Looking behind him, Cale could see a projector whirring its fans in the middle, wires from the laptop connected to it in a messy fashion.
He remembered playing a game like this when little.
'Are the trials perhaps dependent on my personal experiences?'
[Now then]
The teacher stood on the right, clasping her hands together.
[1st team, who do you want to raise to represent?]
A boy with curly hair sat up, Cale distinctly remembered him to be the popular kid in his class. Solidifying his claim even further.
[Well well Bryan. What is your first guess?]
The boy named Bryan pointed at a table outside the tavern.
[I see....]
Taking in the guess with a big heart, the teacher used the touchpad on the laptop. A cursor hovered on the sprite of the table, tapping it once, thin strings appeared and fell from above.
"...Wh—!"
Before Cale could even make out what was happening, the strings constrained him in place, freezing every rash movement.
Step
The strings moved, and alongside it, his leg moved. Cale had begun walking against his own will to the table.
Reaching it, he saw empty drinks, leftovers and a bill.
Nothing there remotely resembled a key.
'Now...what?'
He strained to look back, he looked at the back of the teacher.
[Aww~ too bad, you will get it next time~]
She patted on Bryan's head a couple of times before looking back....seemingly staring at the 'sprite' that Cale possessed. Her smirk could be seen faintly.
[Well, seems like there are two more tries left~]
Ding!
For a split second, the edges of the world turned red, torn pieces of a heart fell from the sky.
Drip!
In a steady stream, blood dripped to the floor.
Cale cast his gaze downwards.
A black tendril protruded from the ground up and stabbed him in the abdomen.
But it didn't penetrate all the way, it only pricked his skin.
Yet, just a prick was all it took to make Cale feel something off.
After the prick, his mind began to dull considerably.
'What is this?'
He didn't feel any pain, but instinctively, he knew that this black tendril, was not something he'd want to be hit with many times.
The black tendril soon melted, but within the moonlight that was cast onto the area, there was a stretching shadow.
The strings, being loosened after the 'guess' was made, allowed for him to raise his head upwards.
He had also tried to move away from the spot, but the moment he did, the strings would constrain him in place.
On top of an old building was a malformed, tall man with multiple eyes placed randomly onto his face. Hanging from a black tendril.
"One"
He spoke, raising his decayed fleshy finger.
'One?'
The number seemed random at first, but looking at how the 'heart' was lost, Cale deduced that the black tendril was some sort of punishment for making the wrong guess.
[Now, team 2, who wants to come up and guess! Remember, there are only two more guesses~]
'Is this the test?'
It seemed to be the case, but this sort of test....
'How can I pass it?'
Looking at it simply, Cale needed to find the 'Master Key', but he didn't hold the authority of actually guessing himself.
'Can I maybe suggest it somehow?'
No matter what he thought, he didn't know how to get out of this crappy situation, there wasn't any envelope telling him anything, and there wasn't any clue he could grasp on.
Glaring at the figure above, the teacher behind spoke.
[Oooh, seems like Kyle wants a try!]
Ignoring the voice, Cale spoke to the figure, in hopes of finding out anything useful.
"Mind telling what this is?"
The head of the figure creaked for a moment, then, a raspy voice came out.
"It...is the final trial...."
'Final?'
Seeing that the figure was in the mood for talks, Cale found the composure to speak freely.
"Didn't I fail it?"
At the words, the figure's head tilted abnormally.
"No..."
"Why?"
The figure, scraping his head with a sharp nail, grew confused.
"Because you never failed?"
"....."
This confused Cale, however, lingering on something he didn't have any information on wasn't a luxury he currently had.
"What am I supposed to do in the final trial?"
Immediately he asked the question on his mind, truly, what was it that he could do?
If he hadn't failed, then there was a small chance to escape.
But regardless of that, he would fail due to not knowing what to do.
The next words however, couldn't help but rattle him.
"Nothing"
That singular phrase was all it took to make Cale form veins on his forehead, without knowing it, he had already 'forced' a step toward the figure.
"Then what! Want me to just sit still, pray that some brat might guess right, and if they don't, just die?!"
The figure turned silent for a split second, his head creaked to its original position, and in a haunting tone, he spoke three letters that made Cale's heart jump into the trenches.
"Yes"
Eyes widened, and Cale clenched his jaw hard.
'This damned animal! How am I supposed to survive in that case!'
Leaving the decision outside him meant to leave it entirely at luck.
This was nothing more than gambling with extra steps.
The figure ignored Cale's plight and spoke.
"I am quite surprised"
He said, eyes dilated on Cale.
[I am picking the salon there!]
[That is a flower shop dear~]
Strings tightened around his body in an instant, restricting any movement outside of going to the flower shop.
Step!
He sharply stepped toward the flower shop opposite the tavern on his right, the figure, still dangling from the curved tendril, spoke poisonous words.
"To think you'd pass the first trial, it was a good thing we made a second one in case something like this occurred"
Cale's mouth strained itself open.
"Are you saying.....that if it weren't for you....I would have passed?"
Pursing its lips once with its torn tongue. The figure spoke as if it were obvious.
"Yes"
But Cale couldn't help but ask this simple question countless would ask if they were in his situation.
"W-Why"
His voice was shaky, throat strained from the words that were forced out.
"Because we don't want to allow your resurrection"
Before long, Cale had reached the flower shop, his body moved and his tongue slithered more confusion-filled words.
"But wasn't a price paid....?"
'Would they just receive the payment and run away?'
"It seems you misunderstand something"
The figure's voice cut through Cale's thoughts cleanly.
"Resurrection will happen no matter the outcome here"
"!!!!"
The words immediately sent a signal of relief to course through his body, even though the 'Master Key' could not be found in the flower shop.
"It is just that..failing the trial here"
A sneer stretched wildly across his face.
"Gives us explicit permission to 'alter' you"
'Alter? Alter what?'
Before he could get the words out, his signal of relief that was sent faded in an instant.
"We are allowed to alter you to become another priest of our beloved and merciful Krizantemë! The God Of Death!"
The figure opened his arms wide open, leaving his body revealed to the naked eye.
Decayed flesh fell and the skin, and bone was so eroded it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was a corpse brought back with black magic.
'Is he, perhaps a priest of this God?'
It seemed likely to Cale if he was praising death this much.
'Seriously what the hell, I thought Gardenia was a school with a couple of monsters here and there, but instead there is a damn cult?'
Despite the situation being so ridiculous, it strangely made sense.
"And what happens when I become a priest? Do I offer some sacrifice?"
Cale said sarcastically, but the supposed priest did not think of it as such.
"Ah, it seems you understand that much"
The priest brought his fingers close to his face, the moonlight kept shining down on him.
"Yes! You are right!"
Nails scraped against bone so hard, that it looked to be the work of a ferocious animal if one didn't know better.
"After a year of resurrection, your life starts to go downhill, be it a car crash, slipping on the stairs, anything! Our God of Death will come and claim your soul! And you..."
Pointing a sickly finger at Cale, the priest spoke in a solemn voice.
"Will feel happy for having everything taken away from you"
A black tendril rushed out from the ground and grazed Cale's neck, the area where it struck turned black in an instant.
"Whether you want to or not"