Beyond Abyss 74

Chapter 74 Supporters’ Meeting

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Edited by: Kanaa-senpai

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 In a meeting room where Amahara-senpai had just taken her seat, chaos ensued.

 ”What are we going to do if Kibakura attacks next? If Demiurge is the one at the top, we can’t continue support Student Council!”

 ”That’s right! Do we have any solutions?”

 ”Even now, we’re living our school life in fear of Demiurge!”

 Shouts could be heard from the open door of the meeting room.

 ”Don’t make eye contact with the supporters until you take your seat. Ignore them completely even if they try to talk to you.”

 Higurashi whispered to me as she pushed my back. The meeting room had long tables lined up, and nearly 40 students were sitting with their backs to us.

 As I entered, the atmosphere stirred, and all eyes turned towards me.

 At the back of the room, Amahara-senpai is sitting alone at the front desk. On both sides, there are desks placed diagonally, with Treasurer Ukita-senpai (Amahara’s classmate), a serious-looking male student, and a lively female student with a ponytail sitting at the desk on the left side.

 Our seats are at the desk on the right side. As I try to take my seat, Higurashi pushes me and makes me move back.

 ”Don’t try to sit at the edge. Go further back.”

 ”Further back, huh! This is already…”

 ”Welcome, Tsuchimiya-kun and Higurashi-kun. Please sit here.”

 Amahara-senpai stands up and pulls a chair for me, but that’s next to Amahara-senpai. Isn’t this Sogahara-senpai’s seat?

 Student Council President pulled a chair for me, so I couldn’t ignore it. I reluctantly sat down, and Higurashi brought a chair from the neighboring desk and sat next to me. Secretary Tsukuba sat alone at the long desk on the right side.

 As I sat down with Kondou Spear pointing upwards in my left hand, all eyes were on us as newcomers.

 ”President, who are they…”

 A male student who had been standing up frowned and looked at me. He was the student who had raised his voice earlier.

 ”Oh, let me introduce them. They are Tsuchimiya Takeru-kun and Higurashi Asuka-kun.”

 As I bowed, the sound of a chair scraping echoed. When I looked up, I met the eyes of a female student who was leaning forward in her seat at the back, her eyes wide open.

 I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before… Ah, probably during the first dive. She must be one of the students I helped back then.

 The male student who had been standing up opened his mouth.

 ”That student who threw a spear at Kibakura. I’ve never seen or heard of him before, but is he a supporter of the Student Council? I acknowledge his bravery, but I don’t see him being able to defeat Kibakura.”

 The 3rd-year male student glares at me as if assessing me. He doesn’t seem very friendly. The other supporters who have taken their seats include a few with unfriendly looks, but most seem quite curious, so the atmosphere isn’t that bad.

 ”Takahashi-kun, Tsuchimiya-kun is not a supporter.”

 Amahara-senpai raises her hand to answer Takahashi’s question.

 ”Not a supporter? Then, what is the relationship? Why did he show up in that situation?”

 ”I heard from Tsukuba-kun that Amahara-senpai was in danger. I couldn’t overlook Amahara-senpai’s crisis.”

 ”Tsuchimiya-kun…”

 Yeah, I heard that back then, Kibakura was trying to harm Amahara-senpai, so I was driven by a sense of justice and rushed out. I should have taken a quieter and calmer approach originally, but I felt strongly that I had to protect Amahara-senpai, so I didn’t have the luxury to do so (memory manipulation).

 ”So, Tsuchimiya-kun, are you going to become a supporter of the Student Council? Even if a few more people join now, it doesn’t seem like the situation will change, but Tsuchimiya-kun, do you have the confidence to defeat Kibakura? I’d like to hear that clearly first.”

 Takahashi then sat down after saying that. Higurashi raised her hand and spoke.

 ”Before that, I was also introduced by Amahara-senpai, but let me tell you about our group. Tsuchimiya-senpai is the leader of a party called ‘The Last Surviver,’ and I’m his member and my name is Higurashi Asuka.”

 ”‘The Last Surviver’? I’ve never heard of it…”

 ”Well, it’s probably a group on the 2nd floor…”

 Supporters whispered to each other. At that moment, a girl stood up and spoke out.

 ”Tsuchimiya-kun! I’m Arioka Hinata from Class 2-H! Thank you for helping me during the first dive! I heard that you died in the first dive even after I went to your classroom to thank you… But I’m glad you’re safe!”

 It’s the girl I saw earlier. Arioka-san seemed a bit teary. It seems like she was worrying me a lot after all. My bad side is being indifferent to things like this.

