And, all at once, the stairs they'd been following came to an end, and the wall slid open once more at a word from Yachiyo.

What was inside... It seemed impossible, but there it was, right in front of them.

The laboratory was sleek and new, all pure white and bright steel, with consoles and instruments and unidentifiable machines all neatly arrayed in their respective places.

Arrayed before them, too, was a peculiar row of people. Some were familiar: to their left was a trio of medical staff, comprising Aya, Nao, and a young woman with short hair and a deadpan expression, all in crisp white medical coats. Horaoku-sensei, the third-year math teacher, and Sawatari-sensei of the second year stood on the other side. Near the center was a pair in deep blue military dress uniforms, hearkening back to the days of the Meiji Restoration; the man stood at loose attention, while the woman had rested a hand on her hip and was regarding them skeptically. A few others in lab coats rounded out the loose arc.

And Yachiyo stood in the center, facing the group. "Welcome to your new lives, kids."