Vol. 6 Ch. 1 Ep. 4: Where Rivers Meet

"Okay... Everything is ready..."

The number you have dialed is unallocated. Please leave your message after the tone.

I appreciate you noticing, Sensei.

I learned to answer this way to phone numbers I didn't recognize.

Of course, I recognized your number right away.

Now, allow me to greet you one more time. Hello, Sensei.

Yes. I'm happy you remembered.

To your first question... Hm. I've been well enough, one could say.

I'm still in hiding and have to be wary of my surroundings.

Even though I need to be careful whenever I venture out, I've found it nice to be able to enjoy my free time as I please.

So, I've been well.

And what about you, Sensei? Is everything okay?

Tests?

Fufu. You sound just like a teacher.

No, no. Please don't apologize. I meant it in a good way. It was very...you.

A test...is an evaluation of what I've studied, yes?

I only know of it conceptually. Why do you ask?

Hm...

Like an exam to test your knowledge on how babies are made?

That does sound rather entertaining.

My apologies. Heehee.

Honestly, I have no answer.

It's difficult to picture something I've never experienced before.

However, the concept of studying, and then being acknowledged for that studying...

...Yes.

An ordinary student might get to experience something like that.

I'd want to see what the others would say, but there is a certain appeal.

...There's the possibility of doing poorly as well?

Aha. I suppose so. Would you give us make-up classes, if that were to happen? It seems a win-win situation to me.

But why?

Oh?

...Hm. I understand the situation.

Thank you for telling me.

Hm...

Actually, Sensei?

Perhaps it'd be best to speak about this in person.

Mmm.

That's not what I was referring to at all.

As I said.

It'd be best that way.

I want to be able to see you, face to face, when we talk about this.

And with everyone else as well.

Five, actually.

"I see... I understand"

"Are you sure?"

Of course.

We're hardly estranged from Sao-Sao. We even meet from time to time.

Also, it's a bit presumptuous of me, but I believe it's time for her journey of self-discovery to come to an end.

Fufu.

Misaki always adopts such a forlorn expression whenever Saori is mentioned.

But she's also the one who brings her up most often.

It is true that she may simply leave us again.

However, for something like this, I'd like for all of us to be together.

Hm?

Is that...a bad thing...?

Not at all? You think I'll "really flourish if I hone my skills"?

Well, thank you, Sensei.

I'll try not to use my power too much.

After all, the helpless tend to garner resentment.

I can count on you for help with Sao-Sao, though, yes?

Yes. The world revolves around the principle of give and take.

...Thank you.

I'm glad we have you, Sensei.

...Huh?

Is this...

...a giant ship?

"...I guess so?"

Why do you seem just as confused, Sensei?! What's going on here...?

I saw this in a magazine once. It's called a "cruise ship," I think!

A "cruise ship"?

Y-Yeah... Um...

They're not really made to get from point A to point B, but for luxury and entertainment...

They have things like restaurants and amusement rides ON BOARD the ship...

And they also have things like artificial hot springs and swimming pools, so you can do all sorts of things during the trip...

I obviously don't know everything about them, but apparently ticket prices are beyond even the dreams of peasants like us...

There's a swimming pool...on top of a ship...that's on top of water? That's...paradoxical, in more ways than one.

Putting that aside, why are we even here?

Sensei! This was your doing. Explain.

"I came here under the same circumstances as you!"

What? A s-sponsor?!

I...know what's happening. I read about this in a magazine...

We've been kidnapped for the Octopus Games, haven't we?!

We'll be forced to kill each other...and the last one standing wins 4.5 billion yen...

All the while, rich people will watch us...slaughter each other! For entertainment! We're...doomed...completely doomed... I'm sorry for ever wanting anything! I'm sorry for existing!

Is this true, Sensei?!

Everyone, please calm down. Don't you trust Sensei? And, on a more logical level, Sensei would never participate in such a thing, seeing as they wouldn't last past the first round.

R-Really? Is that all true?!

...?!

...?!

S-Saori?!

...

Oh my.

You're the sponsor, Leader?!

N-No, I'm not. I also just...

Right. That would be impossible.

