The darkness in my vision drifts apart, with a bright, blinding flash taking its place. The back of my head is pressed against something hard and rough. The distinct sounds of tapping and chattering flood my hearing. I jolt up as my surroundings get clogged by a bunch of uniformed people I don't recognize. My eyes follow the wandering crowd towards a massive school building.
Where am I? How did I get here? Who brought me here? What's going on? I inspect my unknown environment with confusion and disbelief. My pupils frantically rotate in every direction before I notice a girl in front styling long, white hair and gold, brownish eyes staring at me. My body immediately kickstarts into a lingering fight and flight response just looking at her.
"Class is starting soon, you should hurry."
"...Huh? W-What?" I subconsciously take a panicked step back.
"Class… is starting…"
This is creeping me out… What's this girl talking about? I don't go to this school! Her stepping forward was enough of a trigger to end my indecisiveness as I ultimately chose to get the hell out of there as fast as I could. I bolted away from the school and its students, heading for what seemed to be a forest of sorts. As soon as I felt confident enough about the distance between us, my legs gave out. I leaned back against a nearby tree while taking in some much needed oxygen. I see nothing but greenery and dirt, and absolutely no signs of shelter or food, so staying here was out of the question, unless I'd wanna starve to death. With no other option, I get up to scatter all the dust and tree stumps off me before I build up enough courage to head back.
In time, the trees began to disperse, allowing me a clear sight of the school, but most importantly, an empty school. The gentle breeze of hot, morning air and the rattling of leaves were all that kept me company for now. If this place truly is a school, then everyone must've left for classes. There's nowhere else to go besides here… I'll explore a bit of the building. I'm gonna have to get used to this place.
The structure towers above me. My heart races as I get near its gates. An enigma, radiating a sense of mystery and the unknown. I put down my hands to grab onto the entrances' handles and pulled. Inside, it appeared like any other high school, from its halls to its doors, everything seemed ordinary. My steps echoed through the vacant hallways as I inspected each and every inch of the place, hunching over every classroom I encountered, inhabited or empty, all while making sure I hid my presence.
Continuing onwards within the establishment, I began to hear faint sounds of guitar riffs and drum pounds. I instinctively follow the harmonic beats, with each turn informing my hearing whether I was closer or further away. Eventually, the beating of drums and the slashing of strings got louder, and louder, and louder, until I discovered the source. A group of girls wildly swinging their instruments with dazzling energy and finesse captures my gaze. I tune out everything else around me, focusing only on them, on their tempo, their movements, their flow, everything, it was all incredible!
"They're amazing, huh?"
"Arg!" I bounce back at the sudden appearance of a girl wearing a navy blue and white uniform. Her pink hair and pigtails swing from side to side at the rhythm of the beat.
"Ah! Sorry! Did I scare you?"
"You surprised me… Also, where did you come from?"
"Are you a fan of GirlDemo too?"
"...Is that what they're called? It's my first time hearing them, so I can't say I'm a fan of theirs yet."
"Ah, you're a first timer, lucky! You'll get to experience all of their songs for the very first time!" Her voice pitches like that of a boisterous fangirl.
"Haha, yeah." I peer through the window and ogle at the band members now that they've taken a break. I see that they're wearing the same navy blue uniform as the girl, though I notice something in particular about their design, a badge with the print "SSS" sewed onto the upper arm. I wonder what it means. The pigtail girl also has one looking at her closer.
"Oh! Looks like it's break time. Welp, gotta go! Seeya!" The girl bubbly turns to leave, but stops herself before ascending the stairs.
"By the way, what's your name?"
"Uh, Goto, Reo Goto."
"I'm Yui! We'll be partners in demo's crimes from now on! Okay, gotta go! Bye!" She whimsically waves at me.
"Bye, Yui." Her enthusiastic humming gets fainter and ceases with her presence.
"Hmm?" The classroom door slides open, letting pieces of sunlight shine lightly down my face. Ferocious, fiery black eyes pierce my nerves like a javelin, her brown hair swirls, mimicking her might.
"Hisako, wait up!" A girl with short, purplish-red hair goes up to and stops her. A smile slips from her lips upon seeing her. The two girls walk away in cheerful joy at each other's company. Two more shorter girls depart from the room, leaving it deserted apart from their instruments. I suppose I should take my leave too.
I wander aimlessly around the school, caring less about being seen. The people here seem normal, so maybe I won't have to worry about them transforming into monsters or something like that. I overhear bells ringing from various classrooms, leading to a sea of students marching into the outside. I feel a tap on my back. I turned to see who was trying to get my attention. My eyes widen at the reveal, the same girl I saw at the entrance is standing before me once again.
"Class will resume in less than five minutes, you should get moving."
"...I don't go to this school… Okay, so this is gonna sound crazy, but I woke up near the entrance and I can't remember how I got here… I think someone kidnapped me or something."
