Arc 3: Unknown Discovery - Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I own nothing, this is purely a fanfic for enjoyment.

Cross-over from various games, books, anime, manga, and movies.

The familiar characters you see here belong to their respected authors and owners.

"Speech"

Arc 3: Unknown Discovery - Chapter 23

"Look, Jin! I sacrificed many of my other stuff that I barely used and got this!" Ruby shows off her newest obtained item. She grinned from ear to ear, clearly thrilled with her new possession.

"Is that a bag filled with Sonic's Gold Rings?" Alma asks in disbelief, nearly snatching it out of Ruby's hand as she presents one of the Sonic's Rings before everyone's eyes.

"How do you know?" Ruby stares at Alma, her eyes wide with shock. "I only found out what they can do and their name from this little note attached to the bag."

"These things have limited use; they could even be used as currency in certain universes and pantheons. Therefore, they are extremely valuable in high school because they can be used to open portals to any place the user can imagine within the high school. In fact, the high school stores sell some of these Gold Rings for high prices. Even the two Protagonist Badges would only give you a limited amount. I don't know what the price is now, but I know it's still expensive." Alma explained to Ruby as she looked enviously at the bag filled with Gold Rings.

"Exactly how much did you sacrifice to get these rings, Ruby?" Weiss asks Ruby out of curiosity.

"Almost everything I have except Suzumebachi, Mero Mero no Mi, Shadow, PSI, and my clothes. Everything else is gone." Ruby replied.

"And I guess you'll have to find other things to sacrifice to get more of these Gold Rings?" I look at the bag, which is just big enough for Ruby to hold with just one hand.

"The Gold Rings are reusable, but they have a cooldown. The bag came with 10 Gold Rings and every time I used a Gold Ring, it would reappear in the bag, and I would have to wait 24 hours before I could use it again." Ruby explained.

"Oh, you've got the special edition. Real precious." Alma commented, her envy becoming more noticeable as she nodded slowly.

"What about you, Weiss? Did you figure out your own method of traveling?" Shiki asks Weiss, who is holding one of the 10 Gold Rings.

"I just made one based on Jin's ability to create gaps, but unlike Jin, who could easily make millions effortlessly and across the multiverse. I can only create one that lasts a few seconds before I collapse from using up almost all of my aura." Weiss replied as she handed the ring back to Ruby. "So, Ruby and I have discussed it. We'll use Ruby's Gold Rings whenever Jin can't help us travel during our time in high school, and we'll use my method of traveling in case Ruby somehow uses up all 10 Gold Rrings in a single day."

"To the cafeteria!" Ruby exclaimed as she flung a Gold Ring. The ring shot out and expanded vertically, creating a portal big enough for everyone to step through. Inside its shimmering rim, a pathway appeared, leading straight to the cafeteria.

Everyone marched through the portal, paying no mind to the puzzled onlookers nearby who had yet to grasp their method of traveling.

"I see that another group found their way here," Shaher stated from her spot as a small cloud floating in the middle of the cafeteria. "Okay, looks like we've got enough folks. Let me clarify: the high school has different cafeterias based on genres. So, brace yourselves because lunchtime can be quite a spectacle, depending on your genre. In the Action Genre, it's a battle for meals."

In other words, this is based on the anime: Ben-To.

"Of course, I get that some of you might feel it's pointless to go up against certain people." Shaher started, her voice echoing softly across the cafeteria.

I can feel the gazes of others locked onto my group but mainly directed at me.

"That said, if you can, bring your own food. You're allowed to eat those instead of the food provided by the high school. So you won't need to join the fight, but I recommend you do your best to fight for even a portion of the food made in the high school." Shaher stop here, letting everyone take a moment to let the words sink into our brains.

Looks like I got to train Ruby and Weiss further in combat.

"Furthermore, you'll get food points, which is the currency used to bid for a limited lunch special. Food points can be obtained by fighting during lunchtime and winning. You get one food point per win, and to make it considered a win, make those unable to fight back after a minute."

That got people talking.

"Quiet. I'm not finished. Yes, killing is allowed. However, don't worry; resurrection is free during specific times, including lunchtime. In addition, food points that are not used during lunchtime will disappear once you leave the cafeteria. So, use all of it up if possible, and yes, you can exchange food points with others; how you want to trade is just by a handshake and being willing to transfer the food points. Being forced to exchange would cause the amount of food points being transferred to be cut in half."

That last part made nearly everyone look at each other with wary eyes. Eighty percent of those wary eyes were looking at my group.

I can't blame them, honestly, given the stunt I did and the fact that Ruby and Weiss still have the Protagonist Badges.

"Any question?" Shaher asked everyone in the cafeteria.

"If we died. When do we get resurrected?" Someone asked.

"Either after everyone is killed once or when lunchtime is over. Do not worry; being resurrected makes it so you won't go hungry because you miss the time to eat." Shaher answered.

Another student asked, "Can only students obtain food points, or could our contractors also obtain food points?"

