Hori gasped, quickly jolting from the bed she was in.
An ordinary hospital bed, found in the Medbay.
She was wearing white pajama and saw multiple bandages on her body, most precisely her hands, with a few on her cheeks.
"... what the...."
She turned to see Haruki sleeping like a baby on a chair at her side.
Resting his head on her lap. He also wore a white pajama.
Before she could tap Haruki to ask what happened, the door opened, a female figure also wearing white pajama stepped in.
She was carrying a tray of sliced and peeled apples. It was Meadow Fernando.
"Chika?!, ¡no puede ser!"
She unknowingly spoke Spanish seeing Hori finally awake.
She immediately dropped the tray and rushed to her.
"Meadow... what happened to me...?"
Hori asked with a worried face.
"Girl, it was serious!"
She grabbed a chair and sat close to Hori.
"M'ija! They said 96 of your bones were broken...!"
Hori's eyes widened from surprise but soon went limp. She was extremely tired and still recovering.
"...may I?"
She asked pointing at the peeled apples on a tray.
Meadow nodded, still amazed seeing Hori breathing. She looked like a battered corpse when she exited the trial on a Hatakis back.
Hori picked the apple slices and started eating.
"Ahh, this is so good~! I haven't eaten since this morning!"
She exclaimed looking at the window, it was dark outside, the time 12:33
Meadow asked Hori felt with worry. They may have only met today but it was clear Meadow was worried about her.
Hori shrugged, she felt quite normal. A little drowsy from waking up but that was it.
"Ah! it must have been that 'Special Treatment' they were talking about!"
Meadow recalled.
Hori asked what she spoke about biting her apple slice.
"A Hataki said that you were too damaged for traditional treatment, so Priests were going to fix you up."
Meadow explained, Priests must have used their special abilities to aid in her recovery.
"Hehe, you should have seen Haruki, he was yelling, 'what the fuck do you mean hospital?! What the hell happened to hori?!
"Kyaahhh it was so dramatic! Like the telenovelas I watched back home! The noise was much, us girls came from our room to check on the boys.
"They had to call 20 Hataki to hold him down, and he was still dragging all of them heading to the med bay."
Meadow said with excitement, she loved such passion between lovers.
"Haruki must really care about you."
She picked up a slice of apple and ate it.
Hori sat there, with her heart racing after hearing Meadows words.
She gently placed her hand on Haruki's head and smiled with a blush. She gently stroked his long hair as his head laid on her lap.
Bzzt~
The door opened again. They both glanced to see who it was.
It was Tadashi Shiba.
Meadows mouth gaped, she never dreamt of meeting Bishop number 5 of Japan.
She immediately bent her head as low as possible.
Despite being a Mexican, she knew Japanese etiquette.
Hori as well bent, still sitting on the hospital bed.
"It's an honor to meet you sir!"
Meadow tried hiding excitement not to disgrace herself.
He returned the pleasure and patted her head.
Meadow blushed hard, giggling with joy. She reasoned it was best not to waste this moment. So she mustered the courage to ask for picture with him.
Surprisingly the Bishop agreed.
She opened the camera and stood at Tadashi's side, he was much much taller than Meadow so tadashi had to take the picture.
"God bless you so much!! I'll never delete this in my entire life on earth!!!"
She bowed even lower than before.
Tadashi gave a warm smile seeing Meadow adore the picture.
"...can you please excuse us?"
He asked Meadow to get some privacy between him and Hori.
"Of course sir!"
She bowed once more and bid Hori bye.
Meadow excused herself from the Med-bay. Leaving Hori, Bishop Tadashi and the sleeping Haruki.
"Uncle Shiba! It's been a while-"
Hori immediately covered her mouth. She forgot she been had announced dead, so as of now she isn't Inori Jiro, who was already acquainted with Tadashi Shiba.
She had to speak like a complete stranger.
She cleared her throat.
"Shiba-san! it's good to see you...sir"
Tadashi was still surprised. Despite Hori trying to act not aquatinted, she still had a casual tone.
"... how are you feeling?" He grabbed a chair and sat close to Hori.
"I'm in tip-top shape, sir! Thank you for the treatment!"
Hori said dropping the tray of apples from her lap.
"I wasn't the one who performed the treatment, it was Wuwei."
He shrugged.
"Ah! then I will have to thank this Wuwei-san!"
The Bishop decided to cut to the chase. He brought out a small clipboard from the pockets of brown pants.
"Normally, SHO doesn't allow resignation of Participants for the SABBATH EXAMS. But I'm a higher up, so their going to make an exception for you."
He said browsing through what the clipboard said. Hori was confused.
"It's for you to quit the Sabbath Exams. Surely you remember the damage you took from just the first trial. It'll be smart to quit now and prevent something like that from happening again."
Hori tried speaking but he continued.
"I know what your thinking, that you already got treated, but please know this was because you were still alive. Next time, you might actually die before getting to the Med-bay."
He stated his facts offering the clip board to Hori for her signature. Dying in the Sabbath Exams was nothing unusual, but when a participant somehow survives, it would be smart to forfeit then and there.
Hori bent her head and smiled.
"Shiba-san.... do you see this boy?"
She asked referring to Haruki, still sleeping soundly on her lap.
Tadashi recalled the ruckus he had caused, requiring 20 Hataki to pin him down.
"... what about him?"
He kept the clipboard on the desk.
"You see...I care about him with all my heart. And he's helped me so much to get to this point."
