An Extra’s Rise in an Eroge - Chapter 263

Chapter 263: Planning

The laughter and light banter faded as Oliver’s expression hardened again. He stepped closer to Arthur, lowering his voice so the surrounding chatter wouldn’t drown him out.

“Arthur… what have you found so far out there?”

Arthur’s casual smile dimmed. His gaze grew sharp, his voice carrying the weight of the blood he had seen. “It’s the Black Hand Organization. They’re here in force. Several groups, spread across the island, hunting cadets even as we speak.” His jaw clenched. “On my way here, I passed more than a few corpses… students butchered like animals. I’ve already taken down multiple cells of them myself, but…” He shook his head, eyes narrowing. “There’s no end to them. For every group I cut down, there’s another waiting.”

The fire crackled in the silence that followed. Emily’s face went pale as she clutched at Arthur’s sleeve, while Noah’s expression sharpened, eyes flashing with a predator’s light.

Oliver exhaled heavily, confirming Arthur’s fears. “I feared as much. We’ve also run into signs. The bastards tampered with the golems—their systems were hijacked. They went berserk earlier, attacking us with lethal intent. We barely managed to subdue them without losing people.”

Arthur’s brows furrowed. “So even the academy’s safeguards aren’t safe…”

“That’s not all,” Oliver continued grimly. “The beasts on the island—those we fought before weren’t just stronger. They were demonized. Corrupted. Their eyes were bloodshot, their movements frenzied, and the air around them reeked of demonic energy. They fought with no fear, no pain—just killing intent.” He paused, glancing at Arthur. “If the Black Hand is behind that, then they’ve found a way to twist both machines and living beings against us.”

The students around them shifted uncomfortably, murmurs breaking out at the weight of Oliver’s words.

Arthur’s hand unconsciously brushed the hilt of his blade, his voice low but steady. “They’re not just here to disrupt the test… they’re here to wipe us out. And from what I’ve seen, they’re prepared to go all the way.”

Silence fell again, thick and suffocating. The fire crackled louder, the shadows dancing across grim faces.

~~~

They all fell into a circle around the fire, the chatter dying down as the camp tuned to the seriousness of the moment. The casual relief and laughter from a little while ago were gone—this was the real thing now. Oliver folded his arms and fixed Arthur with a look that demanded facts, not bravado.

“Spit it out,” Oliver said. “What did you actually see out there?”

Arthur looked at each face in turn—Emily clinging at his sleeve, Noah alert and ready, Amara watching like she was cataloguing every line on his face. He kept his voice flat, measured. He couldn’t tell them everything he knew from the plot; he had to avoid sounding like he knew more than any living person should. But he could give them usable intelligence without sounding suspicious.

Arthur crossed his arms, speaking carefully. “They’re not endless. From what I’ve seen, there can’t be more than fifty of them on this island. Most of them aren’t that impressive—intermediate swordsmen, third- or fourth-circle mages. Students working together can deal with that level.” He paused, his tone hardening. “The real problem is that they don’t move alone. They operate in squads, and each squad has a master-rank leading it. That’s what makes them dangerous.”

Noah frowned, gripping his spear tighter. “And how many groups are left?”

Arthur shrugged casually. “Hard to say. I’ve already taken out a few myself. I’d bet some others were handled by Kaela or Alex.”

Oliver caught the vague answer but didn’t press, his eyes narrowing. “So they’re organized and still have leaders in play.”

Noah leaned forward, voice sharp. “Then waiting around is suicide. Instead of sitting in these camps like lambs, we flip the board. We become the hunters. Make them feel what it’s like to be prey.”

Arthur smirked at his words but added, “I agree. I’ve fought them. They bleed, they die. But don’t underestimate them. They use demonic mana. When they realize they’re losing, they go berserk. Stronger, faster, no fear. Head-on without a plan, we’ll lose more than we gain.”

Emily’s voice cut in, heated and worried. “And how can you be so reckless? You’ve been confronting them alone! What if you had been injured? What if you—”

Arthur placed a hand on her shoulder, grinning. “Calm down, sis. I’m not some weakling. I’m not in danger. I am the danger.”

“Ha… unbelievable,” Oliver muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose like he was already tired of Arthur’s arrogance. “Fine. That’s exactly why we need a proper plan.”

Amara, who had been silent until now, spoke sharply. “What’s there to plan? We gather. Consolidate. The more isolated groups we bring together, the harder it will be for them to pick us off. Unity will keep us alive long enough to fight back.”

Oliver tapped his chin, nodding slowly. “Consolidation first, then. We secure nearby student groups and form one strong force. With numbers, we can strike down their cells one by one.”

Arthur leaned forward, voice firm. “Exactly. But we’ll need scouts. Those bastards move in shadows, targeting stragglers. If we don’t know where they are, we’re always one step behind.”

Noah smirked, spinning his spear once. “Leave scouting to me. If they think they can stalk us, I’ll turn the tables. They’ll be the ones hunted.”

Oliver gave him a short nod, then turned his gaze back to Arthur. “And you?”

Arthur smirked, resting a hand casually on the hilt of his blade. “I’ll go alone. I’m faster than anyone here, and most of the students can’t keep up with me anyway. I’ll cut down their leaders before they even realize what’s happening.”

Oliver sighed, shaking his head. “Arrogant as ever. Fine. But don’t get killed—you’re too much trouble to replace.”

Arthur just grinned, the firelight flickering across his confident expression.

“The leader of Black Hand will have to come down himself if he wants be dead. Not sure he is gona succeed though”

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