The Resonance of the Soul

'Face it head-on.'

This too was something Armin had taught him.

The countless streams of information pouring in from the Infinite Realm transformed into a monstrous entity.

A monster called the Unknown.

Perhaps it was just a personal image, but the terror he felt at this moment was beyond imagination.

The monster swallowed Shirone whole. Within the sensation of being chewed and disassembled, his memories scattered. His entire life up until now felt as meaningless as something from a hundred million years ago.

'No! I have to remember!'

Who he was, where he lived.

The moment he lost his sense of self, he would never return from the Infinite Realm.

'Hnnngh!'

Shirone held on desperately.

Had this been during the Speed Gun test, his will would have already crumbled. But after enduring countless intense rebounds, he had tempered his mind.

'Just a little more…'

The Immortal Function would unleash its full potential. However, even a single mistake would send everything crashing down—a tightrope walk between success and oblivion.

As most of his memories evaporated and even his will to live began to wane, Shirone's eyes suddenly snapped open.

'This is the moment!'

The endlessly expanding Spirit Zone recoiled at terrifying speed, and as if it were expelling all the accumulated power, the photon output surged exponentially.

Shirone shouted.

"Output!"

"Shirone! Are you okay? Are you still in one piece?"

"Check the output first!"

Nade flinched and turned to the control panel.

Output efficiency: 22%.

The efficiency that had stubbornly remained at 0.1% was now steadily climbing.

"It's working! It's rising, Shirone!"

"Uwaaaaaah!"

Overcoming his mental anguish with sheer determination, Shirone injected even more powerful light into the crystal sphere.

"Output efficiency: 36%!"

His Spirit Zone trembled violently.

Even with his durability, it was nearly impossible to withstand the overwhelming surge of mental energy flooding in from the Infinite Realm.

"Grrrraaaaaaaah!"

Output efficiency: 59%.

Even the composed Iruki couldn't hide his excitement.

"Shirone! Just a bit more!"

The shaking needle on the meter reflected Shirone's unstable mental state.

'It's getting hard to maintain focus!'

Biting his lip, Shirone transformed his Spirit Zone into a defensive tetragonal structure. As the frames interlocked, he heard the hallucinated sound of tightening pressure—creaking, groaning, constricting.

As the pressure stabilized, the intensity of the light grew exponentially.

Output efficiency: 87%.

"Grrrrghhhhhh!"

His entire body trembled, his brain felt like it was being shaken apart.

At that moment, Shirone finally understood just how incredible Armin was. Integrating the concept of infinity into one's mind was more than just reaching enlightenment—it was wielding a force so immense it could crush a person to death.

"Uwaaaaaah!"

At the moment Shirone squeezed out the last of his strength, the core lamp flickered red.

Output efficiency: 100%.

Nade shuddered in disbelief at the absurd result.

The device that barely measured 17% under maximum exertion was now screaming as if it would explode.

"It's ready! Iruki, start it!"

Iruki, who had been staring in a daze, quickly pressed the remote control button.

Light surged through the fiber optics, spreading into hundreds of strands that wove around the entire school like a massive spiderweb.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

The bell tolled, marking midnight.

Maria, who had been studying in her dormitory, stretched lazily upon hearing the chime.

"It's already midnight? Time really flies."

Then, she suddenly recalled the presentation from earlier that day, and her body stiffened mid-stretch.

'The frequency of the soul. Midnight.'

She shook her head.

'No way. Even if it's Shirone… ghosts?'

The more she tried to dismiss it, the more it nagged at her. Even the image of the ghoul from the presentation came to mind.

"Ugh, seriously. Why am I thinking about this?"

Shirone must have understood that once an idea was planted in someone's mind, the rest would unfold naturally through their own imagination.

'If the soul's frequency is real, then starting tonight, I'll…'

Her thoughts spiraled uncontrollably.

To shake off her nerves, Maria walked to the window. And there, she saw something—someone who appeared to be walking in midair.

"...."

Her heart pounded in her chest, and then, as if caught in a vice, it started racing uncontrollably.

"Uhh… uh…."

What had stopped outside her window was an old, rotting corpse with half its face missing.

Her jaw trembled violently as the eyeless corpse slowly turned its head toward her. Then, as if trying to say something, it opened its mouth wide.

"KYAAAAAAAH!"

Her piercing scream could have shattered the air itself, but there was no one to hear it.

Because the exact same screams were echoing through every hallway, bursting from room to room.

A vase crashed against the wall and shattered into pieces.

Amy, who had thrown it, pressed her limbs against the opposite wall, panting heavily.

"W-What the hell?"

The moment the bell rang, ghosts had actually appeared.

Was this what Nade meant by 'resonance'?

At first, she thought it was an illusion, but its reflection on the window was undeniably real.

"Grrrrrrrrr…."

The moment she heard the guttural growl, Amy bolted for the door.

Screaming girls poured into the hallway, fleeing in a panic.

Amy's eyes widened in horror. Behind them, dozens of ghosts were chasing after them, their jaws clacking hungrily.

"Amy! Save me! I see ghosts! What do I do?!"

Seeing Seriel's pale face, reality finally hit Amy.

She had never believed in ghosts. But then again, even nonbelievers avoided graveyards at night.

"Urgh…"

Overwhelmed by the stampede of panicked students, Amy turned and sprinted for the exit as well.

At the same time, in a secluded training hall at the foot of the mountain, a deep, guttural sound shattered the silence.

Ethella emerged from her meditation.

Turning her head, she saw a grotesque, translucent figure approaching.

For a moment, the thought of a ghost crossed her mind. But as a seeker who fought against the evils of the world, she felt no particular fear.

As the ghost came right up to her face, Ethella squinted her eyes and leaned forward.

Curiously, the ghost tilted its head in response.

At that moment, Iruki's equation proved just how well it had predicted the reactions of its targets.

The ghost let out another eerie growl.

"Grrrrrrr!"

"Grrrrrrr?"

Ethella, eyes full of curiosity, lifted her hand and pressed it against the ghost's nose.

Of course, her fingers passed right through, emerging from the back of its head.

"Hmm…"

She sighed, then smirked slightly.

"So this is your game, huh?"