Beating Down the Baker

Brandon handed the canteen over to Elaine, and the first place Allen headed was the security booth. But since it was lunchtime, no one was there. In the end, he changed course and went to the staff room.

The staff room didn't have many teachers left either. They must have stepped out for lunch as well. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Fortunately, though, a few had stayed behind. Whether it was because teaching at Everlight Academy was such a black company gig, or because they had that much passion for their students, some teachers were skipping the cafeteria altogether, munching on packed lunches or light snacks while handling their work.

"...."

He'd made it to the staff room, but how was he supposed to explain this? He'd figured out that borrowing someone else's strength would make it easier to resolve, but he hadn't thought about how to convince them.

"Mr. Allen? Is something the matter?"

Just then, Lydia spotted him pondering at the staff room entrance and spoke up.

"Well, actually…."

Hey everyone, there's this plagiarized ghost story mixing the red mask trend, red tissues, and blue tissue ghost that's selling bread at the academy canteen right now—let's all go beat the crap out of it! Saying that would make the new teacher sound like a total lunatic.

Ah. I get it.

"Actually, Brandon is at the canteen right now."

"...Pardon? Is that a joke?"

Lydia couldn't hide her confusion at his words, and the other teachers, immersed in their tasks, turned to stare at him in bewilderment.

"Ah, my explanation was a bit lacking. There's a lunatic at the academy canteen right now who believes he's Brandon. I've had one student block off the area to keep other kids away since we don't know what he might do, but I can't handle it alone, so I came to ask for help from the other teachers."

Allen didn't need to play the madman. Let the ghost story do that. Fortunately, as Elaine's reaction had shown, Brandon was a familiar ghost story everyone in this world knew. He didn't need to waste time describing the lunatic's features.

"Is that true?"

"Yes. When I first saw him, I double- and triple-checked because I thought I might be seeing things… but his face was painted purple, his mouth made up to look torn, and he was even wearing a baker's uniform. That's no ordinary crazy. If he's not just mimicking Brandon's looks but starts acting like him too…."

Allen trailed off, grimacing as if the implications were too horrifying to imagine.

Lydia's face turned serious in an instant, and even the skeptical teachers grasped the gravity of the situation.

From there, it was smooth sailing. Allen quickly convinced the staff room teachers and led them back to the canteen.

By then, the canteen had drawn a crowd of students finishing lunch. Elaine was at the entrance, struggling to hold back their anger.

They ate lunch already. Why crowd the canteen for snacks…?

"What do you mean we can't go in?!"

"Well, um… Ah! Actually, there's a super ferocious beast inside right now, so we can't enter until the teachers handle it!"

"What kind of beast?"

"It looks like a raccoon on the outside, but it has a beak instead of teeth, venomous claws, uses a sixth sense that normal animals don't have to hunt prey, and its fur glows fluorescent—it's a terrifying monster!"

"That doesn't make any sense! No such animal exists! Quit messing around and move!!"

"Ugh… you can't go through…."

"Hold on, everyone! Elaine is right. I asked her to keep anyone from entering the canteen."

Good thing he'd arrived just before things boiled over. The student who'd been pressuring Elaine flinched at the sight of the teachers Allen had brought and backed off. Allen pushed through the crowd to her side.

"You're late!"

"Good work. But what was that excuse? All you could come up with was…."

"Then why didn't you block the entrance, Teacher?!"

"Anyway, leave the rest to us adults."

Before opening the canteen door, Lydia spoke up worriedly.

"Mr. Allen, is that madman really behind this door?"

"Yes. Since Elaine's been guarding the entrance, he hasn't escaped."

"Ha! How dare he invade our sacred academy! I'll give him a proper scolding! Ms. Lydia!"

Before anyone could respond, the PE teacher flung open the door with overflowing enthusiasm.

"Kyaaah!!"

"U-Ugh!! What the hell is this!?"

Of course they'd scream. The canteen floor was pooled with blood, filled with the groans of students who hadn't died yet. Any normal person would freak out.

Or… maybe not normal? The teachers weren't affected by Brandon's mental contamination. Lucky break—no time wasted breaking it.

It seemed his preemptive explanation, even if twisted to sound like a madman, had worked. He'd vaguely realized this from the infinite loop ghost story and Brandon: a ghost story's mental contamination wasn't absolute. Prior knowledge or strong willpower weakened its influence.

So, if you confronted a ghost story fully aware of it from the start, maybe you could avoid contamination altogether?

