The moment Kenta's body vanished, the floor began to shake.
Stone teeth crumbled. Pillars cracked and hissed. The whispers returned—not names this time, but numbers.
"Three must fall. Four remain unjudged."
Ayato gripped the altar to steady himself. Across the cathedral, glowing runes ignited, forming a circle of white flame around the altar. The air smelled like burning paper and something metallic—like the dungeon was getting ready for something big.
A system voice rang out—colder than anything they'd heard before.
[Judgment Room Activated]
Floor 3 Cleared. All Remaining Students Shall Face Moral Audit.
One Will Be Sentenced. No Appeals.
The world shifted. A blink—then all five of them stood in a black marble room. There were no walls. No ceiling. Just endless reflections. Each wall showed them distorted—versions of themselves with bloodied hands, corrupted faces, cruel smiles. A courtroom of mirrors.
Ayato exhaled. "So it's begun."
Mio beside him held her book tighter. Ren was pale, his hands clenched at his sides. Yui's eyes were wide, darting at every reflection, like she was looking for an escape.
Then the system voice boomed:
"Subject: Ayato Kurozaki. Step forward."
Ayato's stomach twisted. Why me first? He stepped into the center, trying to keep his face blank. A pillar rose beneath him—elevating him like a criminal awaiting trial. His own reflection stared back, multiplying around him. Some smiled. Some cried. One held a dagger already dripping red.
"You killed Daichi Kobayashi. You slew Kenta Ishida without hesitation. You withheld information from your class. You watched others die—repeatedly."
The mirrors echoed:
"Executioner. Manipulator. Observer."
Ayato didn't flinch. He felt the others' eyes on him. They're all thinking it. That I'm a killer. That I'm cold. That I'm not like them.
He swallowed hard. "I made choices no one else would. And I'll keep making them."
The system paused.
Karma Level: Stable – Neutral. Judgment: Suspended.
Ayato stepped down, quietly. He could feel the others watching him differently now. They're scared of me. Maybe they should be.
"Subject: Yui Asano. Step forward."
Yui was trembling as she stepped into the center. Her reflection was crying—bloody hands gripping a broken spear.
"You allowed three classmates to die on Floor One due to hesitation. You lied to your group to protect Ren. You inflicted a non-lethal wound on a corrupted student who later killed another."
Yui gasped. "I tried to do what's right!"
"But you didn't," the mirrors whispered.
Yui's face crumpled. "I was scared. I didn't know what else to do."
Karma Level: Borderline Positive. Judgment: Deferred.
She stepped down, wiping her eyes. Ren reached out and squeezed her shoulder. "You did your best," he muttered.
Yui nodded, but she looked broken.
"Subject: Ren Kisaragi. Step forward."
Ren clenched his fists as he stepped onto the pillar. His reflection was angry, fists raised, eyes wild.
"You encouraged a plan that led to friendly fire. You saved Yui while abandoning a teammate. You enjoyed violence against Daichi."
Ren's face darkened. "He was a murderer."
"Does that make you judge and jury?" the mirrors echoed.
Ren looked away. "I just wanted to survive."
Karma Level: Fluctuating. Judgment: Deferred.
He stepped down, shoulders hunched. "This is messed up," he muttered. "We're all just trying to stay alive."
"Subject: Mio Sakamoto. Step forward."
Mio stepped forward without a word, chin high. Her reflection was calm, but her eyes were sharp.
"You concealed knowledge of past cycles. You manipulated Ayato. You used the Archivist's Book to influence karma probabilities."
Ayato blinked. She what? He looked at Mio, but she didn't meet his eyes.
"You would've all died if I hadn't," Mio said, her voice steady.
Karma Level: Unstable – Positive Bias. Judgment: Deferred.
She stepped down, her face unreadable. Ayato wanted to ask her what she meant, but the system wasn't done.
"Subject: Riku Hamasaki. Step forward."
Riku stumbled to the center. He'd been quiet, forgettable—until now. His reflection was shifty, eyes darting, hands twitching.
"Riku Hamasaki. You sabotaged Yui's team on Floor Two. You allowed Kenta to fall into corruption while hiding supplies. You stole a healing potion and lied."
"You whispered for others to die—hoping you wouldn't be noticed."
The mirrors turned red.
Karma Level: Below Critical. Judgment: Condemned.
Panic broke out.
"Wait!" Riku shouted. "I—I didn't mean—!"
But it was too late. Chains of black glass erupted from the floor and wrapped around him. He screamed. Yui reached out instinctively—but Ayato held her back.
"You can't save him," Ayato said, his voice flat.
Riku's body vanished into a burst of light. Nothing left. Not even blood.
The room went silent again.
[One Sentenced. Balance Restored.]
[New System Notice: Karma Audit Will Now Occur Every 5 Floors.]
The room began to fade. Each student stood still, lost in their own thoughts.
"This is what it really is," Mio whispered. "The Tower doesn't want survivors. It wants witnesses."
Ayato met her gaze. "No," he said. "It wants monsters."
As they returned to the hub room, silence hung between them. Fewer students. More secrets. And the karma above everyone's head? Visible now. Glowing numbers—rising, falling, changing with every thought.
There would be no more pretending.
Ayato sat down against the wall, rubbing his hands together. They felt dirty, even though there was no blood. What am I becoming? He looked at the others. Yui was crying quietly. Ren was staring at the floor, jaw tight. Mio was flipping through her book, but her hands were shaking.
He wanted to say something. Anything. But what was there to say?
Sorry I killed people. Sorry I kept secrets. Sorry I'm not the hero you wanted.
He closed his eyes. Maybe I am a monster. Maybe that's the only way to survive here.
Mio sat down beside him. "You okay?" she asked, her voice low.
Ayato shrugged. "Not really."
She nodded. "Me neither."
Ren looked up. "This is so messed up. We're just kids. We shouldn't have to do this."
Yui wiped her eyes. "But we do. And we have to keep going. For the others."
Mio sighed. "And for ourselves."
Ayato looked at his hands again. The numbers above them flickered—rising, falling, never stable. Is this what the dungeon wants? For us to watch each other, judge each other, turn on each other?
He felt sick. I don't want to be like this. But I don't want to die, either.
Ren stood up, stretching. "I need air. Or whatever passes for air in this hellhole."
Yui managed a weak smile. "Good luck with that."
Mio leaned her head against the wall. "We should rest. The next floor's gonna be worse."
Ayato nodded. "Yeah. It always is."
He closed his eyes, but he didn't sleep. He just listened—to the others' breathing, to the distant hum of the dungeon, to the whispers in his own head.
You're a killer. You're a liar. You're a monster.
He opened his eyes. The numbers above his head flickered again.
Maybe. But I'm still here. And I'm not giving up.
He looked at Mio. She was watching him, her eyes tired but steady.
"We'll get through this," she said softly.
Ayato nodded. "Yeah. We will."
He didn't know if he believed it. But he wanted to.
And for now, that was enough.
(Chapter 10 End)