Hori:...uhhhhh my head...
She slowly stood up rubbing her eyes.
She was alone.
Hori: are they going to knock us out for every trial.....?
Her eyes darted around, analysing where she was, they were walls....a lot of walls....
Hori:....oh no....
IT WAS A MAZE!
Hori: please!!! anything but mazes!!!!
Hori: I'm terrible at them!!!!
This is infact true, hori often tried the maze games in the news paper when still living with her father, she sucked at it.
Hori:.... sigh....
She started walking.
Announcer: the first trial represented TEMPERANCE,in other words, time moderation.
Announcer: that is why you were meant to finish the trial with your given time.
Hori: good morning announcer!
She waved the sky.
Announcer: good morning, contestant inori-san.
Haruki: did the announcer just greet Hori?
Announcer: ahem,as I was saying, this trial, the second.
Announcer: is inspired by the virtue CHASTITY,pure of mind body and soul.
Hori:....hmmm.
She placed her hand on her chin wondering what the announcer was talking about.
Announcer: the second trial is quite easy, participants must navigate their way to the finish line without understanding more than 5 erotic gestures.
Hori: uhhhhhh...
She was confused .
Announcer; it means you'll see sus stuff, and you are allowed to only understand what 5 mean, if you understand what more than 5 lewd gestures mean you'll be eliminated.
Announcer: good luck.
Hori:.....ohhh....I wish narrator were here, then she'd have explained it better, what is a "lewd gesture" ?
She pondered whilst walking.
Tadashi was in the lounge watching participants on the television.
Other priests where seated also watching the huge TV, they were dining on different delicacies.
Sir Scott: h.... hello.
He gestured to Tadashi Shiba.
It was sir Allen Scott, the man in a tank top, soldier pants and sunshades.
Tadashi:... what kind of awkward
Greeting is that?!
He asked siping his drink.
Tadashi: we've been together for 3 years now! and your still saying hello???
Sir Scott: s...shut up.
Sir Scott: and don't say that! we're not in a relationship!!
He said removing his sunshades since they were now indoors.
Both sir Scott and Tadashi Shiba, have been wearing a black band on their right hands, similar to the ones football captains have.
There was a bold white writing on the band "B".....
Sir Scott carried a chair and sat close to Tadashi.
Sir Scott: how is kaori-san doing?
He asked with a concerned look on his face.
Tadashi:....I don't know man....
He replied with a depressed look.
Kaori is Tadashi's wife, also an acquaintance with hori, ever since father jiro announced Inori Jiro's death (which is Hori btw) kaori has been extremely depressed.
She was quite close to Inori Jiro, so hearing about her "death" had a great toll on kaori.
Tadashi:.... she said she didn't believe Jiro-san, since we weren't allowed to see inori-chan's body.
Sir Scott: but that was definitely suspicious....
Tadashi: that's the kind of man Jiro-san is.... he's so powerful that he can do whatever he wants without anybody saying shit.
Tadashi: I mean how will a father bury his daughter by himself....
He bent his head reasoning his statement.
Sir Scott: the public was told it was a private burial, but there wasn't even a burial at all.
Sir Scott: he just carried the coffin to get it cremated..... it's way too suspicious....
Sir Scott also bent his head.
Hori: ehmm....announcer?!
I've finished the trial, but you haven't announced it...
She said waving her hands, hori was actually at the finish line.
Tadashi: what the?
Tadashi pressed the announcer button.
Announcer: contestant inori-san has finished the second trial, wait how did you finish the second trial?!
Sir Scott: finished the second trial?! it's only been 3 minutes!
The two men were confused as they watched from the screen,a hataki carrying Hori to her dorm.
Hataki: congratulations on passing the second trial of the SABBATH EXAMS.
She said whilst bowing.
Hori:hehe thanks.
She said scratching her head.
The female hataki suddenly switched to a casual tone.
Hataki: inori-San, how did you finish the second trial so quickly??
Hori: oh,it was quite confusing.
She replied with a friendly tone.
Hataki: confusing? How so??
Hori: The announcer said not to understand inappropriate illustrations drawn on the walls of the maze right?
Hori: but I didn't find anything wrong with the drawings.
