Classroom of the Elite: WR04-001

Prologue CH. 3: The Day Before Catastrophe

It had only been a few moments since I entered Experiment no. WR04-001's room, and I already I had been thrown for a loop. 'Put humanity to the test'? What does that even mean? And why would he need me to do something like that? Why would he even want to do that in the first place? As I was trying to understand the meaning of his words, the confusion I felt must have appeared on my face, as he started to speak again.

"Sakayanagi. Would you agree that the Whiteroom is by far and wide the best place to raise a human?"

A difficult question, and one that I'm not entirely sure how to answer. As I start racking my brain for an answer, I begin to think of my time here. Training children we kidnap who possess the aptitude to handle the Whiteroom's harsh conditions. While we may be educating them, raising them is a whole new issue, and if I had to say...

"I believe the act of raising a human is something that the Whiteroom would never be able to provide. This place was created with the purpose of creating the ultimate genius, by taking those with certain aptitudes and drawing them out in full. The process of doing so can only be considered torture. So, I think the word "raise" is inapplicable to the Whiteroom."

"So you would say that the Whiteroom educates? You would say that you don't need to raise someone in order to educate them?"

"Yes. If all you seek is an absolute understanding of any and everything, then the Whiteroom is the best place to be. It would be a statistical impossibility of a place with a better education track existing, but that isn't for a good reason. The boundless knowledge the Whiteroom provides comes at a hefty price."

"And that price is one's humanity?"

"In order to survive in the Whiteroom, you must cast aside everything unnecessary, but it isn't up to the individual to decide what is and what isn't needed here. All of that falls in the hands of Sensei, and, whether it fortunate or unfortunate, he believes that human emotions are unnecessary for growth."

After I finished that thought, something in my brain clicked, and I started to piece together the reason he called me here in the first place, and what he said next only confirmed what I was thinking.

"I believe that once you step foot into the Whiteroom, you are no longer human. Being a human is to feel things for others, it's basic psychology. A human who feels nothing isn't human at all, they threw away their humanity to become a monster; a monster with an endless well of knowledge. So, no matter how long I studied here, no matter what it is I will learn, or how strong it is that I'll get, there is one that will forever manage to illude me."

"A heart."

Just saying that makes me sick to stomach. It's crazy that just a few days ago, I would have felt nothing at his statement, just as he most certainly did. But now, the heart I locked away all those years ago has started to break free of its chains, and because of that I've started to see the Whiteroom for what it really is. A prison.

"Yes. If you can piece that together, then you must know where I am going with this, right Sakayanagi?"

"You want to see if losing your humanity is worth all that knowledge."

"Correct. If there is someone out there capable of besting me at something knowledge or strength based, then I know that man's way of thinking is flawed, and I can work to truly make the Whiteroom the best place for bettering oneself."

"Ok, but what does that have to do with me? What was your purpose of calling me here? How am I meant to help you "put humanity to the test"?"

If he is insinuating what I think he is, there's no way I would be able to help him. Something like that is unreasonable, even for me.