Chapter 24: ○○○○ Monster (6)

I am the true mastermind behind the communist revolution, but what does the status window that appeared above Mucia mean when it says he is the mastermind behind the communist revolution?

Is the status window wrong?

That can’t be. 

There’s no clear evidence, but instinctively, I feel a strong conviction that while there may be truths not yet revealed in the status window’s contents, there’s no way it would display incorrect information.

Then why is there a discrepancy between what the status window shows and my own memories?

…Suddenly, understanding dawned on me.

The answer was simple.

Reality is being overwritten.

An absurd assumption, but when all impossible possibilities are eliminated, what remains must be the truth.

And if there’s any phenomenon capable of overwriting reality, it can only be an urban legend.

The Gift of Observation is undoubtedly a useful ability.

After all, it displays information I haven’t yet noticed, and there’s no falsehood in what it records.

But does that mean I should have abandoned critical thinking and relied solely on the contents of the status window?

No. That’s not it.

Even with Observation, there might be details I haven’t yet perceived, and if reality itself is being overwritten by an urban legend like now, the information obtained through Observation can no longer be trusted.

Yet I became overly dependent on the Gift and neglected to think for myself.

In the end, the one who uses it, receives the information, and makes judgments is still me.

I fell into this trap because I relied too much on the Gift.

“Perhaps, from the beginning, neither the criminal organization Claw nor the terrorist group Hand existed in this reality. Or if they did, they were entirely different entities in a different form. But as the urban legend corrupted reality, they became those organizations—or were rewritten as if they had always been that way. That’s the conclusion I’ve reached.”

“Hmm. If you’re that certain, there must be a reason I’m unaware of.”

“Thanks for trusting me.”

I didn’t reveal that the communist revolution was my own fabrication, but Elaine still believed and followed my explanation.

“So, what will you do now?”

“What else? First, I need to regress. Now that I’ve recognized this phenomenon is caused by an urban legend, if I turn back time, I should be able to see something.”

“Do you have any other guesses about the identity of the urban legend?”

“Guesses? I don’t even have a clue. Honestly, you know more about urban legends than I do— how would I figure it out?”

After starting my second life, I dismissed urban legends as something only kids cared about and paid no attention to them. 

Now, I regret that choice.

Meanwhile, Elaine and I arrived on the fifth floor and immediately entered the locked room. (By the way, I had long since copied the key to the locked room and always carried it with me.)

“Drag all the students out!”

“This time, kill anyone who resists so yesterday’s mess doesn’t happen again!”

As the two of us entered the locked room, the voices of the terrorists sharply ordering the hunting down of students and teachers echoed through the hallway.

The voices of the terrorists grew closer at a rapid pace.

There isn’t much time left.

I stood right in the middle of the room without any hesitation, focusing my mind to turn back time.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Open the door!”

“We know everything that’s inside!”

Soon, the terrorists reached the sealed-off room.

But I was just a little faster.

Flash.

Then, a bright white light erupted.

.

.

.

Beep beep beep

Beep beep beep

Click

I’m back.

After turning off the alarm clock, I immediately got out of bed, finished getting ready, and headed to the academy.

Sigh. 

“I thought it would last longer, but in the end, it’s back to the second day at the academy.”

For now, thanks to returning to the second day, I was able to stop the ghost story from escalating. 

But if the save point keeps resetting to the second day no matter how much time passes, it’s going to be a big problem.

I’ll have to slowly figure out a solution for this issue too.

But right now, the immediate ghost story takes priority.

I still have no clue about the identity of the ghost story, but that doesn’t mean I’m completely out of options.

After meeting Elaine in our usual spot, away from prying eyes, I told her about the plan I had come up with and immediately set it into motion.

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.

.

“…With this, we will conclude the first lecture of the introductory course on the basics of Gifts.”

Having to repeat the very first lecture I gave nearly ten days ago again…

If I don’t figure out how to change the save point in this damned locked room, I might go insane from sheer boredom before anything else.

Despite my endlessly tedious inner thoughts, the lecture itself went smoothly.

Just as I finished the lecture and the students began filing out of the classroom—

“Hey, Rone. Do you have a moment?”

I stopped Rone, who was sluggishly heading out of the classroom.

Her questioning eyes turned toward me.

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.

.

“Now, Miss Rone. This is Miss Elaine Astrea. Miss Elaine, this is Miss Rone Justia.”

“Hello. As Professor Allen introduced, my name is Elaine Astrea.”

“Ah, hello. I-I’m Rone Justia.”

Elaine, who was putting on an elegant and demure act— completely opposite to how she usually was around me.

And Rone, who seemed intimidated by Elaine’s demeanor, shrinking back slightly as she introduced herself.

It seemed Elaine wasn’t entirely lying about pushing a mysterious character image in public.

Though it didn’t suit her at all.

As soon as the introductions between the two were over, I immediately got to the point.

“Actually, the reason I called you here, Miss Rone, is because there’s something I’d like your help with.”

“My help?”

“Specifically, I’d like to borrow the power of your Gift—’Execution of Justice.’”

“You know about my Gift?”