"You weren't kidnapped, it's more accurate to say you were summoned here."
"Huh? I don't get it… Where am I?"
"The afterlife."
"The afterlife? A-are you saying… I died…?"
"This might be a lot for you to take in, but it's the truth. This is the world of the afterlife, where adolescents who died with regrets come to fulfill them." I couldn't think of anything to say. I thought, 'why should I doubt what she's telling me?' I suddenly woke up here without any memory of how I arrived with people I don't recognize. Not to mention my change in wardrobe. I guess It's not too far-fetched to believe something like this.
"If you attend class and do well, you'll be rewarded."
"Huh? Rewarded? With what?"
"You'll pass on."
"I'll… Pass on…" That sounds so… eerie for some reason. Her blank stare awaits an answer.
"...I don't know where I'm supposed to go."
"I'll show you to your classroom then, follow me."
"...Alright." I abide by her directions. On our way to my destined classroom, I watch as the students scatter in turmoil trying to get to their next class on time. Soon after, we came to a stop.
"We're here. Your seat should be in front, around the middle. If you're confused, you can ask the teacher."
"Aha." I'm not even gonna ask how she knows all this.
"After classes, you can come find me in the student council room located on the second floor if you have any further questions."
"O-Okay."
"Excuse me." The girl's long hair ripples as she escorts herself out. Time to head inside…
So far, there's nothing out of the ordinary about this place, from its people to its floors, everything here looks normal, though I'm still a bit anxious. I can't even focus on the lecture, I'm still dwelling on what that girl said, about this being the afterlife, although it does make sense considering before I got here I-
A loud ringing interrupts my thinking, signaling the end of class. "Alright, you're dismissed." The teacher makes his exit along with the students. Now it was time for me to go find that girl again. There's so many things I wanna ask her about. Ugh, where was the student council room again? Wait, she only told me it was on the second floor and not the room they were in… I'll have to ask someone.
I stop a random student. "Hey, sorry, can I ask you something? Do you know where the student council room is?"
"Head towards that door on the left."
"Thanks." And that's where I headed. I slide the door open, only to discover two male students sitting around a table.
"Hello there, do you need something?" A student with a mao cap asks me.
"Um, I was just looking for, erm…" Damn, I don't know her name, "This… girl with white hair. I don't know her name, but she told me I can find her here."
"Girl with white hair? You mean Tachibana? She's handling some business at the moment."
"Oh I see… Do you know where or is that classified?"
"She's near the school shed."
"Hm. Okay, thanks for your time."
"Sure."
In the school shed… What type of business does she have there? Maybe she works on gardening or something. I make my way down the stairs and push the exit to let myself out. The school shed, I don't know where that is either… After asking around some more, I finally managed to find her. She was standing just outside the entrance of the wooden structure. She was looking straight at something, so I called out to her in hopes of getting her attention.
"Tachiba-"
"Guard Skill: Hand Sonic." Instantaneously, an unsightly gleam devours her hand, materializing a small blade.
"Aaaarg! What the hell!?" I hit the ground trying to leap back.
"Guard Skill: Distortion."
"What's happening!?"
A barrage of bullets sync with the booms derived from a multitude of gun barrels, very clearly aiming at Tachibana. I shut my eyes in an attempt to avoid whatever carnage was about to ensue, but the shooting never stopped. Shaking and terrified, I allow myself to regain some sight. However, my pupils promptly widened at the gun shells bending and sparkling everywhere, with Tachibana still standing. Almost immediately, I spot a person wearing a familiar navy blue uniform dashing towards Tachibana with a knife. Tachibana responds with a swift motion of her hand-blade thingy, causing the sharp objects to collide.
"Now's our chance, GO!" The attacking girl gestures to other students wearing beige colored jackets. The students storm the shed, busting its wooden planks to allow them entry. Tachibana was still struggling to get the girl off her as their weapons continuously flicker after each clash.
"Yurippe, we found it!"
"Good!" The girl hops away from Tachibana.
"Everybody retreat!" Gusts of dust and smoke engulf the area as all the students rush out like a stampede of bulls. The scenery returns to its former peace once the students were nowhere to be seen. Tachibana's arm glows and retracts the blade, turning her hand back to normal.
What is up with everyone here!? There are students walking around with guns and strange supernatural powers! Maybe I shouldn't feel so surprised, this is the afterlife, but still… This is crazy! Tachibana finally notices me from across the field and stares at me with her usual blank expression. I frighteningly stroll towards her. "H-Hey…! Are you hurt?"
"I am unharmed. Are you?"
"No, I'm fine! No fatal wounds here… I think." We both peered over where the students were.
"So like… What was that?"
She gives me a muddled look. "What was what?"
"What…? T-that! What just happened! Why did those students have guns? And also, why did your hand turn into a sword?"
"Oh, that's what you're asking about. Well, this is the afterlife after all, anything's possible here."
