──The beginnings of love are many and varied.

We can choose neither the timing nor, of course, the place.

It could be at school, at work, or even within a virtual reality space. Just as some loves are born at a mixer, others are surely born in the middle of a battle with a monster in a VR game.

And the fact that we cannot choose means there's also the possibility that love may never visit at all──and well, unlucky enough to draw that slim chance, I've lived my entire life without ever knowing love, all the way up to today, my high school entrance ceremony.

It goes without saying that I do like girls. But it's not to the extent that I'm interested in the so-called 「man's dream」 of a popular phase or a harem. I could never be as devoted to that dream as I am to a VR game. The reason is probably that I have yet to experience this thing called love for myself.

「Well, it's not like I really care, though.」

Because it doesn't cause me any trouble.

If you don't know it, you don't want it.

I don't care, I don't care, I don't care.

I'll live my life forming friendships with girls I get along with.

I'll live my life unable to form anything more than friendship.

To me, that was all love was worth──

「...Hm?」

──Suddenly, I caught a sweet, autumnal scent.

Today was the height of spring, the day of the entrance ceremony, yet it was unmistakably autumn.

「...Who could that be?」

Thinking back, it was a strange question. For the query that unintentionally slipped from my lips to be "Who could that be?"—how could I have been so certain that the source of this pleasant, sweet fragrance was a person?

For no particular reason, I turned around.

Standing there was a woman with a divine aura, her beautiful hair, a harmony of red and yellow, swaying gently. I immediately knew she was a third-year from the red brooch on her uniform.

「...?!」

What is this feeling? It's like I've drunk an irreversible, potent drug that will scorch the rest of my life to cinders. A feeling of having found a lifelong guidepost that I will follow until I die.

I can't take my eyes off that autumn-leaf-colored senpai. I know it's rude to stare so intently at a woman, but my eyes wouldn't even twitch.

「...What's wrong with me? Am I okay?」

I ask myself, but there's no way I'm okay.

My face is hot. My heart is pounding. I can't blink. My thoughts are being dyed.

To repeat myself, there's no way I'm okay. I'm not okay in the slightest, but I did have some knowledge of these symptoms.

「──I see.」

I observe myself objectively and nod.

It seems I──have fallen in love at first sight.

I knew the beginnings of love were many and varied, but I never imagined that what would visit me would be 「love at first sight, as soon as entering high school」. Without a doubt, I've had the fastest spring arrival of any new student by a long shot.

I had assumed that once I knew love, I'd become interested in concepts like being popular or a harem. But reality was the opposite.

「As long as I can get close to that senpai, I don't care what anyone else thinks of me.」

All I want is the affection of that one person.

A harem has vanished from my sights.

「I wonder what kind of man she likes.」

Her favorite hairstyle? Personality? Tone of voice? Physique?

I still know nothing about my senpai. Which means I don't know how I should change myself.

If she said she liked one-armed men, I'd have to cut off an arm, and if she admired the one-eyed, I'd have to gouge out an eye.

I'll do anything. I can do anything.

Perhaps what people call falling in love is becoming capable of anything.

The first love I ever found was a love like a drug.

「Yeah, it's my first love, after all. I'll give it my all.」

And so.

This is the story of how I──Harei Hareto, sacrifice my social standing, my identity, my gender, and many other precious things to close the distance with the senpai I admire.

☆

The free time before the entrance ceremony begins is important enough to determine the entirety of one's three years of high school.

After all, it's a precious situation that can only happen in this very moment, where most of the people around you are meeting for the first time. It goes without saying how much your high school life will be affected by your decisions on who to talk to, who to get close to, and which group to position yourself in. A failure could land you in a lower caste, and you might even become a target for bullying.

Thus, the classroom was a swirl of schemes.

Who will be the center of the year? Who should I cozy up to? Who should I avoid?

While such fierce battles of wits were being waged in every corner of the classroom──

「That's strange. Where did that beautiful senpai I saw at the school gate go?」

──I had abandoned everything and was searching for the senpai I'd fallen for.

A high school debut? New friends? What are those? The bullying, ostracism, and isolation that likely awaited me in the future couldn't put the brakes on me now.

「Actually, where exactly am I walking right now...?」

But I was currently lost. My head start in love, for which I'd sacrificed all my future friends, was quickly becoming a waste. The complex school layout, with no thought given to convenience, made me want to punch the idiot who designed it.

「...What should I do?」

Holographic posters for club recruitment flickered in the corner of my vision. Since they were just holograms, they weren't physically in the way, but they were distracting nonetheless.

「Searching blindly like this might be a waste of time.」

Resigned, I decided to ask a nearby senpai for help. I called out to a female senpai with glasses who caught my eye. She was absentmindedly and seemingly bored, operating a hologram window projected from her projection-type projection-type smart device.