*Back to when she was in the maze*
Hori: aw man, if only it weren't a maze!
She sulked while walking.
Hori: and to top it off, there's going to be lewd drawings on the walls.
Hori: hm?
She said looking at the wall.
It was a woman giving a banana a deep vulgar blow job.
Hori:..... when was the last time I ate a banana?
She continued walking.
Hori: this is tiring,I haven't even eaten breakfast...
Narrator: Hori did not see any of the illustrations as inappropriate, because she doesn't have a complete understanding of what inappropriate is to begin with!
Narrator: to her, being naked is probably the only thing she deems indecent.
Narrator: so things like "lewd" gestures, are just going to pass her by.
*Back to the present*
The hataki finished listening to Hori's explanation.
Hataki:.....(So she's just clueless)
She said with a smile, although hataki's wear nose masks for hiding their identity.
They finally reached the dorm, hori was the first to finish.
Hataki: you should rest till the second trial begins.
Hori: of course!
She said with a bow as the hataki was about to leave.
*Growl!* Hori's stomach echoed in the entire dorm.
Hori:....
Hataki:....
Hori: have you no shame?!
She asked her stomach whilst crying.
Hataki: ah... It's completely okay!
She said trying to make hori feel less embarrassed.
Hataki: normally participants are fed during lunch and dinner, because the trials start in the morning!
Hataki: however, users of the bribery system are given breakfast since they didn't participate!
Hataki: but since you finished too early you'll need to eat before noon!
Hataki: There's a cafeteria if you walk past this hall! it's meant for priests but I'm sure they won't mind if a participant-
Hori had already disappeared.
With her hunger taking control of her body, hori rushed to the cafeteria with astonishing speed!
We really shouldn't skip breakfast.
*Thump*her feet touched the cafeteria floor, she found it.
Priests could be found left and right, with their usual golden cross hanging below their necks.
Some were dining, some were simply chatting.
The cafeteria looked casual, but had more expensive tiling and roofing.
Hori: wow, even though father was the head of SHO, I've never gone this deep before.....
Hori: there's so much fooooooood!!!
She completely ignored the scenery as well as the priests and quickly ran to the lady serving food.
Hori: ehm, g... Good morning ma'am.
Woman: huh?
She looked down and saw hori
She was a classic lunch lady.
Lunch lady:....What'd you want kid.
Hori: ehm, excuse me, I'm quite hungry, can I please have some food?
She said fiddling with her fingers.
Narrator: Hori isn't usually shy with strangers.
Narrator: but the lunch lady looked... scary.
Lunch lady: aren't you too young to be a priest?
Lunch lady: and where's your cross??
Hori: ah, I'm not a priest ma'am, I'm simply participating in this year's Sabbath exams!
She exclaimed punching air showing her skills!
Lunch lady: then if yer ain't no priest, then get outta here! Free quality Food is meant for priest only!
Lunch lady: they deserve it for battling sinners and sins to keep us safe!
The woman yelled shooing hori away.
Hori: oh...I see....
She held her grumbling stomach and began walking away.
Hori: (But I've fought sinners too... and haruki killed them by eating them...)
She thought with an angry expression, she was really hungry.
Sir Scott: two bowls of ramen please, and some extra pork at the side.
The muscular army man ordered whilst hori walked away.
Lunch lady: coming right up sir Scott!
She dished it out and handed it to sir Scott.
It wasn't hot in his hands because he wore biker gloves.
Sir Scott: inori-chan, mind eating with me.
He said with a fatherly smile.
Hori:....me???
She asked with a tired face, hori was very hungry.
Hori: I..I..I.. wouldn't want to impose sir Scott! I best be on my way!
She bowed down.
Sir Scott: oh, okay, but before you leave, help me carry this bowl to that seat.
He gestured to an empty seat at the back.
Hori: of course,I would love to be of assistance!
She carried the second bowl of ramen and tailed Sir Scott as they headed for the empty seat.
He sat down and broke his chopsticks about to dig in.
Hori dropped the bowl she had helped to carry on the table and was about to leave.
Sir Scott: thank you for the food!
He said with a big smile.
*Slurp* he carried a full band of ramen, the broth dripping into the bowl as the aroma surrounded the area
Sir Scott: mmhhh!! This is delicious!
