At Advanced Nurturing High School, everyone watched the scene on the screen, and nearly everyone was stunned.
"Is the White Room a place like this?"
"It's so inhumane..."
"Did Ayanokouji really live in a place like that before... No wonder things turned out this way."
Everyone discussed Ayanokouji's past and the White Room with shocked expressions.
❀❀❀
In a hidden room, with a hot coffee on the table, Sakayanagi Arisu clutched her crutch and stared at the image on the screen. Unlike the others' shock, she had long known about Ayanokouji.
"Has the inhumane plan finally been exposed to the public? This video must put immense pressure on Ayanokouji's father."
Talking to herself, her eyes were focused on Ayanokouji's face in the image, and a smile appeared on Arisu's face.
"Although Echidna doesn't seem like a good person, she's right. Ayanokouji, you've finally changed a bit. Maybe you understand a little about the warmth brought by human contact, even if only a little. It's a good start... Even though I haven't met them, I really want to thank them in another world."
However, Arisu was also slightly disappointed. Initially, she hoped her appearance would be featured in the trial so she could announce to the public that she and Ayanokouji were childhood friends—even if it was only one-sided.
❀❀❀
In Class D, everyone's attention was on Ayanokouji.
"Ayanokouji…"
Horikita Suzune looked at him with a worried expression but didn't know what to say.
She hadn't expected Ayanokouji to have such a past.
Although Horikita was unsure of the video's authenticity, from the current perspective, its credibility was very high. This way, all the mysteries about Ayanokouji could be explained.
If the video was real, then Ayanokouji had used it as a tool. However, Horikita's focus was no longer on that. The source of Ayanokouji's character was related to the White Room Project; it was an existence she had never imagined.
Horikita wanted to comfort him, but Ayanokouji clearly wasn't the type who needed comfort, which made her unsure of what to do, as if there was an insurmountable barrier between them.
Ayanokouji sat in his seat without explaining much, seemingly accepting the current situation.
For him, the White Room now had nothing to do with him. Whether the White Room was exposed or what happened, he was not interested.
At that moment, Chabashira Sae, dressed in black, hurried into the classroom, her high heels making loud noises on the floor.
Ayanokouji noticed that Chabashira couldn't hide her panic and had lost her composure. He also guessed what might be happening.
The White Room plan had been exposed, and even she couldn't sit still.
"Ayanokouji, come with me."
"Sorry, sensei, as a student, I must fulfill my obligation to attend class properly."
"Unfortunately, you have no right to refuse. This is very important."
Chabashira's attitude was very firm, and she was not willing to give Ayanokouji any room to maneuver.
'Since it's the teacher's words, I should comply.'
Ayanokouji thought to himself and then followed Chabashira out of the classroom, leaving his classmates to look back and chat.
❀❀❀
In a run-down residential building, a man cried as he watched Ayanokouji's words on the broken TV.
His body was soaked in gasoline, but his hand holding the match failed to strike.
The man was Butler Matsuo, the one who helped Ayanokouji escape from the White Room.
After helping Ayanokouji leave, he faced retribution from Ayanokouji's father as expected. He lost his job and couldn't find another place to employ him. Others spread many negative comments about him in society, causing his friends and relatives to distance themselves.
It was one thing for him, but even his son was involved.
His son was a hardworking and talented student, yet he was expelled from school without any reason, even though he was enrolled elsewhere. There was no doubt that it was also done by the man who covered the sky with one hand.
His son's future was ruined, and he had no job to sustain himself. Butler Matsuo prepared to die as an apology, hoping that Ayanokouji's father would forgive him and at least release his son.
Before his death, he saw the scene on TV of Ayanokouji participating in the trial.
"Is that Matsuo-san?"
At that moment, there was a loud noise outside the door.
"Who's there?"
Matsuo stood in confusion. After all, for someone about to die, it didn't matter who came.
He opened the door and saw a crowd of people standing in front of the dilapidated shack where he was staying.
"Hello, we're reporters from the TV station!"
"I'm from the newspaper!"
"We want to interview you about whether all the information in the video was true. Is there really such a thing as the White Room in this country? Did Ayanokouji really mastermind the plan?"
Faced with a flurry of reporters' questions, Matsuo was stunned for a moment, immediately realizing that in the video, Ayanokouji's father and the plan had become known to everyone.
Even if others tried their best to cover up their existence, the world had heard the name White Room, and as a participant, he naturally knew a lot of information, which is why the reporters were looking for him.
If before, Matsuo didn't even have a place to speak.
But now, public opinion had exploded, and the world not only knew about the White Room plan but also about the retribution Butler Matsuo faced.
