Chapter 21

Day 1 <A> Kazuki Hoshino’s Room I wake up with a start in unfamiliar surroundings, and my eyes fall upon a naked light bulb and a bare concrete ceiling. “…What is this room?” I can feel myself about to lose it, so I review what I can remember of what happened. I’m sure I was sleeping on my bottom bunk. I don’t remember moving from there. I don’t remember leaving or meeting anyone, either. I look around the room. The space is about the size of six tatami mats with an exposed toilet and sink. There’s also a table in the center of the room with a hemp sack lying on top of it. What sticks out the most, however, is the cutting-edge twenty-inch monitor embedded in the wall, completely unbefitting this cell-like chamber. I suddenly lower my gaze. I’m dressed in my school uniform with nothing in my pockets. I reach into the hemp sack on the table and pull out its contents one at a time. A pen. A notepad. A blue digital wristwatch. Seven sets of solid rations. A portable device that looks exactly like an iPod Touch. And then… “……” …a knife, with a solid heft to it. I slowly pull off the cover. The blade is thick, and it even has a serrated edge. It’s an authentic combat knife, just like the ones the military guys use in the movies. “…What the—? Why is this here…?” It’s clearly a weapon. An implement of warfare. Is someone trying to make me fight? Or to put it another way, do I have to fight? With a shake of my head, I toss the knife back in the bag. Realizing my body is trembling, I take a breath and try to collect myself. I survey the room again. No windows. I can’t spot any vents, either. There is a single, extremely heavy-looking door. I think about opening it, but then I notice there’s no doorknob. I try pushing against it lightly, but it doesn’t even budge. I totter unsteadily toward the bed and plop down. “What the hell is happening…?” I don’t understand. I don’t understand…but this is not normal. …It’s not normal—not my everyday life. I see. So maybe it’s… “Good_morning.” My heart almost leaps from my chest at the sudden voice. I swivel my head, and on the previously black monitor I spot… What even is that? It’s bizarre, whatever it is. “Geh-heh-heh_good_morning_Kazuki.” Though the greeting itself is friendly, the voice sounds purely mechanical and devoid of intonation. On the monitor is a lurid primary-green…bear, I think—maybe. The creature’s eyes have a sharp glint, and its overall misshapen form isn’t cute in the slightest—pretty gross, honestly. “HeY_hey_hey_how_are_you? I_am_the_mascot_Noitan. Nice_to_meet_YoU.” The mouth of the bear (Noitan?) moves up and down, although all the sprite is doing is raising and lowering its chin. Like I said, creepy. “…What a horrible character. This would scare any kid to tears…” “Who the hell are you calling horrible, you pig? You want me to smash your balls and make you a eunuch? Not that it wouldn’t suit you.” “……Eep!” H-he spoke back to me! And not only that, but he’s incredibly vulgar and really fluent all of a sudden! Those wide-open, bloodshot eyes are terrifying, too! “…U-uh…can you speak to me?” “YeaH_I_can.” The weird inflection is back. I guess he’s designed to only speak smoothly when he’s angry. “Noitan—” “That’s ‘Mr. Noitan’ to you, you presumptuous sack of trash. Be polite.” “……Mr. Noitan. I don’t know how I got here. Could you tell me where I am?” “Inside_a_game_called_Kingdom_Royale. I’ll_exPLain_moRE_later_when_EVEryone_has_gathered_but—” “Everyone…? You mean I’m not the only one here?!” “Okay, asshole, if you don’t learn to let people finish before butting in, I’ll rip out your tongue.” “……I’m sorry.” “The_door_is_going_to_open. Outside_you_wILL_find_the_other_PLAyers_in_the_gaMe. I_will_EXplain_more_theRE_so_WAIt_a_bit_okay?” Noitan says, and the heavy door slowly but smoothly begins to open. “…May I leave?” “You_CAn_whEN_you_are_ready.” “Ready…?” “Outside_the_door_Is_a_cOmmON_rOom. There_you_will_find_PEoPle_iN_the_saMe_poSItion_as_yoU. Are_you_reaDY_to_meeT_those_people?” “And what are we supposed to do?” Noitan’s face contorts into that disturbing sprite. “Kill one another,” he says. “……Huh? What the—?” Before I can finish speaking, the monitor shuts off. The door fully opens at exactly the same moment. What is that? An inky-black darkness like desire laid bare leads out from beyond the door. So there’s a room out there? …I find that hard to believe. I’m pretty sure refusing to go isn’t an option, though. I put on the blue wristwatch lying on the table and stand in front the door. I try to talk myself down as the terror threatens to overwhelm me. …You’ll be fine. Everything’s gonna be okay. I know nothing good lies ahead. But this is the inside of a Box, so she’ll be here. …Maria will be here. That’s how I know I’ll be okay. And with that, I plunge forward into the darkness. Day 1 <B> The Common Area The view changes instantly. The first thing I notice is that it’s white. Unnaturally so, like a newly built hospital without doctors or nurses or patients. I have just enough time to take it in, and then… “Urgh…?” …I’m knocked flat. Before I have time to wonder what happened or even register the pain of slamming against the floor, I’m staring down the point of a knife. “What’s your name?” I finally process the situation as I see a girl with midlength hair holding the weapon out at me. “A-ahh…” “Your name is ‘Ahh’? I’m guessing no. I want you to tell me your name here.” Wh-who is this person? “K-Kazuki Hoshino.” I notice she’s wearing a uniform from my school and has an orange digital watch on her left wrist. Unsurprisingly, it’s the same as the watch I’m wearing, just a different color. Does that mean she’s another player in the game? …Huh? Wait, has the killing already started, and this is checkmate for me? H-hold up, this is unfair! Just as the situation looked to be too much… “Kazuki!” …Yeah, just hearing that voice makes me feel a million times better. “Hmm, do you know him, Otonashi?” “Yes, I do.” The girl with the longish hair returns her gaze to me for a closer examination. “…Hmm,” she says. She stands up, her expression never changing, and moves away. I don’t really get what happened, but apparently, she’s let me go. “Are you all right, Kazuki?” Maria comes running up. “Y-yeah…” I answer as I grab her extended hand. “B-but why exactly did she…?” “Whoa!” At the sound of yet another voice, I stop short and turn around to see what’s happening. The same girl has turned her knife on a boy with brown hair. “…What’s this all about?” he asks as his eyes move to take in his surroundings. He seems surprised, but he’s also calm enough to be curious about us. “…You’re awfully relaxed,” the girl comments, noticing