Chapter 32

Day 4 <D> The Common Area I’m on the verge of becoming the king. The fall of Iroha and Yuri really turned the tides. Iroha has quite a presence, which allowed me to finally be able to talk about the Game of Indolence. I was able to explain pretty much everything except for what happened during the third game, which I decided was best left unmentioned. I laid it all out: that they’re all NPCs and that Daiya is the owner observing the game from outside, as well as Daiya’s promise to destroy the Box if we all survive for eight days. Koudai Kamiuchi seems dubious, but with Iroha and Yuri following me unconditionally, it appears he can’t protest openly. Either way, I was able to put it to them clearly: “We all have to stay alive until the <E> time block of day eight.” I plainly identified our goal. Iroha’s plan was finished, and Yuri was tired of acting, so they both decided to go along with it. All I have left to deal with now are Koudai Kamiuchi’s capriciousness and Daiya’s trickery. My first step in weakening the two of them was to have everyone reveal their Classes. As for who is what… Iroha Shindo is the Revolutionary. Yuri Yanagi is the Sorcerer. Koudai Kamiuchi is the Double. And Maria is the Prince. Daiya didn’t reveal his Class, but since I’m the Knight, by process of elimination, that makes him the King. I took possession of the knives and rations Iroha had collected from the others. That should rob Koudai Kamiuchi of most of his power for now. He’s the Double, so he can’t kill other players as long as the King doesn’t act. If he does try anything, it’s going to take a lot of determination and effort on his part. Given his personality, he might just decide changing things is more trouble than it’s worth and keep quiet without looking for more fun in this game. Kingdom Royale has pretty much ground to a halt. But that doesn’t mean I’ve become careless. When I go to the common area, Iroha, Yuri, and Koudai Kamiuchi are sitting on the ground talking. “Hey, Hoshino, did you know? Our little Yuri’s apparently a virgin!” “K-Kamiuchi… Stop it!” That’s kinda—no, really unexpected. “Is that true, Yuri?” Yuri turns bright red and doesn’t say anything. “Oh, so now you’re harassing Yuri, Hoshino? You’ve got a lot of nerve.” “Ah. S-sorry…” I apologize once Iroha points this out, but Yuri looks away sulkily, still blushing. …When I really think about it, someone like Yuri, who distanced herself from social interactions to focus solely on studying, probably wouldn’t have much practice in that sort of thing. So, as inexperienced as she was, Yuri was still able to play the part she did in the previous games… I can see why Iroha would be envious of her ability to charm others… As the thought crossed my mind, I suddenly wonder about something. “…Yuri, have you ever told someone you like them?” “Wh-why…Why are you asking that?! You said you were sorry, but you don’t seem like you really meant it!” “S-sorry. I was just curious.” “……I haven’t.” Hearing this makes me smile. So I guess that means I’m the only one she’s ever confessed her feelings to. I’m a little proud of that. “Huh? Hang on a second, Yuri. How were you able to go out with that guy?” “All she has to do is flash a smile and maybe take his hand, and she can get a guy just like that.” “H-hey, Kamiuchi! That’s not how my mind works at all!” “Ooh, Yuri, you liar. You know it is. Okay, then how were you able to get him to ask you out?” “Th-that’s…” “You did something similar and made it so he just had to tell you he had the hots for you, right? Whew, you naughty girl! You vixen!” “Ngh…” Yuri’s mood is worsening under Koudai Kamiuchi’s teasing, and next to her, Iroha is scowling somewhat unhappily. “Why is it always Yuri? I’m quite pretty, too, you know.” “Hey, that comment was kinda cute, President.” “Huh? How so? It was just me feeling sorry for myself.” “The way you put your honest feelings on the table. I dunno—I guess I’m not into girls who are totally self-sufficient. If someone can solve all their problems on their own, then there’s no reason for you to be there beside ’em, right?” “…Well, that’s a pretty interesting perspective. If you look at it from that angle, you could say the way Yuri punishes herself and calls herself a bad person over everything creates an aura that makes others want to protect her. Yuri is quite the devil.” “Ohhh… Now even Iroha is being mean to me!” Yuri pouts. Iroha hugs her almost automatically. “See, you’re so cute.” I feel as though Iroha has softened up a bit since what happened earlier. Perhaps she had a small breakthrough when she let us see her crying like a child. That’s definitely a good thing. “……Iroha.” “What is it, Hoshino?” “Don’t worry. You’re going to get more popular with guys, too,” I tell her. Iroha grins, then replies with a gentle smile still on her face. “Thanks for the condescending advice. It really pissed me off.” …I guess not. “At this rate, you’re gonna be a lifelong virgin, President. ” “Shut it.” “I mean, you’re missing a pinkie, man. It’s freaky. You look like a high school girl who had to settle her tab with the criminal underworld.” “Ah-ha-ha, go curl up and die, Kamiuchi.” —Koudai Kamiuchi is dangerous. In fact, I’ve already conveyed that to both Yuri and Iroha. I didn’t give them all the details, but I did tell them that he used a knife to murder people directly in past games and that he seemed to enjoy doing it. Yet, here the two of them are, enjoying their conversation with him. At my request. If they’re obviously on guard and let their enmity show, I have no doubt Koudai Kamiuchi won’t have a good time. That’ll cause him to lash out, plunge us all back into chaos, and start Kingdom Royale. But if he’s having a blast like he is now, then that might seem like too much of a pain, which would prevent him from doing anything at all. Well…I wouldn’t say that’s enough of a plan to put my mind at ease, though. I’ve been vigilant the entire time. I’ve been watching him like a hawk in the fear that the slightest thing might lead him to violence. That’s why, simply put— “Nah, you’re the one who’s gonna die, President.” —what Koudai Kamiuchi did next went light-years beyond anything I could have predicted. Shunk. With that sound, another tragedy begins. Iroha’s arms embracing Yuri slacken and fall, and her body slides down limply. Still unable to process what’s happening, Yuri simply stares in a daze at Iroha’s head where it rests against her chest. Yuri looks at the palms of her hands. At the red liquid stuck to them. “—” She can’t even cry out at the horrible sight before her. Koudai Kamiuchi yanks the knife out from Iroha’s back, then grabs her by the hair and tosses her to the floor, faceup. He sits astride her body and stabs her with the knife. Over and over. He spends a short while destroying her body with a rhythmical shk, shk, shk, shk, shk, shk, shk, shk, shk, shk, then stands up with a grin and spits, “Looks like you were a virgin your whole life after all. How sad.” Why would he do such a thing…? My sanity threatens to flee with each shk, shk, shk, but I wrestle it under control and think. I have the knives stored safely in my room. I know for certain that I have four knives: mine, Iroha’s, Yuri’s, and Koudai Kamiuchi’s. So how does Koudai Kamiuchi still have one? ……It can’t be. I think. How did Koudai Kamiuchi get around my predictions? I know how impulsive he is, so why didn’t I come up with a better countermeasure? I thought I had done my very best. That means there has to be some element I overlooked. And that element is— “……Daiya.” I murmur his name, but Daiya doesn’t look at me. He just plays with the piercings in his right ear. I don’t understand. Why would he feel the need to do this? An idea pops into my head, so I pull out my device and look for something. Yeah… As I thought, Daiya had a Private Meeting with Koudai Kamiuchi on the first day, the second day, and today. I’m sure Daiya was wary of me from the very beginning. Then, after