Day 1 <C> Private Meeting with Daiya Oomine – Kazuki Hoshino’s Room As for what I’d need to do to make it through my time with Daiya—the conclusion we eventually reached was complete silence. Daiya will undoubtedly try to throw me off my game, so even just reacting presents dangers. It’s not like I have any faith in my ability to evade his schemes, so all I can do is not listen. I raise my hand in greeting as Daiya enters my room. After taking a quick glance around the room, he sits on the table. “Kazu, there’s something I want to ask you straight off the bat that—” “Daiya.” I cut him off immediately. “I know this is the inside of your Box. All I can think is that you’re approaching me because you figure I’m an opponent to deal with and you’re hoping to entrap me. So that’s all I’m gonna say, and nothing more.” Daiya seems momentarily surprised by my serious, steady delivery, but his expression soon warps with contempt. “What’re you talking about, Kazu?” “……” “What do you hope to accomplish by giving me the silent treatment? Aren’t you the one who should have questions for me about my Box? I’m sure you have to do something about it.” “……” I’m not saying a single word. I’ve made my resolve. If I decide it’s okay to just answer one question, Daiya will seize that opening, I’m sure. He’ll slowly lure me into believing it’s safe to talk to him, then get what he wants out of me. So I’m not giving a peep. “…I get it—you’ve left all the decision-making to Otonashi, haven’t you? She’s the one who suggested you keep your mouth shut, didn’t she? You’re garbage, Kazu. I’ve taken shits worth more than you. If all you’re gonna do is stay silent, insects still have you beat. At least they’ll never talk.” I cover my ears with my hands. “I know you can still hear me. Hmph, I’ll let you in on a little secret, Kazu.” Daiya stands up, leans in toward my ear, and whispers: “This Box is not the result of my wish.” My eyes widen of their own accord at his words, and I look up at him. Daiya cackles so hard I almost wonder if he’s gone crazy. “See? Less than a bug.” “Ngh…” Why am I letting him get to me?! It’s impossible for me to stay quiet in the face of this! After his laughter subsides, Daiya returns to the table. He then regards me for a moment and speaks again. “But what I just told you is the truth.” …He won’t fool me. There’s no way I’ll believe him. I’m not that much of a sucker. “Anyway, I know it’s no use telling you to trust me. No matter how empty your head is, you aren’t just gonna swallow everything I say hook, line, and sinker. But let me ask you: Why do you think I would make a point of saying what I did?” Daiya smiles as he continues: “Because it’s the truth.” …I don’t believe you. I cannot, will not believe you. “I’m sure you know. I didn’t do anything for a while after I obtained a Box. In short, I had a Box in my possession, but I didn’t use it. Come on, Kazu. Can you really say that isn’t still the case?” I swallow hard. “O grew impatient when I didn’t use my Box for a while, so they gave another one to someone else, and that’s how we ended up here. Can you really rule out the possibility? How about it, Kazu?” …It’s not possible… I’m sure it isn’t. “I won’t ask you to believe me. I’m sure it’s impossible for you in the first place. But, Kazu, you must be wondering, aren’t you? What I’m telling you could be a lie, but maybe, just maybe, it’s the truth. If so, regardless of whether it’s true, you still have to consider the possibility of another owner out there, don’t you? …Heh, guess that’s not for me to say, though.” …Dammit. Daiya’s right. It’s not even a dilemma for me. The truth is, I did find it strange that Daiya would be able to use a Box so well. His not being the owner would explain this. If there is another owner aside from Daiya, it’ll be easy to slip up and get myself killed. And that’s how I fall right into Daiya’s trap. He isn’t the type to miss his chance now that I’m off-balance and my mental defenses have left an opening. “Kazu, you’re the Sorcerer, aren’t you?” “……What?” The word slips out of my mouth. “H-how did you…?” How did he know? I know I didn’t do anything that would’ve given me awa— And then the thought led me to a realization. I did give it away—just now. My face must look really stupid, because Daiya starts cackling delightedly again. “Ha-ha-ha! I knew you were an idiot, but this game really is way over your head!” I bite down on my lip as I listen to him laugh away. Despite all the advice from Maria, in the end it went to waste. Daiya has me completely in the palm of his hand. “…You’ve got good luck, Daiya.” Daiya was just guessing when he said the Sorcerer. He had a one-in-six—no, he knows his own Class, so it’s a one-in-five—chance of getting it right. It was just coincidence that the one he chose to trick me happened to be my real Class. If I were another Class, he would’ve only figured out I’m not the Sorcerer, and that would be that… “Lucky? You don’t understand why I decided to ask if you’re the Sorcerer, do you?” “…What do you mean?” Daiya scratches his head in silence for a moment. “Hey, so let’s say I’m not the owner of this Box.” “That’s not what I think.” “Just shut up and listen. If I’m not, then that