the brown-haired boy’s attitude. “Nah, that’s not true… I guess once I saw in your eyes that you weren’t going to go through with it, I knew I’d probably be okay.” The girl answers him with a meaningful “Huh.” She then withdraws her knife and lets him go. “…Oh, is that it?” “Yes, go ahead.” …She backed off from the brown-haired guy just like that, too. Why does she keep doing that? Now that he’s off the hook, the brunet acts like he’s completely forgotten what just happened to him. “Oh-ho, three young beauties. Today’s my lucky day,” he says with a carefree smile. Three…? Let’s see, there’s Maria, the girl with the knife, and then… Next to the big monitor in the room, I spot a girl with long hair curled up in a small ball, as if trying to hug herself. Her skin is pale, striking a contrast with her deep-black hair that gives her a very trim and neat appearance. And then there’s the beige watch around her wrist. “It’s okay, Yuri!” With a kindness not shown to us, the knife girl smiles and pats the black-haired girl on the head. The other girl’s fearful face relaxes slightly, but the darkness soon returns to her expression. “…What’s going to happen to us?” “We’ll figure something out!” …Guess those two know each other. “You’re the Kazuki Hoshino, correct?” I look away from the two girls and toward the one who spoke to me. It’s the guy with brown hair. “Do you know me?” “Of course I do. Everybody knows you and Maricchi are a set. Don’t tell me you forgot about that epic entrance ceremony.” As he answers, I notice his worn-out school uniform, silver necklace, and green digital watch on his arm… Now that I think about it, everyone here is dressed as a student from our school. “Um, so what’s your name?” “I’m— Oh yeah. Hey, President, it seems like the gang’s all here, so how about we do a round of self-introductions?” he says to the knife girl. President? Does he mean the student council president? One of the Superhuman Three Kokone was talking about? “You’re right. That might be a good idea.” Now that I think about it, I’ve heard this same clear articulation through a microphone many times before. This girl with her confident smile… Yeah, no doubt about it—she’s the president of the student council. So that means…I’m supposed to lock horns with a superhuman in a game of kill or be killed? “Is this everyone?” the president asks the brunet. “There’re chairs for six, so I’d think so.” “Yeah, you’re probably right.” …Huh? Six? “Hold on a minute, there’s only five of us here—” “Kazu, you got eyes in that head of yours?” I hold my breath. The six chairs are arranged evenly around the rectangular table in the middle of the room, and he’s sitting in the farthest one from me. “…Daiya.” Dressed in his school uniform, Daiya’s lips curl up in a little smile, and he raises his arm with its black digital watch as if to say, Long time no see. We haven’t seen each other in two months, we’re finally meeting again in a place like this, and yet he’s greeting me like it’s been hardly any time at all. “What? You know each other, too? ……I see.” “President. Does that mean you’re nervous about us joining forces?” For just a moment, the president seems caught off guard, but then she sighs and says, “Do whatever you want.” This time, Daiya smirks. What was up with that little interaction…? It’s like they’re already squaring off for battle… Or maybe it’s already begun? Is that why she pulled the knife on me? “So I’m the one without any friends here? Being the odd man out sucks!” The brown-haired kid clutches his head dramatically as if completely unaware of the tension between the two… Given his behavior, I wonder if he has any idea what’s happening to him…? “Okay, right, self-introductions,” the president says. “Shall we give that a try? Let’s have a seat in these chairs since they’ve set them up for us.” I sit directly across from Daiya, and Maria sits next to me. As I thought, there’s a watch on her wrist, too. It’s red. “Now then, I’m sure you might already know a bit about me, but I’ll go ahead and start. I’m—” “Can I say something first?” Maria interrupts, glaring at the student council president across from her. “What?” “I didn’t stop you earlier because I didn’t get the feeling you were really going to hurt him, but…what was the point of threatening Kazuki?” “Oh, that?” The president explains, completely unfazed by the angry gaze directed her way. “If that ridiculous bear told you the same things it told me, then everyone already knows we’re about to play a game of killing. Right? That being the case, I figured someone might try to get a head start while everyone was confused, and if I did what I did, it might deter them. So in essence, I was just doing a bit of risk management.” “Heh.” Daiya snorts derisively at that explanation. The president is openly upset. “Okay… I’m pretty sure you’re Daiya Oomine. I’ve heard rumors about you. What was that sneer for?” “Oh, just thinking that was an awful lie. Risk management? Do you really think anyone here is bloodthirsty enough to try to kill everyone because of that bear? It was all your plan to get the drop on us and establish a mental advantage, right? Don’t worry; the only one who would pull that is someone who’s already considering the possibility, like you.” “A plan to gain a mental edge, eh? Wrong, so, so wrong. I’d never go for a plan with so many disadvantages. That’d just get me on everyone’s bad side, maybe even make me a target.” “So you were just trying to find the mastermind? Gauging everyone’s reactions to see if you could catch someone behaving suspiciously?” “Oh, stop, I wasn’t thinking that far ahead.” The president responds lightly, but I still can’t shake the feeling that a storm is brewing. “Come on now, you guys. You’re all starting to freak me out here!” the brown-haired boy interjects. “…Fine, but I have to say, you’re taking this remarkably well. I can tell you’re a tricky one,” the president replies. “Cut me some slack. This is just what I’m like when I’m feeling off. Normally, I’m pretty quiet, but now I’m just a bit worked up or something… I don’t think I’m as nervous as your friend there, though.” The quiet girl’s shoulders jerk as the conversation suddenly turns to her. “I-I’m sorry…” “It’s okay, Yuri. There’s no need to apologize.” “S-sorry, Iroha.” The president smiles and shrugs at the girl apologizing next to her. “Ahh… I can just feel all the stress leaving me.” “Nice one, Yuri.” The brown-haired boy gives her a thumbs-up. “Huh? What? Did I do something…?” The president starts giggling again as the girl blinks in confusion. “Shall we get back to the matter at hand and start those introductions? As you know, I’m Iroha