 I still have this feeling somewhere that people other than my family wouldn’t care about my well-being. By convincing myself of that, I can avoid thinking about others.

 ”Long time no see, Arika-san. Actually, during the First Dive, Higurashi and I were exploring the dungeon together, and we just returned a week ago. I’m sorry for causing you worry.”

 I bowed deeply. I had become too accustomed to being like air, not interacting with anyone. Since coming to this world, I have interacted with many people. I need to reflect on that and change my perception.

 ”A week ago? No way, that’s gotta be a lie…”

 ”But before dying, there was talk about the ‘cop killer’ who did a final good deed. Tsuchimiya, isn’t that the person himself?”

 ”Have you heard of ‘Last Survivor’ before? I thought it was just a urban legend or something like the Seven Wonders.”

 As the atmosphere started to get restless, Higurashi continued to speak.

 ”What Tsuchimiya-senpai just said is true. The two of us spent a week inside the dungeon from the first dive.”

 The room buzzed with murmurs at those words.

 ”You survived a week inside the dungeon from the first dive? No way, that’s unbelievable!”

 ”How did you endure the zombie-filled nights? What about food?”

 ”Weren’t you supposed to secure a safe zone? Oh, but if that’s the case, did you choose not to come back on your own will?”

 ”Tsuchimiya-kun, what level are you now!?”

 ”Please raise your hand if you have a question and we’ll take them one by one.”

 Amahara-senpai intervened, calming down the supporters who were eagerly trying to speak.

 ”Now then, Kitamura-kun.”

 Treasure Ukita-senpai called on a male student who raised his hand. The student, known as Kitamura, stood up and asked me a question.

 ”I’m Kitamura, the leader of ‘Glow Edge.’ Um, on behalf of everyone, I’d like to ask, Tsuchimiya-kun, how did you and the others survive in the dungeon for a whole week? Also, I’m curious about your levels.”

 Before I could respond, Higurashi raised her hand and replied,

 ”How we survived is a trade secret. You get it, right? I’ll keep Tsuchimiya-senpai’s level a secret, but my level is still at level 5 since I returned.”

 Saying that, Higurashi showed a pale blue player card. Supporters let out sounds of admiration.

 ”By the way, we returned after reaching the 4th floor. ‘The Last Surviver’ reached the 5th floor.”

 The room became noisy again with these words. Are we really going to be that open about it? There’s no turning back now, right?

 It feels like riding a roller coaster, climbing up a hill with a clatter.

 ”You’re lying! Kibakura and Vice President Sogahara haven’t even left the 3rd floor at the party yet! It’s impossible for just the two of you to be on the 4th floor! If it’s true, show us some evidence!”

 Takahashi stood up, raising his voice. Higurashi raised her hand and replied calmly.

 ”Evidence, huh? We don’t have any intention of showing such a thing, but well, fine. Tsuchimiya-senpai, the feather of the Owl Bear.”

 ”Got it.”

 Turning my right hand behind my back, Tina took out the feather of the Owl Bear from the ‘Storage’ and placed it in my hand. Showing the huge feather pen-like object lightly, there was a subtle reaction.

 When they ask for proof, there’s not much else I can do. It’s okay to lie, but that might trouble Amahara-senpai.

 Higurashi starts explaining while looking at the supporters.

 ”This is a feather from Owl Bear, the floor boss on the 3rd floor. Since the boss info for the 3rd floor isn’t out yet, you probably wouldn’t know. Someone will likely reach there this week. Floor bosses sometimes have different monsters, but since we’ve cleared the 3rd floor twice, I think this one is the standard. By the way, the floor boss on the 4th floor is a giant monster called Giant Roper.”

 ”That’s…! There’s no way to confirm that! How can that be proof!”

 ”Takahashi-kun, don’t be unreasonable. How else do you propose to prove it? The truth will be revealed in a few days. Just knowing they have monster materials we’re unaware of is enough for now.”

 When Amahara-senpai scolded Takahashi, Arioka-san clapped enthusiastically in agreement, and other supporters also started clapping. The applause spread throughout the room, making Takahashi look around in confusion and then sit down, looking frustrated.

 ”Kihara-san”

 Ukita-senpai energetically called on a girl in the second year class E.

 ”I’m Kihara from class 2E! I want to know the characteristics and strategies for defeating that Owlbear!”

 Although it was clearly not the right time for this question, the supporters’ expressions sharpened. This was crucial information for the players, so they wanted to hear it regardless of the circumstances.

