Campione: Strongest# 465: Fujino’s Trial

Inside the spiral-shaped Ogawa Apartment complex.

In one of the units, Ryuunosuke Uryuu drew his fangs from a woman's neck, letting her body slump to the floor.

The room, less than forty square meters, was littered with the corpses of men, women, and children. Only three figures remained standing—Ryuunosuke being one of them.

Like automatons, the three would grab a human, bite their neck, and toss the body onto the growing pile. The process repeated itself, mechanical and endless.

“This stuff tastes awful. What’s gotten into that old geezer Valery lately? A hundred people a day... this whole bloodsucking business isn't cool at all when you do it on this scale! It’s more exhausting than actual killing!!!”

Ryuunosuke grumbled, carelessly tossing aside his latest ‘meal.’ He dropped down onto the back of a middle-aged man lying face-down on the floor.

“G-Guhh...” The man, who had still been alive, jolted violently from the impact. His eyes bulged as a gout of blood erupted from his mouth, his life instantly extinguished.

“Lord Ryuunosuke, these are necessary preparations to gather strength for the counterattack,” one of the other Dead Apostles said, pausing his work to speak with humility.

The others here were all sixth-generation descendants of Valery, nothing compared to a second-generation powerhouse like Ryuunosuke. They treated his complaints with the utmost respect.

“Are you taking a rest, Lord Ryuunosuke?” the other Dead Apostle asked, his tone fawning.

“Yeah, yeah. You two can finish the rest of my quota. And remember to take the new fledglings to that damned monk to get their Origins checked.” Ryuunosuke stood, brushed off his pants, and rattled off his instructions with an air of impatience.

With that, he grabbed the corpse he had been sitting on and left without a backward glance. He found developing new Dead Apostles far less interesting than experimenting with the sacrificial rituals from the R'lyeh Text.

It’d be nice if I could summon some more of those unbreakable fish-men.

What did they call themselves? Deep Ones?

After Ryuunosuke left, the two remaining Dead Apostles looked at each other, their faces sinking as they contemplated the work he had just dumped on them.

“Lord Ryuunosuke still had seventy people left on his quota, right?”

“We’ll split it. We’ll just have the ‘hounds’ in the city grab some more.”

“That works, but we need to make sure they restrain their power. Our Ancestor said there’s a god in this city.”

————————

The evening sun began its descent.

In the student council room of Reien Girls' Academy’s junior high division, the hand on the wall clock slowly crept toward five, a silent reminder to the remaining members.

Tap. Tap.

Asagami Fujino sat at the head of the long table, tapping a stack of important documents against the surface to neaten them. Though labeled ‘important,’ they were mostly minor affairs like club funding requests, only earning the designation because they involved money.

Yamada, the student council secretary who was helping her, glanced at the clock and smiled at Fujino.

“Alright, Madam President, it’s about time to clock out. So, is your sweetheart coming to pick you up today?”

“Don’t call me Madam President, and stop teasing me, Yamada.” Fujino’s face flushed at the mention of her ‘sweetheart,’ and she shot a half-hearted glare at the girl who had been her best friend since elementary school.

She subconsciously glanced at the clock.

“Oh, so you are watching the time. And you say he’s not coming to get you,” Yamada teased with a grin.

“He’s not. I’m just supposed to have dinner with Akiha and the others,” Fujino said, shaking her head.

“Dinner with Senior Tohno?!! Can I come?” Yamada’s face lit up with the excitement of a die-hard fan.

“Well...” Fujino’s expression turned awkward. Akiha Tohno had explicitly stated that it was a private dinner for the ‘sisters.’ If she brought a classmate along, she would probably get an earful. But her best friend from elementary school was asking so earnestly...

As Fujino hesitated, a sharp knock echoed through the room.

Knock! Knock!

A cool, clear voice sounded from the doorway.

“I’m afraid, Fujino, that today’s dinner will have to be canceled.”

Fujino and Yamada both turned toward the door in surprise.

“Akiha?!” Fujino cried.

“Senior Tohno?!” Yamada echoed.

In the old district of Mifune City, Asagami Fujino, still in her Reien Academy uniform, walked nervously through the winding alleyways.

‘A teacher in the high school division was forcing female students into compensated dating. While Kohaku has already... disposed of that teacher as a test subject for her poisons, rumors about Reien students have spread through the neighboring districts.’

‘Then, some group of delinquents, emboldened by the rumors, raped one of our high school students who was out alone.’

‘Fujino, you understand that this academy is our shared property. Our daily expenses are supported by its revenue.’

‘This disgusting incident has severely damaged the school’s reputation. And when a school’s reputation is damaged, its income will naturally plummet.’

‘So, after discussing it with Father, we have decided to assign this incident to you as a trial.’

‘Find that delinquent group. And then, bring me their heads.’

“Seriously, why not just send them to prison? Why does it have to be killing?” Fujino muttered, pressing a hand to her forehead in distress.

Although she possessed the extraordinary Mystic Eyes of Distortion and her physical abilities had been trained beyond those of a normal person, Fujino had only ever killed poultry for soup.

She knew she had to be prepared for such things upon entering the world of magecraft, but being ordered to kill was still too much for a girl raised in a peaceful society.

“Akiha probably knows I don’t have the stomach to kill anyone. That’s why she suggested to Haru that I be given this mission, isn't it?” Fujino said with an anguished sigh.

Having spent so much time with Akiha Tohno, Fujino was used to her strict nature. She could guess that Akiha’s intention was to force her to adapt to the ‘abnormal’ world so that she could survive in it.

But ordering her to kill an entire group of at least five people right from the start? Wasn't that too extreme?

As Fujino agonized, a sickeningly cheerful voice cut through the silence.

“Well, well, well! Look what I found, boys! A little rich girl, all alone!”