He exclaimed chewing on a piece of pork, it's fatty goodness rubbing on his mouth.
Hori simply stood there in silence....
Hori:.....*sniff*
She was crying
Sir Scott: w...WHY are crying??!?
He exclaimed dropping his chopsticks.
Hori: oh, I'm sorry... I'm so hungry that it hurts a little.
Sir Scott: then settle down and eat! I bought that for you, idiot!
Hori: ah, thank you sir.
She bent her head in appreciation, her voice barely audible because of the hunger.
Hori sat down and also broke her chopsticks.
Hori: thank you for the meal!
She begins to eat will beautiful manners.
Narrator: I thought she was bad with chopsticks?!
haruki had taught her how to use them properly, Incase she ate with someone important.
Sir Scott simply smiled and continued his meal
Sir Scott:....you finished the first trial easily...care to explain your secret-
Hori had finished her bowl of ramen.
Hori: *hic!*
She slightly choked since she had rushed it, she was carrying the bowl close to her chin,it seemed... she licked the bowl... that's bad manners!!!!
Hori was starring at sir Scott who was also starring at her, surprised such a small girl ate so quickly.
Hori:....*growlllllll*
Sir Scott: ah...
Hori wasn't embarrassed,she simply stared at Sir Scott's bowl of ramen.
Sir Scott:....ehm... you wanna have mine???
He said dropping his chopsticks.
Hori:......ah!
She snapped back to her senses
Hori: I would never be so greedy! Thank you again for the meal sir Scott!
She quickly stood up and bent her head.
Sir Scott: it's okay, I'm not hungry,I ordered just because.
He insisted.
Hori:... you really don't mind,sir?
She said with a shy face, Hori's appetite was just too much.
Sir Scott: here, have it,he pushed the bowl to her front.
Hori:th... thank you very much.
She sat down and began eating his ramen.
Sir Scott: as I was saying, how did you pass the second trial so easily?
Hori: hm?
She answered with pork in her mouth.
Hori: (why is everyone asking me that?)
She reasoned while looking at Sir Scott, but still simultaneously eating.
Sir Scott:.... inori-chan....
Hori still hasn't answered his question.
Hori: ah! I'm sorry! I passed because I didn't understand any of the illustrations sir Scott!
Sir Scott: thats unrealistic, not even a single one??
Hori: yes sir! Even when I stared closely at it, I still couldn't find any lewd interpretation behind the drawings!
Sir Scott:....hmm....
Sir Scott:....(Could she be....a GOOD man??)
Sir Scott:(it's not normal for a person of her age-
Sir Scott: wait, how old are you?
Hori: 14 sir!
She answered eating the last piece of pork.
Sir Scott: (of course! a 14 year old should have some sense of immorality....to not understand any of the gestures.... could only me one of two things....)
Sir Scott:( either she's a GOOD man....)
He looked at hori who was drinking the broth from the ramen.
Sir Scott: (or she's just extremely stupid!)
Hori: *lick!* *Lick!* *Liiiick*
*Clang!* She dropped the bowl on the table.
Hori: thank you very much for the food sir!
She said bending down her head as low as possible.
Hori: I promise to you repay you someday!!!
She claimed raising her head with determination.
Sir Scott:....(Maybe she's not a GOOD man.... being a sweet kid ain't bad either....)
He as well stood up and pushed his chair into the table, arranging it properly.
Sir Scott: you can repay me by taking the bowls back to Fukui San.
He said pointing at the lunch lady.
Hori: ah! Of course!
Hori quickly carried their bowls and was heading to the lunch lady.
Sir Scott:...( Maybe I'll take her as a student....I see great potential in her....)
He began walking out of the cafeteria.
Hori: Sir Scott!
Sir Scott:hm?
He turned.
Hori: thanks again for the food!
She yelled bending her head with the bowls still in her hands.
Sir Scott:... your welcome!
He said with a smile and turned to continue walking away.
Hori went to the lunch lady.
Fukui: ugh it's you again! Y'know free loading from people is a sin-
Hori: Fukui-San! Thank you for the meal!
She said bending her head.
Hori: your cooking is really delicious!
Hori appreciated with a smile, she dropped their bowls on the counter and waved the lunch lady good bye.