means I don’t want to be a part of this killing game, either. And if that’s the case, then the death of a friend like you wouldn’t be my real intention.” “…Okay.” “That’s why I would want to ask if your Class was the Sorcerer.” “…I don’t follow.” After I say this, Daiya regards me with disdain. “You probably think the Sorcerer is the safest because he doesn’t have any enemies, don’t you? If you believe that, then it isn’t brains you’ve got in your head but just a big glob of shit.” My words catch in my throat as he hits it right on the mark. “Let me put this in easy terms even a monkey could understand: The Class with the least chance of survival is without a doubt the Sorcerer.” “…Why? Whether the Sorcerer lives or dies has nothing to do with the victory conditions of the other Classes.” “Even you must know the most dangerous Class is the Revolutionary, right?” I nod. With the ability to kill autonomously, it goes without saying that the Revolutionary is the most dangerous Class. “The one the Revolutionary wants out of the way the most is the Sorcerer. You get it, right? The only other Class that can actually choose whether to kill someone is the Knight. The victory conditions of the Knight and the Revolutionary are comparatively similar, which makes it easy for them to plot together. With the Sorcerer out of the picture, the risk of the Revolutionary getting offed drops considerably.” I pick up the portable device on the table and read back over the portion about the Classes. …He’s right. Even if the Revolutionary does away with the King, the Class that seems like his most immediate enemy, he still has the Double and the Prince to deal with, so his situation doesn’t really change. But if he gets rid of the Sorcerer, the Revolutionary immediately puts himself at an advantage. “Wait, so…if the Sorcerer dies, doesn’t that make it almost certain that the Revolutionary will win…?” “It’s not that simple. People could still guess the wrong Class for one another, and others most likely aren’t going to ally with the Revolutionary so easily. And then—” Daiya rummages around in my hemp bag, then pulls out that big knife. “No matter how much of a disadvantage someone is at in the game, they still have this if worse comes to worst. Heh, survival is a cinch in Kingdom Royale if you’re prepared to kill someone else directly.” My breath catches in my throat. …I’m certain of it. The owner of the Game of Indolence…is insane. “…Kazu, lemme tell you something.” Daiya puts the knife away as he speaks. “You’re not going to be able to persuade the owner before the killing starts. If you want to keep the damage to a minimum, then your only chance is to take out the owner. That’s why—” Daiya looks at me. His expression is sincere, without the slightest hint of deception, as he makes his assertion. “—no matter how much you fight it, it’s already set in stone. Someone’s gonna die because of this Box.” I give a slight shake of my head, then whisper: “That’s not true…” Daiya doesn’t say anything. The truth is that even I’m already aware. I already know that this is the simple truth. Day 1 <D> The Common Area No one else is there yet when I arrive in the common area. I think back over my meeting with Daiya. In the end, I spilled the beans that I’m the Sorcerer, as he hoped, and now I’m not even certain he’s the owner. In light of all that, I need to discuss what to do next with Maria. I rushed to the common area because I wanted to speak with her as soon as possible—and just as I think this, she steps through the door. “Maria!” I call out to her, and she gives me a stern look as she seats herself in the chair across from mine. Maria should have had a Private Meeting with Daiya after ours ended. From the look on her face, I’m guessing he got to her just like he did with me. “…Did something happen with Daiya?” “……I think it might be similar to what happened with you. I’ve been basing my approach on the assumption that Daiya is the owner, but now I’ve come to consider the small chance it could be someone else. If so, it’s going to be more difficult than ever to talk to the others about Boxes.” “And we don’t have time, either…” “Yeah, that’s what is troubling me. I would like to use this time to chitchat with the others to get a grasp on each of their personalities, but small talk has never been my forte. Probably because it’s pretty much impossible to talk about my own past without mentioning Boxes.” Maria’s past, huh? I know pretty much nothing of her personal history, myself. Maria doesn’t speak about herself without prompting, and knowing about the Misbegotten Happiness as I do, I just can’t bring myself to ask. “Maria, um—” “Yo.” Kamiuchi turns toward us and waves as he arrives in the common area. I smile awkwardly and return the gesture. I curl my hand into a C shape and put it up to Maria’s ear so Kamiuchi won’t overhear what I say. “Kazuki, whispering won’t work. If we show the others that we’re trying to hide what we’re doing, it’ll just make them wary of us.” “Oh, I see…” “Maricchi, you don’t gotta worry so much. Coupla lovebirds like you are bound to have one or two secrets.” “You say that, but that doesn’t necessarily apply to the others.” “Guess you’re