Shindo, third-year student and the student council president. My skill is being able to fall asleep anywhere. My hobby is track and field.” “You’re good enough at track and field to compete in national tournaments, and you call it a hobby? People must hate your guts,” Daiya interrupts. “Well, listen to you. But the simple truth is that it is just a hobby. I’m actually not cut out for track at all. You have to rely on your physical abilities. As it happens, I’m not especially gifted there, which is why I’m not cut out for it; thus, it’s just a hobby.” “That’s what I’m saying people hate about you.” “Says the hateful little boy,” the president retorts without even missing a beat. She really is superhuman if she can go toe to toe with Daiya like this. She nudges the girl next to her, prompting her to go next. “Ah, I-I’m, um, a third-year, and, um, I’ve been one of Iroha’s friends since we were in the same class during our first year… Um, do I really need to say my skills, Iroha? Um…I don’t really know if I have any skills…but my hobby is reading. My name is Yuri… Yuri Yanagi.” “Huh?” The word escapes my mouth before I can stop it. Did she say Yanagi? “……Huh? Um, ah, did I say something strange?” The girl calling herself “Yuri Yanagi” seems flustered by my reaction. “Ah.” I get ahold of myself and wave my hands vigorously. “I-it’s nothing. It’s just…I have a friend with the same last name.” “O-oh, I see…” Yanagi—no, that’ll just confuse things, so Yuri—is still giving me a strange look. “Are you through, Yuri?” the president asks. “Oh, um…” Yuri looks away. “N-nice to meet you.” …Oh great, now she probably thinks I’m some sort of weirdo. Having watched all this with a grin on his face, the brown-haired boy opens his mouth. “You’re a real cutie, Yuri, dear. Just my type.” “What?!” “Hold on there, first-year. Don’t go hitting on Yuri. Don’t speak so familiarly to her, either.” “Just so you know, President, you’re a bit too aggressive for my tastes.” “As if I care. You introduce yourself next.” “All righty. I’m Koudai Kamiuchi from first year, nice to meetcha. Oh, and it’s especially nice to meet you, Yuri. So, my hobby is slot machines… Oh, the ones in arcades, I mean.” Daiya seems unexpectedly interested in Koudai Kamiuchi, the brown-haired boy, as he introduces himself. “Ahh, so you’re Kamiuchi, huh? I’ve heard a lot about you. Apparently, you never lose at pachinko slots.” “Eh, that’s not true. Well, I guess overall I probably having a winning record. I just have good eyes.” “Didn’t Haruaki Usui scout you for the baseball team? When you were in middle school, you got a reputation for causing trouble at sports tournaments.” “I was scouted? I don’t really remember, I guess… Either way, there’s no chance in hell I’d play high school baseball. Besides, I’m way too delicate for those brutal practices. The go-home club suits me much better.” He may not be one of the Superhuman Three, but maybe Kamiuchi is pretty incredible, too… “…Uh, Yuri?” “Y-yes?” “Are you by any chance really smart or something?” “Huh? Oh, I, um… Not at all.” “Yuri always has the top scores in Class 1,” the president answers lightly. Third-year Class 1? That’s the class for the elite humanities students aiming for Tokyo University. If she’s the head of the pack in there, then… “Th-that’s only because you’re in the science class. If you were in humanities, I know you’d be better than I am…” “Oh, just so you guys know, I got the second-best score on my entrance exam,” Kamiuchi chimes in. “Looks like we’re both second fiddles who can’t hold a candle to those cheaters at the top, Yuri.” “O-oh…” It seems he’s no slouch, either. “Hmm. I’m beginning to see some commonalities among us. All at the top of our classes… Well, I can’t generalize too much, since we’re dealing with both sciences and humanities classes here, but it seems we’re all the first-and second-best students in our respective years. It’s consistent with the number of people.” “Uh, but my grades are only slightly above average. I did pretty good on my finals, but even then, I’m still probably at the bottom of the top scorers, so…” I swallow the rest of my comment. The student council president, Yuri, and Kamiuchi all eye me suspiciously. …Why? Did I say something that strange just now? “Just to confirm, Otonashi and Oomine are both number one in their classes, right?” the president says, looking at me. I nod silently. “I see.” She has a pleasant look on her face as she speaks, but her eyes are not smiling. “Then why are you the only one who’s different?” I flinch in the face of her overpowering question. What gives? Why are they looking at me like this? “You can only afford to be so eager.” The president’s gaze moves away from me…to Maria. “Why’re you getting so intense before you even know what this game is about? Does that mean you agree with the killing and are all for taking part in it? If so, then you’re the one we need to be on guard against.” “Th-that’s right. It’s not like anything has started yet…” Prompted by Maria’s words, Yuri peeks over at the president as she gives her two cents. In response, the president stands quietly with her lips pursed for a moment. She doesn’t seem especially miffed, but more like this is just a habit of hers when she’s thinking. She draws her mouth into a line, then lets out a long breath and replies, “You’re right. Maybe it is a bit crazy to start suspecting someone just because they don’t fit the theory that all of us are overachievers. Carrying around baseless suspicions could trip us up at some point.” “If you want my input, the most suspicious of us all is our high and mighty president here with her penchant for jumping the gun,” Daiya says. “Ha-ha-ha, I’m suspicious? Go take a look in the mirror.” Daiya smiles happily at the president’s words. “…Uh, what are we doing here? Are we already trying to find the culprit?” The question shows an obvious inability to keep up with the situation, and the president’s mouth quirks upward slightly. “I don’t know if I would say we’re finding the culprit so much as just figuring out who we need to be on guard against. One of us could be the mastermind orchestrating this game, or maybe the mastermind’s accomplice who’s trying to facilitate the killing. Basically, if I can learn who they are, then I want to expose them before we pass the point of no return.” The mastermind, eh? Mastermind or whatever…I already know who the culprit who set all of this in motion is. Daiya Oomine. There is no other possible culprit aside from him. …But I’m beginning to understand that I can’t simply say this. There isn’t any room for clumsy announcements here. I’m already under suspicion simply because