The cheers of the spectators had long since faded. After the initial confusion, all eyes turned to the screens above the arena, which displayed the many figures inside the subway.
Everyone seemed to be facing the same scenario, and the spectators watched the unfolding scenes in rapt attention.
In a different section.
"Looks like you’ve gone all out."
"...Hmm, you can say that."
Vice Director Vale replied with a faint half-smile, his eyes fixed on the many screens displaying the participants inside.
"I thought that this was the best method to test if they were truly ready for what is ahead of them. This scenario should be a good test for them."
"Good test?"
An amused chuckle followed. Standing beside the Vice Director inside a lustrous VIP box was a woman wearing a mask that covered the top half of her face, quietly fanning herself with a large black fan.
"How can you call this a good test? Isn’t this scenario a replica of the <A> Ranked ’Subway Murder’ Gate that killed thousands years ago?"
"You’re not wrong."
"Then are you seriously planning on letting nobody pass? This isn’t a scenario that many can clear. In fact, I’d say that besides the top Guilds, I don’t expect anyone to be able to clear the scenario."
"Oh, no. Don’t worry about that."
The Vice-Director laughed, waving his hands dismissively.
"I’ve made some changes to the scenario. It’s no longer as brutal as the one from before. I’ve also changed it enough so that those who are aware of the scenario won’t have too much of an advantage."
"I can tell," the woman softly waved her hand. "But it’ll still be quite difficult for many of them. Many won’t be able to clear the scenario simply because their Decree isn’t good for the situation, and they’re more there as a support."
"I am aware."
The Vice-Director replied, swiping his hand to change the scenes.
As his gaze focused on one window in particular, he continued, "It’s for this reason that even if a person fails, they won’t necessarily be eliminated. They’ll only be eliminated if everyone within the group fails. So long as one person passes, they’ll all pass."
"So this is a test for the leaders?"
"You can say that."
The Vice-Director smiled.
"But then again, if everyone in the team fails, then it’ll mean that they aren’t good enough to participate in the first place. I’m just saving their life before it’s too late."
"You make some sense."
The woman continued to fan herself, her gaze similarly falling on the screens in front of her. The more she looked, the more impressed she felt with the Vice-Director’s ability to replicate such a Gate.
It was almost an uncanny copy of the one that she remembered, but there did seem to be some changes. It didn’t feel as terrifying as the one she had witnessed.
But it also didn’t feel easy at all.
’This will no doubt stump quite a few. I wonder just how many groups will be eliminated.’
One of the things that made this Gate so difficult was the lack of information. While the information was present, it was all hidden. One had to truly look for it to learn about the objective of the scenario.
But most of the time, by the time someone found out, it’d be too late.
After all...
’...It isn’t easy to spot the ’murderer’ when you don’t even know what is happening.’
Slowing down her movements with her fan, the woman’s eyes locked on several of the more renowned figures as she mumbled, "I’m curious as to who will be the first to clear the scenario. Certainly, it’ll be someone from the top Guilds."
"Perhaps..."
The Vice-Director replied, his hand swiping at the screen of his tablet. As he did, he seemed to have thought of something as he chuckled.
"But it’ll be interesting to see if there will be someone else to do it. It’ll certainly give those from the big Guilds quite the scare."
***
’What the hell is going on?’
I looked at the old woman in front of me. Just a moment ago, she had been resting on my legs, and in the next instant, she was back where she had been before. The two people next to her continued to look at the window behind me while the people around... hm?
Frowning, I looked at the people around me.
A tall man stood by the pole near the doors, one hand gripping it loosely while the other held a leaflet. A woman beside read a book, her hand slowly moving each page in a repetitive motion. Further down, someone adjusted the buttons of their bowtie.
Everything felt both familiar and unfamiliar.
’I could’ve sworn the man by the door was reading a book instead of a leaflet.’
That woman too...
No, was she?
I started to second-guess myself.
Just what in the world was going on?
Rattle! Rattle—!
Despite my confusion, the carriage continued to move, the soft hum of the surroundings echoing loudly in my ears as I continued to scan my surroundings. I tried to push down my discomfort and tried to analyze everything.
But just as I started to think, something unexpected occurred.
[Scenario Spotted!]
[Operation: Subway Murder]
Class : ■■■
An unidentified murderer has infiltrated the subway carriage. The train will remain in continuous transit until the scenario concludes. With the passage of time, the murderer will eliminate passengers one by one. Victims will not resist, and their deaths may not be immediately noticeable.
The murderer conceals themselves among the candidates and exhibits no obvious external abnormalities. They behave as an ordinary passenger and will avoid drawing suspicion.
Participants must identify the murderer before the number of remaining passengers falls below the failure threshold. The more passengers fall, the stronger the anomaly becomes. Eliminate it before it becomes too strong.
[Scenario candidates will be joining shortly. Do you wish to use any item?]
[You have ten seconds]
I stared blankly at the sudden pop-up before me.
This...
’Right, why didn’t I think this wouldn’t happen?’
Staring at the scenario, I read it carefully. The more I went over it, the stranger my expression became. The ten seconds soon passed, and as they did, the surroundings plunged into darkness.
A breath echoed across the surroundings.
This time, heavier than before.
"Haa... Haa..."
Closer, and warmer too.
The lights flicked back on, and I glanced around. Everyone looked the same as before, but it didn’t really matter to me anymore. Because...
’If all I really have to do is find the murderer, then it shouldn’t be hard, right?’
Reaching for my pocket, I activated my node, and a knife appeared in my grasp. Holding onto the knife, my expression turned even stranger as I activated one of its abilities.
———
[Bloodthirsty Butcher’s Knife]
Fourth Order:
: Through repeated killings, the knife has absorbed vast amounts of blood essence, awakening into a bloodthirsty butcher’s knife. The blade now exhibits autonomous predatory traits, granting it several abilities.
Ability 1: Butcher’s Instinct.
: While wielding the knife, the user gains heightened perception of vital points of anomalies.
Ability 2: Meat Sense
: Passively detects living creatures within a short radius, revealing heartbeat intensity, injury severity, and what type of living being they are.
———
Surely not, right...?
But—
"....."
Looking around the room, one glaring red dot appeared.
I opened my mouth, but soon closed it as I finally stood up.
Rattle! Rattle—!
The carriage shook, and the moment I stood up, it felt as though every eye had turned toward me. Unease settled in, yet I ignored it and continued walking in silence, drawing closer and closer to the red dot before finally stopping right in front of it.
I stood in front of the little boy.
He was playing with his Game Boy, seemingly oblivious to me.
I didn’t hesitate. Activating my first node and coating the knife in black, I pulled it from my pocket and stabbed downward.
SPURT!
Blood spurted in all directions.
Everything seemed to freeze in that moment, the figures around me all turning to look in my direction.
Then—
SCREEEEEEEK!
The harsh screech of metal echoed through the carriage as the subway abruptly started to slow down before finally coming to a stop.
Not long after, the doors opened.
Clank!
I stood in silence, not moving a single inch as I stared at the notification before me.
[Scenario Cleared!]
This...
Did this count as cheating?