His hypothesis checked out. The teachers, primed with clear knowledge of Brandon, recoiled in horror at the gruesome scene—but didn't fall under the spell.

The overconfident PE teacher, who'd led the charge, went pale and stumbled back, asking Allen, "M-Mr. Allen! What the hell is this!?"

"Sorry. I didn't tell the full truth because I didn't think anyone would believe me. The thing in there isn't a madman mimicking Brandon—it's the real Brandon."

"What? The real Brandon? No way a kids' ghost story like that exists!"

"What's the difference if it's a real madman mimicking him? If he acts the part and attacks people, fake or not, it's the same!"

"Mr. Allen is right. What matters isn't if it's real or fake—it's stopping him now!"

The panicking teachers snapped to attention at Lydia's words. Faces hardening with rage, they advanced on Brandon.

"Welcomeee… to Brandon's delicious bakeryyy…."

"You like Brandon, huh? You crazy bastard!! Hands up and step forward—now!"

"At Brandon Bakery, we have red cookies and white candyyy…."

"You madman—!!"

Thwack!

The PE teacher finally snapped and threw a punch. Brandon tumbled pathetically across the floor.

This bizarre entity that had rewound time to the academy's first day and swapped people with ghost stories ultimately met a mundane end—beaten with a club.

Ghost stories wielded inscrutable, eerie power, but their bodies didn't transcend physics!

"What will you choose…."

"This psycho still won't snap out of it…!! How dare he touch our precious students!!"

Right on. Go get him, PE teacher.

Brandon, battered by the PE teacher, flew into a rage just like the ghost story described and lunged. But he wasn't alone. The other teachers, who'd hesitated slightly, jumped in to help as Brandon rampaged. As expected, his physical abilities exceeded a normal adult male's but couldn't handle multiple opponents.

"Looks like calling in backup to take it down together ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was the right answer."

Maybe resolving ghost stories at the academy was easier than he'd thought?

Brandon turned into a bloody pulp in real time, and Allen had nothing left ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to do.

Murmurs rose.

"Whoa! What's that?! Is that real blood?"

"Nah, has to be fake."

"But the PE teacher looks seriously pissed…."

Students had gathered, drawn by the commotion from the canteen.

"Sorry, but this is off-limits for students. Could you all step back until it's over? Hey, student! You can't come this way!"

Allen pretended to control the crowd while subtly letting them glimpse the scene inside.

If he had to keep exorcising ghost stories for three years until the outer god revived, better to spread awareness early. With this many witnesses, convincing nobles and elites from various nations would be easier.

Alright, that should be enough—time to check if the ghost story's dealt with?

While half-heartedly "managing" the students, Allen turned to look inside. The PE teacher was panting, still furious, held back by the others, while Brandon twitched in a bloody heap.

Almost done. Since the others didn't know it was a ghost story, Allen would have to finish it.

He approached to cut off the twitching Brandon's air.

Twitch, twitch, twitch…

…Wait. Twitchtwitchtwitchtwitch—isn't that too much twitching?

Instinct screamed danger. Allen halted and backed away.

And that judgment saved his life.

The moment he stopped, Brandon's body exploded in size.

"Uwaaaah!! Monster!!"

"Hellooo!! Welcome to Brandon's delicious bakery!!"

Impossible to believe this grotesque, swollen giant had been a bloody pulp moments ago.

Splat!!

It swung a massive rolling pin in its right hand. The swing was incomparably faster and stronger than before, and the PE teacher's head burst like a cream bun.

A status window flashed before his eyes, updating Brandon's info.

Yeah. Updated info.

The description had changed? No, more importantly—why the transformation…?

"Kyaaah!!"

"Kids! Everyone run—!"

In his shock, the situation spiraled. The PE teacher was crushed flat like a bug, splattering red blood. He was just the start.

The other screaming teachers beside him. Lydia desperately evacuating students amid the crisis.

They all met the same gruesome end under the mutated Brandon, only the order differed.

The students inside panicked and fled, but the narrow entrance bottlenecked them.

"What's going on?"

"Dunno. Sounds like teachers fighting inside?"

"Lemme see. Move a bit."

The dense crowd outside had no clue what was happening and pushed forward instead, creating the worst possible scenario.

Allen snapped out of his shock late and shoved through the jammed entrance to escape, but the overcrowding made it impossible to break through.

"Teaaacher. You kept your promise and came back! Brandon is thrilled!!"

Every massacre has an order. His turn came.

Crunch!

One small mercy: he didn't feel the pain.

Thus, Allen met his first ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠death.