seeing how I handled things yesterday, he implemented his countermove straightaway. “I gotta say, I’m surprised.” I look at Koudai Kamiuchi. “Everything is going just like Oomine said it would. The president, Yuri, and you were all going to team up. Then you’d tell me everything would be okay if we survived for eight days and try to make me not want to play. That’s why you were being all friendly to me. If he got that much right, then I guess I should assume the rest of what he said would’ve come true, too.” “……What did Daiya say……?” “He said that once the three of you teamed up, you would kill the other three of us.” That’s bullshit! How could he?! “Now that I think about it, that would allow you all to win. I gotta admit, Hoshino, you’re smarter than you look. I’m not sure how you knew your own Class, but this must’ve been your plan all along, huh? Get the three Classes with the ability to kill to realize they can all coexist, then cook up some other condition for survival so that the rest of us lose our will to play the killing game. You were this close to having me fooled.” Why does he have to interpret things that way? But I guess that’s how Kingdom Royale is. It’s a game of deception and murder that makes your suspicions consume you. I lower my gaze suddenly. Yuri has put Iroha’s head on her lap and whispers “Iroha… Iroha…” as she tries to push the organs slipping out of her back in. Koudai Kamiuchi watches her with a grin of amusement, like he’s seeing a comedic duo at work. “I’ll be through once I kill you and Maricchi…but maybe I’ll have a bit more fun before I do. It’s not like you have any way of fighting back now. Ah-ha-ha, you can’t get thrills like this in the real world! That’s what makes Kingdom Royale so great!” In the end, Koudai Kamiuchi set off on a path of murder. I failed. No, that’s not it… I was led toward failure. “Not a chance in hell.” And Daiya Oomine was the one who steered me there. “You’re an easy read. That’s how I know what the ‘real me’ was thinking.” “—Oh.” So that’s it. No wonder Daiya did what he did. I told him everything. I told the NPC Daiya Oomine what the real Daiya Oomine did. That’s how the NPC understood the intentions of the real one. And once he knew, naturally he would act as the real Daiya would want. The real Daiya is my enemy. That’s why the Daiya here would of course act against me. He would try to obstruct my goal of having all us survive. And thus, he brought my victory to a screeching halt. …Who would’ve thought it? I lost the moment I tried to get Daiya on my side. “—Heh-heh.” Daiya’s laughter is muffled. “You never had a chance of being the king. Not the way you are.” It makes me realize something. I once criticized Iroha in my head as someone with a warped view of reality. What a fool I was to think that. The one with the skewed view of reality…was me. “……Ha-ha.” Only one of us was ever going to become the king. Daiya Oomine. And thus, I was cast down from my false throne. • Iroha Shindo, dead via seventeen stab wounds to the back and other locations inflicted by Koudai Kamiuchi Day 5 <B> The Common Area Yuri is dead. She was executed because she didn’t come to the common area when it was time. Yesterday, I saw how she was so dazed, she didn’t try to go back to her own room, so I was afraid this might happen. It looks like she actually went through with it. Yuri committed suicide passively, and now she’s gone. “Aw man… This really blows! My precious prize gone before I could take it! My sweet Yuri’s cherry!” Despite his words, Koudai Kamiuchi is grinning, holding his head in his hands in an empty show of regret that fills every fiber of my being with utter loathing. The fact that he’s total scum doesn’t really matter, though. After all, I don’t have a goal anymore. The only thing I have left is the guilt I feel toward Iroha and Yuri. All I have are my thoughts for the two of them, who died because of my mistaken belief I could be king. Maybe I should have done the same thing as Yuri… I’m so lost as to what to do now that I’m even considering it. I can’t think about anything except how my remaining few days of life are out of my control. That’s why I keep apologizing to them in my mind. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Of course, the two who died were NPCs, so I can see them again in the real world if I make it through this alive. But that doesn’t mean the guilt I have within me is in any way false. Yeah… Now I finally know how it must have felt to have to kill the NPCs when they were the players. I know how Yuri and Iroha must have felt. The truth is, knowing they’re NPCs doesn’t do a whit to make one feel any better. I slump over the table. There’s a single hemp sack on it. Inside is an unusable portable device, along with the orange, beige, and green watches that Iroha had kept wearing even after what happened. Daiya puts the watches on himself. Seeing this, I throw my own light-blue watch at him. Daiya glances at me but just wraps it around his wrist without saying a word. “The watch is great, but I hope you brought what you promised,” he says. I take the rations out of the sack I brought from my room and lay them on the table without a response. I do it not simply because I’ve given up, but because I can imagine it might mean my life if I don’t. I made sure to keep enough for myself, so I won’t die right away, but this means I’ve lost the ability to imitate the Revolutionary. Kingdom Royale has returned to its original cruel state. There’s no way to survive now other than for each of us to pursue victory. I wouldn’t be surprised if Daiya and Koudai Kamiuchi try to kill me. Well, should I try to win, too? ……It won’t work. I’m the Knight, and Maria is the Prince. We can’t both get through this alive. Trying to win for me would be the same as asking Maria to die. Even if she is just an NPC, I would never ask for that. There’s no way I can beat Daiya and Koudai Kamiuchi like this. That’s how I know I’m going to die. “……” …I’m going to die? Yeah. It’ll probably come down to that. So—why? I raise my head. I look at Maria. All four of us here know I’m most likely going to be killed. Naturally, that includes Maria. Even so, she isn’t doing anything. Maria. The one who would cast away her life so readily for the sake of others. What’s more, this didn’t start just now. She’s barely done or said anything since yesterday. That isn’t possible. “Maria.” I say her name. I know she must have heard me, but she doesn’t so much as glance in my direction. Maria is secretly biting her lip, and nothing else. • Yuri Yanagi, compulsorily executed for failure to return to the common area by 12:10. Died via decapitation. Day 5 <C> Private Meeting with Maria Otonashi – Maria Otonashi’s Room Why isn’t Maria doing anything? There can only be one answer. Just like me, she has no idea what to do. But why is she like this? Has something crushed her the way Iroha’s and Yuri’s deaths crushed me? When I enter her room, the mood is, unsurprisingly, a little uncomfortable, and Maria doesn’t even greet me. “Maria?” “……” …Something definitely happened. “…Can I…sit next to you?” I wouldn’t even bother to ask something like that normally. We just sit next to each other without any protest. But Maria frowns, sitting on the bed. “No, don’t sit.” I can’t believe what she just said. “…Why?” Maria closes her mouth. She won’t look me in the face, perhaps because she doesn’t want to answer. I can’t let this go, though. “…Answer me.” Not even that gets her to open her mouth. But after I stare at her silently for a moment, she finally, grudgingly, begins to speak. “I’ve been watching your actions.” She continues, still not looking at me: “As you’ve been doing your thing in this game, I’ve been watching and waiting for the moment when you would come to me for help. You fought down Shindo and the others all by yourself, created a foundation for explaining the Box, and even had victory in your grasp for a moment. Koudai Kamiuchi’s actions