「Um, excuse me, senpai. I have something I'd like to ask, do you have a moment?」

「...Hm? Oh, if you're fine with me. Is something wrong?」

Her reply came in a very gentle voice. It seemed she was being considerate, so as not to frighten a younger student like me.

「Actually, I'm looking for someone.」

「Looking for someone...? Why at a time like this? The entrance ceremony for first-years is about to start.」

「Well, it's a bit complicated.」

I couldn't bring myself to say I was looking for a senpai I'd fallen in love with at first sight. I proceeded with the conversation vaguely.

「She has red hair, do you know her?」

「Red hair?」

「Yes. But it's not all red... uh, the tips are yellowish, like beautiful autumn leaves.」

「Ah, I know who you mean. That would be the third-year student council president, Higiku Naki. There's no doubt.」

Higiku Naki.

I repeated the name in my mind. I finally learned it──not that it was much of a struggle, but I felt a small sense of emotion at this step forward in my first love.

「What kind of person is Higiku-senpai?」

「She's the student council president of this academy. They call her 'The Talented Woman Blessed with Everything from Heaven,' the most beautiful person in this world.」

「Oh.」

「In addition to her exceptional intellect, she has also mastered the naginata and kendo in martial arts. Because of that fighting sense, she's also renowned as one of the strongest in the VR world.」

「Oh!」

「By the way, her favorite game genre is FPS.」

「Oh ho!」

「And her favorite sweet is manju.」

「Oh ho ho!」

「Also, the gender she looks for in a partner is female.」

「Oh ho──...huh?」

Isn't that a bit of a problem?

Because I'm a guy.

☆

With the announcement that the entrance ceremony was finally starting, my classmates and I were guided to the gymnasium. But upon entering, the place was a strange space that made me tilt my head and think, 「Is this really a gymnasium?」

White walls. A white ceiling. A floor, also white, with only black lines drawn evenly like a Go board. There were no familiar basketball hoops to be seen; it was less a gymnasium and more a simple white rectangular prism.

『All new students have been confirmed present. The entrance ceremony will now begin.』

A mechanical voice suddenly spoke. A strange tone that sounded neither male nor female echoed from a speaker in the back. The voice probably belonged to the AI in charge of managing Saien Academy's projection system. I was curious what kind of specs an AI entrusted with the great Saien Academy would boast, but well, now was not the time to worry about it.

Glancing around, I saw that the students from every class were staring forward with tense expressions.

『The student council president will preside over the entirety of the entrance ceremony. Therefore, the highest authority of 《Sidir》 will be temporarily transferred to the student council president, and at the same time, the functions of 《Aether》 will be used to assist Higiku Naki.』

...?

What was that about? It seemed I wasn't the only one confused, as I could hear a slight stir around me.

『Higiku Naki. Come forward.』

But it was only for a moment.

The instant the autumn-leaf-colored student council president I had fallen in love with appeared──everyone present forgot how to speak, and silence fell once more. Including me, of course. From the moment I heard the name Higiku Naki, I had been desperately straining my eyes to find her.

──Tap, tap, tap.

The light sound of her climbing the stairs echoed.

Placed before us new students was a white platform about three meters high, serving as a stage. She walked forward leisurely, her uniform swaying like a royal robe.

When her footsteps stopped, a moment of silence filled the air.

Looking up, I saw 〝nobility〟 itself, pupils dilated, smiling.

「──Well now. I wonder who among you is the strongest.」

Her voice was abnormally clear.

It was the first time I'd ever heard a person's voice and thought of a jewel. It was like gazing at a crimson snowfield through a ruby. Before I knew it, I was just staring at her, my mind blank.

There was no mistake. It was her, the one I saw at the school gate. The autumn-haired senpai I had fallen in love with.

「You all look so stiff. It would help if you'd relax a little. Don't look so anxious... here, try to smile.」

As she said that, Higiku-senpai lifted one of her own cheeks with her thumb. I shivered at the sudden glimpse of a sharp, double-pointed tooth.

「Ahaha, it's not like I'm going to say anything so important that you need to cower and listen. Those who want to listen can listen, and those who are interested can look up. Even if everyone here fell asleep, my words would not change.」

I swallowed hard. If anyone in this room were to fall asleep, they'd have to be the kind of fool who could doze off with their face submerged in water.

「At any rate, let me first welcome you all. Welcome to our Saien Academy. I──Higiku Naki, sincerely congratulate you on your enrollment.」

For some reason, her confident smile put me at ease. Every one of her fluid movements drew my gaze.

「Now. Normally, we would proceed with the procedure known as the 『entrance ceremony』, but... my apologies. This time, there will be no new student address, nor any gracious words from the chairman. I have taken it upon myself to omit them all. Because they are a waste.」

The gymnasium stirred once more. But Higiku-senpai didn't seem to mind in the slightest──in fact, she stifled a yawn as if bored, and waited for us to quiet down.