right. Everybody’s so scary anyway. Especially the president and Daiya.” “…Maria, do you know Kamiuchi from before?” I ask this because of how familiarly they’re speaking to each other. “No, not at all.” “Whoa, kinda harsh, don’t you think? We’ve talked a few times before, you know.” “You’ve tried to talk to me several times in the past, but we’ve never had a conversation.” Kamiuchi shrugs with an exasperated look. “All I’m trying to do is soothe my troubled soul a bit by speaking with a girl too beautiful for this world. No need to get all defensive. It’s not like I’m plotting to pry you off Hoshino there.” “…Listen, Kamiuchi. Just so you know, Maria and I aren’t seeing each other, got it?” “C’mon now, it’s a little late to be modest or humble or whatever.” Seems there’s no point in telling him otherwise. As we’re talking, the rest of the players arrive in the common room. At the president’s direction, we all take our seats. “Now then, has anyone thought of a way to escape Kingdom Royale?” With that opening question, the president smiles and crosses her arms as she waits for someone to speak up. I steal a glance at Daiya and see that he’s not even facing us, as if he’s paying no attention at all to the discussion. If the three of us who are in the know about Boxes can’t say anything, then most likely no one will have anything to offer. —At least, that’s what I thought, but then to our surprise, someone timidly raises their hand. “Oh, Yuri. You got something?” “Um, it’s not a way to escape so much as a way to stop the game… Is that okay?” “Oh, awesome! Go ahead and tell us your idea!” At the president’s prompting, Yuri gives a tiny nod. “Well…if I’m not wrong in assuming…we all agree that paranoia will make our situation worse, right?” Once we’ve all nodded our assent, Yuri continues, “We don’t know who is what Class. We don’t know who is whose enemy in the game. I believe that’s why everyone is so uneasy. None of us wants to proceed with the game, right? If that’s the case, then wouldn’t it be better for us all to just come out and tell one another our Classes?” Everyone is more than a little shocked by this timidly delivered yet very bold proposal. Though Yuri seems a bit taken aback by our reaction at first, she musters her courage again and says, “If we do that, no one will be able to get the jump on anyone else anymore. I think we’ll all be able to trust one another. If we all do it at once, then no one will be able to lie. We’ll know someone isn’t telling the truth if more than one person says the same Class. So…how about it?” “Oh man, Yuri, you’re amazing! That’s absolutely perfect!” Yuri smiles shyly and blushes at Kamiuchi’s enthusiastic agreement. “We can only do this while all six of us are together in one place. If even one of us is missing, then it will be possible for someone to lie… Oh, someone being missing is pretty bad, isn’t it? I’m sorry I mentioned it.” Yeah, that’s a good idea…I think. But I can’t agree to it that easily. We might be overlooking something. Maria is probably in the same place. After spending a moment in thought with her arms folded, she says: “I agree.” She didn’t find anything wrong with it when she thought it over? If not, then I’ve got no problem with it. But just as I’ve made up my mind to let everyone know I’m all in… “Hmph.” Daiya snorts in derision. A mixture of bewilderment and fear appears on Yuri’s face in response. “…You don’t like the idea, Oomine?” “I don’t.” “I’m sorry if I didn’t think things through enough… Would you explain why you disagree, if you don’t mind?” “I don’t like how you’re pretending to be a Goody Two-shoes.” Yuri’s eyes go wide, and she freezes at this unexpected reply. “What’s with that face? Can you only comprehend language when it’s what you wanna hear? I’m saying I’m not going along with your idea because I hate you, you piece of shit.” Tears begin to well up in Yuri’s eyes. “Oomine. Come on, don’t you think that’s a bit much? Please apologize to Yuri here.” “What? Me, apologize? The rest of you should be thanking me. I’m the one whose exposing her for trying to play dirty. Isn’t that right, Yanagi?” Yuri’s shoulders jump in surprise as the tears threaten to fall. “I-I’m p-playing dirty? Why…?” “Well, then let me ask you this: Are you the Revolutionary or the Sorcerer?” Yuri’s face instantly goes white. “You’re not either, right?” “…H-how did you know…?” “The truth is that you’ve figured it out. You know that the risk each Class faces by revealing itself is completely different. Which means you aren’t one of the two Classes that are the biggest targets. You’re one of the relatively safe ones, right?” Yuri’s already pale face continues to blanch, and I’m starting to feel bad for her. “Disingenuous as you are, you suggested this plan because it helps you, not because it makes our situation any better, didn’t you?” At Daiya’s hostile tirade, the tears finally spill from Yuri’s eyes. “Oh, come on, do you really think I’ll let your little scam slide if you cry? Man, a woman’s tears really are a handy trick. I’m sure a slut like you can probably turn it on and off like a faucet, eh?” “That’s horrible… How can you say that…?” “All you want to do is find out who the dangerous Classes are