ruined all that in the end, but in my mind, you were spectacular. That led me to a conclusion.” Maria tells me: “You are not Kazuki Hoshino.” Is that the reason for her hesitant attitude…? “You…are Kazuki, aren’t you?” She definitely said something along those lines during our Private Meeting on the second day. I didn’t really read too deeply into it, though. After all, Maria told me that even when I was affected by the Week in the Mud, she could tell which one was the real me, so I was sure she knew. That’s why this has to be a joke. “…What are you saying, Maria?” Despite this, Maria doesn’t tell me she’s kidding like she usually does. No matter how long I wait. “Kazuki.” Instead, she says: “Our Classes are enemies, right?” “…What’re you saying? Yeah, our Classes are enemies, but… Huh?” Could this be what Maria is trying to say? “Do you think I’m going to kill you……?” For some reason, Maria doesn’t shake her head at this completely ridiculous question. “C-cut it out… There’s no way I could ever—” “Kazuki.” Maria cuts me off midsentence. “I thought I could predict your actions. We did spend an entire lifetime together, after all. But your behavior in Kingdom Royale has betrayed all my expectations. That’s why I can’t be sure anymore. You may not do what I think you will.” “……” “The victory condition you described was most likely true. But that turned out to be a failure. What are you going to do now?” “I…still don’t know…” “I’m an NPC, right? Even if you kill me, that doesn’t mean the real Maria Otonashi will die, correct?” “What’re you saying…? That that’s going to make me…kill you?” “That’s not what I think. I can’t imagine you ever taking my life.” “Then…” “As I said, though, that’s just one of my assumptions, and those have already proven to be incorrect. I have no way of knowing what you’re thinking now that you’ve distanced yourself from me.” “That’s…” I approach Maria to try to untangle this misunderstanding. “Stay away from me.” Maria rejects me with an outstretched palm. More than her words or her attitude, it’s her troubled expression that stops me in my tracks. “Whoever you are, wearing Kazuki Hoshino’s face—you scare me.” I haven’t relied on Maria in this game. I knew that if I relied on her, possibly the weakest participant in this game, it could lead to my defeat. I knew that if I didn’t suppress my urge to seek her help, didn’t do away with my weakness, then I couldn’t win. I was able to do it because of my experiences in the previous games. I never would have been able to pull it off without this wealth of information. That’s why my actions must seem completely out of character from Maria’s point of view. I thought she would’ve been okay with that, though. I mean, she is Maria, right? She knows me better than anyone else does, right? I had thought it was impossible for her to misread me, that she would accept me no matter what I did. That was my support. My faith in our mutual trust is what kept me going. But— “……Why?” I see Maria’s bewildered face before me. I brought this on myself. I get it. I know why Maria hasn’t done anything. I’ve already lost her trust. There’s no need for Maria to help someone she can’t even identify. That’s why she won’t aid me anymore. ………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Really? I mean, this is Maria. The person before me is Maria, someone willing to sacrifice herself to help others, no matter who they are. Would she really abandon me…? Just because she doubts that I’m Kazuki Hoshino? “Are you really okay with this?” I ask her. “…At this rate, I’m going to die, you know?” Maria’s expression seems truly puzzled and fearful. But why is she so confused? Why is she so afraid? She shouldn’t react like this even if I were her enemy. If she truly thinks of me as a foe, she’d have much more control over herself. So what is going through Maria’s head? “……The way you are now, you can probably make it through this on your own, don’t you think?” Maria says with her gaze lowered. “No way. I can’t kill you, and I can’t just let myself get killed, either. There’s no way I can defeat Daiya like thi—” Wait. It’s absolutely impossible for me to kill Maria. I can’t win Kingdom Royale while she’s around. Those are unquestionable facts. You can put it another way, though. I have a chance of survival if Maria isn’t here. “……Maria.” When she raises her head, I ask: “Are you thinking of killing yourself?” Maria gazes at me silently in response. “Are you trying to let yourself die like Yuri did? Just to do what little you can to keep me alive?” I continue speaking as she remains silent. “Because the way I am now, it seems like I can probably kill the NPC Daiya…?” After staring at me this entire time, Maria’s expression softens. “The thought did enter my mind. I mean, I am an NPC, so it doesn’t matter if I die. But all I really did was consider it.” “Well, stop it…! I don’t want to win the game at all.” “Because of me, right? If I wasn’t here, you’d probably be working harder to save your own hide.” “That’s—” I can’t finish the sentence, and Maria lets out a little sigh. “…Come on, Kazuki. It doesn’t seem like I can beat around the bush any longer, so I’ll say it, but I don’t find this change in you to be a welcome one. I can’t read your actions anymore.” “…And what would reading them let you do?” “If I could guess what you’re going to do, then I could infer how you will act and whether you will survive when I die, for instance. I don’t know any of that now, though, which prevents me from doing anything.” “…What are you saying?” When I die, for instance— What sort of assumption is that? But Maria ignores my reaction and presses on. “You aren’t relying on me this time. I get it: I know I’m powerless and not much use in Kingdom Royale. I accept that. But it doesn’t matter.” Maria manages to put on a smile as she speaks. “In spite of all that, I’m still going to keep you safe.” Is she saying she’s willing to use her own life to do it…? Even though she knows full well I would never want that? “But I still want to protect you, even if it means throwing away my life.” She definitely said that. During the second game, I’m certain she’d said that. “When you don’t have your Box, it’s my job to protect you.” That’s why— “—I won’t let you.” —I will never allow Maria to die trying to keep me safe. “I told you that it’s my job to protect you! I won’t allow you to do that!” Maria’s eyes go wide. Oh, right. She doesn’t remember what I said during the second game. The sudden outburst is probably just confusing. I don’t care. I just have to make sure she understands my intentions. “You’re not the one who’s going to protect me. I’m going to—” “Wait.” But she cuts me off. Her wide eyes have narrowed and are now fixing me with a sharp glare. “What exactly is going on with you?” “…What do you mean?” “It’s your normal life that you want to protect, right? Not me, but your normal life with Mogi and Kirino, right? That’s why you’ve held on to such firm beliefs, isn’t it? Why are you throwing a fit here now? Don’t disappoint me like this.” I’m shocked at what she says. These are her unadorned true feelings. “………Oh.” Only now do I finally see it. Maria has overestimated me. She watched me cling to my normalcy, refusing to change my convictions for what amounted to a lifetime. Perhaps that’s why it seemed so incredible from her perspective. Even though I simply remained the same within that cycle of stagnant repetition, maybe it made me seem like some sort of superhuman. Maria thought that since I didn’t change over such a long period of time, I would most likely never change. But that just isn’t possible. I’m normal. I keep saying this. Even O said I would change at some point. There aren’t any superhumans here, either. Not Iroha Shindo, Yuri Yanagi, Daiya Oomine, nor even Koudai Kamiuchi is guaranteed to survive Kingdom Royale. There’s no way of telling who is superior to anyone else. That alone proves there is no such thing as a superhuman. It’s ironic