Kossori Kakureta, the Ultimate Infiltrator, started speaking as he took careful aim at the students behind Monorakun.
"Sorry, buddy, but I've got a contract to fulfill. This game is over. Everybody loses. Including you."
"Over my very expensive parts!" Monorakun spat back. "Your very existence violates the rules of this place, and I refuse to let you harm a single student here!"
"Unfortunately for you, buddy, I didn't ask your permission," Kossori flatly replied, before returning his attention to the students behind Monorakun, who were making their way around the corner. However, Chihiro and I were too stunned to move, as we remained silent behind Kossori.
Kossori started firing off rounds at the students. Monorakun, to my surprise, put himself between Kossori's gun and the students, taking every shot into himself. Bullets rang off his paws, head, and torso, as he risked his body to keep the others safe.
Eventually, Kossori's gun ran out of bullets. As he went to switch to another gun, holstered on his thigh, Monorakun charged at him. Monorakun shrank his limbs back to their normal size before pouncing on Kossori's chest, clinging onto his chest armor. Kossori staggered back a bit, and Monorakun reached back, extending his claws, and stabbed him under the chin with them.
Kossori cried out in pain, stumbling backwards. Meanwhile, Monorakun reached back and slashed his claws across Kossori's throat, just above where his chest armor ended.
Kossori grabbed at his throat and went down in front of the Restrooms, just on the other side of the double doors, with Monorakun still on top of him. Kossori wrestled with the robotic raccoon, but Monorakun bit his hand and let his sawing motion activate on his jaws, seriously wounding Kossori's hands.
As the rest of the class watched, Monorakun slashed and bit at Kossori's neck and hands, managing to get his right glove off. Blood started pooling around Kossori as Monorakun's attacks became more vicious, and I could see the artery near Kossori's wrist was cut open and bleeding out.
Chihiro finally snapped out of it and ran for his dorm room. It quickly occurred to me to do the same. I ran to my dorm room, shut the door behind me, and then quickly opened my E-Handbook. I jumped into the Group Chat immediately.
*Bera Haikiko has entered the chat.
Bera Haikiko: What is going on right now?!
Kenchikka Kowareta: Crazy guy break in, threaten to kill everyone. Asshole Raccoon eating him for dinner. Kinda gross.
Kaito Momota: Yeah, no kidding. I'm almost pissed about this, but I'd rather have Monorakun live and be stuck here, than have that lunatic win and start shooting at us again!
Kenchikka Kowareta: Would be nice if came here to rescue. Death? Not my idea of rescue.
*Theo Poster has entered the chat.
Theo Poster: Good students, I believe Monorakun has neutralized the threat.
Just then, a message came in through the monitors. It was Monorakun's face on the screen.
"Attention Students! All clear! I repeat, all clear! Maintenance requests that you take care when passing through the double doors between the First Floor and the dorms, as the floor will be wet."
Curious, I left my dorm and went back towards the bathrooms, passing a few students returning to their own dorms. All of them had confused looks on their faces, glancing behind them as they walk.
I turn the corner, and Monorakun is standing in the hallway, using a mop and bucket to clean the blood up off the floor. Kossori is nowhere in sight.
I look over at Monorakun, confused.
"What's going on here?"
Monorakun wrings out his mop, then looks at me.
"What, you've never seen a robotic raccoon with a mop before?" Monorakun asked me, indignantly. "I'm just mopping the floor and burning some trash in the incinerator."
So that explains the mop and bucket, but... Wait, what did he mean by burning trash?
I then realized that Kossori's body was gone, and decided I didn't need any more clarification. Leaving Monorakun alone, I returned to my dorm, closed the door behind me, and reopened the Group Chat.
Bera Haikiko: Well, that Ultimate Infiltrator guy is gone. Monorakun's mopping in front of the restrooms.
Kenchikka Kowareta: Yeah. Asshole Raccoon killed him, dragged him into Trash Room. Probably burnt him up.
Theo Poster: Poor lad. It's curious, though, how he managed to get in here.
Mukuro Ikusaba: Whichever way that was, I'm sure Monorakun will seal it up. If he hasn't already, that is.
Kenchikka Kowareta: Valid point. Whatever entrance was used, likely gone now.
*Bera Haikiko left the chat.
I decided I was done with today, and put my E-Handbook up. It wasn't quite 10pm, but I didn't really care anymore. Between working on Kenchikka's new jacket, and dealing with the drama near the double doors between the Dorms and First Floor, I was exhausted. I changed into my PJs and headed to bed.
At 10pm, I heard the usual alert go off, accompanied with Monorakun's face.
"Attention everyone! It's now 10pm, which means it's Nighttime. The Dining Hall, Trash Room, and Pool doors are now closed and locked, and the water has been shut off to the facility at this time. Get some rest, and see you all in the morning!"
Afterwards, the screen returned to its usual TUTEC logo. I rolled back over and tried to sleep, tossing and turning. I couldn't get my mind off what was happening here. Four of my classmates were dead, someone snuck in here to kill us all, and none of us can find a way to escape yet.
My dreams, however, offered me no mercy.
My father, Henkutsuna, was getting himself ready to take me to TUTEC. My mom, Shitateya, was helping me make sure I had everything I needed for the trip.
"Can you two hurry up? I have better things to do with my time today," my dad grumped at us.
"Dear, we have to make sure Bera has everything he needs for school," my mom replied back, somewhat annoyed.
"YOU... have to do that. I... don't really need to go at all!" My dad shot back.
"Well, if that's the way you feel, dear, then I can drive myself into the city by myself," my mom retorted. "We'll see what your little friends say to you about -"
"Leave them out of this!" My father shouted back. "Fine, I'll take the future shirt maker of the world to school with you. Let's go."
I got my sewing repair kit and other things ready, and after looking over my clothing choice for the day, the three of us got into the car, with my mom at the wheel.
"Man, I can't wait to get there! I bet TUTEC is gonna be so much fun!" I was really excited to go.
"I just can't wait for you to be out of the house," my dad commented, mostly to himself.
"Now, now, dear, don't be such a sourpuss. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for Bera here," My mom reminded him. He just grunted in response, and continued to look out the window.
My mom and I spent most of the ride talking about the TUTEC pamphlet I had gotten in the mail; where it was, how long it had been running, some of the activities that I could partake in there, and even mentioned a few people that were supposed to have gone to TUTEC themselves.
"Wake up, everyone! It's 7am, and Nighttime is now over! Time to enjoy another fun-filled day at The Ultimate Talent Enhancement Center!"
Yeah... almost everything in that pamphlet was a lie. While the activities, so far, have been true (there were still two floors left), the rest of that pamphlet, I realized, was just a trap to lure students like me in here, lock us up, and watch us snap and kill each other.
I needed to find a way to put a stop to this, and I knew I couldn't do it alone. Kaito had one idea; Kenchikka had another; and never mind Celeste's twisted mindset about "Survival of the Fittest".
I needed to get Kenchikka and Kaito together for a meeting, but how?