「...Let's continue. Therefore, what I will speak of now are the features of this academy you should know. I will impart knowledge that will be of the utmost importance for your lives from now on. ...That said, it's no good talking while standing. You may sit in those chairs.」

──Snap.

The moment the student council president snapped her fingers, a chair appeared in front of every new student.

「...Eh?」

A chair was there before I knew it. A chair had suddenly materialized out of the empty void. It wasn't a hallucination or anything of the sort; it was a real, tangible chair. Unable to comprehend the scene before me, I repeated the same thought over and over. What just happened?

「Fufu, thank you for the expected reaction. I apologize for teasing you needlessly, but well, it's only a matter of sooner or later. Please forgive me. In any case, to explain, the name of the technology you just witnessed is──《Aether》. To put it simply, it's a 『tangible hologram』. From now on, you will all spend your high school lives with this 《Aether》.」

A tangible hologram, she said?

「You're all familiar with ordinary holograms, aren't you? You should have plenty of them around you, from smartphones to posters.」

I sensed the students around me nodding slightly. Projection technology had become a familiar part of our daily lives and a major element in describing the cityscapes of today. For the past few decades, the bricks, asphalt, and appearance of buildings hadn't changed one bit, but 『holograms』, which supplemented their appearance both practically and decoratively, had become deeply intertwined and rooted.

But even so, the idea of them being tangible was an occult technology a hundred years in the future, something to be scoffed at... though having seen it with my own eyes, I had no choice but to believe it.

「There are only two major differences between those ordinary holograms and 《Aether》. First, as I just said, is that they can be 『touched』. And the other is──」

Higiku Naki smiled fearlessly.

「──that they are 『not easily distinguishable from the real thing』. As for what this means, you should all think about it carefully.」

Higiku-senpai's words made me gasp. So I decided to look around again.

There had been something off about this gymnasium from the start. Namely, it was far too lacking in design. When you spend a lot of money to build a huge building, you don't normally make it a single, unadorned white color. Any person would think to make it at least somewhat practical.

So, if there was a reason for it──

「...No way.」

──Could it be that this entire building was a hologram created in an instant?

I felt like my eyes met Higiku-senpai's.

The distance was too great, so it might have been my imagination, but I somehow felt she was looking at me.

「...Now then, we demand a great deal from you all. Intellect and physical strength, of course, but also your judgment in sudden situations and various other things. Can you use a blade? A firearm? Have you ever killed a living creature?」

No, wait a minute, you don't need blades at school, do you...?

No, or perhaps, since Saien Academy is a super-prestigious school for e-sports, she's just alluding to that. In this modern era where VR has permeated society, real-world physical skills are considered important for mastering VR games──and conversely, one's ranking in a VR space has come to be included as one of the abilities evaluated in the real world. Therefore, high schools like Saien Academy that proclaim to focus on e-sports are no longer rare.

Still, I felt a slight strangeness in the context of Higiku-senpai's words, but since the new students around me accepted it without any particular concern, I decided to just keep listening.

「In short. All your experiences will save you, but at the same time, all your inexperience will invite you into a vortex of regret. You understand, don't you? In other words, ignorance is a sin. ...In this game(academy) that you all will live in.」

(T/N: A quick note for the future regarding 義訓/gikun. Or 'false readings', in Japanese text it's a type of furigana/ruby characters (smaller text usually on top of kanji) used to provide an alternative reading or interpretation that differs from the standard reading of the kanji. To put it simply, the plain text is the visual/written meaning, the furigana is the spoken/intended meaning. And moving forward will be translate as {Original text}(Reading))

Her explanation continued to somehow miss the point, and I couldn't quite grasp the main idea. But seeing how much fun she was having, I could tell that the student council president was doing it on purpose.

「For now, I'll teach you two rules you should know for life at Saien Academy. First, go home by the end of the school day. And second, if you get lost on campus, head for the student council room. ...Fufu, I'll personally guide you outside.」

She said it jokingly, but I couldn't help but feel there was a hidden meaning behind her words. I wondered if I should really take them at face value.

「Those of you who aren't sitting yet, hurry up and sit down. Since I'm the type who gets bored easily, I'll probably get tired of talking and leave in about ten minutes or so. Once that happens, this entrance-ceremony-like-something will be over.」

Higiku-senpai used 《Aether》 to create a throne-like chair right beside her, then sat down and crossed her legs languidly. Looking down on us, her eyes narrowed with amusement.

「──Now, let's make this a meaningful ten minutes, shall we? I'll answer any questions you have. Feel free to raise your hands.」

☆

After the entrance ceremony, I returned to the classroom and lightly tapped the 「desk」 placed in front of me.