my grades aren’t high enough. Going against the flow would only make them doubt me even more. I wonder what would happen if I just said Daiya caused all of this by using the powers of his Box as an owner. It would sound totally absurd. The only thing that would accomplish would be to convince them I cooked up some crazy lie to get Daiya in trouble. That’s why I can’t say anything about the Box, no matter how right I am. I’m sure the reason Maria is just brooding in silence is because she understands this, too. “NoW_then_now_then_now_then. I_can_SEe_thaT_the_pARAnoia_is_reALly_StarTing_to_kick_in. I’m_happy_to_seE_thiNGs_are_going_as_expECTed.” We all simultaneously turn our gazes to the big monitor in the center of the wall. On the screen is the same decidedly un-cute bear from before. Seeing it on an even larger screen just makes the creepy factor all the more apparent. The president sneers at the monitor. “Well, if it isn’t the scarebear.” “Watch your mouth and call me Mr. Noitan. Just because you’re the student council president of a single school doesn’t mean you don’t smell like piss, so don’t get any ideas you’re something special.” The president is smiling confidently, but Yuri lets out a small yelp and shrinks in shock at Noitan’s sudden sharp tongue and upsetting sprite. …She isn’t especially short, but there’s definitely something about her that reminds me of a small animal… People often say the same about me, though, so it’s not like I can talk. “Just get on with the explanation, scarebear.” “Are you too dumb to understand language? I hope you die first.” “Hey, Your Presidency. We won’t get anywhere at this rate, so how about you pipe down for a bit?” “Fine, fine.” In response to Daiya’s caustic remark, she shrugs and closes her mouth. After a bit of silence, the image of Noitan returns to normal, and his speech resumes its normal unsteady manner. He’s probably calmed down. “NoW_I_wiLl_eXPlain_Kingdom_Royale.” We watch the screen quietly. “THis_is_a_gaME_of_KIll_or_be_killED_but_MoRe_precISEly_it_is_a_gAMe_of_sEIzing_the_THRone.” We all look at one another as we listen to Noitan’s explanation. “As_tHE_plAYers_of_this_game_YOu_wiLL_each_be_assIGNed_a_Class. The_Classes_aRE_King_Prince_Double_Sorcerer_Knight_and_Revolutionary. EaCH_has_its_own_aBILIties.” “And how will we know our Class?” “YoU_can_cHECk_your_Class_oN_the_MONitor_in_your_rOOM. By_the_way_ThEY_are_tOUch_SCREens_so_yOU_can_oPERAte_them_iN_vARIous_ways_dEPENDing_on_your_Class.” The president scowls as she listens to the rest. “NoW_then_beFORe_I_tell_you_aBOut_the_Classes_I_will_explAIn_the_seTTINg_of_Kingdom_Royale. This_kingDOm_is_rULed_by_a_despotIC_KINg_who_has_TRIed_to_inVAde_other_lands_many_times. And…” “Noitan.” Maria cuts off the bear as he begins to launch into a prologue like the ones people usually skip when they play video games. “WHAt_is_it_Maria?” “We don’t need all that. Just cut to the chase and tell us what we have to know about the game.” “What the hell sort of attitude is that to take when someone is kindly trying to give you a thorough briefing? You’ve got a lotta nerve for a kid who reeks of piss.” He’s back to the bloodshot eyes. “You just said Shindo smelled like piss, too. Your vocabulary is weak.” “If a bird trapped in a cage has time to kvetch over that, then you should probably spend it thinking about how to stay alive.” Seemingly satisfied (?) now that he’s said his piece, Noitan’s image returns to normal. “LoOKS_like_I_DoN’t_have_a_choiCE. I’ll_juST_tell_yoU_the_maIN_pOInts. FirST:_The_timETaBLe_must_be_strictLY_OBServed. Break_it_aNd_you_wiLL_be_automATiCally_Eliminated_so_be_cAReFul.” “…What happens to us if we’re Eliminated?” “Compulsory_execution.” The air grows tense. “By_behEADIng_NAtURally. Idiots_who_CAN’t_keep_a_schEDUle_deseRVE_to_die.” Yuri’s eyes are wide and unblinking. As she comes to understand that “execution” means exactly that, the color drains from her face. Noitan continues without a care about her reaction. “THEre_is_also_an_overall_TIMe_limIT. YoU_have_SEVen_pACks_oF_rations. EnOUgh_for_exaCTly_one_week. They_are_maGIC_raTIOns. You_can_eAT_only_one_MEAl_a_DAy_and_not_get_hunGRY. BuT_if_you_don’t_eat_at_LEASt_once_a_day_yOU_wilL_STArve_and_be_muMMIfied.” “Mummified… Huh.” The president purses her lips while scratching her head. “So how do we win this game? I have no idea what we’re supposed to be doing.” “WeLL_the_conditions_for_vicTorY_aRe_diffeRENT_for_each_Class. FoR_exAMPle_the_King_wins_if_he_disPOSes_of_all_those_guNNINg_for_hIS_throne. I’ll_sHOw_yOU_the_details_for_eACH_now.” Noitan vanishes, and text appears on the screen. The King A king who assassinated his predecessor to seize the throne and has since conducted many invasions. He is extremely suspicious by nature and plots the murder of any and all who would threaten his position of power. The king is unaware that his paranoia has cost him the loyalty of his subjects. He can ask his servants to commit Murder, but he cannot force them for fear they will turn against him. There is no bright future in store for the kingdom under the rule of one who cannot trust others such as he. Abilities of the King • Murder The King selects someone he wants to have killed and can then ask the Sorcerer or the Knight to carry out the act. The King may opt not to choose anyone, too. • Switch Places The King may trade places with the Double for one day only and avoid being the target of Assassination. If the King is targeted during the day while he is switching places, the Double will die instead of the King. Victory Conditions for the King Retain hold of the throne (dispose of the Prince and the Revolutionary, who threaten his position). The Prince An ambitious man. Originally third in line to succeed for the throne, he took advantage of the suspicious nature of the King to have the other princes assassinated and is now the immediate heir. He is very wary of being suspected and has thus mastered anti-magic techniques. If he ascends the throne, the kingdom will most likely become even more despotic. Abilities of the Prince • Anti-magic The Prince may not be killed by Magic. Victory Conditions for the Prince Become the king (dispose of the King, Double, and Revolutionary). The Double A former peasant who both respects the King and closely resembles him. Though he lacks ambitions of his own, he will absolutely never allow the Prince, who has continually mocked him, to seize the throne. If a man with no aspirations such as he becomes king, the land will fall into ruin in no time at all. Abilities of the Double • Succession If the King dies, or if Switch Places is used, the Double will have the ability to use Murder. Victory