so that you can keep yourself alive.” “That’s…not… I just hate the idea of us killing one another, that’s all…” Yuri lowers her face, unable to stop the flow of tears running down it. …It’s true. If someone as seemingly cowardly as Yuri were the Revolutionary or Sorcerer, she most likely wouldn’t have proposed such a dangerous idea. But despite this, she gave it her all to come up with a plan that could improve our situation. Daiya was way out of line to say what he did. Apparently of a similar opinion, Kamiuchi gives Daiya a look like he’s about to start swinging any second. “You probably just didn’t want to have to say anything because you’re the Revolutionary, aren’t you? Sorry, but if you’re the Revolutionary, I really don’t feel like letting you run the show here.” “Oh, so I’m the Revolutionary, am I? If so, then I’ll just have to Assassinate you during this next <E> period.” Daiya’s reply is even more hostile than Kamiuchi’s, and the younger boy is totally speechless, probably overwhelmed. Apparently losing his desire to fight back, Kamiuchi frowns and stays silent. “Anyway, even if I wasn’t against it, this plan would never work. Isn’t that right, President?” Yuri raises her tear-soaked face and looks at the president, who returns her gaze with a rueful smile and then speaks. “…Yeah, that’s true. Sorry, Yuri. I’m against the idea, too.” “Wh-why…?” “The idea definitely has some merit, as you mentioned. It’s just that the disadvantages are too big. For example, if that scumbag Oomine really was the Revolutionary, do you think the rest of us would be able to stay calm? If things went poorly, we might even end up more paranoid that before.” “But that’s…” “That would probably prompt Oomine to act, too. He might even flaunt his power and try to control the rest of us. I can think of plenty of ways things could get worse. That’s why I’m fundamentally against the idea.” “……I see.” Now that even her friend the president has rejected the idea, Yuri’s face grows even grimmer. “Someone as stupid as I am should have just stayed quiet… I’m sorry for any confusion.” Another tear wells up and falls from Yuri’s eye. “Th-that’s not true, Yuri. I think it’s a really good plan. And see, even Maria agreed to it, too!” “…Hoshino.” Though my efforts to cheer her up seem a bit forced, Yuri manages to give me a little smile. “Why did you agree with this idea, Maria?” the president asks. “Because I think reaching a mutual understanding between all of us is more important than anything right now. No one will be able to disclose everything they feel if we don’t reveal our Classes or something similar, right? I think if we can do that, things will never reach the point where we start killing one another, but how about you?” “Isn’t that just because you don’t feel fear that easily? Not everyone here is as strong as you. To be honest, I’ve been terrified this entire time.” “You don’t seem like it.” “The only reason is because I’m trying to hide it. Showing any weakness in this situation means someone might take advantage of it… Well, telling you about it kinda defeats the purpose, but I’m saying it anyway.” She sounds completely at ease saying this… Yeah, she definitely isn’t telling the truth about being scared. “But it’s not wrong to say we need to share our Classes if we want to reach a mutual understanding. The situation is still much too opaque now, though, so I can’t help but feel it’s too early for that.” “But if someone dies, it’ll be too late.” “True. So we need to make a decision soon…,” Maria quietly says and pouts her lips. That’s her habit when she’s thinking. “Well, let’s set that aside for today. I’d be surprised if we ended up with a victim today, at least.” We didn’t come up with any ideas better than Yuri’s after that. Though we discussed all kinds of things in an attempt to build communication among us, we were unable to find what we needed to make any progress before the period ended. “TiME’s_up. Go_bACk_or_you’ll_DIe.” Noitan’s announcement prompts me to look at my watch, at which point I see that it’s eight on the money. The time for <D> is over. Daiya heads to his room straightaway, while the president and Kamiuchi have just gone through the door themselves. Welp, guess I’d better head back soon, too, I think, and I’m just about to leave when someone grabs the sleeve of my uniform. “What is it, Maria?” I turn around. It isn’t Maria who I find, but a wide-eyed Yuri. As I realize my mistake, my face automatically turns red. Yuri crinkles her eyes in a gentle smile when she sees it. “U-um…what’s up, Yuri?” “Mm. I just wanted to say thank you.” “…? Thank me?” As I tilt my head in confusion, for some reason Yuri seems even happier than before. “If you don’t know right away…that means you weren’t being nice to me on purpose just so you could get me on your side, then…” “…Huh?” “Oh, it’s nothing… Do you really not know what I’m talking about? Come on, you tried to cheer me up when I was crying, didn’t you?” “…Oh… So that’s what you mean.” “Thanks again.” Seeing Yuri bow deeply toward me, I hurriedly make a reply. “C-cut it out… It’s not like I did anything special.” “But what you did really saved me.” “W-well, in that case…I’m glad…” All these