I quietly recalled Higiku-senpai's explanation.

「──A tangible hologram, huh.」

A system independently developed and operated by Saien Academy's technology division. Commonly known as 《Aether》.

There was no 「desk」 in front of me. All that was there was solidified light.

Real or fake (hologram)? Physical object or hologram?

It was already impossible to tell them apart by sight, and you couldn't easily tell even by touching them. The only difference that could be primitively distinguished was the slight variation in the sound they made when tapped.

I stood up from my seat and went around tapping on nearby objects. The desk was a fake, but what about this metal-looking chair I was sitting on...? Oh, this one's real. It seems that, on very rare occasions, real objects are mixed in.

「From the looks of it, I wonder if the cherry blossoms growing outside were fake too?」

So much for atmosphere. I had to admire their dedication to projecting every last fluttering petal, but I couldn't help feeling they were misplacing their efforts.

──《Aether》.

According to what Higiku-senpai said during the entrance ceremony, it was a super-technology perfected by partially demystifying 「psychokinesis,」 which was once treated as an occult phenomenon. It has many unstable elements and is far from worldwide adoption, but here at Saien Academy, it's apparently used everywhere.

「Still, this is too elaborate.」

The desks, the chairs, the cherry blossoms. For the students of this academy, it probably didn't matter whether they were real or fake. After all, there was no particular difference.

「...I wonder about Higiku-senpai. Is she the type to care about what's real and what's fake?」

Can she only pour her love into something real?

Or can she feel love for a fake made of a hologram?

──In other words, would she love a fake (hologram) girl without a second thought?

During the entrance ceremony, I had been thinking about how I could get closer to Higiku-senpai. According to what that oneesan-senpai told me this morning, Higiku-senpai's romantic interests are women. In that case, with my male appearance, it would be difficult to get into a romantic relationship with her, no matter how hard I struggled.

「...Guess I have no choice.」

If I can't even step into the ring as a man, then I'll just have to become a woman.

On the battlefield of love, it's only natural to make an effort to match your partner's preferences. Changing your hairstyle, changing your physique, changing your personality... and it would not be surprising if 「gender」 was also an extension of that.

And the means to do so was already in my hands.

「《Aether》. Using this technology, I should be able to create a holographic body that's indistinguishable from the real thing.」

An avatar, so to speak. A second body that I could build from scratch.

Going as far as changing my gender would probably come with an unavoidable sense of awkwardness when moving my body, but it couldn't be helped. Even if I had to suffer numerous disadvantages, there was a definite merit to acting as a woman.

──Change my gender and seduce the senpai I admire.

Honestly, even I think it's a stupid idea.

☆

「So, I've decided to become a girl.」

「Wh-What are you sayin'...? You're seriously creepin' me out all of a sudden.」

I declared it proudly. And a certain boy stared at me, completely put off. In the deserted classroom after the entrance ceremony, we sat in chairs facing each other.

This Kansai dialect speaking boy's name is Fujino Renji. He's a bad friend of mine from middle school. He's one of my unpopular comrades, having spent all three years of middle school without a girlfriend, just like me.

Renji must have been aiming for a new look for high school, as his hair was now a light brown and he had piercings, but on the inside, he was the same as me. This guy's not going to be popular in high school, either.

「I knew you were an idiot, but there's gotta be a limit. You're already a horrifying idiot by default, so at least try to limit the range of your idiocy, you idiot.」

「This is the first time I've been called an idiot so many times in one breath...」

I debated slapping Renji's face, but I wanted to get on with the conversation, so I held myself back.

「Anyway, are you serious about makin' a girl's body with 《Aether》?」

「I'm serious. I tried it out a little, and it felt like controlling an avatar in a VR space.」

「I'm not askin' if it's possible, I'm askin', 『are you're sane?』」

I wonder. I'm not so sure myself.

I'm aware that I'm not being picky about my methods, even if it is to make a difficult romance come true.

「...So, why'd you tell me all this?」

「I need some objective advice on how to pull off being a girl.」

I clutched a "certain something" in my pocket. Then, steeling myself, I took it out and showed it to Renji.

「Actually, I just bought this at the school store...」

「What is it?」

「Girls' underwear.」

「Why?」

Renji was dumbfounded. I think his reaction was perfectly reasonable.

「Even though I'm using 《Aether》, I'm trying to become a girl, right? I figured I should know the real thing, too.」

「But the school store is a bad idea. If you go buyin' girls' panties in a place like that──」

「Yeah. The old lady at the store probably won't be able to forget my face until the day she dies.」

「What is drivin' you this far...?」

My resolve. I have the resolve to end my high school life the moment it begins if it means getting closer to Higiku-senpai. I'm sure that right about now, a horrifying nickname for me is being made up in the school store, but even that is a trivial matter to me.