Conditions for the Double All people trying to kill him die (the Prince and the Revolutionary die). The Sorcerer A servant of the King. He is close with the Prince and is also his instructor in all things magical. The Sorcerer is content as long as he is free to conduct his arcane research and has no interest in the throne. No matter how effective his magic proves, no one sees the value of the person holed up in his shell. Abilities of the Sorcerer • Magic The Sorcerer may decide whether to actually kill characters selected for Murder. Characters he does kill become charred corpses. Victory Conditions for the Sorcerer Survive. The Knight A subordinate of the King. Though in service to the throne, he is actually plotting revenge against the royal family that brought ruin to his homeland. The Knight believes he will only know happiness once the final member of the royal dynasty has been extinguished. Naturally, one such as he who is consumed by feelings of loss will only fall to the darkness of despair. Abilities of the Knight • Death by Sword The Knight may decide whether to actually kill characters selected for Murder. This ability may only be used if the Sorcerer is dead. Characters he does kill will die by decapitation. Victory Conditions for the Knight Achieve vengeance (the King and the Prince die). The Revolutionary The right hand of the King. As a capable man, he has come to realize that the kingdom is doomed at this rate and is thus prepared to take up the mantle himself and lead the land. It will never be possible for a ruler who has earned so much ire through assassinations to successfully guide the kingdom. The only fate that awaits him is to be assassinated himself. Abilities of the Revolutionary • Assassinate The Revolutionary can Assassinate a character he specifies. He may also not choose anyone. The characters he kills will leave a strangled corpse. Victory Conditions for the Revolutionary Become the king (kill the King, the Prince, and the Double). *The game ends when all the victory conditions of those still alive are fulfilled. Everyone is so absorbed in reading and trying to work through the implications that they don’t utter a single word. I stare at the screen with all my might, too, but that doesn’t give me any clue of what I should do next. All I know is that the ominous words “Murder” and “Assassinate” prove that we really will be killing one another in this game of Kingdom Royale. “Hey, scarebear. How exactly do we use these Magic or Assassinate abilities?” the president asks. “Commands_foR_thoSe_ABIlities_will_aPPear_on_tHE_monitoRs_in_your_rOOms. ALL_yoU_nEEd_to_do_iS_preSS_the_BUTton_TO_perfORm_the_COMMand. YoU_can_KIll_as_easy_aS_you_woULD_bUy_a_train_TICket.” Except for mine, everyone’s faces turn white. I look at Maria, unable to understand why they’re reacting so strongly. “…Maria, I—” “Don’t you see how dangerous this situation is?” I nod slowly. Daiya looks at me with an exasperated smile… I mean, if I don’t get it, I don’t get it. “Let’s say you feel you’re in danger… No, maybe that’s not good enough. Let’s say you’ve realized your death is almost certain. The only way to avoid this threat would be to kill a certain person. Would you be able to murder that person with a knife, Kazuki?” “A-absolutely not.” “How about if all it took was a press of a button?” “Huh…?” I could save my life with a single button, in exchange for the life of another. “……I—I don’t think I could do that, either. Kill someone, I mean.” “True, I’m sure you couldn’t. But do you think the others would arrive at that same conclusion?” I instinctively take a look around me. The student council president, the lady of action. The seemingly cowardly Yuri. The strangely easygoing Kamiuchi. And then Daiya, the owner. “Do you have any conclusive proof that any of the six of us here, including you, wouldn’t take someone else’s life the moment they sense danger? …Let’s be honest here. I know I don’t.” I’m almost positive that goes for everyone else, too. “‘Someone here could very well kill me.’ The thought will probably cross all our minds. I think it goes without saying that paranoia will make the situation especially critical, don’t you agree?” “B-but even if we could kill one another just by pressing a button, it’s still not an easy thing to do.” “How about if we’re running out of time?” “…Time?” “It’s like that green bear said. There’s an overall time limit—namely, that we die if our rations run out. If there’s no victors at that point, then we all lose… We die, in other words.” I swallow. “Our goal isn’t simply to win; it’s to find a way out of the game. But if we start running out of time, that goal will start breaking down. Someone will abandon the idea of achieving it at all. This person will probably prioritize survival. They’ll even start thinking that if we’re all going to die anyway, they may as well fulfill their own conditions for victory. And then once there’s a corpse…it’s all over.” “…Why?” “There’s a dead body. That means we know someone is actively taking part in the game. If we rest on our laurels, they’ll end up killing us all. The rest of us will be forced to play the game as well. And that most likely means there will be no end until a victor is decided.” No one contradicts Maria as she calmly lays out the facts. We’re all on the same page, it seems. “The moment the first body appears, it’s all over…” The bottom line is, we need to think of a way out of this game before someone makes a mistake. “So_so_sO_Do_you_uNDerStand_the_gaME_nOW? I’lL_show_YOu_the_timeTABle_noW. MAKe_sure_To_follOW_it_anD_get_whERE_YOu’re_going_wiTHIn_five_minutES_Of_the_scheDULed_tiME.” The previous screen vanishes, and a timetable appears. “TherE’s_no_nEEd_to_taKe_aNy_noTES. The_cLASs_dATa_anD_the_timetABle_are_on_your_poRTABle_DEVices. YouR_DEVices_alSO_keep_lOGs_of_coNVerSations. I_hoPe_they_comE_in_handY.” “Uh, you mean everything we say here will be recorded?” “Are you implying you’ve said something you don’t want on record?” The president instantly pounces on Kamiuchi’s remark. “No, I haven’t said anything like that…” “Here’s what you’re thinking: Any careless statement from here on could lead to someone guessing your Class, right? You’re ready and willing to play the game, aren’t you?” Kamiuchi laughs ruefully. “Ha-ha, I don’t think anyone would want to give anything away in a situation like this.” I can’t blame Kamiuchi for being on guard. I don’t want to play this game, either, but I can’t help but feel an urge to know the others’ Classes. Especially the ones who will be hostile to me, as well as the oh-so-dangerous Revolutionary. That’s why I can see us reading those