thank-yous are really making me blush. For some reason, Yuri’s eyes soften into another warm smile as she watches my red-faced antics. “…I feel like I can trust you, even in a game like this.” “Huh?” She seems to hesitate for a moment, but as if making up her mind, she looks directly at me and says, “If we can all trust one another, then no one will kill anyone else. I’m sure of it… Hoshino, do you think I’m naive?” When I return that imploring gaze, I shake my head as hard as I can. “Not at all. I agree with you.” “Really?” Seemingly without thinking, she joyfully grabs my right hand in both of hers. Her grip is warm and soft, which makes my face flush all the more. “If we hold hands like this—and all the others do, too—if we can trust one another like this, there’s no way we can lose to this game. So can you and I start it by trusting each other?” “O-okay…” I find it hard to look directly into such an untroubled smile, so I can’t help but lower my gaze. Yuri may be an upperclassman…but, man, is she cute. “Kazuki.” Someone calls my name, and I look up to see Maria watching us with a blank expression… I only figured this out recently, but that’s the face she often makes when she’s upset. “We’re running low on time. You’d better get back quickly.” “Oh yeah…” I look at Yuri, and she lets go of my hand, reading my intent. Her expression is somewhat sad, or maybe lonely. “Yanagi, you should pay attention to the time, too.” “O-okay…” Yuri still finds Maria frightening, it seems. “…Hey, Yuri. You can trust Maria; don’t worry.” “Oh, yes. If you say so…” “Well, we’d better all get back to our rooms.” “Yes, you’re right… Oh, one more thing.” Yuri brings her lips close to my ear. “I’ll come by for a Private Meeting tomorrow.” She whispers to me, and I can feel her breath on my ear. As Yuri almost dances away from me, a slightly impish smile appears on her face before she trots off through the door and disappears. Still in a daze, I stare at the place where she vanished. “…Hmph.” Maria snorts unhappily, then follows her through the door. Now alone in the common room, I ruminate over her name. Yuri Yanagi. Yanagi. “…They are…kind of similar.” I don’t think their faces have all that much in common. But that mischievous grin she flashed at me before she went through the door does remind me of her. The other “Yanagi” I know. I doubt I’ll ever see her again, though. Day 1 <E> Kazuki Hoshino’s Room YURI YANAGI WAS STRANGLED TO DEATH BY ASSASSINATE. This is the message on the monitor in my room. Unable to process the words, I don’t react at all. I just stand there silently, reading it over and over. She died? Yuri…died…? “…What the hell is this?” I mutter without thinking, giving a small laugh. I mean, everybody said it, right? There’s no way anyone would die on the first day. It’s all gonna be okay. That’s what they said. Yeah, I know they did. Hey…that’s what’s you said, right?! “HeY_hey_hey.” The incomprehensible text vanishes from the screen as the green bear appears. “PoOr_Yuri_hAS_dieD.” “Don’t lie!!” I find myself yelling at Noitan. “A_lie?” Suddenly… …Noitan’s sprite changes to something I’ve never seen before. His mouth spreads wide enough to tear its face, and it raises itself open. “Oo-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya_A_lie?_Wouldn’t that be nice_But she’s dead_She was strangled_so her eyeballs popped out_and her face turned all purple_and her bowels emptied_and she died_She used to be so cute_and now she’s ugly and stinky and dead.” I had thought he was just a creepy bear. But this is the first time I’ve ever felt such utter loathing from the depths of my heart. It’s possible this is the true nature of Noitan—no, the Box. This is the truth of this hateful, irredeemable, senseless wish. “It’s really too sad_You two were becoming such good friends_Maybe you coulda hooked up if you played your cards right_But now she’s dead_Too bad_so sad!_Oo-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya!” The laughter is so grating that I cover my ears. There’s no way I can allow a wish like this to continue. It doesn’t matter what kind of troubles led the owner to make a wish like this. I don’t care if there are any weaknesses to work on or not. No matter why it came into being, I cannot allow a wish like this to exist. “Oo-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya!” That’s why this bear is my enemy. “……Prove it.” “Hmm?” Noitan’s mouth returns to normal. “Show me some proof that Yuri is dead. If you don’t, I’ll never believe you.” “Proof_eH?” “Yeah, I know you’re lying, so prove—” “Fine.” Noitan disappears. At the same time, the door to my room opens. “…What the hell…?” The same darkness as before unfolds beyond the door. I swallow hard as I stand before the black depths. Only now do I pause to think. If everything is as Noitan says it is, then beyond it lies the “proof”… Regardless, I have no choice but to go through that door—through that darkness. I plunge through the entryway. And then, in the center of that backward cell-like room—there it is. “Ah!” Yuri Yanagi’s—xxxxxx. “A-ahh!” Irrefutable proof. I know now. I know it’s real. I comprehend why it’s there, but even then, I still can’t seem to make the connection. I