This was an opportunity to turn things around.
"Yes, the video is real."
Butler Matsuo nodded vigorously, and the man with a changed life nodded enthusiastically.
❰❱SKY SCREEN❰❱
"Did I pass?" Ayanokouji looked at Echidna.
"Let's say so. After all, you did face the past and say goodbye to it." Echidna shrugged, but a smile soon appeared on her face again, "Take your time now. How about a little chat? Maybe there's a lot you want to ask me."
"What did you mean when you said there was a deviation in the story's development?" Ayanokouji asked.
"You clearly have talents and learning that surpass ordinary people, but you seem somewhat slow here. I wonder if you really don't understand, or if you're pretending not to?" Echidna said with a smile.
"Sorry, I don't understand what you're saying."
"You will understand."
Ayanokouji was silent for a moment. Seeing that Echidna did not immediately answer his meaning, he wasn't prepared to continue discussing the topic. Instead, he continued: "Is there also a trial about the future?"
"Your guess is correct. There are a total of three trials: the past, the present, and the future. This applies to everyone." Echidna explained, "What awaits you are the challenges of the present and the future."
As she spoke, there was a hint of hope in Echidna's eyes.
"Are there limits to the number of trials?" Ayanokouji continued asking, wanting to learn more about the trials.
"No, regardless of whether you fail or succeed, as long as you reach this point, you can continue to challenge without any limitations." Echidna paused deliberately, "As long as you qualify for the trial."
"In other words, as long as I qualify, theoretically, I could free the Sanctuary today, right?" Ayanokouji said. Of course, the sooner he left the Sanctuary, the better.
"Of course, but it will be a bit boring. I'd like to spend more time with you." Echidna said with a smile.
"It seems you're not actually ready to let me pass all the trials in one day, are you?" Ayanokouji said slowly.
Echidna was silent for a moment, with a smile on her face, as if she agreed with Ayanokouji's words but ignored them and said to herself, "After all, if a trial fails, it will cause a very large psychological trauma—not creating new trauma, but tearing old scars."
Ayanokouji carefully recalled what Echidna had said earlier. She mentioned "qualification for judgment." which clearly emphasized this point and could even be considered a threat.
The reason he had the qualification for the trial was that Echidna gave it to him. Echidna could also take back the qualification if she wished.
With Echidna's character, she certainly did not want Ayanokouji to pass all the trials in one day.
She only wanted to see him face the trial's challenges, that's all.
From her words in the second half, Echidna seemed to hint at the result of Emilia's trial.
"Did Emilia fail the trial?" Ayanokouji asked.
"How could that person succeed? She's someone who likes to run away and has no shame." Echidna's words showed no concealment of her hostility towards Emilia, which made Ayanokouji slightly confused about her feelings towards Emilia.
Was it because Emilia resembled Satella? Or was there another reason?
However, Ayanokouji knew that Emilia was a relatively important tool and could not be easily destroyed.
"Can you let me see Emilia's trial scene?" Ayanokouji asked.
"You want to see someone else's trial scene as soon as possible. Perhaps to achieve your own goals as quickly as possible. You're quite greedy." Echidna said. "But I can't show it to you right now. It's a privacy issue that requires the person's consent."
Ayanokouji began to wonder about Emilia's past. From their previous conversation, he knew she had once woken up on frozen ground in a forest, but she could no longer remember what happened before.
And Echidna could read all of her memories, even those forgotten by Emilia, she should be able to show them to Emilia as part of the trial.
What happens when someone views a past they have never experienced subjectively? Ayanokouji did not know.
If Emilia wanted to pass the trial, she would have to confront her past directly. However, what happened to her in the past, Ayanokouji needed to ask her himself.
"It's not too early; the trial must be over." Echidna said, but it seemed she still had much to say, "I'm looking forward to meeting again next time."
The White Room around them gradually began to collapse. As Ayanokouji became serious, Echidna's face gradually became blurry—but before her consciousness completely faded, he noticed a smile spreading across her face.
A smile full of greed and terror.
Back in the real world, Ayanokouji slowly stood up from the ground and shook his head slightly.
He heard a groan coming from beside him, turned, and saw Emilia lying on the ground with a pained expression on her face.
Ayanokouji walked over. He could clearly feel Emilia's body shaking. Her furrowed brow indicated that the results of the recent trial were not ideal.
"Emilia." Ayanokouji called hesitantly. Emilia finally opened her eyes, but they were very vacant, "Ayanokouji? Yes... I was supposed to undergo my trial, and then…"
"What happened next?" Ayanokouji wanted to learn about the trial's situation from Emilia.
Emilia's eyes widened, filled with fear, and her body shook even more.