I would awaken to this fact within a Box created to fight off boredom. So of course I’m not superhuman. And—neither is Maria. But Maria has gotten this wrong. “…Why wouldn’t you be in my normal life?” “That should be obvious.” That’s why she wants to be special. Why she believes she can become so. “I’m a Box.” Even though she’s just a normal person. I then think something with no basis or context. This still isn’t over. I haven’t lost yet. After all, Maria is still alive. Day 5 <C> Private Meeting with Daiya Oomine – Kazuki Hoshino’s Room WILL YOU CUT DOWN KOUDAI KAMIUCHI WITH DEATH BY SWORD? That’s the message that appears on the monitor in my room. I’m pretty sure the message is programmed to disappear during Private Meetings so that other players don’t know about them. That’s why the message is gone when Daiya arrives. But at least for now, that’s a useless feature. Daiya, the King, is the only one who could have chosen the target for Murder, really. “…What’re you playing at? Didn’t you just help Koudai Kamiuchi out?” Sitting on the table with his legs crossed, Daiya flashes a bold smirk as he retorts: “Hey, that’s a pretty funny joke. You really think I’d give someone like him a hand? I just used him since it suited my purposes to make him my puppet.” “…But your Classes, the King and the Double, can coexist.” “Do you really think my goal is to win Kingdom Royale?” “—” I’m speechless for a moment. I never thought he would simply come out and say that winning isn’t his goal. Just what is Daiya trying to do here…? “…Okay, then why did you kill Yuri and Iroha? Was that really necessary?” “…It was, in a certain sense. That said, Yanagi killed herself. I didn’t plan on that.” “……So you weren’t intending to kill Yuri?” But Daiya’s lips twitch up in a sardonic smile. “No, I intended to keep her alive a bit longer and use her. I was going to have Kamiuchi violate her in front of you so you could see her suffer. It would make you even more aware of the danger.” I don’t understand. I have no idea what he’s thinking. However, no matter the reason, the acts he’s describing are beneath contempt. “And just what danger should I be more aware of…?!” “Kamiuchi’s next target after Yuri, for both murder and satisfying his sexual urges, would of course be Otonashi, right? I wanted to let you know what would happen to her if you didn’t do anything.” “Why?!” I shout without thinking. But I know—his methods aside—Daiya would never do anything so cruel without reason. There’s no question of that, and it’s something I’ve come to believe. “……” That’s right. Daiya never does anything without a purpose. There has to be some significance to why he’s put us in this situation, too. He must have his reasons for why he chose Koudai Kamiuchi as the target for Murder and is having this Private Meeting with me as well. But I have no clue as to what those reasons could be. I mean, if that’s the case, then what the hell does that make this Box? Why have a Box to do away with boredom? None of that seems very much like Daiya. “Forcing people into a game where they kill one another? Heh-heh… Sounds pretty unproductive to me. It has no reason to exist.” Daiya actually said that during the second game. I can’t imagine that a Daiya NPC who didn’t know about the Game of Indolence would have been trying to trick me back then. “If someone consumed by boredom uses a Box, the results will only stave off the tedium temporarily. That’s why this is all just a diversion. A pointless game.” They’re inconsistent. Daiya’s remarks don’t match up. He has no reason to make a wish just to mitigate his boredom, and that’s undeniably the only thing the wish of the Game of Indolence is meant to do. There’s no two ways about it; it’s just contra— “—” No. It’s not contradictory at all. “Otonashi can detect Boxes, interfere with them, and knows about O because she’s an owner, right? I’m an owner now, too, so it shouldn’t surprise you that I can do all that.” That’s it. So that’s how it’s been. Daiya has been using someone else’s Box to his own ends. If so, then who is the owner of the Game of Indolence? Only one person comes to mind that fits the bill. I only know of one person who perfectly embodies the state of boredom. “Koudai Kamiuchi.” I look up and declare to Daiya: “Koudai Kamiuchi is the owner of the Game of Indolence.” That’s right—it was never Daiya. Yeah, Daiya’s been dropping me hints all along the way. He has never once said he is the owner of the Game of Indolence, and his NPC sincerely denied it, too. The only falsehood Daiya has spoken was to hide his status as the Revolutionary in the first game. There were plenty of clues that could have led me to this realization. Daiya was leveling the playing field to a surprising degree. Despite this, all I did was notice that something was slightly off and overlooked the truth that he wasn’t the owner. Daiya sneers as he speaks. “Looks like I didn’t need to give you a hint. You caught on pretty quickly.” “Quickly? …No, I’m too late.” Iroha and Yuri both became victims. There’s nothing “quickly” about it. Thanks to that, Daiya pulled my strings like a puppet and handed me a total defeat. “—” Still. Depending on how you look at it, couldn’t this be a sign of hope? I lost to Daiya. But that loss was to him and not the owner. Yes—I haven’t lost to the Game of Indolence yet. Which means it’s entirely possible there is a way to escape it. “Hey, Kazu, do you know why you couldn’t beat me?” Daiya says. “Because your objective is too vague.” “…Huh? My objective is to return things to normal, which is pretty clear… Or it should be…” I need to not kill anyone in the end. The moment I kill someone, even an NPC, there will be no return to normalcy for me. That’s why I tried to become the king and have everyone survive for eight days to clear the game, according to the win condition Daiya proposed. “C’mon, Kazu, do you think you’re cut out to be the king?” He said something like that to me yesterday, too. “…What do you mean?” “Exactly what I said. The only one who can become the king is a person willing to dedicate their life solely to the happiness of others without regard for their own happiness or benefit.” …Is that true? If that’s the only type who can become the king, then I could never do it. I don’t want to. The only one I can think of who wants to be such a person—is Maria. “There’s no reason or need for someone like you who doesn’t find happiness in that to become the king. At best, all you are capable of becoming…” With a hint of bitter amusement, Daiya finishes: “…is a ‘knight’ sworn to protect a certain someone, isn’t it?” A “knight.” An image of the word forms in my head. I see myself taking a knee, extending my hand to a princess. I know this scene. The background is blurry. I can’t tell if it’s a castle, a terrace, an alley, or a classroom. I’m sure it’s been painted over by my daily life. But I know who the princess is, as clear as day. I’m positive that princess will become the king unless I take her away from here. If she does, she will never think of her own happiness again. Even if the truth is that she wants to take my hand and flee from this place. This is the reason why I resolved to betray everything, to make enemies of everyone—in order to protect her. All for her. …Yeah, that’s right. Until I met her, I clung to normalcy because of a distortion. It was a psychological measure I had taken to forget what happened with Nana Yanagi. That began to change when she entered my life, though. I wanted to draw her to my side. I wanted her in my life, in my day-to-day. Having her with me was how I expressed what was “normal” to me. That’s been it all along. At some point, my goal— My goal became saving Maria. That’s why Daiya said what he said to me. Why I had “no chance in hell” of beating him. Because he had deduced that I wasn’t clear on my purpose. He was confident he would never lose to me as I was then. He was…exactly right. “If you’ve caught sight of your goal