The light was very blinding.
Even if I looked away from the window, there were still white spots in my vision.
“Kyaaah!”
“Wow!”
“What the!?”
The students in the classroom all cried out in surprise.
“It’s blinding! What happened?”
I also spoke up.
I closed my eyes instinctively.
“My eyes! My eyes!”
I heard Kusaka’s outcry.
I rubbed my eyes a couple of times, and could finally open them after a while.
“What is it now…”
“Ah, I can gradually see.”
I quickly stood up and rushed to the window.
When I looked back at Kusaka, I found him sitting on the floor while blinking repeatedly.
“W-what is that?”
Among the female students who were at the window, one murmured while looking outside.
I squeezed into the vacant space, and leaned out through the window to take a look.
“Hah…?”
The scenery of the town that could be seen from the school remained the same.
Several high-rise condominiums and houses.
Most of the area was occupied by fields, rivers, and some small mountains.
However, there is one change that you could tell with just one glance.
“That’s Tusk Crag… right?”
The inverted triangular monolith measuring an estimated 100 meters that towered behind our house.
The famous Tusk Crag, a symbol of this rural town that contains a dungeon, has grown more than twice its original size.
It didn’t just increase in size.
From a distance, it’s green.
Up until now, it was the color of rocks, but now it was completely covered with green.
“Ahh?”
As I continued to look at Tusk Crag, its appearance seemed to warp for a moment.
No, that’s not it.
It’s not distorted, it’s increasing.
Since the points that are increasing is scattered, it just looks distorted at this distance.
“Are those… trees?”
It’s hard to tell from here, but the green stuff were probably plants.
The smallest green particles that were fluttering around what was once Tusk Crag were probably leaves?
“Kyaaaaah!!”
“R-run!!!”
The beastmen couple that started dating recently screamed from the window side seat at the top.
“It’s coming this way!”
“R-run away!”
“Where do we run to?”
“It’s too fast! It’s useless!”
The students at the window also screamed one after another.
I also look out the window and saw the scene with my mouth fully open.
I heard an unpleasant sound as if hard objects were being rubbed together and the sound of something cutting through the air.
It was from the direction of the huge green object that appeared to be Tusk Crag.
A large number of trees and shrubs were growing in our direction at an abnormal speed.
There was no time to escape, it swallowed the convenience store in front of the school, and after it swirled around the sports ground, it then covered the entire school building.
Almost happening in a near instant, my mouth opened even further.
“What is this…”
Thin branches, thick trunks, and trees and shrubs of various sizes were closing in one after another, and soon the outside scenery couldn’t be seen anymore from the window.
The trees grew along the school building as if they were flowing.
The sun was blocked, and the classroom only had fluorescent lights.
“No way… what’s going on?”
Everything was so incomprehensible that everyone was silent.
I’m looking at the branches that blanketed the window with a dumbfounded expression.
“This is an announcement for all students! This is the principal! Everyone should be seated until the homeroom teacher arrives in the classroom! Okay? Do not panic! The faculty members will immediately gather in the staff room! The teachers in charge of today’s student counselling will go around protecting the students in the school building, club room building, gymnasium, and the sports ground. I will increase the number of personnel later!”
The shoulders of all the students shuddered.
A loud voice resounded from the loudspeakers installed at both ends in front of the classroom.
The window glass was quivering from the noise.
“Was that the principal?”
“S-should I just wait at my seat?”
“Well, even if you can go outside…”
“Right?”
Looking around, the students slowly return to their seats while looking at each other.
The color of doubt did not fade from their faces.
Probably because they didn’t know what to do, so they were just going along with the instructions.
For some reason, I didn’t move and looked out the window again.
You could only see the tightly intertwined branches and trunks of the trees, and you couldn’t tell what was going on outside.
“…! My home!”
While I was spacing out by the window, I thought of Aoi, the twins, and Shouhei.
I took out the smartphone from the inside pocket of my pants in a panic, and dialed my home phone number.
I hurried placed it on my ear and waited for the call sound.
The short call tone continues to ring intermittently.
“… No way, pick up, Aoi. Please pick up.”
I continued to call while gazing at the direction where Tusk Crag was.
I was impatient and clutched the window frame with my left hand.
My home was located closest to Tusk Crag in this town.
Even though I said it’s close, it was 500 meters away, but from what I see of the current Tusk Crag, it wasn’t a safe distance.
“Please… be safe… please.”
I tapped the ground with my feet many times.
She’s not picking up. Why, Aoi, are you with Jaja and Nana?
You didn’t go out, right?
I said that for the time being, you can’t go out unless I’m there, right? I should’ve told you that, right?
At this time, Yuri-san should be there, too.
Is Shouhei back home yet?
There’s no way he made a detour. He should be at home.
After a few rings, it switched to an automatic message on the answering machine.
The slow mechanical voice got on my nerves.
Eventually, the message changed to a recorded voice prompt, and a long electronic sound beep signalled the start of recording.
“Aoi! It’s Kunpei! I’ll call you again later, so don’t go out! If Shouhei comes back, tell him not to leave the house as well! I’ll be back soon.”
I pushed aside the slowly moving classmates with my hand while avoiding the desks, and finally arrived at the door.
“Kazamachi-kun! Where are you going?”
“Going home. Step aside.”
Kusaka’s childhood friend Rina, the class chairman, was standing in front of the door. She was a girl that was from the short-haired calico cat tribe like Saeki, called Rina Melle.
A serious glasses-wearing girl with mottled hair that went down to her shoulders.
“N-no! Didn’t you hear the principal’s broadcast! Until the teachers return …”
“Melle-san. I, can’t, now. Please. Move.”
I bluntly interrupted her with short incoherent words.
“No, it’s no use! At this time, you have to calm down otherwise everyone would be in danger!”
“My house is very close to Tusk Crag. My family is at home. I have to go home.”
“I know you’re worried, but please calm down.”
“Sorry, but I’m in a rush, I’ll apologize later and you can hit me if you like.”
Snap judgment, prompt decision.
I slid my body sideways to avoid Melle.
“A-aniki, stop!”
I heard Kusaka’s voice, but I ignored it, took a deep breath, and put strength into my core.
And like that, I kicked down the door with all my strength.
“Hii”
Melle let out a short shriek.
The door made a loud noise as it was blown off into the corridor.
The two wooden pieces collided with the wall in the corridor and broke into large pieces.
“I’m really sorry.”
I quickly told her as I briskly walked down the hallway.
At the edge of my field of view, Melle had a frightened expression as she sat on the floor.
I rushed towards the stairs. There were still a few students in the corridor looking this way.
Move. Don’t get in my way.
I glared at them and they hurriedly made way.
Thanks.
I proceeded through the corridor while thanking them on the inside.
My brisk pace had gradually increased, and I already started running before I realized it.
“Aniki!”
“What are you doing! Go back!”
When I was about to turn the corner to the stairs, Kusakau’s voice came from behind.
I replied loudly without turning around.
“I’m going too! My sister Hina goes to an elementary school near Tusk Crag! Her classes ended today at noon, but she’s doing some research in the library!”
Shit.
Isn’t it the same reason as mine?
“Sorry! But I can’t afford to look after you and your sister!”
“I know! But I’m a big brother!”
We were shouting at each other while running down the stairs.
“Since you wanted to come, you have to protect yourself!”
“Y-yes!”
Eventually I could see the entrance to the school building.
It was blocked by tree branches beyond that, but there was an opening that seemed to be usable.
“Let’s go! Don’t fall behind!”
“Yes!”
We quickly rushed out.
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