「...Well, your weird behavior is nothin' new. So, what kinda advice are you lookin' for by showin' me that?」

「I wanted to hear your opinion on the design of these panties.」

「The design?」

「I want you to imagine me wearing these. Do you think they'd suit me?」

「I don't know, that's disgusting. I'll kill you.」

So harsh. But even I think that last comment was pretty gross, so I decided to apologize sincerely. I reluctantly dropped the topic of underwear and we moved on to discussing 「what kind of girl is liked by other girls」. I wasn't sure how helpful Renji's opinion would be, but it was surely better than me deciding on my own.

「What're you gonna do if your confession succeeds while you're a girl? You can't just keep datin' her while hidin' the fact you're a guy, right?」

「Well, if it succeeds, I'll tell her the truth. 『From now on, I'll always be a woman in front of you, but I'm actually a man』. That's why I have to work hard to make her like my personality.」

「...That's a tough one.」

「Yeah. So even though I'll be pretending to be a girl, I'll maintain the distance of the opposite sex.」

I'm only choosing a girl's appearance because Higiku-senpai's romantic interests are girls. I have no intention of using a girl's appearance for ulterior motives. It's obvious that there's no merit whatsoever in impure evil deeds when trying to build a good relationship.

「Well, I'll be cheerin' for you, at least.」

「Thanks.」

I know it's a thorny path of love. But the flames of my love weren't so weak as to give up over that. I'll fight against any hardship, I told myself, psyching myself up.

──A short digression.

「By the way, changing the subject, Renji.」

「Yeah?」

「Look at the clock. It's already afternoon. The last school bus left a long time ago, and there's probably no one left in the school but us, right?」

Saien Academy is famous as a high-tech educational institution with the latest equipment, but its location is hopelessly bad. The view from the window is nothing but rice paddies as far as the eye can see. There isn't a single store to be found, and even the nearest station (Saien Academy Front Station) is a two-hour walk away, making it overwhelmingly isolated.

Therefore, the academy runs a free shuttle bus every fifteen minutes between the school and the nearest station, but the last one had already departed at some point.

「You'll be fine, Hareto. You're rentin' an apartment super close, right by the school gate.」

「I am. What are you going to do, Renji? Walk two hours home?」

「Don't be an idiot. I'm stayin' at your place.」

「I don't remember agreeing to that... Well, whatever.」

Incidentally, Saien Academy Front Station—commonly known as 『Saimae Station』, is as developed as a city center, so almost all students either rent a room in the academy-owned apartment building near Saimae Station or near a station that's one train ride away from Saimae Station.

Since the academy shuttle bus doesn't run on Sundays, which are days off, almost no students live near the academy due to the extraordinary inconvenience of daily life. In fact, I just moved in myself, and I'm already regretting it.

「Hm?」

As I was thinking about that, the classroom's automatic door suddenly slid open with a voom. I looked up to see a boy standing there. Renji and I stared at the boy, dumbfounded. It was the boy who spoke first.

「...Ah! S-Sorry. I didn't think anyone was still here.」

He was a boy with a very timid air about him. His features were quite androgynous, with a cute appearance that would likely be popular with strong-willed older women. If he were wearing a girl's uniform, I would have definitely mistaken him for a girl. Surprised by this type of guy I'd rarely met before, I replied calmly so as not to frighten him.

「No, no, don't worry about it. It's not like we have any business here. Should we leave if we're in your way?」

「T-T-T-Tha, that's not it! I was just walking around the school, and the door happened to react... I'm sorry, I'm really sorry!」

Walking around, huh? That means he's a new student like us. It's not strange at all to explore the school to get a grasp of the building's layout. I saw the blue school emblem brooch, the mark of a first-year, on his collar and judged that I was right.

「Hey, you a first-year too?」

「Y-Yes. The classroom I used today wasn't this one, but I'm a new student...」

「Oh. Well, meetin' here must be fate, so let's be friends. We don't really know anyone here yet either. I'm Fujino Renji. You can just call me Renji. And you are?」

「I'm... uh, Aki. My friends just call me Aki.」

An impromptu self-introduction began. Both of their gazes turned to me, and I understood it was my turn. I cleared my throat lightly, checked the condition of my voice, and thought about what to say.

The first impression makes a big difference in a future relationship, so the first greeting is crucial. Being looked down on is bad, but being intimidating is also inappropriate. If I can push just the right amount of casualness to the forefront, it'll be perfect, but will it work out?

I put on a cool face, gave a wink, and──

「By the way, the ugly guy next to me is Hareto. Feel free to call him ugly.」

「Ah, nice to meet you, Ugly-san.」

──I acquired the title of Ugly.

This is wrong, this wasn't supposed to happen. It's too much of a pain to get angry now, so I just stated my full name, Harei Hareto, and ended the self-introduction phase.