“The instructors at the academy know far more than you might think, Miss Rone. And considering the course I’m in charge of is about Gifts, how could I not know?”

“Ah… I see.”

Rone nodded in understanding at my words.

Though in truth, I only knew because of information from previous regression loops.

“So… what do you need my Gift for?”

“There’s someone I’d like you to monitor and, if necessary, subdue. Of course, given that your power is ‘Execution of Justice,’ this person is far from virtuous.”

As I spoke, I revealed the details of the target to Rone.

That person was none other than Mucia Leoforte.

After successfully regressing, the first plan I set in motion was simple:

Subdue Mucia.

First, let me make one thing clear— Mucia himself is not the urban legend’s true form. 

He’s merely someone caught up in its influence.

But just because he isn’t the urban legend doesn’t mean he isn’t important.

He’s deeply involved in every attack incident that has occurred at the academy.

The delinquent circle Scado, the criminal organization Claw, the global terrorist group Hand—

In every case, Mucia was the one leading them.

Even if he was being manipulated by the urban legend, it’s easy to deduce that he has a strong connection to it.

So, whether to prevent future attacks at the academy or to uncover the truth behind the urban legend, subduing Mucia and securing him was necessary.

And if there was anyone best suited to take down Mucia, it was Rone— who had overwhelmed him time and time again in previous regression loops.

The more widely known an urban legend becomes, the more dangerous it gets. 

Given that nature, subduing Mucia would require the bare minimum number of people.

Elaine and I explained to Rone how suspicious Mucia was as a student, leaving out as much as possible about the urban legend.

“…So, in short, we’re saying that the student named Mucia is suspicious.”

“But there’s no concrete evidence, right? Without that, couldn’t he just be a delinquent student?”

“Yes. Unfortunately, we don’t have any hard evidence. But I’m certain he’s no ordinary student. That’s why we need your help, Miss Rone. We can’t detain an academy student based solely on suspicion without proof. So, with your assistance, we’d like to keep an eye on Mucia for a while. If we find evidence or catch him in the act of causing trouble, we can restrain him immediately.”

“Hmm… If that’s the case, then sure. I’d be happy to help.”

There was a bit of exaggeration mixed in, but since that’s how it happened in previous loops, it wasn’t entirely untrue.

At my explanation, Rone readily nodded and accepted the proposal.

Even before the regression, whenever the academy was attacked, Rone had never hesitated to step forward with a sense of justice to solve the problem.

So, I knew she wouldn’t refuse this time either.

With that, the recruitment of personnel to subdue Mucia was complete.

To ensure Rone didn’t let her guard down, I repeatedly emphasized Mucia’s danger until it was firmly ingrained in her mind.

Then, I set out to find Mucia.

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Finding Mucia wasn’t difficult.

I had already encountered him once before the regression.

“Kyaaah!!”

Just like the scene I had witnessed before the regression,

Mucia, once again, was leading a group of delinquents to bully a helpless student.

“Stop it!”

And just as before the regression, Rone, upon witnessing it, couldn’t hold back and immediately rushed forward.

“Huh? What’s this? This tiny little brat.”

“Ganging up on one person. Aren’t you ashamed?”

“What’s with the meddling? You think we’ll go easy on you just because you’re a girl?”

The same progression as before the regression.

If this were before the regression, I would have stepped in to stop it by now.

But this time, to ensure I could subdue Mucia completely, I deliberately stayed out of it and blankly observed the situation.

And because I didn’t intervene, it naturally led to a fight between Rone and Mucia.

With her Justice Execution Gift, Rone easily overpowered Mucia and his delinquent followers.

“Alright. Now that Mucia has been subdued, let’s hurry and tie him up before he runs away.”

“Right. We should capture him quickly before he transforms into the leader of a major organization like Scar or Claw. Do you have the rope ready?”

Just as Elaine and I, like hyenas scavenging for corpses, began creeping toward Mucia, an anomaly occurred.

“Keh heh heh. I don’t know how you figured me out, but you’re pretty good, girl.”

Mucia, who had just been helplessly beaten down by Rone like a third-rate thug, suddenly shifted his demeanor.

His voice dropped low, exuding an oppressive weight as he began to rise.

Wait, why already…?!

I frantically observed Mucia, whose aura had completely changed.

[Mucia Leoforte]

[Classification: Human / Male / Student]

[Gift: Swift Feet]

[Characteristics: Though this student once had a somewhat rough personality, he was diligent and outstanding. However, due to a few minor incidents, he has begun to stray.]

Bzzzt

Bzzzzzt

[Mucia Leoforte]

[Classification: Human / Male / Criminal]

[Gift: Swift Feet]

[Characteristics: Shedding his act as the leader of a delinquent group, he reveals his true self. The boss of the criminal organization Claw, the ruler of the back alleys, the emperor of the night. He is Mucia Leoforte.]

The status window glitched, overwriting Mucia’s information in real time before my eyes.

Claw…?!

We haven’t even taken down Scar yet— why is this happening?

He had already surpassed the delinquent circle Scar and jumped straight to the level of the criminal organization Claw.

Something was going terribly wrong.