The moment the lights flickered out, a holographic menu appeared before Kaito and me. As I expected, Kaito had been assigned the role of the Mole—he had the power to eliminate one player per round. Meanwhile, my own screen displayed a single, calculated option: "Assassinate (One-time use)."
Kaito wasted no time. He hovered over Kenji's name and selected him as the target. A second later, another menu flashed in front of Mei. Her role as the Deceiver granted her the ability to manipulate information, forcing her to choose between blocking either the Spy, Detective, or Psychic. Without hesitation, I gave her a subtle signal—Detective.
The lights came back on, and Kenji's avatar was gone. His simulation had ended, and from the real world, his frustrated growls echoed through our VR headsets. A notebook materialized in the center of the group, his final recorded notes visible to everyone:
*"If you're reading this, it means I was either voted out or killed. Either way, I know Class B is behind this. Also, I was the Spy."*
A moment of silence washed over the group, and I immediately scanned the reactions. Class D gasped, muttering suspicions about the two remaining Class B members. But what caught my attention most was Haruto—his avatar trembled with barely restrained frustration. His real-world expressions reflected his anger, and that confirmed my deduction.
Haruto was the Detective.
Mei's disruption had worked—Haruto had likely tried to scan my role, only to receive nothing. He knew something was wrong, but he had no proof. That made him dangerous. He would press harder, and if we let him control the narrative, our deception would crumble.
Then, Aoi's cold voice rang from the outside world.
"90 seconds to discuss. Decide who the Infiltrators are."
Class D immediately began whispering, throwing accusations at Class B, but I stepped forward, ensuring my voice carried over the noise.
"It's Haruto," I said flatly.
Haruto spun toward me, eyes burning with fury. "What? That's ridiculous—"
I cut him off. "Think about it. Who was the first person to start analyzing roles? Who was the first to act like he was in control?" I turned to the group, my voice calm but firm. "Haruto has been leading the conversation from the start, trying to dictate who is suspicious and who isn't. If I were an Infiltrator, why would I go after him? But if Haruto was an Infiltrator pretending to be a Loyalist leader, then everything he's done makes perfect sense."
Before Haruto could counter, Mei jumped in. "Kei's right! Haruto's been manipulating us since the start! He wants us to follow his lead, but what if he's been leading us straight into a trap?"
Class D erupted in agreement, nodding fervently. I resisted the urge to smirk. They were so easy to control—just a few words, and they had already turned on him.
Haruto clenched his fists. "You're making a mistake. Kei is the real mastermind here! He's playing all of you!"
One of the Class A students chuckled mockingly. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. Bye-bye, sucker."
Aoi's voice cut in. "Time's up. Vote now."
A holographic voting menu appeared before me. I selected Haruto's name without hesitation. One by one, the others made their choices, and within seconds, the results were displayed. Haruto had the most votes.
His avatar flickered before vanishing entirely. Eliminated.
His notebook materialized, but when I flipped it open, there was nothing written inside. No last-minute warnings, no deductions—just blank pages. Haruto had been too flustered to record anything. I almost sighed in relief. That had been too close.
With Haruto gone, our path to victory became clear. Over the next few rounds, I guided Kaito and Mei in manipulating the discussions, subtly steering Class D toward eliminating their own members while we picked off key threats. Class B was wiped out next, and Class A fell into disarray without Kenji's leadership.
By the final round, only four players remained—myself, Kaito, Mei, and a single survivor from Class D. The moment voting began, we all cast our votes on the last remaining Loyalist.
Eliminated.
Aoi's voice rang out once more. "Test concluded. Infiltrators win."
The VR world disintegrated around us, and one by one, we removed our headsets. The moment I locked eyes with Haruto, I saw the frustration burning inside him. His lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but instead, he let out a bitter chuckle and shook his head.
Aoi observed me from across the room, his face unreadable. I could tell he had been watching me closely throughout the game, analyzing my every move.
Then, he spoke. "Interesting."
That was all he said before he turned and left the room.
I exhaled, keeping my expression neutral. This test had been more than just a game—it had been an evaluation, not only of my tactics but of my ability to navigate manipulation and deception.
And if Aoi had been paying attention, then this was only the beginning.