「Anyway, this school is really huge, isn't it? Were you able to see all of it, Aki-kun?」

「No, not at all yet. And there are a lot of facilities I don't understand.」

「Facilities you don't understand?」

「Yes. Like the 『mock hunting room』.」

「What's that...?」

「I have no idea either.」

Hunting. What on earth are we supposed to hunt in a school? Normies? If they told me to hunt them, I'd do it without hesitation, but it's a strange thing for the school to encourage normie hunting.

「Saien Academy is famous for e-sports, so maybe it's related to that? To be honest, I only enrolled because I got a scouting message, so I didn't really look into the school that much.」

「Same here.」

「I did look into it... but there wasn't anything that unusual written. Though now that I think about it, the 『e-sports education using the academy's unique technology』 written on the home page might have been about 《Aether》.」

Needless to say, a technology like 「tangible holograms」 is useful in all sorts of situations. But Higiku-senpai also spoke of 《Aether》 instability due to its occult-mixed nature. I could sort of guess why they wouldn't publicize it excessively, even if they weren't hiding it from the world.

I suddenly looked up and my eyes met Aki-kun's. His eyes were darting about, and he looked like he had something he wanted to ask me.

「What's wrong, Aki-kun?」

「...No, uh. This is a sudden change of topic. And I'm not even sure if I should ask this.」

「Hm?」

「...What's with the women's underwear? Why are you clutching it so preciously?」

「Ah, this.」

Aki-kun's gaze was fixed on the pair of women's panties I was clutching.

Well, of course he'd be curious. It's scary when someone you've just met is holding a pair of girls' panties. It reeks of criminality. But since I had nothing to be ashamed of, I decided to answer Aki-kun's question with confidence.

「First off, I don't want you to get the wrong idea.」

「Yes.」

「I didn't steal these from anyone.」

「Oh, that's a relief──」

「These are, in the truest sense, my panties that I bought for myself.」

「──I'm not relieved. I'm actually surprised at how you failed to explain anything at all.」

True. That was just me confessing that I'm a pervert.

I've never seen a high school boy other than myself clutching a pair of girls' panties and loudly declaring, 「These are mine!」

「Well, who cares about that. Let's be friends from now on, Aki-kun.」

「...Okay. ...Nice to meet you.」

I forcefully grabbed the hand of the extremely reluctant-looking Aki-kun and shook it firmly in a handshake of friendship. I'm never letting you go. We're friends for life now.

「Sorry 'bout that, Aki. Our idiot here is not only ugly but also a pervert. This guy's a total low life with all three traits, but he's fun to watch from the sidelines, so it's not a problem.」

「What a horrible thing to say.」

「Please stop, Renji-san. I don't think Hareto-san is ugly.」

「Huh? You mean, Aki-kun, you're going to be on my side?」

「Yes. Hareto-san is by no means ugly. I will deny that part with all my might.」

「Ah, no. This is just indirectly affirming that I'm an idiot and a pervert.」

Damn it, I'm not a pervert. Why do these sad misunderstandings always happen? I slammed my fist on the hologram desk and lamented the injustice of this world from the bottom of my heart.

「...Ah, I should probably get going. I have something to do after this. I'd love to talk with you two more, but I'm sorry.」

「Oh, really? That's a shame.」

「You two should probably head home soon too, Hareto-san.」

「Got it. See ya.」

And with that, Aki-kun just exchanged contact info with us and scurried out of the classroom. Well now, a new encounter is a joyous thing. This is why a new spring is so exciting.

Now that we were alone again, we continued to chat aimlessly as usual. Eventually, we ran out of things to talk about and grew tired of just lazing around in here──

「...Hey, shouldn't we head home soon? The entrance ceremony ended ages ago, and it's already one o'clock.」

「You're right. I have some preparations to make at home, too.」

「Preparations? To make a female avatar? I won't stop you, but try not to cause trouble for everyone around you.」

「Yeah, I'll be careful.」

Renji's tolerance for my eccentricities is one of his virtues. To be blunt, you could say he's just given up, but in any case, I'm grateful for Renji's presence, as he never gets in my way and is reasonably cooperative.

We stood up and approached the door, which slid open automatically, clearing a path for us. As we passed through the classroom doorway, a lukewarm breeze rustled our hair.

「Um, it's to the left, right? The exit.」

「That's right.」

Once in the hallway, we started walking toward the main entrance.

No matter how complex the structure of Saien Academy was, we at least remembered the direction of the exit. So even as new students, we wouldn't get lost just trying to find the route outside.

Or so I thought.

「「...?」」

──Something was off.

It was a change so laughably obvious, yet so ridiculous that I wanted to deny it myself. Beside me, Renji's cheeks were twitching just like mine.