 ”Since that question doesn’t align with the purpose of this meeting, I’ll refrain from answering it here. I’ll inform Amahara-senpai of the information, so please share it with the Student Council later.”

 Well played. Just this response alone should have a certain deterrent effect.

 Kihara-san couldn’t complain and reluctantly took her seat.

 ”So, what about my question?”

 Takahashi raised an impatient voice while remaining seated.

 ”Didn’t Tsuchimiya-senpai fight against Kibakura before? How about it, do you think you can win?”

 The venue buzzed again at Higurashi’s words. I guess I’ll just have to trust Higurashi and go with the flow.

 ”I wonder. That guy is quite a monster. If I have to hold back to avoid killing him within the school grounds, it’s going to be quite a challenge.”

 In reality, Kibakura’s attack power is tremendous, and his defensive barriers are quite formidable. Once within the range of that metal rod, it’s difficult to dodge or withstand with my speed and power. If the effect of the blast is weak, I can’t think of a strategy at the moment.

 ”W-Wait a minute! Did you really fight against Kibakura before!?”

 A male student raised his hand with a changed expression.

 ”Toyama-kun.”

 After Ukita-senpai spoke, Higurashi raised her hand and answered a question.

 ”Oh, one of the girls who had been unofficially recruited as a party member was being threatened by Demiurge and forced to work against her will. We stormed into the boys’ dormitory B building and rescued her. At that time, Tsuchimiya-senpai was fighting with Kibakura-senpai and the executive Iwakura-senpai.”

 The venue erupted in excitement, and supporters started buzzing with chatter.

 ”Wait, is that about the explosion incident at the boys’ dormitory last week?”

 ”You guys raided Demiurge’s main base with just one party!?”

 ”And you not only confronted Kibakura but also rescued your comrades and came back!?”

 ”You guys are seriously amazing! You’re really taking on Demiurge head-on!”

 ”No, We didn’t pick a fight or anything. We went for a peaceful discussion, but they attacked us, so we had to fight back. Please don’t misunderstand that. I’m a gentleman, you know.”

 ”And that’s the commotion! They say the top floor of Building B partially collapsed!”

 ”No, that was because of Kibakura going wild, I didn’t do anything…”

 ”Oh no! This person is scary!”

 Even if I act gentlemanly, I always end up being judged by the results alone. The world is a harsh place.

 ”So, what if these guys become allies? Wouldn’t that be great?”

 ”Can we… stand up against Kibakura?”

 ”Hold on! Do you guys really believe this nonsense!? That incident is still unclear even to the newspaper club! It’s all about who says it first!”

 It’s Takahashi again. At this point, he seems suspicious. While what he’s saying is a reasonable cautious argument, it also seems like he’s avoiding the trend where Supporter might stay.

 At that moment, a tall, blond handsome guy entered the meeting room from behind the supporters.

 ”Well, calm down, Takahashi-kun. Judging by Kibakura-kun’s attitude, it’s clear he respects Tsuchimiya. Tsuchimiya-kun rushed over for Amahara-kun, so don’t jump to conclusions. I trust him.”

 ”Vice President Sogahara…!”

 ”Sogahara-kun, are you okay!?”

 ”Yeah, Amahara-kun, sorry for worrying everyone. As you can see, as long as I walk with the healing magic, I’m fine. It was a serious injury, so they moved up my treatment. They warned me to rest for two to three days, or it might break again.”

 Sogahara-senpai smiled gently and pointed to his right arm hanging from a triangular bandana. Next to him, Kijima-senpai (His girlfriend) with long hair looked worried as they stood close together, resembling a scene from a movie.

 ”Vice President Sogahara! You got easily defeated by Kibakura, what happened to being the strongest in the school!”

 As Sogahara-senpai walked between the desks, Takahashi shouted insults at him.

 ”Well, that was embarrassing. Suddenly pulling out a weapon like that. I never expected him to use such a skill. I’ll do better next time.”

 Sogahara-senpai scratched his head with a wry smile.

 ”You think you can win next time, huh!”

 ”To be honest, it’s probably a close match… but I don’t plan on losing twice.”

 For a moment, Sogahara-senpai’s eyes narrowed, emitting a cold, sharp light.

 ”O-Okay…”

 Takahashi stuttered, taken aback.

 When Sogahara-senpai and the others came over to our desk, I remembered that I was sitting in the vice president’s seat.

 ”Oh, it’s fine. Tsuchimiya-kun, you can sit there.”