can’t connect this sight to the same girl who was once so pretty. Despite this, even if I can’t associate her with what has become of her, the horrible state of the body alone is enough to break my heart. I yell, then lose control of myself and collapse. It brings me closer to the xxxxxx. In place of the lovely features one might expect, what reveals itself before my eyes is… “…U-urgh.” …a visage, purple and monstrous, that threatens to drive even my own pity for her from my mind. Now I get it; there weren’t any falsehoods or exaggerations in Noitan’s description. She’s really here, in exactly the state Noitan said she would be. Now, I can finally acknowledge the truth. Yuri Yanagi is dead. Yet again, I was unable to save Yanagi. And thus, Kingdom Royale begins… …with the death of the girl who said we would be fine as long as we took one another’s hands. •Yuri Yanagi, dead via Assassinate Day 2 <B> The Common Area A hemp sack is lying on the table like it’s on display. Its contents are pretty much identical to the one in my room. The only difference is that the digital watch is beige instead of light blue. Yuri’s portable device is inoperable. There are also six sets of rations. This means that if someone dies, we can take their food and extend the time limit. This, too, is most likely a system to encourage murder. It makes me sick. All of us sit in our chairs, simply gazing at the sack in silence. Next to me, Daiya wipes away some blood dribbling from his mouth. Kamiuchi punched him almost as soon as <B> period had started. Kamiuchi believes beyond all doubt that the Revolutionary—the one who killed Yuri—is Daiya. The president, who had joined Maria in stopping Kamiuchi’s outburst, whispers to Daiya: “…Just be happy he didn’t use a knife.” At this point, anyone could kill anyone, and it wouldn’t come as a surprise. “You two need to cool off and think things through. Let’s confirm something first. The Revolutionary killed Yuri. They killed a kind girl. And the culprit is one of us. There’s no mistaking that.” At first glance, the president seems as levelheaded as she did yesterday, but her expression seems, almost deliberately, a little less confident. Her gaze is also almost unnaturally steely. “Our goal is to find a way out of Kingdom Royale. But now we have a second goal. Namely, to find the Revolutionary and kill them. That’s fine and well, too.” “Hold on, Shindo. Where do you get off deciding this?” “Otonashi, I’m sorry, but I’m not going to accept any debate on this. Would you like me to explain? First of all, at this rate, the Revolutionary is going to kill the rest of us, too. Second, if they murdered someone at this point in the game, it’s plausible they’re the mastermind, or at least an ally of whoever is behind this. Third, I can’t stand the thought of them walking all over us.” “You yourself said that killing someone would ruin your life. Does all this mean you’re prepared to let your life fall apart now?” Maria asks. For just a moment, the president struggles to respond. However, her answer is smooth. “I don’t know. But I do know I could never forgive someone for murdering Yuri like that.” “……I see.” I’m guessing Maria has determined that trying to persuade her right now would be pointless, not to mention unnatural. She holds her tongue. “Our goals are settled. Does anyone have anything else?” The president surveys us as we sit there with our heads bowed, then starts up again. “No? Well then, this is just my opinion, but—” She stops before she can finish and widens her eyes in surprise. Daiya, who chose not to participate properly in our talks yesterday, has his hand raised. “Is there something you would like to say?” “Yeah… Well, I’ll stay quiet if you aren’t interested in hearing any testimony from the suspect.” “I didn’t say that… But why are you speaking up now after staying silent for so long?” “If this keeps up, I’m almost certainly next, so you can’t expect me to keep my mouth shut.” “You have a point.” Kamiuchi snorts at their exchange. “You can say whatever you want. Nothing is gonna change the truth as I see it, so your comments are nothing more than a bunch of white noise to me, got it?” “Suit yourself.” Dismissing him, Daiya turns his gaze on the president. “My question is, why did the Revolutionary decide to target Yuri Yanagi?” “I’d like to find the answer to that as well,” the president says with a small frown on her face, and Kamiuchi lashes out: “What’re you saying? Does any of that matter? What else do we need to know? The Revolutionary is a low-down piece of crap who needs to die!” “…Kamiuchi, if you were the Revolutionary, and you had to kill someone, would you kill Yanagi first?” “Would the trash heap please mind not speaking to me before it gets tossed in the incinerator? I’m only sittin’ here calmly right now because I know you’re going to get wasted by Magic soon enough.” “Ugh… And here I thought he understood how to speak like a human.” Daiya shrugs exaggeratedly. “What do you think, President? Do you think Yanagi should have been killed first?” “…Probably not, if it was just for survival. If it did happen to be me, the first person I’d want eliminated is you, Oomine. It’s plausible some of the others might