She admitted blushing a little.
"That's why I must finish what I start. Not just for my sake, but his as well."
She declared with determination burning in her eyes, Hori was not forfeiting. Especially not after the first trial.
Tadashi stared for a long minute before standing up.
"Good luck, Inori Hori. I expect great things from you."
He suddenly vanished with the chime of a kitchen bell.
'Huh? He suddenly disappeared!'
Meadow exclaimed peeping through a hole on the door, she didn't see Tadashi leave the room.
"You should go get some sleep."
Sir Tadashi said bending down to look at Meadow who was eavesdropping in their conversation.
She jolted, shocked at his teleportation, could all priests do that?
She quickly bent to apologize for not granting them privacy.
The Bishop smiled dismissing her.
He, adjusted his circular glasses and walked out of the hall.
-----------
The next day reached, now for the second trial of the Sabbath Exams.
Hori was taking a shower in the hospital ward. Her body almost fully recovered.
She got dressed in her Sabbath Exams tracksuit which was now amended from the tears and blood stains, however it was still too big, participants get only one jersey per person. So amendment doesn't entail editing.
She got dressed and folded the hands and legs, remembering how Meadow did it for her.
Still with bandages on her hands and one on her cheek. But a more cautious look on her face.
"Alright! I'm ready!"
She said with a fierce voice, she was about to leave the Med-bay and join the other participants in the briefing hall.
A Male Hataki knocked on the door.
"Inori-san, are you ready?"
He asked with a respectful tone.
Hori replied yes, permitting him to open the door.
The Hataki had serious eye bags and hunch back. In desperate need of sleep.
"Please follow me to the briefing hall."
They walked for some time and finally arrived. A crowd of participants, although much much smaller than before stood with terror in their eyes, a lot of them died in the first trial.
"Hori!"
"Haruki!"
They ran towards each other and held hands tightly.
They had already seen each other late last night when Haruki eventually woke up. But he was still glad she was truly alright.
"Hori!! I'm so glad your okay!! I could've come see you but I slept off before you finished the first trial!!l"
Mrs Takane said pleading for forgiveness. Seeing the bandages on Hori's body.
"It's okay Mrs Takane" She said with a lovely smile.
The Hataki who escorted Hori was shocked to see a pregnant woman wearing the participants uniform.
"Hola!"
Meadow waved Hori.
"Hola to you too!"
She replied despite not understanding Spanish.
Narrator - Wow, you sure have a lot of friends.
The voice commented sarcastically.
Hori greeted her as well in her mind. Knowing only she could hear her.
The Hataki bowed down and excused himself. Hori waved in appreciation.
She turned back and saw a familiar girl.
"Ehmm...I.. inori-san?" She stepped closer. It was Tensai Suika.
"I...I'm,ss.ss.ssoory for.... delaying you before..."
Clenching both hands whilst looking down. She apologized with her voice stammering.
"It's quite alright, actually, I'm sorry for sounding a bit rude. I was in a hurry to finish the first trial."
"Ah...you...you d.ddon't need to apologize, I'm the one w...who fucked up....!"
She forced Hori to accept her apology.
"Don't worry, it's all good! We should leave the past behind, Tensai!"
She said with a smile leaving Suika dazzled. Suika had heard of the misfortune that happened to Hori. Multiple broken bones. Looking like a bleeding corpse when she arrived at the Med-bay.
She had hoped Hori would survive till her treatment. Feeling responsible for what happened.
"... alright...."
Suika said with a shy face, relieved Hori didn't come to hate her.
--------
10 minutes later and all participants had filled the briefing hall.
"Good morning everyone."
Bishop number 6 greeted. Sir Scott, wearing his usual army uniform and black shades.
The crowd however wasn't as excited as yesterday. Most too scared to speak. Some feeling betrayed their loving Sir Scott would send them to their deaths.
But this was how the Sabbath Exams was throughout history.
Sir Scott:l coughed and continued.
"There was a total of 606 participants for the first trial, 210 died and 50 lost. Meaning 346 participants are left for the second trial."
The crowd began to murmur. Taking in the fact that faces they saw yesterday have departed to either Heaven, Hell or the void. Whatever you believed in, they were all dead.
Sir Scotts face turned to worry, so he asked.
"Now before we begin, would any of you like to use the Bribery system? I will not disclose any information on the next trial, but I can assure you it's quite dangerous."
The participants got goosebumps, they had witnessed the danger of the Sabbath Exams from the first trial.
Most of them had realized that they were placed by the side of the pillar on purpose to make sure they fell to their deaths immediately after waking up.
If something like that were to happen again, it'll be too late.
"Ehmmm, I would like to use the Bribery system" a man said, he was too scared of the next trial.
Multiple participant also rose their hands for the Bribery system, about 50 in total.
"Mrs Takane, I think you should as well..."
Hori whispered to the pregnant woman, she didn't want any accident for her and her baby, like some psychopath going on a killing spree.
Mrs Takane smiled, appreciating Hori's care, but she didn't have enough money to constantly keep spending without even seeing the trial. ¥100,000 was not a small amount.
Sir Scott asked again to make sure everyone willing had rose their hands. A total of 66 now.
"Very well, user's of the Bribery System, please stay behind."
They obeyed and backed up, separating themselves from the crowd.
It was time.
"let the second trial of the Sabbath Exams....begin!"
Ting~
The participants vanished again.