now, then do what you have to.” “…What I have to?” Daiya matter-of-factly states, “Yeah. What you have to do. Kill Koudai Kamiuchi.” “……Kill him…?” The Koudai Kamiuchi in here is an NPC, so killing him won’t bring the Game of Indolence to an end. “But… No, I see it now.” If I don’t, the Maria in here will be murdered. And not just that, he’ll make her his plaything first. As a “knight,” there’s no way I can allow this to happen. I have to kill the Koudai Kamiuchi who is the owner. “……But…” Can I really do that? Koudai Kamiuchi is a horrible person. I mean, if I weren’t involved, my thoughts on the matter would probably be It’s just his NPC, and if you gotta kill him, you gotta kill him. It’s a different story if I’m the one actually pulling the trigger, though. If I choose the “kill” option, I’ll never be the same again. Forever altered, I’ll be forced to live a lie with Kokone, Haruaki, and Mogi. However, Daiya is saying I still need to do it regardless. He’s saying I should, if I know what’s important to me. But if I kill him and escape from the Game of Indolence, will I really be able to say I’ve gone back to “normal” after I’ve done the deed? “Kazu, try touching your hand to the monitor for a bit.” I do as I’m told. Nothing happens immediately, since it’s shut off, but after about five seconds, it springs to life. The message DISPLAY THE SCREEN? appears. “If you accept, it’ll switch to the screen for using the Death by Sword command. You can make the decision to off Koudai Kamiuchi right here and now.” “……I see.” I press the YES button on the display. As soon as I do, it asks me WILL YOU CUT KOUDAI KAMIUCHI DOWN WITH DEATH BY SWORD? I can take a person’s life just by pressing this. In all the previous games, I never once made this decision in the end. There’s probably no avoiding it now, though. Still, if it will allow me to keep Maria safe… I reach out toward the switch, and then— “……” —my hand stops. Wait. Am I okay with this? Am I okay with doing what Daiya tells me to? Do I really think I can protect Maria by obeying Daiya? “…What’s wrong? Chicken?” “Daiya,” I say, frowning. He gives me a dubious look. “This version of you is an NPC, right?” “…Why are you stating the obvious?” “That means you don’t know everything the real Daiya intends to do, doesn’t it?” Daiya eyes me even more distrustfully. “Answer me,” I urge him, staring fixedly at him. “What about your promise?” He lapses into silence as he grasps the implication of my statement. “I wasn’t able to keep everyone alive for eight days. That means the Daiya on the other side doesn’t have to destroy the Game of Indolence.” “……” “If the Game of Indolence isn’t destroyed, I can’t protect Maria. What’s more, I can’t kill her as the Prince in this game, so I’m undoubtedly going to lose and die. Maria can’t possibly win the game when her turn to be the player comes around. So that’s a failure to save her, too.” Daiya is still silent. I pay no heed and continue: “Is it possible you don’t know how the real Daiya was planning to resolve this?” “……” Daiya doesn’t respond. It’s essentially an admission that he doesn’t know the answer. “…If so, then I can’t just do what you tell me to. I have to find a way to help Maria on my own.” “……There is no doubt that you have to kill Koudai Kamiuchi.” “Yeah, at this rate, he’ll murder Maria, so I’ll have to use Death by Sword, but……” …Huh? No, hold on. What did Daiya say just now? His uncomfortable expression made me think he was just trying to avoid the question, but was he really? What if he was answering my question about how the real Daiya is trying to solve this situation? “……There is no doubt that you have to kill Koudai Kamiuchi.” I understand the implication very well. I know the simplest way to destroy the Box. Maybe this is what Daiya is trying to tell me: You have to crush the Game of Indolence along with its owner. The real Daiya is going to resolve things by killing the real Koudai Kamiuchi. But if so, why did Daiya seem to have trouble saying that just now? Because it’s such an awful solution? …No, he wouldn’t have trouble saying something like that. Daiya is glaring at me. He’s telling me with his gaze not to give voice to my realization. Why is he reacting this way? This is a Private Meeting, and it’s not like anyone can overhear what we’re saying, so why is he so on guard? I guess Koudai Kamiuchi could listen to what is said here by using his device. But if that were likely, then Daiya would never have told me to kill Koudai Kamiuchi in the first place. Does that mean someone else can hear this conversation? Someone who shouldn’t hear, for our sakes? This other person would be— “……” I instinctively look up at the ceiling. It’s a bare concrete ceiling. It doesn’t change even under scrutiny. The real Daiya seemed to know all about the games I had played. I can’t say for certain, but I think he may be watching my struggles on the arcade cabinet even now. Yes, in other words—the real Daiya and the real Koudai Kamiuchi can listen to this conversation. The real Koudai Kamiuchi can’t learn that the real Daiya intends to kill him. If it came down to a real fight, the odds aren’t exactly in Daiya’s favor. All the more so, since there aren’t any knives or other weapons there. But if so, how is Daiya planning on taking out Koudai Kamiuchi? I go back over what Daiya has said up to this point. “That’s just the way your core nature works. It catches and alters everything that happens.” “Like I give a crap. I know about the hope the Boxes bring. And now that I do, I’m not gonna let anyone take that away from me.” “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.” “If no one kills anyone else for eight days, you can survive.” “That means…I’m your enemy.” “…” I see. So that’s how it is. “Daiya.” He scowls and looks at me. “You heard all about that week, didn’t you?” He doesn’t say anything in response. That settles it. “……Heh-heh.” I understand everything Daiya intends to do. “Daiya. You’re a liar.” That’s why I can’t stop myself from sniping at him a little. “You haven’t beaten me at all, have you?” After all, just by exposing what he’s plotting here, I can bring all his plans to nothing. He has some nerve saying he’s won. “…Don’t get too excited, Kazu. What can you do if you can’t kill Otonashi?” He’s right about that. I’ve learned that Koudai Kamiuchi is the owner, but in order to face him, I have to win this round of Kingdom Royale. Even though I have no chance of victory, since I can’t take Maria’s life. But none of that matters to the plan Daiya is attempting to pull off. It will destroy the Game of Indolence before this happens. Still— “You’re saying I should rely on you?” —that sounds totally crazy. “You’re supposed to be my enemy. And even if you weren’t, we have no idea if this plan will work or not. Under those circumstances, I’d rather come up with a better strategy on my own.” “……” Daiya closes his mouth. His plan works well for both of us. I truly understand, and I’m sure Daiya knows I do. That’s why, if Daiya just humbles himself and asks me to come on board, I’ll go along with it. He never will, though. Daiya won’t bow his head to me. He will never, ever let anyone see him in a state of defeat. Protecting his pride isn’t his only reason. I still don’t know what it is he’s after, but I’m positive his goals won’t allow him to humble himself. Just as Maria will never allow herself to be broken. And so Daiya, without the slightest show of humility, just keeps glaring daggers at me. As earnest as a prayer. “……Daiya.” That’s why I’ll bend. If I don’t, then Daiya may get killed. And I know I don’t want that. He’s been my friend for so long, after all. “I have a favor to ask. Will you hear me out?” To tell the truth, I’m not asking him for anything. This is something he has to hear. It’s something he has to do, even if he keeps his mouth shut. “For just one day, I want to persuade Koudai Kamiuchi not to hurt Maria.” If Koudai Kamiuchi does go on a spree and Maria dies