conversation logs. But that act in itself could be dangerous. I suspect that if I ever become anxious and read back over past remarks as my own fears start to swallow me, I could get hung up on the most trivial of remarks and descend into even further paranoia. And then, when I can no longer bear the suspicion any longer, I just might press the switch to kill someone… …That’s it. Giving us the ability to review what’s been said was a way to get us to take part in the game, no doubt about it. “AnYWaY_I_wish_you_all_GOOd_luck. DoN’T_let_the_game_end_with_some_bORIng_outCOme_where_YoU_are_all_muMMIfied.” And with that, Noitan disappears from the monitor. “That damn scarebear…,” the president growls. Now that the grating robotic voice is gone, silence reclaims the room. Everyone is quiet, not even opening their mouths. Perhaps now that we know all of our conversations will be recorded, it’s harder to say anything that isn’t absolutely necessary. In the end, the president breaks the silence. “Otonashi.” “What is it?” “You were pretty casual about saying our goal is to find a way out of this game, but do you actually think that can be done?” “Of course I do. You don’t agree?” “I… To be honest, I believe it would be extremely difficult. I mean, I can tell that in here, both logic and intuition are abnormal. I had kinda assumed it wasn’t just me, that all six of us felt the same way, but am I right?” Yuri and Kamiuchi nod. I quickly follow suit. “Do you really think a place as anomalous as this would really provide a viable means of escape? If so, I’d love to see your evidence.” The words sound light, but her tone makes it clear that she isn’t going to stand for any questions one way or the other. Everyone else is also staring at Maria like they’re members of a jury. …She does have proof to back her claims. She knows that no matter how crazy this place is, we can get out if we do something about the Box. She briefly glances in my direction, but… “…It will almost certainly be difficult. But that is our only goal. You may not believe there are any breakthroughs to be found, but our only option is to have faith… Am I wrong?” She’s keeping quiet about the Box after all. “Yeah, you’re right.” It appears the president has accepted Maria’s unflinching response. “President. You said you think it’s going to be difficult to escape from here—that means you intend to play this game of murder, right?” With a smug look on his face, Daiya cuts in with another sardonic remark. “Back at it with the carping, huh? You’re wrong. After all, I could never kill anyone. Even if we said the murders committed here weren’t crimes, and I could kill someone with just a single button—neither of those things would change the fact that I’d tainted my hands by taking a life. I would bear the weight of that sin until I collapsed under it and my life fell apart. I have enough imagination to know that, so it is categorically impossible for me to go through with it.” Daiya clicks his tongue at her perfect response. “I’m…the same.” “Aw, everyone here knows you could never do a thing like that, Yuri, m’dear. Oh, and neither could I, just so you know.” “If you’re going to jump on the bandwagon, try not to make it so obvious. Yuri aside, there’s no way I can believe anything you say.” “Wha—? Hey… C’mon, don’t say that, President!” “Well, the one I trust the least is Oomine, though.” The president is paying him back for that smug jab earlier, but he responds with a cynical grin. And then he goes and says: “Yeah. I don’t mind killing someone if it suits my purposes, after all.” He just made an enemy out of everyone here without even breaking a sweat. Day 1 <C> Kazuki Hoshino’s Room YOUR CLASS IS THE SORCERER. I notice the message written on the monitor as soon as I return to my room. Right. Out of the six, the Sorcerer is the only Class that doesn’t have any enemies. “…Whew.” I let out an instinctive sigh of relief. Our goal is to not even let Kingdom Royale get started. All the same, it does my nerves good to know my position has no obvious enemies. “…Hmm?” There’s text at the bottom of the screen. NO TARGET HAS BEEN SELECTED FOR MURDER YET. Murder. The command that lets the King choose someone he wants to have killed. If the King does pick a target for Murder, then most likely the command for using Magic—for killing someone—will appear on the screen. I don’t want to think about it. Not someone wanting to kill someone else, or me having to press the button. “……I’m fine, everything’s fine,” I whisper, trying to encourage myself. The killing won’t start so easily. I’m sure none of the others want to start offing one another, either. At the very least, there’s no way anything will happen during the early stages when we still have plenty of time. “……” Is that true? After all, Daiya is one of the six participants. “HeY_hey_hey_Kazuki. It’s_tIMe_for_Private_Meetings.” Noitan shows up with the same unnerving suddenness as ever. I’m used to him by this point, so I look up at the monitor without a hint of surprise. The bear’s mouth flaps up and down, still green and still gross. “ChOOse_who_YoU_wAnt_to_speak_wiTH. You’ll_be_aBLe_to_go_to_thEIR_room_for_jUSt_thiRty_minUTes. If_YoU_cHOose_the_saMe_persON_as_soMEONe_else_whoever_cHOSe_firST_will_GO_firST.” Noitan vanishes from the monitor, replaced by the names of the six players, along with our pictures. “…What happens if the person I choose picks me, too?” “NoTHINg_happens. YoU_simPLy_get_twICe_as_lONg_to_taLK,” Noitan’s voice answers. I ask something else as I look down at the portable device sitting on the table. “…Um, will the devices show the conversations I have during my Private Meetings to anyone besides me and whoever I’m talking to?” “No. The_onLY_conVERSAtions_that_can_be_viewed_on_a_device_are_thOSE_heaRD_by_the_device’s_owNER. EveN_if_yOU_are_in_tHe_saME_room_the_conVERSAtion_wiLL_noT_bE_recoRDed_unless_you_acTUaLly_oVERhear_it. However_wHO_you_sPEAk_with_during_your_Private_Meetings_will_be_noTED_in_the_oTHers’_records_so_be_caREfuL.” Who should I pick…? Well, I guess there’s really only one person. Of course, I press the button for MARIA OTONASHI. “NoW_tHEn_waIT_a_bit_foR_evERYone_else_to_choOSE.” I wonder who the others are going to pick…? …It’s just a hunch, but I get the feeling Maria won’t choose me. I’m sure she’s assuming I’ll choose her. That’s why she’s going to go with…Daiya. “OkAY. It_sEEMs_eveRYOne_haS_dECIDed. I’ll_sHOW_you_who_they_picked.” Noitan vanishes again, and now names appear on the screen. As I thought, Maria has chosen Daiya. And Daiya— “……Ah!” Daiya has picked…me? “Why…?” I can’t think of a good reason… With no idea why he’s doing all this in the