"Uurg… Why are you always so vague! Now I'm even more confused."
"Hmmm… Let's talk over there." She points to a nearby metal bench.
"Uh, that's fine." An audible screech escapes the bench's bending legs as we sit down.
"I'll answer any more questions you have, so please feel free to ask me about anything you might be confused about."
"Um, alright." The first thing that comes to mind is that weird thing she did, "About that thing on your hand, what was that? I think I heard you say "guard skill" and then a blade just popped out of nowhere."
"It's an ability I created using Angel Player." Where do I even begin with that? She needs to be more clear, dammit!
"...Did you say you created an ability? Like on yourself?"
"That's correct."
"Are you like… a robot or something?"
"I'm not a robot, I'm a human being just like you."
She doesn't sound very convincing. "Ah, okay, so it was that thing, "Angel Player" that transformed your hand into a blade."
"Yes. With Angel Player, you can create all sorts of things."
"Wow really? This Angel Player thingy sounds amazing. So is it like some sort of ancient artifact or something?"
"It's a program you install on a computer."
"A program…? Still, a simple program won't help you spawn swords and shields like that, so it must be pretty special."
"Yeah."
"So how does this program work?"
"You can essentially just code and create anything you want as long as you have the knowledge."
"You can code things in Angel Player and give yourself power ups and stuff?"
"That's one way to put it, but yes, you can code and create anything you want as long as you know what you're doing."
"That's incredible… That means you're pretty proficient with it, right?"
"Kind of, yes."
"How did you learn to do all that? Are there programming classes here?"
"Unfortunately no, I used an Angel Player manual as a guide."
"Ah, so there's a manual for the program… Oh right, one more question, about those students… who were they?"
"They refer to themselves as the afterlife battlefront."
"...The afterlife battlefront? Why? What are they fighting against?"
"...Me, I suppose."
"Huh? Why you though? Did you all have a fight or something?"
Her head lowers in an almost melancholic sort of way, "...I'm the student council president, so it's my job to make sure everyone here follows the rules and procedures of the school, and by doing so, you'll be rewarded with a fulfilling school life, and will eventually be able to pass on peacefully, however…" She pauses for a moment, "There are some students, like them, who want to rebel against that."
"Huh? I don't get it. Why would they rebel?"
"...Maybe because they're resentful of their previous lives."
"...I see." I still have no clue why that correlates to them wanting to fight, but I don't wanna pressure her into saying stuff she doesn't want to, so I'll just leave it at that for now. "But won't they get in trouble running around with guns?"
"It's my job to handle that situation."
"I don't think that's right… It should be the school's job. Why aren't they doing anything about it?"
"Well, it's because all the people here are… ummm…" Her head lifts up searching for an answer, "They're… assistants for your salvation." She proudly smiles at her exemplary response.
"…So they're like… angels or something?"
"Not angels. More like… how do I explain this… They're beings specifically created for this world."
"Okay, so basically, you're saying the people here aren't human."
"The majority yes, but there are still humans around. This world caters to those who died with regrets."
"I think I'm starting to get the gist of it." The bells cry their tune.
"It's time for lunch."
"You have a watch?"
"No, I just count the bells."
"Oh, okay." Tachibana and I adjourned to the cafeteria.
"Where did those guys get those guns from? Is there an armory here?"
"No, there's no such thing, but I might have an idea of where they got them from."
"Sounds dangerous."
"Yes, it is. Please try to stay out of it."
"Roger that."
We made our way towards the cafeteria and arrived just in time to find empty seats. To my surprise, it was nearly at full capacity, considering the majority of these people weren't "real" per se. It was odd to know they still needed to eat. Although, if whoever designed this world wanted to mimic a genuine high school experience, then I guess it makes sense. Tachibana shows me what I need to do and where to go to get money, which I apparently have from some sort of scholarship. The school utilizes a ticket system, I buy tickets and exchange it for food, simple enough. After that, we both sat down at a nearby table already occupied by a few students.
"Oh, you got Mofu Tofu, those things are spicy without any company."
"Really? I don't feel it's that spicy."
"You must have an iron tongue or something. Is that also one of your skills?"
A visible frown forms on her face. "Of course not. That'd be nonsensical." I chuckled.
The clamoring of plates along with the usual sounds of chatter made this surreal experience a little more ordinary. We had a little bit of time to kill after finishing our meals. "Weird question, but are there any pianos here? Or a piano club maybe?"
"Yes, there's a piano on the second floor reserved for club activities."
"Ah, cool. There's a piano club. I wanna join."
"Unfortunately, all the members either graduated or left the club altogether, so there are no plans to continue it at the moment."
"Damn… that's too bad…"
"Hmm… I'll talk with the student council and see if they can make an exception for you to use it."
"Thanks a lot."
"Hm, but before that, I gotta show you to your room."
"Oh right, I was wondering about that too."