Fukui:.... your welcome....
She mumbled as hori left with a satisfied stomach.
Hori: hahhhh....
She was coming out of the female restroom and cleaning her hands with a towel.
Hori: good morning!
She greeted some hatakis passing by.
"G...good morning..."
They bent their head.
Narrator: hatakis are really shy.
Hori: what do I do now??
She began walking.
Hori: narrator???
Narrator didn't reply.
Hori:oh she said until I've finished the Sabbath exams.
Hori was heading to the female dorm to take her shower and maybe sleep.
Hori: (I wonder how haruki, and meadow are doing?)
She entered the dorm.
Haruki: oh God!!!!!!! fffffffuuuuuuckkk!!!!
Friday: Jesus Christ! stop screaming!!!
It's that blonde boy.
Haruki: I can't help it, this trial is hella boring!!
Haruki had 5 black lines on his cheeks, 3 on the left and 2 on the right.
Friday completely ignored him and continued navigating his way through the maze.
Friday on the other hand had 4 black lines on his cheeks, 2 on the left and 2 on the right.
Narrator: the black lines on their cheeks represent how many illustrations they have understood as lewd.
Narrator: as the announcer said, you may understand up to 5, understanding more than that would lead to your disqualification.
Narrator: meaning haruki is about to fail this trial.
Friday saw a painting on the wall, perhaps a lewd illustration!
He immediately closed his eyes so he won't see it.
Haruki: that's really smart, but you won't be able to see your way through the maze.
He said also avoiding eye contact with the illustration.
Friday: why in God's name are you still following me????
He asked putting his hands on the walls, navigating his way like a blind man.
Haruki: to be honest, I might actually fail this trial, I'm quite... EXPERIENCED you see.
He said with a smirk.
Friday: ugh!
He was about to throw up.
Haruki: meaning that I'll understand most of the illustrations you kids might not get.
Friday: retard, were the same age!
Haruki: you sure?
He asked looking at Fridays height.
Friday: what's that supposed to mean?????????
Friday was getting irritated.
Haruki: okay, okay, chill out, bakugo.
Narrator: pfft,I get it.
Friday looks like bakugo, and acts like him.
Participant: oh....fuck!
It was a contestant staring at an illustration,he had understood more than 5 illustration, making 6 black lines on his cheeks,3 on each side.
Announcer: contestant, Tadano kempo has been eliminated.
Participant: aw man!!
He suddenly got teleported away from the maze
Haruki: .....welp,it was nice talking to you, but my friend is waiting for me.
Haruki:(here I come, hori!)
He took a running stance.
Haruki: ANYONE WHO CAN HEAR ME, MOOOOOOVE AWAY FROM MY VOICE!!!!
He yelled with an incredibly loud voice!
Haruki: I repeat!!! I'm smashing through anything in front of me!!!!
Friday: pfft what is he a bull?
*Dark frame*
The entire maze's saturation reduces to zero, leaving only haruki with color.
Friday: what the?!
Haruki: hehe, it's been awhile.
Tadashi: a dark frame! And it's that contestant Haruki Maru who was the first to finish the first trial!
Participant: we should move,I think someone is going to burst through.
Participant 2: what the, fuck you saying, he's just gonna smash through the walls-
*Bashhh!*they turned to blood and organs.
*Dudooom!*
Hori: what was that?!
She was taking a shower and heard the noise, similar to an explosion.
Hori:(please God, keep haruki, meadow and Shuntaro san safe)
She continued taking her shower.
*Thud* Haruki's foot landed on the finish line.
Haruki:*huff* *huff!*
Haruki: holy shit it worked!
His Sabbath exams jersey was torn, covered in blood and organs, haruki had burst through the entire maze.
Tadashi:.... what the hell is wrong with this year's participants?
He was honestly confused.
Tadashi: first, contestant inori-san survived a 300 meters fall.
Tadashi: now contestant Maru-san is breaking multiple walls of concrete!
Tadashi: all these are physically impossible! unless they were priests! This is just unrealistic!!!
Other priests in the lounge were also shocked at the feat.
"Is that contestant a human being?!"
One said.
"Shiba-San! Should we report this???"
Another asked.