「Hey, Hareto. I'm about to say somethin' real stupid, but will ya forgive me?」

「Of course. I'm a very broad-minded person.」

「Then don't laugh when ya hear it.」

He took a breath.

「──Was this hallway always this long?」

「I wonder. At the very least, this is my first time seeing a hallway with no end in sight.」

We both laughed, hahaha. Not that this was any time for laughing. What the hell was seriously going on? When we passed through here just a few hours ago, it was a normal hallway, but now it was in this surreal state. Did they finish a massive renovation while we were just messing around in the classroom? Impossible.

But since the hallway in front of us had actually been extended, there had to be some method. And the first method that came to mind was──

「...Could it be 《Aether》?」

「Ah, I was just thinking the same thing.」

With holograms, any structure could be created in an instant.

It seemed we had underestimated the versatility of the over-the-top technology known as 「tangible holograms」. In other words, not just the gymnasium, but the entire academy must have been a hologram from the start.

「But I don't get the purpose. What's the point of remakin' the hallway? I mean, other things have probably changed besides the hallway... Anyway, they wouldn't do somethin' this troublesome without a reason. In fact, we're the ones in trouble 'cause we can't get out of the school building.」

To put it plainly, it felt like we'd been thrown into a giant maze. Now, which way were we supposed to go? Just at a glance, the number of corners was staggering, and a twisted corridor continued on the other side of the windows. When I tried opening the door to another classroom, a new hallway stretched out there as well.

「...What do we do? We're seriously lost.」

「Even if you ask me what to do...」

As we stood there, at a loss,

──Keeen koooon kaaahn koooon.

The school's distinctive bell rang.[[z7gffk]]

「The chime? Why at this hour?」

「And ain't the pitch all messed up? ...It's creepy.」

It was what you'd call a dissonance. Since we were used to the normal chime, the unpleasantness lingered in our ears. I grimaced and looked at the speaker from which the bell was ringing. I had no reason for it, but I had a feeling that something more was about to come from that speaker.

『──This is Sidir.』

An announcement. A flat, mechanical voice. We flinched as the low, deeply unsettling tone sent a shiver through our bodies.

『The labyrinth has finished generating. The labyrinth has finished generating. Please begin preparations for 〝School Climb〟 Projection Depth: Lv. 1. Five-floor structure. Quest initiated──Slay Reg Arresta. Time limit is five hours. Please note that hostile entities (Veil) will appear within the labyrinth, so equipping your phantom gear is recommended. Please be careful not to die without it.』

One after another, strings of incomprehensible words were listed off. Being well-versed in games, I could sort of grasp what it was trying to say, but it was far too bizarre an announcement to be broadcast inside a school. What was about to happen?

「...So what's that mean? Tell me, Renji.」

「I dunno. Probably trouble. For now, look for somethin' that can be used as a weapon.」

「Okay.」

I didn't know what was what, but I knew that anything could happen now.

I returned to the classroom we had just been in and slammed one of the chairs onto the ground. From its shattered parts, I picked out two of the largest, sharpest pieces. It was crude, but they would function as weapons. I handed one of the parts I'd picked up to Renji.

「...Why'd ya pick a chair?」

「Because I don't know if holographic objects can be broken. The only thing I knew for sure was real was this chair.」

「I see.」

Renji gave the chair part I handed him a few light swings. It was probably awkward to use, but it was better than being bare-handed.

We decided to head for the exit at once and press forward──

「...Hm?」

──But.

There was something at the end of the hallway.

It was humanoid, but clearly not human. It had dirty brown skin and a massive body that nearly reached the ceiling. In its hand, it held a thick club about as wide as my waist, and it let out a pig-like squeal.

「...I think I've fought that thing in a VR game before.」

──An orc.

It was almost certainly a hologram, but if that creature was created by a 「tangible hologram」, then its danger level was no different from the real thing.

In other words, if it grabbed us or hit us, we'd be killed with ease.

「Huh? What do we do?」

「Well, there's nothin' we can do about it...」

We stared at each other in silence. It seemed further discussion was unnecessary. When faced with a monster of that colossal size, there was only one option.

「「Alright, let's run!」」

Renji and I dashed off side-by-side. Turning our backs to the orc, we sprinted away at full speed.

「Come on, run run ruuuun!」

「We can't deal with that thing in this situation!」

Our style was to live by the 「he who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day」 philosophy. We cast aside all pride and honor and began a desperate sprint. The protagonists in anime and manga might say, 「I have a reason I can't run!」, but that meant nothing to us.

Of course we'd run. It's scary.

Besides, considering its huge frame, the orc shouldn't be able to keep up with our speed──

『BUMOOOOOOOOO!』

──That was a naive thought. That fat guy was the type that could move nimbly.

