Monsters

This…

Is a piece of forgotten history that once took place at Saint Tias Academy.

The protagonist of the story was a girl from a remote town.

Her family was poor and her life was difficult, but heaven had blessed her with a pair of nimble hands.

Later, she even rose to become a “Favored Daughter of Heaven” whose fame resounded throughout the piano world, going on concert tours between cities at a young age.

Rising to prominence, she successfully gained the opportunity to enter the Empire’s highest institution—Saint Tias Academy.

Three months after enrollment, she received an invitation from the Student Council and became the Vice President of that term.

Everything seemed to be developing toward a beautiful future.

Until one year later…

It was a drowsy afternoon.

Students who had struggled through their teachers’ lectures were planning to enjoy a comfortable and quiet time after class.

Then, “Sin” descended.

According to the subsequent investigation, five students died in that man-made attack.

Twenty-one students were injured, and thirteen students were left with lifelong disabilities.

Additionally, every single window on one entire floor was shattered.

The weapon was a metal baseball bat missing from the Baseball Club; when the police found it, it was completely deformed.

According to witness descriptions…

The perpetrator’s act of violence occurred without warning.

She didn’t even have classes on that floor.

When the police finally found her…

“Help me, help me.”

The fingers of the hands the girl was once so proud of were being sliced off one by one by glass shards she held.

Before that, she had been continuously cutting her own body with the sharp fragments, digging out her flesh piece by piece.

It was as if she felt no pain, or as if she were trying to drive something out.

“They are crawling inside.”

“The sound…”

The girl cut off her own ears and punctured her eardrums, yet the “sound” she spoke of seemed to keep echoing in her mind.

Finally, the girl died after failed rescue attempts due to excessive blood loss.

According to the forensic doctor who performed the autopsy, when the body arrived, she was a full thirty kilograms lighter than when she was alive…

Why did she become like this?

That “Favored Daughter of Heaven,” that Vice President who stood above all but one in the academy…

What exactly turned her into this?

In the end, the case was hastily closed as a suicide.

Both the academy and the police seemed to be intentionally covering something up, and the truth was never known again.

However, a certain rumor began to circulate among the student body back then.

It’s monsters…

Monsters caused her to become that way.

It’s monsters…

The “monsters” from the Student Council!!!

“Another record broken!”

The Activity District in the west of Saint Tias Academy features a track and field specialized for sports clubs.

Currently, it was being occupied by members of the Track and Field Club.

A senior girl from the club clicked her stopwatch, looking with satisfaction at the junior who had recently joined.

Tanned skin, shoulder-length brown hair, and amber eyes as clear as crystal.

But what drew the most attention were the fluffy beast ears at the side of her face and the small horns atop her head.

A scion of the Minotaur race…

“Truly worthy of being the most promising rookie for international competitions. The President’s eye for talent was right.”

“Puu-ha!”

The horned junior finished her sports drink in one go and gave the senior a dashing smile.

“Because I love running away the most, hehe~”

“Can you handle the Student Council work? Honestly, I personally hope you can focus more energy on track and field…”

“No problem, no problem! The President said I’m simple-minded with well-developed limbs anyway, so I’m only fit for physical labor.”

“Unless it’s something urgent, she won’t use her ‘Ace’ like me.”

“Is that so…”

The senior muttered to herself.

‘That President really says some harsh things.’

“Ah, I finished it.”

The horned junior realized the bottle in her hand was empty.

“You brought a spare, right? Wipe off your sweat first. I’ll go get it for you, and then we can shower together.”

“Thanks a lot~ It’s number 23.”

With that, the senior headed to the locker room.

“Number 23… 23… Oh, found it.”

Matching the number, the senior pulled out the girl’s gym bag from the locker.

Upon opening it, the first thing she saw was the girl’s underwear and bras placed inside in a mess.

“That girl…”

The senior, who suffered from OCD, proactively folded the undergarments for her junior.

She then continued to dig further down, finally finding the spare sports drink.

“Hmm?”