"Only students can obtain food points. This is to prevent students from having easy access to food points when their contractors are the ones fighting, not them." Shaher replied. "In fact, the contractors aren't allowed to attack the students directly. Their main job is to protect their students by blocking any attacks aimed at them. This way, the students will be forced to think ahead of time to figure a way to take down their fellow classmate while their contractors are blocking other students' attacks and other contractors."

"Hey, Shiki. Alma. You two aren't contractors, so how do these rules apply to you?" I whisper to them, trying to keep my voice low. However, I forgot to put up a silent barrier and noticed a few people in the crowd tense up and look in our direction. Their sudden attention made me realize I had forgotten the fact there would be people with highly developed senses, specifically the sense of hearing.

Before either Shiki or Alma could respond, Shaher continued.

"One last thing before everyone is free to fight each other. Once a student buys a meal with their food points, no one will be allowed to touch them from that point on, and they won't be able to get more food points in return." Shaher announced. "So make sure you decide when to use your points wisely. Each student will have 100 food points at the start." With that said, she vanished. The tension in the air was palpable as everyone prepared for the upcoming battles.

Suddenly, someone steps into the center of the cafeteria where Shaher was floating recently, and his hair immediately catches my attention. It's styled in an Elvis Presley-style pompadour, giving him the look of a classic Japanese delinquent. His confident stance and striking hairstyle make him stand out even more, drawing curious and wary looks from the crowd.

"I am Peng Clan's Young Master, Leng! Everyone should give me their food points! It's a great honor to give me your food points!" Leng Peng shouted to everyone in the cafeteria, his voice booming with authority. "As a reward, I'll leave one point for each of you!" His eyes scanned the room, daring anyone to challenge him. "Don't court death while I am being merciful!" His declaration caused a stir among the students, with some looking nervous and others glaring defiantly at his audacity.

Everyone stays quiet as we listen to Leng Peng from the start to the end.

Alma suddenly appears in front of Leng Peng, her movements quick and precise. Without hesitation, she throws a powerful palm strike to his face. There's a loud crack as her hand connects, and his head explodes in a burst of blood and bone fragments. A few seconds later, the headless body sways before blood gushes out like a fountain from his neck, splattering everywhere. Alma stands there, grinning at everyone, her face splashed with red, eyes gleaming with a chilling satisfaction.

"You are courting—" Someone from Leng Peng's group began to say, but Alma appeared behind them with lightning speed before they could finish. With a swift, brutal motion, she grabbed their head and ripped it clean off. Blood sprayed into the air as the lifeless body crumpled to the ground. Alma stood behind the fallen body, her eyes cold and focused, the severed head still gripped tightly in her hand.

"Greetings to those who don't know me. Allow me to introduce myself," Alma begins slowly, tossing the severed head aside with a casual flick. "I am Alma Elma of the Hell pantheon—Queen of the Succubus and one of the many rulers of the Lust Ring. I'm not a contractor, but that doesn't mean I'm a student either. I'm just a third party to one. Therefore, I did not come here by force, nor am I bound by any high school rules. That means you bitches better pray to whatever gods you believe in that I won't be coming for you or my group anytime soon."

Her voice is calm and measured, yet it has a chilling edge. The onlookers watch in stunned silence, some with wide eyes and others with trembling hands. Alma's gaze sweeps over the group, ensuring each person feels the weight of her presence. A dark, almost playful smile spreads across her face when she finishes speaking, adding to the noticeable tension in the air.

"We-" Another fool began to speak, but they were abruptly cut off as Shiki unsheathed her katana with lightning speed. In one swift motion, she sliced them vertically in half, the blade cutting cleanly through from head to groin. The two halves of the body fell apart, blood spraying in all directions, and Shiki stood next to the collapsing corpse, her katana gleaming with fresh blood. Her eyes were cold and filled with murderous intention; the air around her changed to the point those near her fainted from the sheer aura of death coming off her.

Unlike Alma, Shiki didn't introduce herself, which made her all the more threatening to most. She simply stood there, silent and deadly, her katana dripping with blood. The cold intensity in her eyes and her swift, lethal action spoke louder than any words could. The group watched her with a mixture of fear and awe, realizing that this was someone who let her actions do the talking. The silence that followed was heavy, punctuated only by the soft dripping of blood from her blade.

"Look, my company over there agrees with me. Pray to whatever Gods you believe in to help you. Because we're not going to help you except to send you to your deaths." Alma ends her speech with a quick spin and a powerful backfist to a nearby contractor. The force of the blow shatters their face, sending them flying through the air before they crash into a group of people, causing several to stumble and fall. Blood sprays from the injured contractor, adding to the growing sense of chaos and fear among the onlookers. Alma stands tall, her grin widening as she revels in the panic she has unleashed.

"Remind me never to make Shiki and Alma angry," Ruby whispers to Weiss, her voice trembling slightly. Weiss nods in agreement, her eyes wide with shock as she watches the aftermath. The gruesome scene unfolds before them, the ground slick with blood and the air thick with tension. Both girls feel a chill run down their spines, realizing just how dangerous and merciless Shiki and Alma truly are.

Crazy voices. As shameful as it sounds. I find this hot.