as a result, I won’t be able to hold back any longer. If that happens, I will kill Daiya. Then Daiya can’t beat me. Because he won’t be able to kill me with the plan he thought up. “………” Though Daiya remains silent with an angry scowl, I’m sure that means he’s agreed to my request. Day 6 <C> Private Meeting with Maria Otonashi – Kazuki Hoshino’s Room Daiya’s smooth talking must have worked. Koudai Kamiuchi ended up keeping quiet for a day. However, it’s plain to see he won’t keep himself in check any longer after today. He is unable to completely conceal the thirst for violence within him, and he radiates it to everything around him. I recognized that dark, black atmosphere like condensed desire in that hidden Master Room. Daiya has left out one person’s perspective. Namely, what Maria is going to try to do. Daiya’s plan requires time to go into effect. The real Daiya won’t make his move until we’ve run out of rations and are on the verge of being mummified. I know this. But Maria obviously doesn’t know what he’s planning. As before, she still thinks I’m going to die once time starts running out. Naturally, she’s likely going to help me win Kingdom Royale so I can survive, since she knows I can’t fulfill my victory conditions unless she perishes. In short— —Maria will try to die so that I can win. I have to get through to her and prevent her from doing this. I’m well aware she isn’t going to cave so easily, though. That’s why I asked Daiya to coerce Koudai Kamiuchi into holding off. I couldn’t kill him then. There’s something I absolutely need to have Maria witness in order to persuade her. —The moment I kill Koudai Kamiuchi. And now, I face off with Maria as she arrives in my room. What is this? Now that my objective is so clear to me, something feels immensely wrong about Maria. Her profile seems fuzzy, as if my center of focus is off. “Kazuki.” As I expected, Maria doesn’t sit next to me. I’m sure she still doesn’t accept that I’m Kazuki Hoshino. As things stand now, she won’t ever recognize me with my clarified sense of purpose. “It seems I need to die after all.” Unless things change, I won’t be able to put an end to this foolishness of hers. “As things stand now, I’m only holding you back. You won’t win Kingdom Royale. Thankfully, I’m an NPC, though, so you won’t need to feel bad about it,” she says, perfectly calm. I let out an involuntary sigh. Stopping Maria really is next to impossible. “Maria, you don’t need to worry about that.” “Why?” “Because I’m going to kill Koudai Kamiuchi.” “—” She is speechless, but the surprise soon disappears from her face. “I truly don’t know you anymore.” Maria frowns. “You must be in league with Oomine. That’s why you made such a horrible choice.” “It’s already decided.” “…I see,” says Maria, looking away. “I don’t even consider murder to be an option. No matter how effective a solution it may be, it’s inhuman and barbaric. I said something to this effect in the Rejecting Classroom… But, well, I guess you wouldn’t remember.” I’d be lying if I said Maria’s rejection doesn’t affect me. But no matter how much it hurts, I can’t turn back. “Taking your own life is much more twisted.” “For a human. I’m a Box.” “Stop using that excuse! You know I would never want you to do such a thing!” Maria’s eyes open wide at my outburst. “……Are you still saying that? Why do you keep being so weak? If anyone can do it, it’s you. You can prioritize the normalcy of your daily life over me.” Are you still saying that? she says. I’m the only one who should be saying that, here. I begin walking and touch the monitor in front of Maria as she watches suspiciously. A message appears. WILL YOU CUT DOWN KOUDAI KAMIUCHI WITH DEATH BY SWORD? If this is how it’s going to be, I’ll just have to show her. I’ll show Maria that I’ve already changed. I put off killing him for a day just so I could do this. Then I’ll get her to trust the new me. I’ll convince her there’s no need for her to die. In order to do this, I reach out for the word KILL? appearing over Koudai Kamiuchi’s eyes. “S-stop!” Maria rushes up, her eyes wide, and grabs my arm. “………Why?” I honestly didn’t expect her to get this upset. “…Why what?” Maria averts her eyes slightly as I ask the question again. “Why does it bother you so much if I change? I know it’s not good for me to do this. But do you need to try to stop it so desperately? It might save both of us, you know?” I recall my Private Meeting with Maria yesterday. “Whoever you are, wearing Kazuki Hoshino’s face—you scare me.” “Why is it so scary for you if I change?” “……” She doesn’t answer the question. “Let me tell you something. There’s no point in stopping me from pressing that button. Even if you put me in a full nelson, I’ll just press it as soon as you’re gone.” “…I know that.” So she says, but her grip on my arm tightens. “I mean, I stopped you because I’m getting emotional. Okay, I’ll admit it. I don’t want you to change, ever.” “…But there’s nothing you can do about that,” I tell her quietly. Maria stares at me. “…It would seem so.” And with that, she releases my arm. “I can’t stop you anymore.” I gaze at her, unable to understand why that would be so heartbreaking. Maria opens her mouth to answer. “Hey, Kazuki. What’s my objective?” she asks me with a trace of sorrow. “To get a Box, right?” “Correct. I’m trying to obtain a Box. I’m looking for it in order to perfect my wish. The reason I’m with you is because you’ve snagged O’s attention. That’s my excuse.” “………Yeah.” “But I’m a Box. I’m not allowed to exist in the normal world. I was never meant to be by anyone’s side. I will destroy the normalcy of that person’s life, so I can’t get too deeply involved. The only reason I can be with you is because I have this pretext for doing so.” “……” “You’ve begun to change. I can’t guess what you’re thinking by your face alone anymore. Little by little, we’re losing something special… In the end, maybe this was a foregone conclusion. Our relationship began as a by-product of your feelings for Mogi, after all.” “That’s—” I start to offer some unfounded protest, but Maria cuts it short with a hand over my mouth. “I don’t need any benevolent lies. You yourself should be able to tell that we aren’t special anymore.” “………Ungh.” “You’re about to kill Koudai Kamiuchi. He may be an NPC, but I know that once you murder someone, there’s no going back to your old values. You’ll change even more. Your peculiar attachment to your normal life will wane, and you’ll become like everyone else—unable to fully use a Box. What do you think will happen then?” Maria tells me. “O won’t be interested in you anymore.” Her hand is no longer covering my mouth, but I remain silent. “O going away is a welcome prospect. I should be happy for you, too. But in my heart of hearts, I can’t truly appreciate the thought. Not because it means losing my lead on a Box. It’s because if you don’t interest O anymore, then— “—I’ll lose my justification for being with you.” After she gives her reason, Maria rests her head against my shoulder. “If O stops pursuing you, then I’ll have to leave your side. It’s that simple. If I don’t, I won’t be able to complete my mission.” Oh, so that’s what it is. Maria has been afraid of this since yesterday—even before that. Namely— —saying good-bye. “Kazuki, I won’t stop you anymore.” Maria removes her head from my shoulder. “The truth is, I shouldn’t have stopped you. I have no right to, nor any need to. I thought I knew this whole time, but still.” Her smile is kind and resigned as she says: “Staying together with you was just a fantasy.” “—” I turn back toward the monitor, unable to look her in the face. Underneath the words WILL YOU CUT DOWN KOUDAI KAMIUCHI WITH DEATH BY SWORD? on the screen, my mind adds, Will you accept this good-bye with Maria Otonashi? “……No way.” I could never accept that. What the hell? Protecting Maria means I have to let her go? I know if we leave each other, she’ll be all alone with her misery. And yet, it’s still