 As I hurried to stand up, Sogahara-senpai raised his hand to stop me.

 The boy next to Ukita-senpai stood up, unfolded a folding chair leaning against the wall, and placed it next to Amahara-senpai.

 ”Tsuchimiya-kun, I’m glad you came. I really appreciate it.”

 As Sogahara-senpai passed behind me, he leaned in and whispered, patting my shoulder as if to comfort me.

 Kijima-senpai was exchanging short words with Higurashi with a smile.

 Sogahara-senpai sat next to Amahara-senpai, and Kijima-senpai sat next to him.

 When the situation calmed down, some students raised their hands and Ukita-senpai chose one person.

 ”Hey, Nangou-kun!”

 The chosen male student stood up. I wonder if Ukita-senpai remembers the faces and names of everyone here. From my perspective, it’s like memorizing the basic periodic table. Quite impressive.

 ”I’m Nangou from Class 2-G. Going back to the topic, what are we going to do if Kibakura attacks next? Sogahara-san won’t be able to fight for a while, and Tsuchimiya, who isn’t even a supporter there, will hold off Kibakura instead? Besides, we’re outnumbered by Demiurge.”

 ”In the end, nothing’s really changing, huh!”

 ”If we get attacked all at once, it’s game over!”

 The students who weren’t chosen raised objections. Then, Amahara-senpai raised her right hand and spoke.

 ”Well, you see, for the next three days until Sogahara-kun’s injury is fully healed, even if there’s a battle with Demiurge, the participation of the supporters won’t be mandatory. We might request support, but it’s ultimately optional, so it’s okay if you refuse.”

 The student council officers had surprised expressions, and the supporters were also momentarily stunned, creating a brief silence.

 Immediately, a few people raised their hands, and Ukita-senpai quickly glanced at Amahara-senpai before selecting a female student. At that moment, I noticed something.

 Amahara-senpai was sitting at the desk, with hands occasionally clasped and rearranged. Could this be a signal to Ukita-senpai? She might be adjusting who speaks during the meeting while observing its flow.

 The long tables on both sides were arranged diagonally, so from Ukita-senpai’s seat, Amahara-senpai was naturally visible, and it was less likely to attract the attention of the Supporters. This level of trickery was to be expected.

 ”I’m Inoue from Class 3-C. Are you saying we should abandon this headquarters building if Kibakura attacks? If that happens, we’ll be nothing more than an underground organization in name only. It would be impossible to gather the forces needed to rebuild.”

 ”No, I predict Kibakura-kun won’t show up again. Moriya-kun, his number two, might gather troops and attempt an attack, but their organization is more like independent factions under each leader. Without Kibakura-kun’s command, they’d be lucky to muster even half their total strength.”

 The Supporters started murmuring again. Even those who were planning to cut ties with the Student Council might now wait and see. Amahara-senpai seemed confident about something, but this was still a gamble, letting go of their safety net.

 Several Supporters raised their hands simultaneously, but before anyone was called on, Higurashi raised her hand and began to speak.

 ”When I look at Kibakura-senpai today, I think if he had decided to go all out earlier, the Student Council would have been destroyed much sooner. But Kibakura-senpai didn’t do that. It seems that since the fourth day he arrived in this world, he started causing chaos with a group of fighters and now he lives by moving between the dungeon and the dorm without even entering the school building. I think Kibakura-senpai might not be very interested in the struggles within the Student Council… He lets his subordinates do as they please while he supports them from behind, but if Kibakura-senpai had taken the lead in expanding his influence, Demiurge would have become an even larger organization than it is now.”

 When Higurashi finished speaking, Amahara-senpai immediately took over.

 ”That’s right. It’s not that he has no interest, but I don’t feel like Kibakura-kun is in a hurry to dominate the school. Today, it seems like he jumped in to clean up after Doi-kun to restore his wounded pride due to Togamine overdoing it, but if he’s backing off, maybe he’s already satisfied.”

 ”Indeed, if things stayed as they were, people would thought Demiurge as ‘not that great,’ but that impression was blown away in the battle just now. If Kibakura-senpai dives into the dungeon after this, as long as we continue to be on guard against attacks from his executives while engaging in minor skirmishes as usual, it should be fine.”

 Higurashi and Amahara-senpai answer questions by conversing without giving Supporter a chance to speak.

 ”Haraguchi-kun.”

 As the words paused, Ukita-senpai raised her hand and pointed to a short, blond student who had been signaling.

 I recognize this guy. He was doing sentry duty near the magic circle during the first dive, a freshman yankee.