Just as the senior pulled out the drink, an object hidden at the very bottom of the bag caught her attention.

“What is this?”

It was a pair of bolt cutters about the length of a forearm…

Setting aside the fact that it was a size difficult for even an adult to hold with one hand, judging by the dull marks on its surface, it had likely been used for quite a while.

Why would her junior keep such a heavy, large tool in her backpack?

And…

What was that darkened, blackish stain on the jaws of the cutters?

‘Senior.’

!!!

The familiar voice rang out behind her.

The senior spun around in terror to find her genius junior standing silently at the door, staring at her with a beaming smile.

“Ah, you found it?”

“F-found what?”

Before the senior could react, the junior lunged to her side and easily picked up the heavy bolt cutters with one hand.

“I’m actually very good at ‘repairs,’ you know? I fixed the broken water pipes at my house.”

“Re… pairs?”

“Yes! Does your family have any broken equipment? You can leave it all to me.”

Looking at the innocent, romantic smile on the girl’s face, the doubt in the senior’s heart was instantly erased.

Was she really just overthinking things? She shouldn’t have stayed up late watching those mystery dramas…

“Ah, right, Senior. The President is looking for you.”

“Huh? Why didn’t you say something so important sooner!”

“I forgot~”

“You brat…”

After some playful banter, the senior left the locker room first, leaving her cute junior alone as she watched her leave.

“…”

Maintaining the smile on her face, the girl turned and placed the cutters back into the gym bag.

But before doing so…

As if she were eager to try them out, she gently placed her own finger between the jaws of the cutters.

“Haa… haa…”

Her breathing became somewhat ragged, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

New sweat mingled with the old.

Deep within those narrowed, smiling eyes, it was impossible to tell what “thing” was being hidden…

“School’s finally out~”

The bell rang, and amidst the students’ relaxed cheers, Lilo, who was planning to leave the classroom, was blocked at the door by the Class Rep, who stood with her hands on her hips and a stubborn look.

“Is there something?”

He stared at her expressionlessly through his lenses.

“Of course there is, Student Lilo. The class has actually organized a celebration party for you to congratulate you on joining the Student Council. You pushed off the last few gatherings, but this time everyone is being sincere, so…”

“I’m not going.”

“That’s the spirit! The location is… wait, what did you say?”

The Class Rep hadn’t expected such a blunt rejection; her pride was a bit wounded.

“Student Lilo, we’re doing this out of kindness. You should want to get along with everyone, right? Everyone is waiting for you…”

But what she received was a question from Lilo.

“Is this also a student’s duty?”

“What?”

She received the exact same question again.

‘Is this also a student’s duty?’

Within the eye sockets heavily surrounded by dark circles, Lilo’s eyes—black, devoid of highlights, and not an exaggeration to call them a dead person’s eyes—stared straight at the Class Rep.

“…”

That was the first time the Class Rep had ever felt the sensation of “fear.”

She was the little princess of her family, raised with a silver spoon in her mouth. She had never truly witnessed… what fear was.

Fear of the unknown.

Fear of the abnormal.

Fear of…

“I am just a student,” Lilo said, every word incredibly clear as he stared at the Class Rep, who was half a head shorter than him.

“A student’s duty is to stay within this cage called a campus, to accompany teachers, classmates, and friends in crafting a beautiful memory. Even if it is a fake one, I will do my best not to destroy it. Therefore, within this ‘school,’ I will not violate my duties as a ‘student.’”

But…

What about outside the “school”?

That has nothing to do with me.

Because I am only a “student.”

“Please move, Class Rep. I’m going to be late for work.”

“…”

The Class Rep dazedlily stepped aside to clear a path.

She watched Lilo’s lonely figure walk further and further away until he vanished at the end of the corridor.

‘What… was that “thing”?’

This thought occupied her mind in an instant.

If they hadn’t been having a conversation, she would have doubted if the person standing before her just now was a corpse devoid of emotion—a walking dead man…

“What on earth are you…”

Lilo V. Watch!?

In this academy, there is far more than just one…

“Monster.”