> "Floor 1: Among you, there is someone who claims to know the truth about what's happening.
Find them. Or they will find you."
Those words burned on the screen like a brand.
"That's a provocation," I said quietly. "The system wants to break the trust within the class."
"What do we do?" Aoi asked.
"We don't look for a culprit. We look for someone who already knows something. Someone playing their own game. But without paranoia. We act methodically."
I opened the role list. A few roles were marked "inactive" — suspicious. We had distributed everything fairly. Someone may have received an extra, hidden role.
"Kazuki," I said. "Review everyone's behavior since the start. Who's kept to themselves? Who hasn't asked questions? Who's been too calm?"
"Already working on it."
Just then, the screen flickered.
> "Alert: External interference detected on the second floor. Situation analysis paused. Suspects: Class 2-C students."
"Something's off," I said. "2-C is starting their own game."
Mina stepped closer. She hadn't said much in the past few hours, but now her voice was firm:
"Takumi… You said it yourself. The key here is balance. What if they're deliberately breaking it to knock someone out?"
I nodded.
"Could be. And if they cause chaos, we could be blamed for imbalance. Or worse — punished."
—
An hour passed.
Kazuki returned with a report.
"We've got someone acting strange. Sakuma Rei. Supposedly with us, but keeps heading into the far sections. Says he's checking equipment. Doesn't share what he finds."
"Bring him in."
Sakuma entered calmly. Tall. Quiet. Always played a background role.
"You know we're investigating suspicious activity?"
"I do."
"Anything you want to say?"
He looked me in the eyes. Steady.
"Yes. I was given a second role. Hidden. They told me that if I completed the conditions, I'd earn 'immunity.' I was supposed to gather data about other classes. But I've realized it's a trap."
Silence.
"Why admit it now?" Mina asked.
"Because I figured it out — this role is testing whether I'd betray my class. And I won't."
I turned to the screen and typed into the system:
> "Sakuma Rei has voluntarily revealed a hidden role and renounced it. Requesting confirmation — his admission does not violate the trial rules."
The reply came quickly:
> "Confirmed. Decision recorded.
Floor 1: Threat neutralized.
Control maintained."
I looked at everyone.
"This isn't the end. Just the first attempt. Next time — someone might not tell the truth. So… stay together. Trust the facts. And don't let the tower break us."
-
The screen flickered again:
> "Next stage will begin tomorrow morning. Prepare yourselves."
I sat down on the cold floor and finally took a deeper breath.
But even the air — was still a weapon.