Dead or Alive
"Whaaaaa!"
As we moved through the third-floor hallway on tiptoe, like in a spy movie, we faintly heard a scream echoing in the distance.
"Somebody might got found. Let’s go!"
We went down the stairs to the end of the hallway and landed on the second floor.
"There!"
Shōta, who was next to me, pointed somewhere far away.
"A teacher’s office…"
I hurriedly entered the room and there were the enemy team, Kurumi and Hiroto Momoi, sitting on the floor expressing fear. In front of them were me, Mr. Nabeshima, and Tsutomu's clone, standing still.
"Hey! Help me. Please!"
Kurumi shouted at us.
"Let’s save them, Shūhei!"
Now that our eyes have met, my sense of ethics wouldn't let me just look away and pretend nothing happened.
Shōta was already trying to push our clones down before I step forward.
"Hey, what are you guys doing, Sempai?"
A familiar voice came from Mr. Nabeshima's clone.
"Is it Okisada?"
"I’ve surrounded the enemy and now you want to let them get away?"
The small figure of Okisada emerged from the behind of Mr. Nabeshima's clone.
"This is a serious game. You shouldn't foul up."
Okisada held a kitchen knife and a pot lid in each hand, revealing an appearance reminiscent of a gladiator from the Roman Empire.
"Just shut up and watch me there. If we don't kill them, we won't survive. Or are you suicidal?"
Okisada smiled and turned to Kurumi and Hiroto.
"Go."
Soon after Okisada ordered and pointed to them, the clones moved forward.
"Noooo!"
Kurumi exclaimed and pounded on a nearby wall. In contrast, Hiroto just quietly stared at the clones looming in front of him.
"Stop it!"
"Oops, please don't move. I don't want to kill my allies."
Okisada turned around and pointed the tip of the knife he was holding at us.
"Nooo! Help me, Kazuma!"
Just as the clone was about to touch Hiroto, something broke through the wall and entered.
"What!"
"Smash!"
"Whack!"
With a sound like hammering iron, the clones on both sides of Okisada collapsed, raising a cloud of dust.
"Who is it! Who the hell is trying to get in my way?"
"I'm sorry."
It was the voice of the person I most desired in this situation.
"Kazuhiro!"
"Damn! Get out of my way!"
Okisada threw down the pot lid he was holding, grabbed a knife with both hands, and jumped into the dust.
"Oof!"
Immediately after the groan, there was the sound of something falling.
"I told you, I'm sorry."
When the dust faded, there was Okisada lying there, bleeding. The knife that Okisada was holding is stuck in his stomach.
"You…"
"Kazuhiro, that is…"
I was more concerned about Kazuhiro's condition than about Okisada.
"Yeah, my clone."
Next to him, there was another Kazuhiro with the same look.
"Sorry, he cannot be stopped unless I do this."
"No, no. We couldn't stop Okisada either."
I looked at Okisada, who was lying in front of me. I couldn't help but feel powerless and helpless.
"You don't have to do this. You're the one who wanted to make the choice that no one would die."
"I’m sorry."
Kazuhiro sees through everything.
"Well, we have to defeat his clone, so we will go. Hopefully see you guys alive."
Kazuhiro, Kazuhiro's clone, and Kurumi and Hiroto followed them toward the broken wall.
"Hey, wait. We will go that way too. The clones of us you blew up is lying at the door of the room, and it's too much trouble to get them out."
Shōta laughed and followed Kazuhiro and the others. I was about to follow him in a hurry when I heard a small voice.
"Damn... at least take one of them has to come with me!"
When I turned around, I saw Okisada, who had a hole in his stomach, had just thrown a knife at us.
"Oh, no!"
I cannot dodge.
I involuntarily closed my eyes.
みなさん、ご無沙汰しております。こちらに何か書くのは久しぶりですね。私事で大変恐縮ですが、先日教師教育プログラムの研修が無事終わりまして、卒業の条件を全て達成いたしました。卒業するのと職を手につけるのは別問題ですが、とりあえずは教師としてまた一歩近づいたことを報告させていただきました。また何か進展がありましたら、勝手に報告させていただきます。それではこれからも『Singularity』と『新・創世記』をよろしくお願いいたします。