first place, I don’t even know where to start. Fortunately, it seems I won’t be seeing him until after I speak with Maria. I’m glad the order isn’t reversed. If my Private Meeting with Daiya came first, he would have me in the palm of his hand. With Maria, I can come up with a plan of action. I take a look at who the others have picked. Yuri’s and Kamiuchi’s choices are pretty much what I would have expected, but I’m a bit surprised to see that the class president singled out Kamiuchi. “ThE_dOOr_will_open_onCE_it’S_tIme. Don’t_wORry. AFTer_you_pass_through_the_dOOR_you_wiLL_autoMATIcally_go_tO_the_correCT_room.” Day 1 <C> Private Meeting with Maria Otonashi – Maria Otonashi’s Room The blackness makes it seem as if I might fall into a void, but when I take a step out into it, I find a room almost identical to my own on the other side. In fact, it’s so similar that it feels like the room I left simply rotated around me to become my destination. “There you are.” Sitting on her bed gazing at me, Maria pats the bed and beckons me to sit next to her. “We don’t have any time for small talk, so let’s get right down to business.” “…Um, and what exactly is that?” “How we’re going to get the Box away from Oomine, what else? Don’t tell me you actually plan on playing along with this Kingdom Royale?” Sitting next to Maria, I vigorously shake my head no. “We’re going to put an end to the Game of Indolence. Our objective is the same as always. The only thing that’s a bit easier this time is that we already know who the owner is.” “…But I wonder if Daiya will hand over the Box…” Maria’s brow furrows a bit at my words. “…That’s true. We have to find a way to persuade Oomine…” “Do you think that’ll be difficult?” “Do you think it’ll be easy?” I shake my head. We can’t persuade him. That means we won’t be able to get him to produce the Box on his own. In that case, our only option is to crush it by force. Namely, crush Daiya himself. “…Hey, Maria. If Daiya loses at Kingdom Royale, do you think it would spell the end of the Game of Indolence, too?” “That all depends on the nature of the Game of Indolence, so I can’t really say… But thanks to the Rejecting Classroom, I had plenty of opportunities to learn about Daiya’s personality. After observing him for so long, I think if Daiya has made it so others die if they lose his game, he will die if he loses, too. I’m sure you agree, right?” I nod. While I can’t be certain as long as I don’t know what Daiya’s endgame is…it’s hard to believe someone as prideful as Daiya would exempt himself from the rules of his game. “……Hey.” Maria gazes deep into my eyes as I mull over the situation. “Kazuki… Do you hope Oomine will die?” “Huh?” She looks as collected as ever, but I can see the slightest hint of unease in her face as she watches me. …Of course she would be. It’s not too farfetched to think my last question implies we should get rid of Daiya. “No. I’d never want Daiya to die, I can tell you that.” “…I see,” Maria says, and the smile flickering across her face is clearly born from a sense of relief. …Which makes sense. There’s no reason she’d want to resort to such methods. “Getting out of here because Daiya’s dead isn’t a real solution,” I continue. “Yeah. You’re right.” “Still, that doesn’t leave us any closer to figuring out what to do…” At my noncommittal reply, Maria scowls and starts to speak. “…I’m a bit reluctant to do this. But I think we may need to enlist the aid of the others aside from Oomine…particularly Shindo. If all of us are on the same page, then we have nothing to fear from Kingdom Royale.” “…What do you mean?” “If we can get them to understand the gist of what Boxes are and convince them that Oomine is the owner, then we can make it clear who everyone’s real enemy is. We can avoid the worst-case scenario, where no one knows who’s going to kill who. Kingdom Royale will never even start as long as no one falls prey to paranoia.” “…But it’ll probably be hard to convince them about the Box, huh?” “Yes, exactly. It’s going to be difficult to even bring it up when drawing attention puts you directly in the line of fire.” “Yeah… I can understand why you’d be reluctant to do it.” “…I’m not saying that because I think I’d have trouble pulling it off.” “Huh?” “Don’t you get it? I talk about who the owner is. I inform everyone that their real enemy is Daiya Oomine. And once I do that, they will all know that Oomine’s death will set them free. And they can kill someone with a single button.” I automatically choke back what I was going to say. “Oomine isn’t the type to be easily persuaded. Even if Shindo and the others learn the truth, he’s unlikely to call off the Game of Indolence. What do you think the others will do when they see that? Do you really think they’re all going to wait patiently for him to change his mind when we have a time limit, and when they could be killed as well? I don’t think so. If things come to a standstill, it’s possible that—” Maria finishes her sentence with some difficulty. “—Shindo will kill Oomine.” “That—” I stop and take a big breath before continuing, “That isn’t necessarily true… I—I mean the president said herself, right? That she could never kill anybody.” “That was enough to put you at ease?” “…Do you think she was lying?” “I don’t know whether everything was a lie. However, if Shindo was being sincere, that just makes her all the more dangerous.” “Wh-why…?” Without a word, Maria stands up, takes the portable device sitting on the table, and fiddles with it. It plays back a voice recording. “I would bear the weight of that sin until I collapsed under it and my life fell apart. I have enough imagination to know that, so it is categorically impossible for me to go through with it.” “Do you see the danger in these words?” I shake my head. “Here’s what Shindo is saying: She can kill as long as she is prepared for her life to fall apart.” That sure seems like a really shrewd conclusion, but…yeah, I guess I can see how you might interpret it that way? “B-but there’s no way she would be prepared to ruin her life without an extremely important reason.” “Do you think she wouldn’t have one? I can come up with one right now. Let’s see… Wouldn’t saving Yanagi constitute a really good reason in Shindo’s book?” I fall silent at how easily she fires back. That would definitely give the president enough motivation to cross the line. That’s right—we aren’t in the regular world. This is an abnormal place twisted by the Box. This means many “extremely good reasons” could exist here. “Kazuki, I’m sure you know this, but I cannot kill, no matter the reason.” “Yeah, I know.” “I believe you are the same. Can you give an instantaneous