's coming."

It all happened in the blink of an eye.

The house we were in shook as if something had crashed into it.

Then, breaking through the windows, the "fake beasts" jumped in.

"Kishaaaa!"

　The "fake beasts" came crashing in with strange noises and attacked us.

"Everyone prepare yourselves! Don't get swallowed up!"

Tanaka and his team with their "disguise" defeated the onslaught of such "fake beasts" from the edges of our sights.

The "fake beasts" that heard the warning sound were all even more ferocious than the previous "fake beasts". Their eyes are red and bloodshot, which was clearly out of the ordinary.

The purpose of these "fake beasts" is clear.

To recover their victims.

In order to maintain this "false world," they want to retrieve back their victims, who are their human pillars.

Their numbers and strength are incomparable to those of the previous day.

All of the "fake beasts" in this "false world" that heard the warning sound earlier will attack at once.

　From this point on, there would be no holding back, it will just be a full-on battle.

"I'm going through!"

The "fake beasts" rushed at us with terrifying expressions.

Tanaka and the others intercepted them one after another.

The slashes of Tanaka's sword were unleashed at an invisible speed. The unstoppable momentum of the mallet. The incessant barrage of submachine guns.

The "fake beasts" that constantly attacked them were reduced to black ashes one after another.

　--Witnessing such a scene, Sasamiya-san was frozen in place.

　Holding the victim, a high school girl, firmly in her arms, she was overwhelmed by the scene before her.

"Sasamiya-san, run!"

As a follow-up, I patted her on the back and managed to get her moving.

No matter how many of us "Awakened" can handle our "disguise," it is nearly impossible for us to intercept all the "fake beasts" that are coming in such large numbers at once.

The only thing to do is to quickly get rid of the "false world" and escape back to the real world.

If you run out of the house, you will see fake beasts as far as the eye can see.

I was forced to walk through the streets overflowing with fake beasts.

Tanaka cuts them down with his sword, Gouda smashes them with a big hammer, and Hosoda keeps pulling the trigger of his gun.

The members of Team T force their way through the avalanche of "fake beasts," followed by Sasamiya-san, who is holding the victim.

As far as the eye can see, there are "fake beasts" everywhere. These "fake beasts" reach out to stop Sasamiya-san.

I brush their hands away and break their posture, and the sniper bullets from Kon pour down from above us.

The approaching "fake beasts" were slaughtered from one side to the other, but their numbers and momentum showed no sign of stopping.

　Sasamiya-san is running with the victim in her arms, looking desperate.

Although Sasamiya-san must have heard about this situation from Tanaka beforehand, hearing about it and actually experiencing it are two very different things. Fear and doubt were shown on her face.

This isn't good. In fact, Sasamiya's movements were clearly slowing down.

　Her mental fear has greatly shaken the image of "fake beasts" in her mind.

She continues to brush off the "fake beasts" that keep attacking her, but gradually she can no longer keep up with them.

The cause is obvious. Sasamiya-san, who is carrying the victim, is tired.

She is short of breath, and sweat is beading on her forehead.

The improvement in her physical abilities is due to the "disguise" beginning to wear off.

This is getting bad.

If Sasamiya-san is unable to maintain her "disguise," she will not be able to rescue the victim. In the worst-case scenario, we might have to consider leaving the victim behind and escaping on our own.

　It was at this moment that such a bad possibility crossed my mind.

I look up involuntarily at Kon's report that I hear from my earpiece.

I look toward the "hole" where she is heading to escape, and a smile involuntarily appears on her mouth.

"I'm so glad there's a hole here. It always appears at the luckiest moments."

　On the other side of the "fake beast" wall that was blocking our path, I saw a pretty high school girl standing there.

When she noticed my gaze, she raised her right hand and threw the item that appeared in her hand as hard as she could.

　The object, reflecting light in the air, spun around at high speed and flew toward my face in an arcing trajectory.

Of course, I would not allow myself to catch such a dangerous object on my face, so I forcefully deflected it by swinging my right hand, with my black glove.

The hatchet that flew precisely at my face bounced in mid-air, and it cut off the head of the "fake beast" that was trying to reach out to Sasamiya-san, the "fake beast" finally stopped moving when it hit the brain.

All of a sudden, from my earphones, a quiet, yet very angry voice echoed.

"Now then, Ruusuke, my dear. What kind of a person would have the audacity to enjoy such a wonderful situation where you can kill all the monsters you want without any of ...... my help?"

The name of this dangerous woman, who refers to others using "Suke," is Hiizumi Mashira.

She is the last remaining member of Team Ash and the most dangerous person on the team.

　---- Next update scheduled for October 26 ----