the only way? “I can’t stand the thought of you dying. It pains me. I hate it. It hurts. I want to be with you.” Why am I always so powerless? I can’t do anything despite knowing Maria Otonashi’s feelings for me…… …Another way must exist. I’m a knight; there must be someone I can cut down to rescue the imprisoned Maria. Who the hell could ever banish Maria to solitude like this? I think. Think, think, thinkthinkthinkthink— “—Ah.” ………So that’s it. “—Ahhh!” I know. I finally know my enemy! Why didn’t I notice? They’ve been so near me all this time. I knew this. I’ve always thought of this person as an enemy! My confusion dispelled, I reach out for the monitor again. One last time, I read the words WILL YOU CUT DOWN KOUDAI KAMIUCHI WITH DEATH BY SWORD? and the decision is effortless. Sure. The word KILL? is still written across the picture of Koudai Kamiuchi, and I tap it. “—Oh.” A sigh escapes Maria. “So the fantasy is over.” “You’re wrong.” I’ve become an unabashed murderer, and I am indeed different now. Yes, the normal life I want to protect is different now. If that drives O away, and Maria realizes this, I’m sure she’ll try to leave. But— “Right now, the Maria here with me doesn’t have the Misbegotten Happiness.” —if things go as planned, she will escape from the Game of Indolence without ever having to view a Replay. She’ll never remember this conversation. She’ll never know this Box changed me. “And a Maria without the Misbegotten Happiness isn’t a Box.” Maria’s round eyes suggest she’s struggling to grasp my meaning. “During the second game, I told you it’s my role to protect you when you don’t have your Box. I plan to follow through on that. So I’ll continue to keep you safe from evil.” “…Evil? Do you mean like Koudai Kamiuchi?” “Yes, of course, but he’s not the greatest enemy.” My objective has become saving Maria. Who has been the greatest hindrance in the Game of Indolence—since even before? What odious foe convinced Maria that throwing her life away was her only option? Maria shouldn’t need my help to survive, per se. Someone with her abilities shouldn’t have much trouble winning Kingdom Royale. But Maria will absolutely never kill anyone, no matter what. If it comes down to it, she’ll throw away her own life instead. That’s why she doesn’t have the slightest chance of victory in this game. As a knight, I once swore I would betray everything, turn all and sundry against me, in order to save Maria. In response, Maria said that with patience as her only virtue, she would await my arrival. Maria must be aware of her situation, if only just subconsciously. She must know she’s imprisoned. That she can’t resolve her situation on her own. Who has taken her captive? Who is trying to make her king? Who do I have to strike down to save her? I finally know. “It’s Aya Otonashi.” That is the name of my foe. I once faced her for a lifetime, and I will fight her from here on. “I will defeat Aya Otonashi. I will teach her that no despair is too great to be resolved in a normal life. I will show her she doesn’t need to use a Box, and I will defeat her.” If I do, this won’t be good-bye for us. C’mon… Don’t bring Maria into this, Aya Otonashi. The only one who can’t be with me is you. “—What are you saying?” Maria’s eyes are wide with shock. I can see why she’d react like this. Amid those days of repetition, Maria was able to create Aya Otonashi, the idealized version of herself she longed to become. Yet, here I am saying I’ll destroy all of that. “Is that—your way of declaring war on me?” I smile and reply, “Not at all.” If I said what I did to the Maria in the real world, it might actually be a declaration of war. And then, if Maria knew my intent, she might leave me. But we’re in Kingdom Royale. Maria won’t retain her memories here. “I know the Maria from the very first transfer.” Maria is still gazing at me with shock, as if she can’t understand my reasons for suddenly saying such a thing. “I’ve lost almost all my memories from back then. But I remember a Maria who wasn’t fully Aya Otonashi yet. And I remember what she said.” I tell her. I repeat what Maria said back then, standing there on the dais. “I want someone to stand beside me.” Maria closes her mouth and stares at me. “Maria. You aren’t a Box now. That’s why I want to hear it from you. I want to hear how you truly feel, not as Aya Otonashi but as Maria Otonashi.” “……Kazuki.” For just a moment, her mouth softens gently, but a severe expression soon follows. She purses her lips and turns her back on me. “I know more or less what you want from me. But I won’t say it. You can tell me I’m not Aya Otonashi now all you like, but I can never go back to being who I once was. I thought I wanted to be a Box, and I still do. Saying what you want me to say would mean rejecting that decision. So—” She clenches her fists. “So I can’t say it.” Maria spells it out: “I can’t ask you to help lonely Maria Otonashi.” Yeah. That’s good enough. I know full well how you feel. Now I’m prepared to devote my all to defeating Aya Otonashi. “You won’t be alone, Maria. I won’t let you.” Suddenly, a thought pops into my head. I know the Maria from the first transfer. But the Maria back then was already an owner; she just wasn’t fully Aya Otonashi yet. She was already a Maria possessed of tremendous will. Is that the original “Maria Otonashi,” though? I don’t think so. The original was probably a much more normal person. That means I don’t know the Maria Otonashi who’s just a girl one year younger than me. I don’t know the one from when there were no times, when she had yet to transfer even once. That girl is probably still in tears somewhere inside Maria. At the bottom of the sea in Maria’s chest. All by herself. That’s why I’m going to see her. “I’ll go meet the zeroth Maria.” I’ll greet her, bring her back, embrace her, and stay with her forever. I believe this will be Maria’s definition of happiness, and I’ll make it happen. Maria has stopped clenching her fists. I can’t read her emotions from her melancholy expression or downcast eyes. With a deliberate lack of emotion, Maria walks up to me unsteadily and presses her head into my chest. “…I will become a Box. I will live for the sake of others… That’s why I’m begging you, please just stop this. Don’t try to protect me.” She says this nonsense in a faint voice I’ve never heard from her before. That’s why I answer, “I understand. I’ll go and meet her no matter what.” “…You…don’t understand at all, do you? I don’t want you to suffer. I don’t want you to suffer by getting involved with me. That’s why you should get away as quickly as possible.” “It’s okay. I’ll stay with you.” “Leave… Please just leave…” No way. I can’t comply with that. After all, my enemy is saying it, right? So, in defiance, I wrap my arms around Maria. No one would ever call her robust, not even by mistake, but as I embrace her slender form, I’m surprised by how fragile she feels yet again. But this is the last time for that. This is how she should feel. Maria Otonashi is just a girl a little younger than I am, so this is what she feels like. “Maria.” Though I say her name, Maria doesn’t reply. She just keeps her head pressed into me so that I can’t see the look on her face. I’m sure the expression buried in my chest is one she would never, ever make in the real world. She’s making the same face she once told herself she must never make, when she swore she would never depend on anyone else. She’s most likely showing this side because this Maria doesn’t have her Box. Because she is in Kingdom Royale, she’s revealing the barest glimpse of those inner feelings that her real self has on total lockdown. My words might be able to reach Maria Otonashi now. They might be able to reach her undiluted, with no interference from Aya Otonashi. I open my mouth to speak— “Kazuki.” —but she beats me to the punch. She hugs me around my back with trembling arms and says, “Even still, this is just a fantasy.” I know that. So I’m going to