Tadashi:....no..... not necessary.
Tadashi:if the others wanted to know they should have come to watch this year's Sabbath exams.
He said with an annoyed expression.
Tadashi: except from my lovely Kei tho.
Kei Kaori is another higher up... she is his wife.
Sir Tadashi Shiba and Sir Allen Scott were the only higher ups watching this year's Sabbath exams, mostly because they were responsible for organizing and designing the trials.
The other higher ups.... just didn't give a shit...
Tadashi pressed the announcer button.
Announcer: contestant Haruki Maru, has passed the second trial.
Tadashi: (he killed 5 people tho....)
Haruki: phew! I wonder what Hori's doing.
He walked through the finish line, the hataki meant to escort him was just scared, haruki was covered in blood after all.
Friday: that's just insane! He broke through the entire maze!!
He, yelled seeing the debris Haruki's speed caused.
Friday: well at least the freak made a path to the finish line.
Tadashi: ah that is true... now all the participants will just follow that path to the finish line!
And so they did,
Sir Scott: there was a total of 606 participants for the first trial, 210 died and 50 lost .
Narrator: 346 participants had began the second trial, 58 got disqualified haruki killed 5 people.
Narrator: meaning 283 participants will be participating in the next trial.
Hori:..... I'm bored.
She said sitting on a her bed.
She wore the white pajama provided to participants,it was 3 in the afternoon tho.
She also tied a towel on her head, making her look like an older lady.
Hori:...I wanna watch some anime....
Hori: maybe when we're done with this, I'll watch that one I saw "Dragon Ball"
Hori glanced and saw some participants who used the bribery system so they didn't participate in this trial, they were women and Hori didn't know what to talk to them about.
Hori: Shuntaro sans sleeping....
She saw Shuntaro laying on her bed, pregnant women need sleep.
*Creak*
Hori: meadow-chan?!
She jumped in excitement.
Meadow: ah hori-chan! Wow you actually finished early!
Hori: congratulations on passing!
She held meadows hands
Meadow: yeah thanks,oh, you won't believe what haruki did!
Hori: ehhh? What did he do?
Meadow: oh, that should wait,I need to bathe, and I'm starving.
Hori: understood.
Meadow went to the bathroom to take her shower.
Other participants where also entering, hori didn't know any of them tho, so she just bowed.
Tadashi: this is probably the weirdest trial, first some dunce,has no idea what pornographic images are.
Tadashi: then some "human" breaks through an entire maze!
Tadashi was going crazy.
Tadashi:(their obviously irrelevant compared to my strength)
Tadashi: (but that's because I work for SHO! ordinary civilians shouldn't be performing such feats!!!)
He was obviously extremely strong considering he's a higher up, but Kids like Hori and Haruki were too strong for normal people.
Tadashi:....haaaaah....
He took a deep breath to calm down.
Tadashi: it doesn't matter, the next trial doesn't require physical strength.
He said with a devilish grin,
Narrator: Tadashi Shiba was in charge of arranging the trials for this year's Sabbath exams, perhaps the next one was going to be...difficult....
Hori: he what?!
Meadow: yeah,he broke through the entire maze!
Hori and Meadow were facing each other on their individual beds, meadow had gisted her about Haruki's feat in the second trial.
Hori:wow,as expected from haruki!
She said like a proud mom.
Meadow:oh I heard that he killed some people too.
Hori:...eh?
Meadow: si! he was all covered in blood!
Hori:....he killed someone....
She said with a disappointed look.
Meadow:... M'ija, you okay?
She placed her hand on her back.
Hori: I'm fine, I'll have to talk to him tomorrow.
Hori: good night meadow-chan.
She faced the other side and layed down.
Meadow: ah, your sleeping so soon?! I wanna gist some more...!!
....Hori didn't reply.
Meadow:....(Did I offend her?)
Meadow:....well....good night then...
Meadow also slept off.
The next day.
The participants were dressed in the Sabbath exams uniform (hataki wash them while priests amend them)
They were gathered at the briefing hall,a total of 283 participants looking tired, they were woken up quite early for this trial.
Haruki:ah, hori, good morning-
Hori: don't good morning me, haruki!
She cut him off with a frustrated look, what was she so angry about???