...Completely impossible, actually. Leader isn't capable of such a thing.

Wh-What?! You're right, but the way you said it didn't feel great either.

Well, I don't care how long it's for. While you're here, I'm giving you back your position, Leader!

Let's at least evaluate and understand the situation first!

WAAAHHH! B-But, Saori, we'll be together when we die, right? Right?!

Let's start with why you asked us all to meet here, Sensei.

It's best to review the facts when things seem uncertain.

I see. A test.

...

What do you want us to do, Sensei?

And I don't want to hear any noise about "respecting our choices," understood?

The only way to sort out this mess is with transparency.

"Okay, in that case..."

"I want you all to get to experience taking a test too."

...

...

U-Uhhh...? Why's everyone so tense all of a sudden...?

Well... I'm sure there's a lot to this story...

...but I'd like to start with your reasoning.

Hm... So you want us to experience what it means to be a student?

Us...and the students back in Arius?

"Students back in Arius"? What does that mean, Sensei?

...

The transition must have been difficult for them.

No matter how well they're treated, being in a new world is intimidating.

There are times you feel scared for reasons you can't identify. Or other times when your usual ways of dealing with things don't work.

...We've lived similar stories, after all.

Sensei, I have a question.

I've heard that studying is an inherent responsibility of any student.

However, what is the purpose behind it?

...We did experience them, in a way. Studying, exams.

The curriculum focused mostly on different methods to kill and maim.

We were tested on our resolve to pull the trigger in any situation, without hesitation.

E-Eeek...

I-I really don't want to do that again...

Me neither, Hiyori. None of us do. Right?

However, that doesn't answer the question either. Why is studying necessary for any of us to do?

I suppose one might say we need to study hard, score well, and get a good job in the future.

And people want to secure a good job, so they can make more money, correct?

However, such motivations don't apply to us.

Did you know, Sensei?

If it's just to make money, we can make more than enough from what we learned at Arius.

W-Well...

I don't know how people found out our background...

...but sometimes we get requests to...you know...kill people.

A-And we always immediately say "no" and tell them to shoo!

The expression "break a halo" is more commonly a figurative phrase.

So we didn't use it often in Arius.

It only came up during conversations about the outside.

Or sometimes when we would speak with outsiders.

Or...to make fun of something.

Yeah.

In Arius, we had a much simpler expression.

To "kill."

We were surprised that people in the outside world used it more often than we would have anticipated.

Although...it meant something a little different to them.

Th-They would use it as a joke...because the thought of it was so impossible to them...

But not for us. For us, "kill" meant "to kill." That was it.

Perhaps the Arius we knew...tread closer to death than anywhere else in Kivotos.

So, Sensei. Tell us.

Why should a student study?

If it's to get better jobs, or make more money, then there are other ways. If we're willing to cross the line, there are innumerable paths we could take to reach the same objective.

"It's because..."

"A student's responsibility is to learn how to fight against the world."

What...?

I've never considered that.

Explain, please, Sensei.

I understand. Like how being ignorant of contracts and how they work makes you an easy target.

...How insightful. I have no rebuttal, Sensei.

If I had done my due diligence, the odds of being stiffed of my pay would decrease, perhaps even disappear entirely.

So that's how you can fight against this world. With knowledge.

Knowledge of how society came to be, or of how to operate within it...

It can help us understand conflicting perspectives. As we've seen, it can be impossible to persuade someone to see things the way you want them to.

...So you think we should look to understand and compromise first?

We can recognize, evaluate, and reduce risk from others by expanding our knowledge and understanding of the world.

Knowledge as a weapon of self-defense.

I guess I can see where you're coming from...

So I guess...

*sigh*

That's something w-we're gonna need...to survive out here...

And the students back at Arius...need that the most...

"Which is why I went above and beyond..."

"...and asked one more student to join us today."

Huh?

Is that student...the sponsor of this meeting?

Aha. So that's what happened, Sensei.

Are you...sure?

You should have told us if you knew that...

*sigh* Forget it. Never mind.

So, who is this student?

I hope you've been well, Arius Squad.

I'm Kirifuji Nagisa, Tea Party host and sponsor of this meeting.

What...?!

Oh my.