 ”I’m Haraguchi, the leader of ‘Bishamonten,’ . I owe my life to the Student Council during the first dive. I may not understand complicated things, but if the Student Council is in trouble, now is the chance to repay the favor. I don’t want to live a lame life where I decide whether to help or run away after seeing the situation. I don’t know about the guys at the party, but if the president is in trouble, I’ll rush to help no matter where they are. What I want to say is just that.

 Oh, Haraguchi is a loyal Yankee. Being chosen at this timing means that Amahara-senpai also trusts him deeply. What a manly guy! I’m a little moved.

 Haraguchi declared with his arms crossed and then sat down heavily.

 ”Hey, shorty!”

 ”Huh!?”

 A yankee-looking girl sitting next to Haraguchi suddenly lifted her leg without caring that her skirt was riding up and kicked Haraguchi’s profile.

 ”Don’t act all tough just because you’re small! You look like a coward! “

 ”Huh? W-wait… I didn’t mean to… Shut up! Stop calling me short! You were trembling in fear of Kibakura earlier, weren’t you!”

 ”I wasn’t trembling! The one who says they’re trembling is the one who’s actually scared the most~”

 ”Are you in elementary school!”

 ”Hey, you two, quiet down! Everyone’s watching!”

 A serious-looking girl intervened, and the other students nearby who seemed to be part of the same group pretended not to notice by looking away.

 Amahara-senpai and the club officers bowed deeply to show their gratitude to the group.

 While everyone was distracted by Haraguchi and the others, Higurashi raised her hand and began to speak before the other students could raise their hands.

 ”Let me clarify the position of our group ‘The Last Surviver’ here. We are an independent party, not supporters of the Student Council or under their umbrella. While we are in conflict with Demiurge, we won’t get involved unless they make a move first. However, the situation is starting to change a bit now.”

 Huh? Are we going to team up with the Student Council? The supporters seem eager to say something, but they are listening carefully to the story of Higurashi.

 ”Tsuchimiya-senpai is in Class 2-D, and he was the central figure in the incident where he defeated Sojiro Doi’s execution squad from Demiurge last week.”

 The venue erupts in murmurs again. I was feeling flustered inside as things I wanted to keep hidden were being exposed one after another.

 I was falsely accused as the mastermind by Akiyama’s scheme just because I got rid of a bug bothering Hano-san, but I can’t argue back here.

 You dare expose me, Higurashi!

 ”As you know, that incident sparked rebellions in each classroom, and now there are offers of alliance and cooperation at Tsuchimiya-senpai’s place. I can’t disclose details for their safety, but there are offers even at the class level, and the number is approaching a hundred. It will probably exceed two hundred by the end of this week.”

 The Supporters gasped, the murmurs changed.

 Wait a minute! Where did that number come from!?

 Just a moment ago, I mentioned that there were a few such offers, but that’s a blatant lie!

 ”Is it true…? If it reaches two hundred, it will easily surpass the total number of Demiurge!”

 ”But isn’t it closer to the number of students in the whole school who actually have a grudge against them?”

 ”The students who are silent out of fear of being individually defeated may not be enough if they start moving behind the scenes!

 The Supporters are discussing seriously with nearby students.

 ”We are still in the adjustment phase and have not yet formed a solid organization, but please be aware that a significant number of us are beginning to move to fight against Demiurge. We have named this group the ‘Student Freedom Alliance’!

 ”Student Freedom Alliance…”

 They’ve given it a name!? An organization I’ve never seen or heard of before!

 Everyone! We have a liar here!

 Hey, what if this person spreads such a big story and it turns out to be a small group in reality!

 ”Higurashi-kun! Is that true? Can the Student Freedom Alliance and the Student Council cooperate?”

 Amahara-senpai is also getting interested in this. Sorry, that was a lie. It’s not all lies, but there’s no guarantee in counting your chickens before they hatch, and such an organization doesn’t even exist yet.

 ”How the Student Freedom Alliance will move forward will be decided through discussions among the representatives. With a common enemy like Demiurge, I think it’s a natural progression for the Student Council to join forces.”

 Higurashi smirked and looked satisfied as she crossed her arms and surveyed the venue. At that moment, the atmosphere in the room definitely changed.

 Supporters were engrossed in excited conversations with party members and acquaintances, completely forgetting about the meeting, and the conference room was filled with a lively buzz.

 Just then, the back door opened slightly, and a female student peeked in, signaling something. In response, the Student Council member with a ponytail quietly got up from her seat and left the room.

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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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