want me or Otonashi out of the picture, but I can’t imagine anyone getting rid of Yuri right off the bat.” “Right? I suppose it’s not unthinkable, if someone learned she was the Sorcerer, for instance, but I figured out that wasn’t the case yesterday, so we can scratch that idea.” The president seems slightly irritated as she asks, “I understand what you’re saying, but what’s your point?” “Basically, the goal of the Revolutionary was to put us all into this exact situation.” I don’t see what he’s getting at. But I have the feeling everyone else does. Silence takes hold of the room instantly. “…Ha-ha.” Kamiuchi’s sardonic chuckle breaks the silence. “I have no idea what you’re going on about. Do we really need to keep beating around the bush? If someone wanted you dead, all they’d need to do is take you out with Assassinate lickety-split, right? The fact that the Revolutionary didn’t do that just proves it’s you, don’t you think?” “But if I die, then they could get suspected of being the Revolutionary.” Kamiuchi’s eyes go wide as he finds himself at a loss for words. As he falls silent, the president speaks in his place. “The Revolutionary set you up as a scapegoat—that’s what you’re trying to say, isn’t it? So why wouldn’t that be some lie you came up with to try to get out of this situation?” “If I were the Revolutionary, I’d have no reason to start with Yanagi.” “Well, that applies to everyone else here, too, don’t you think?” “Not necessarily.” Daiya pulls his portable device from his pocket and presses the playback button. “—If that’s the case, then wouldn’t it be better for us all to just come out and tell one another our Classes?” “Yanagi wanted us to be open about our Classes. More than anything, she hoped to keep us from being consumed by fear. That being the case, there’s a good chance Yuri Yanagi had already revealed her Class to someone she could trust.” The president and Kamiuchi both fall silent. “So what do you think? The two of you had a Private Meeting with Yuri Yanagi yesterday, right?” I suddenly remember she tried to set up a Private Meeting with me as well. If we’d had that meeting today, she most likely would have shared her Class with me. But—that’s right. She would trust the president more than someone she just met, like me. If so, would she really tell me her Class before she told her? “…So let’s say we did know Yuri’s Class. That still doesn’t give us a reason to kill her straightaway.” “And that’s because our great and wise student council president can’t figure it out? …Heh-heh-heh, then let me fill you in. The reason would be to steal her Class.” …There wasn’t anything in Kingdom Royale rules about being able to do that. Still uncertain what he’s getting at, I listen to what Daiya has to say. “They want to convince everyone else I’m the Revolutionary. As the real Revolutionary, they must of course pretend to be another Class. If they said they were Yanagi’s Class, then their chances of being found out by the other players would decrease dramatically. The dead tell no tales. If they did ever find themselves having to reveal their Class, they could simply say Yanagi’s.” All of us are quiet, waiting for Daiya to continue. I don’t get it, though. Is that really enough to warrant killing her first? “How about we run a simulation? Let’s start by utilizing the advantage of being able to say we’re Yanagi’s Class since she’s already gone, and then suggest that everyone reveal their Class. The victory conditions for the Revolutionary are to kill three people: the King, the Prince, and the Double… Hmm, I would guess that maybe Yanagi was the Prince or the Double.” “…How are you able to narrow it down so much?” Kamiuchi asks with a sullen look. “If the King gets killed, then the Double will know that someone offed the King. Namely, because they will then be able to use the Murder command. So the Double will lose the ability to deceive others about being the King.” “But there’s still the Knight.” “If Yanagi was the Knight, it would be better to find a way to use her than to kill her. I don’t need to explain about the Revolutionary or the Sorcerer, right?” “……” “Now that the Revolutionary has killed Yanagi, they only need to do away with two other people to win. With pretty much everyone thinking I’m the Revolutionary, there’s almost no chance anyone will go after them. If they can successfully ask everyone’s Class, they’ll be able to identify who they need to kill. I could explain in further detail…but it’s too much of a pain, so I’ll stop there.” A small smile rises on Daiya’s face as he carries on. “But I’m sure you all know this, right? Setting me up as the Revolutionary will turn the game in their favor, and victory will be all but certain.” And with that, Daiya… …fixes Iroha Shindo with a glare. “I’m sure they thought they were pretty badass up until now. To them, everyone else is dim-witted scum that serves no other purpose but making them look better in comparison. They’re probably more than happy to kill worthless slugs like that if it helps them survive… And they’ve got a lot of nerve.” Daiya snorts scornfully, then spits: “They’re just a fool, but they still made an enemy of me.” “……” A thought suddenly strikes me. I