change that fate. Day 6 <C> Private Meeting with Kamiuchi Koudai – Kazuki Hoshino’s Room Despite everything, Maria will not become Aya Otonashi in this game, which means she won’t let herself die. I’ve done everything I need to do, so this Private Meeting is simply a means of passing the time. “Once_Death_by_Sword_iS_alREADy_conFIRmed_it_wILL_go_into_eFFect_eveN_if_the_Knight_dIES.” According to the rules, Death by Sword is carried out five minutes before the end of the <C> time block. That’s why Koudai Kamiuchi is still alive for the time being. But his death is guaranteed. Once he’s confirmed this with Noitan, Koudai Kamiuchi tosses a knife on the table with a rueful grin. “So there’s no point in offing you, huh? Damn… I’m really up the creek without a paddle here,” he lightly quips, scratching his head without any personal investment. He has no stinging barbs for me even though his killer is standing before him. He’s not even getting emotional. I’m sure the only thing going through his mind is that it was a mistake to play along with Daiya. Even though he’s going to die after this. He gazes at the knife he tossed on the table. The Game of Indolence is nothing more than a way to ease boredom. Until now, I could never really understand his capriciousness. Once it became clear he was the owner of the Game of Indolence, and I learned its ambience was due to his influence, I’ve been able to glean at least a little insight into him. Koudai Kamiuchi doesn’t feel like he lives in the real world. The things that happen to him, he sees as events inside a game. Such a person doesn’t even find playing Kingdom Royale to be anything special. That’s why this unrealistic Box became an “external type,” where the owner believes their wish is possible. Given his nature, Koudai Kamiuchi doesn’t feel any panic at the prospect of his own murder. He doesn’t connect with the reality of killing others, so he also has no sense of guilt. It’s easy to see how he came to live for the moment as a hedonist. Though it is rare to see such an extreme case, this isn’t anything special. I know that losing this game will result in my death; not even I can assert with complete confidence that it feels real to me. All of that runs through my mind, but I decided to end the train of thought there. After all, understanding him is pointless. I take up the knife on the table. “Oh? What’re you planning? Ah, maybe you can’t stomach the way I killed the president, so you’ve decided to do me in with your own hands?” I shake my head. “Nope. I don’t feel like talking with you. I’m not the one who’s going to be doing that, I think.” Koudai Kamiuchi’s eyes go round in surprise. “Noitan.” “WhAT_is_iT?” answers the green bear on the screen. “I think of you as sort of the symbol of the Game of Indolence. If someone made a mascot to represent the heart of a person who cares for nothing but relieving their own boredom, it would be like you.” “HmM?” “That’s why I’ve been wanting to say this to you for a while now.” With that, I turn toward Noitan’s monitor and plunge the knife into it as hard as I can. The knife is jammed right in the center of the green shape. “You’re disgusting.” A crack appears in the center of Noitan’s forehead. “—What?” That revolting green bear breaks apart within the monitor. In an instant, he shatters into hundreds of pieces, like an unfinished puzzle. Noitan curses me (“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”), but the cracked screen can no longer display those bulging eyes. All that appears are flickering red spots in his open mouth and bloodshot eyes. The effect is very much like bleeding. Noitan can’t feel pain, though, so he continues hurling insults at me despite his miserable condition. Like he’s completely unaware of the position he’s in. It’s pitiful. That oblivious state is pitiful. Now that he’s nothing more than hundreds of flickering points of green and red, Noitan can’t even maintain his shape. Little by little, the flickering stops, the light fades, and then he’s gone. “…Was there any meaning to that? All you did was break the monitor.” Koudai Kamiuchi’s tone is icy. “Okay then, what’s an act that has meaning to you?” “Wha…?” His mouth hangs open stupidly. “Uh, I guess maybe there isn’t one. People all die in the end anyway.” It’s exactly the answer I thought it would be. “All right, Koudai Kamiuchi. Let’s say someone out there can’t find meaning in anything other than curing their boredom, okay?” “What’re you going on about all of the sudden? And I’m sensing a bit of rudeness here.” I ignore him and continue, “How would someone defeat such a person?” “Oh, come on… What is this? And, like, the person in your example is obviously me, right? I can figure out that much, you know. But beating someone like that would be impossible, don’t you think?” “Why?” “Because you can’t make them lose. I mean, like, unless you found a way to get them in the ring with you, see? If you toss around someone in the audience, it’s just assault.” I get your point. I can definitely accept that. “I see.” I put my thoughts into words. “So I need to remind them we’re in the same ring.” Koudai Kamiuchi’s mouth drops open at this. Even so, he still hasn’t realized each and every one of us was in the ring the entire time. And with death around the corner for him, he has lost beyond a shadow of a doubt. “I haven’t lost because I wasn’t really playing” is a child’s excuse, and it won’t affect the outcome. But getting the facts through his head seems like more trouble than it’s worth. I’m just saying what I think. “You said nothing has meaning, right?” “…Yeah.” “I have no idea if my actions mean anything or not. So here’s what I think: If they don’t, I’ll give them meaning. I’ll even give meaning to someone’s attempt to cure their boredom.” I clarified my objective in the Game of Indolence. I think that’s tremendously significant. I took this Box, this frivolous Game of Indolence, and gave it a purpose. Maybe I can put it this way: —I rejected the Game of Indolence. However, he can’t do the same thing, and he’ll keep losing because he won’t face reality. He’ll suffer defeat after defeat until in the end he breaks apart like Noitan. But while I’ve said this many times before, I’m not going to be the one to impart this truth to him. The one who will defeat Koudai Kamiuchi is Daiya Oomine. Still— • Koudai Kamiuchi, dead via Death by Sword Day 10 <D> The Common Area Still, I think. “If it had been me, I could’ve done much better.” Yuri’s and the others’ rations ran out, and I only had two portions left for each person. I handed them over to Maria and Daiya, so I have no more. It’s finally time for the real Daiya to go into action. Something occurs to me. Daiya was able to operate behind the scenes because his turn came before mine. If I had been first, I would’ve been the one to face down Koudai Kamiuchi. None of us would’ve had such a difficult time if I had. If I had succeeded, we may not even have had to play Kingdom Royale. At the very least, I’m sure Yuri and Iroha wouldn’t have suffered so much, and there would have been no need to kill Koudai Kamiuchi. I think all this as I look down at the light-blue watch I got back from Daiya. But this awful outcome is probably what Daiya wanted. So when it comes down to it, he really is my enemy. All the same, I’m sure even Daiya doesn’t truly hope for this. He may not be aware of it, but in his heart of hearts, he likely wanted us to reach an end where we can all be happy. “That’s what comes of thinking you can find hope in a Box.” Daiya doesn’t answer me and just plays with the piercings in his right ear. Well, the rest is up to you, Daiya. Then it’s farewell. I don’t want to see you anymore. After all, if we do meet again, you will have used your Box. You could never hope to use it properly. I’ll most likely attempt to destroy it. This means that next time, you and I will be enemies in the truest sense of the word. And that’s why I hope I never see you again.