explanation, like Shindo did?” Her words make me wonder. Why can’t I kill anyone? …Is it because I believe it’s arrogant for a person to assume it’s okay to kill another? …Is it because I feel pity when I imagine myself as the victim? …Is it because my sense of ethics won’t allow it? I can come up with several, but none of them really fit the bill. I don’t think they’re totally wrong, but they’re also not right. They’re all reasons you’d apply after the fact, and the resulting inability to kill actually comes first. “Can’t come up with anything, huh?” “…Yeah.” I respond with my head hanging low. “That’s for the best.” “Huh?” “What Shindo said about her imagination, it isn’t right. Those who are truly incapable of killing others don’t need any reasons. You and I—we simply cannot do it.” …She’s right. That’s exactly how it is. It feels more correct to me than anything else. “Coming up with some pretext for why you can’t kill and then expounding on it without a hitch—that’s unnatural. That speech of Shindo’s was nothing more than lip service to a case that she isn’t dangerous. But I still think that’s more levelheaded than acting blatantly hostile like Oomine.” “Why would Daiya do that when he has to know it would place him in danger…?” “Well, given his normal attitude, the claims of ‘I could never kill anyone’ from Shindo and the others probably don’t sound very convincing to him. If you think about it, his personality actually places him at a disadvantage in Kingdom Royale.” …There’s no denying that his general behavior would seem to make him the biggest target. In contrast, the safest would be Yuri, oddly enough. “True. There’s one thing I’m curious about, though: Is the Game of Indolence an external type or an internal type?” Maria’s gaze sharpens at my question. “S-sorry, I didn’t think before I asked. Y-yeah, a Box as messed up as this would have to be an internal—” “It’s external.” “…Huh?” “The Game of Indolence is an external-type Box. As for level, I’d say it’s around a five.” I’m pretty sure she said the Week in the Mud was an external level four. That means we’re dealing with a Box much more powerful than the one that simply caused people to switch places. But if it’s an external type… “That means he does possess a certain level of firm belief in this situation… In this case, it’s possible the owner has mastered the use of the Box.” I swallow hard at her explanation. That means…we’re dealing with something pretty serious here, doesn’t it? “That’s why persuading him will be difficult. Up to this point, all the owners still possessed a sense of logic when they used their Boxes, at the end of the day. That’s why their wishes lacked confidence and had open seams in them. We were able to dig into those weaknesses and get them to reveal their Boxes.” “…But it won’t work like that this time.” In all honesty, I had trouble believing Daiya could use a Box so well. He’s a realist, after all. He seems like exactly the type of person who would have trouble with a Box that consummates a wish—a desire for something that would never happen in reality. “At any rate, we won’t be able to escape its effects on the real world. The memories of what we experience here during Kingdom Royale will most likely never vanish, and whatever happens will probably carry over into the real world.” “So that means dying in the game means dying for real…?” “Yeah, it’s best to think that… Just to be clear, death has a massive effect, even when we’re talking about an internal type instead of an external type. The only reason I’m here unaffected now after losing my life so many times in the Rejecting Classroom is due to the nature of that Box, because it became as if those deaths never happened. If I had perished during the final 27,756th transfer, I would have died in reality, or at least been affected in some way that would leave me functionally dead.” “…I see.” So that’s how things stand. Dying here is the same as dying for real. “That’s why we cannot allow Kingdom Royale to start, by any means.” To be perfectly honest, I hadn’t really felt that much danger. Describing this as a game makes it all sound so frivolous, and a “death” delivered with a single button—since this Box is divorced from reality, part of me was sort of treating this like events in a game, after all. But I was wrong. Even if a single button is all it takes to kill me or for me to kill, there’s no resetting those deaths like we would in a game. “…Anyway, we don’t have time. For now, let’s think of what you’re going to do in your meeting with Oomine.” “Okay.” We may not have a clue as to how to resolve this situation, but we still need to focus first on what we can do. “Well, my guess is, the first thing Daiya will do is try to figure out my Class. What do you think?” “You’re probably right… By the way, I should warn you: Unless there are some sort of extenuating circumstances, you should never, ever reveal your Class to Oomine or anyone else.” “Gotcha.” I of course understand the danger of that, but… “But I can tell you, Maria. I’m the Sorcerer.” “…And what would you do if my Class pit me against you?” “Nothing. I’d still tell you.” “…I see. I suppose that’s how it should be. You and I wouldn’t hide such a trivial thing from each other.” Maria smiles as she says this, and I feel my face relax a bit at the sight of it. The information could place our lives in danger if someone else found out about it, and she had just described it as “a trivial thing.” “As it happens, my Class is the Prince. I would’ve been more relieved if I had gotten the Revolutionary.” I hear that. The one most likely to kill someone is the Revolutionary, the only Class that can dispatch others autonomously. But Maria would never make such a mistake, even if the time limit was approaching. There is no doubt in my mind that Maria could never kill anybody. “……Ah.” As the thought crosses my mind, something comes to my attention. “What is it?” “U-um…” Maria looks at me questioningly as I glance at her out of the corner of my eye, and I think: Maria is powerless within this Box. I mean, Kingdom Royale is a game of murder and deception. Maria can’t do either, so she has no chance of winning. In all our past struggles involving Boxes, I was completely reliant upon her. I’m sure I’ll need her help this time around, too. But—I’m sure a time will come when I’ll have to rely on my abilities alone to do what I have to. “……It’s nothing.” Maria frowns and keeps scrutinizing me as I respond. She has put her faith in my inability to kill someone else. But if I learned of a future where Maria would die, and that I could prevent it by killing someone, then I… …What would I do?