notice it because I’m still in shock over Yuri’s death, which has kept me from speaking and joining the discussion. What is this? Right here, right now, we’re all snapping at one another. We’re hurling hate and accusations, ready to explode at any moment. It’s just like the way we imagined Kingdom Royale would start, isn’t it? This is bad. We’re done for at this rate. I mean, everything is going exactly the way they want it… Exactly the way the owner of the Game of Indolence wants it! If this keeps up, we’re all going to kill one another, and that will be that. That’s the one thing we have to avoid. We must find out exactly who the owner is. We have to work together… We have to, but… “That’s enough out of you, Oomine.” The president’s voice is utterly unlike before. All the anger and loathing she can no longer keep bottled in has contorted her face. “You’ve got a lot of gall, throwing out such baseless delusions so confidently. You can sneer from your high horse all you want, but I have no idea where you get off thinking it’s okay it to act this way. Otonashi has better grades than you in school, Kamiuchi has you beat physically, Hoshino is more popular than you, and Yuri was more charming. Oh, look, guess you’re not the best at anything, huh? If you are, it’s your talent for twisting logic.” The president smiles the same sort of condescending smile I would expect from Daiya. “You’re no different from all the other scumbags who can’t face reality. No… You’re even worse because you actually murdered someone.” At those words, Daiya returns the president’s smile with a similar one. The president isn’t even pretending to be pleasant anymore. “We aren’t in a nice, soft little world where everyone will leave you alone if you throw your weight around, not anymore. You’ve made a painful blunder, and you can’t write off a mistake like this as youthful indiscretion. You killed Yuri… Haven’t you noticed? You’re done. Crushing someone as innocent and incompetent and helpless and ineffectual as you will be as easy as stepping on an ant.” She continues on in an unfittingly gentle voice: “I already recognize you as an enemy, get it? I’m going to do everything in my power to ruin you. Why, I might even—kill you.” “So what?” “…That’s right—you probably need me to spell it out for you, huh? I’ll start off by exposing your delusions for what they are. You said Yuri was the Double or the Prince, but that’s wrong. You made a simple oversight. The King will know if the Double dies because they will no longer be able to use their Switch Places command. Oh no, what a stupid mistake! That’s why if someone was going to kill Yuri to try to say they were her Class, the only thing she could possibly be is the Prince.” Hearing this, I look over at Maria, the real Prince. She continues to watch the two of them go at it with a keen gaze. “I’ve got a confession to make. I knew Yuri’s Class. Isn’t that great, Oomine? At least one little theory of yours was right. But see, she wasn’t the Prince. That means one of us here must be. Hey, Your Highness, whoever you are, do you understand that Oomine’s full of it now?” Daiya simply remains quiet, perhaps unable to come up with a good argument. “You would have noticed all this if you were the King or the Double, so I know you aren’t either of those Classes. So what does that leave us with?” The only ones left are the Knight and the Revolutionary. That’s how much the president has narrowed down Daiya’s possible Class. Even then, Daiya only breaks his silence to laugh mockingly at the president. “Do you really want to take me down that badly? You’re really at the end of your rope.” “What?” “You sure are proud of yourself just for finding a loose thread in my theory. I’m not really the Revolutionary, so naturally, all I can do is make conjectures. All you’ve accomplished with your blabbering just now is prove your own treacherous nature to all of us. I’ll come up with as many new theories as you want. Then you can have fun wasting your time breaking them down.” “Oh, stop with the desperate show of strength. It’s getting to be more annoying than funny.” This conversation is more like two people stabbing each other with knives, and watching the carnage, I think: We’re already done for. The moment the first body showed up, the moment Yuri was killed, we lost the ability to stop Kingdom Royale. All the same…I still can’t accept this. Yuri was the one who said we would be fine as long as we trusted one another. But now, it’s her body that’s preventing us from doing that. I can’t possibly accept such a horrible outcome. Tears of frustration well up within me. The president’s eyes widen as she sees my reaction. As I try my hardest to fight it down, a slender arm wraps around my shoulders. Long black hair sticks to my cheek, staunching the flow of tears. “……It’s all right, Kazuki.” I know, though. There’s no basis for Maria to say that. “Hoshino.” The president says my name. “I like that you’re so kindhearted.” She continues in a gentle voice, as if calming a child. “But I won’t allow you to use that kindness to hold me back, understand?” Those words were more than enough to hammer it home: For us, peacetime was over.
Chapter 22
39 min read