Kill or Be Killed?

The figure's words lingered in the air, like a noose tightening around their necks. The once peaceful teachers' lounge now felt like a cage, trapping them inside a nightmare they couldn't escape. Yuuto's mind raced. How could they get through this without falling into the system's trap?

Everyone was still, watching each other warily. The room was eerily silent, except for the faint sound of breathing and the ticking of the clock on the wall.

Yuuto tightened his grip on the Phantom Edge, but he wasn't sure if it was more for protection against the figure or against the growing suspicion that gnawed at him as he glanced around at his classmates. He didn't want to believe it, but the seed had been planted.

Aya, her eyes wide with fear, stood next to him. "Yuuto, what do we do?" Her voice trembled, and she was clutching the knife they had found in the janitor's closet earlier, her hands shaking.

"We survive," Yuuto said, forcing as much confidence into his voice as possible. "No matter what, we don't let this thing tear us apart. We've made it this far together. That's how we'll keep going."

Kazuki, however, wasn't as convinced. He stood with his arms crossed, glaring at the figure that loomed by the door, still grinning wickedly. "I don't know if that's possible anymore. This 'game'… It's different."

"We don't have to play by their rules," Akari added quickly. She looked scared, but her voice was steady. "We can find another way, just like before."

The figure's grin widened even more, if that was possible. "Oh, how cute. You still think there's a way out of this without shedding blood? How naive."

Yuuto shot the figure a glare, his heart racing. "We'll make it through. You'll see."

"You misunderstand," the figure hissed, stepping further into the room, the air around it warping with a strange, dark energy. "This game has only one rule. Kill or be killed. Your time is running out."

Suddenly, the walls of the teachers' lounge began to warp and twist. The light overhead flickered violently, and the room seemed to stretch into something unnatural. A dark, oppressive force pressed down on them, making it hard to breathe.

"What's happening?!" Aya cried out, backing away from the center of the room.

The figure laughed, the sound echoing unnaturally. "The system won't wait forever. Either you kill, or it will decide for you."

Yuuto's heart pounded in his chest. This was it. The pressure was real. If they didn't act, something horrible was going to happen. He could feel it.

Suddenly, Naoki stumbled forward, gripping his head in pain. "What… What's going on…?!" He groaned, his voice strained, and collapsed to his knees.

Akari rushed to his side. "Naoki!"

But just as she reached him, Naoki's head snapped up. His eyes were wide, but they weren't normal. They were glowing with a dark, malevolent energy, just like the figure's. His mouth twisted into an unnatural smile.

"Naoki?" Akari whispered, stepping back slowly. "What's happening to you?"

"Ah, yes," the figure purred. "The system has chosen its first candidate. Let's see how long you can hold out before your instincts take over."

Yuuto's eyes widened in horror. "What did you do to him?!"

"I didn't do anything," the figure said with a shrug. "This is just the nature of the game. One of you will break first. It's only a matter of time."

Naoki stood, his movements jerky and unnatural. His face twisted into a snarl, and without warning, he lunged at Akari, swinging wildly.

"Akari, watch out!" Yuuto shouted, rushing forward. He barely managed to intercept Naoki, knocking him off balance with the Phantom Edge. But Naoki was fast, unnaturally fast, recovering almost instantly.

"What the hell is this?!" Kazuki shouted, pulling out his own weapon, a makeshift bat wrapped in barbed wire. He moved toward Naoki, but there was hesitation in his movements. None of them wanted to hurt their friend.

Naoki roared, his voice deep and distorted, as he swung again, this time aiming for Yuuto. The force behind his attack was monstrous. Yuuto barely blocked it, the impact sending him stumbling back.

"Something's controlling him!" Akari cried. "We have to snap him out of it!"

"How?!" Aya shouted from behind, her voice panicked. "We can't just fight him like this!"

Yuuto gritted his teeth as he dodged another strike from Naoki, his mind racing. The figure was watching them, enjoying their struggle. That's what this was. A test. A game to see how far they'd go before turning on each other.

"Naoki, snap out of it!" Yuuto shouted, hoping to reach him, but there was no sign of recognition in his friend's glowing eyes.

Kazuki charged forward, swinging his bat at Naoki's legs, trying to knock him down without causing serious harm. It worked—Naoki stumbled, but before Kazuki could follow up, Naoki kicked him hard in the chest, sending him flying back.

"Yuuto, we can't keep doing this!" Akari cried out, backing up against the wall. "He's too strong!"

Naoki stood, growling like an animal, his eyes glowing brighter. The dark energy swirling around him was growing more intense, feeding off the conflict.

Yuuto's heart sank. This wasn't Naoki anymore. The system had corrupted him, turned him into a monster. And unless they did something fast, he was going to kill them all.

The figure's voice cut through the chaos, smooth and taunting. "You see? It's only a matter of time before you all break. One by one."

Yuuto gripped the Phantom Edge, his mind a storm of conflicting thoughts. He couldn't kill Naoki. Not after everything. But if they didn't stop him…

"Yuuto!" Aya's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "We have to decide! Now!"

Naoki lunged again, his claws slashing wildly, but this time, Yuuto didn't hesitate. He dodged the attack and moved swiftly, striking Naoki with the blunt side of the Phantom Edge, knocking him down to the ground.

For a brief moment, Naoki lay there, panting heavily, the dark energy around him flickering.

"Is he…?" Akari started, but before she could finish, Naoki's eyes snapped open again, glowing even more fiercely than before. He let out a guttural roar and lunged at Yuuto with newfound strength, moving faster than ever.

Yuuto barely had time to react as Naoki's claws raked across his chest, tearing through his shirt and drawing blood. He staggered back, clutching his wound, the pain sharp and blinding.

"Yuuto!" Aya screamed, rushing to his side, but Naoki wasn't done. He charged again, aiming for the kill.

In that split second, everything seemed to slow down. Yuuto's thoughts raced, his heart pounding in his ears.

He had to make a choice. Kill or be killed.

With a heavy heart, Yuuto made his decision.

As Naoki lunged at him, Yuuto raised the Phantom Edge, and with one swift motion, he brought it down.

Naoki's body froze, his glowing eyes wide with shock, and then the dark energy dissipated. He collapsed to the ground, motionless.

The room fell silent.

Yuuto stood there, trembling, his breath ragged. His hand was still gripping the Phantom Edge, now slick with blood.

He had won. He had survived.

But at what cost?

In the aftermath Rika and Miki chose to split up for the mean time as the system gave the party members communicators.