「You've got to be kidding me!? Why is that thing so fast!?」

「I-I don't know! Just run!」

Both Renji and I were quite confident in our physical abilities, but the orc easily shattered that pride. The distance between us was gradually closing, and a cold sweat wouldn't stop running down my forehead.

「Damn it...! Renji, go try to persuade it! I think you two would probably get along!」

「Huh!? What're ya tryin' to say!」

「That orc is wearing a piercing that doesn't suit it at all! It's just like you, a pathetic loser trying to make a high school debut as a popular kid!」

「Shut up, you bastard, I'll kill you!?」

Even while running for his life, Renji skillfully grabbed me by the collar. But when the orc's club grazed the back of his neck, he quickly realized we had bigger problems.

「Dammit...! Hey Renji, we can't outrun it! Let's take it down!」

「Are ya insane!?」

「Don't worry! My fists can reach its crotch!」

「You're gonna try and take down an orc by aimin' for its crotch!?」

If Renji and I each crushed one ball, that would be two in total. Even an orc wouldn't be able to stand after that.

「What if it's a female!?」

「G-Good point...!」

I hadn't thought of that. If we aimed for the crotch and it did no damage, we'd be the ones in trouble. A counterattack would surely come without a moment's delay.

In that case, aiming for the crotch was too risky.

「But you're right that we have to take it down...! Hey, Hareto! I'll parry its club, and you use that opening to slit its throat!」

「G-Got it!」

I was worried whether I could actually take off an orc's head with a flimsy weapon like a piece of a chair, but I had to do it.

「H-RAAAH!!」

Renji barely managed to deflect the downward swing of the club. The club sank into the floor, cracking it──and a wide-open orc appeared before my eyes.

──Calm down, calm down. This is no different from a game.

I suppressed my ragged breathing and forced myself to take a sharp step forward.

Using the orc's swung-down club as a foothold, I secured my jumping distance. I could easily reach its throat.

「Take, this!!」

With a leap, I delivered a sweeping slash as I passed by. My blade certainly cut the orc's neck.

『Buhya, buhi...!』

It was shallow. It was a simple attack action that would succeed a thousand times out of a thousand in a game, but the fear of injury had made my arm hesitate.

──I missed. I'll go for another strike.

I did a backflip and landed on the window rail. Turn. Leap. Faster than the orc could turn around, I closed the distance to zero again. Then, tracing the first wound, I stabbed the chair fragment deep into its neck from behind.

『...! ..., ...』

This time it was a fatal blow, the orc lost consciousness and collapsed. The club it let go of clattered to the floor.

The noisy hallway fell silent, and we each let out a sigh of relief.

「That was close... So, what was that thing anyway?」

「Who knows?」

「Are there monsters like this all over the academy?」

「Maybe. Please spare me, though.」

In a game, this level of difficulty would be a piece of cake, but in reality, it was a different story. Just defeating a single orc was mentally exhausting. In any case, we needed to rethink our next move. I was about to talk to Renji to discuss where to go from here──

「Hoh. Not bad, first-years.」

──Suddenly, a woman's voice from behind.

We jumped in surprise and hurriedly turned around.

Standing there was a single woman. Black-haired, wearing glasses, a familiar face. It was the black-haired senpai I had spoken to before the entrance ceremony this morning.

「Welcome to the other side of the academy... and, you don't have to be so surprised. I'm not a scary senpai.」

Was it cosplay? The clothes the woman was wearing were a far cry from the Saien Academy uniform we knew. It was like a chic maid outfit with a little bit of a uniform flair added──and modified for combat. A whip was also hanging from her waist.

Clap, clap, clap.

It was the sound of someone clapping boredly. The senpai looked at me without interest and offered her congratulations with a sigh.

「For now, congratulations. You two have been chosen by Sidir. You have been noticed, chosen, and have earned the right to color the abyss. ...Please look at your index fingers. The silver ring placed there without your permission by Sidir is the proof.」

I stared blankly at my right hand. There, a ring I had no memory of was on my finger. Looking beside me, Renji's eyes were wide, just like mine.

「...Chosen?」

「Yes, that's right. ──So now, it's your turn to choose.」

「Choose what?」

「Will you pretend you saw nothing today and go home like all the other ignorant masses? Or will you become our comrade, step into this twisted world, and challenge the 〝School Climb〟 ?」

I couldn't fully grasp the situation.

To begin with, was the woman in front of me really an ally?

「Either is fine, you know? It's not like I have high expectations for your abilities.」

The questions were endless. But at the very least, it was certain that she knew more about the current situation than we did.

Renji and I looked at each other and gave a small nod. It would be safer to follow this woman than to wander through a labyrinth whose full extent we couldn't see. So we cheerfully and brightly declared, 「We'll be your comrades」.

We could decide whether to betray her or not after hearing the full story.