Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria Volume 3 1

Volu 3

I’m in a scene that I can only rember in my dreams.

I wonder how many tis I have t him (or her) already. ...I suppose it doesn’t matter.

As always, ’O’ was saying sothing bizarre, so I pretty much just ignore him (or her).

However, a single remark reverberates in my ears.

"Daiya Oomine-kun is your enemy."

The first ti I saw his silver hair, I thought, "Aah, our paths will never cross."

I’m sure most of my other classmates got the sa impression. Daiya Oomine rejected the company of others with every fiber of his being. I thought that he only assud that oppressive attitude and rock-n-roll style to distance himself from other people.

But we got along well. Sure, Haruaki helped serve as a bridge, but that alone would never have been enough.

«Umm, you’re... Kazuki Hoshino, right? I can’t say why, but you’re kinda weird!»

This was the first thing he ever said to .

But I believed that we were friends; after all, he always seed happy when talking to .

Even so, he still went there:

It’s lunchti, and midterms are about to start tomorrow; Daiya sits down casually next to Maria and says, "You’ve dealt with ’O’, haven’t you?"

I’m too stunned to reply, so Maria answers on my behalf. ".....Oomine, did you obtain a ’box’?"

"What kind of rhetorical question is that? Of course I did. In the first place, I am now talking to Kazu. Be quiet, you annoying guardian."

Maria sighs forcefully, and then looks at , as if to suggest that she’d leave it to .

But what should I say...?

Ignoring my silence, Daiya starts speaking.

"It always seed odd to . Otonashi’s appearance, your confession to Kokone and several other cases as well."

Daiya touches the piercing in his right ear.

"These doubts were resolved when I t ’O’. When I t him—right at that mont, I realized that he, who cannot be described as anything other than bizarre, was the reason for all those strange incidents recently. And then he told that he was interested in Kazuki Hoshino."

Unable to fully comprehend, I listen to him silently.

"Which ans that I was not the only one who felt sothing was strange about you. ...You know what, Kazu? After observing you for more than a year, there’s one thing I understood."

He focuses on with a piercing glance and continued.

"You are floating."

"...floating?"

I couldn’t grasp the aning of this sudden word without any context.

"It’s as if you’re watching us from an elevated vantage point. You’re here, but you refrain from getting deeply involved and you always keep a certain distance. You’re neither inside, nor outside. You’re just... floating."

I didn’t get his point, and raised an eyebrow.

"And yet you say you want to preserve this everyday life. It was always a mystery to why you would wish for it. But when I spoke to ’O’—he told that you declined the ’box’ that granted any ’wish’—I finally understood."

Daiya declares with an unyielding tone.

"Your goal is to trample on the ’wishes’ of others."

"That’s not true!"

I am surprised by the volu of my own voice, but I have to make this clear.

"The reason why I’m particular about this everyday life is... because I think that longing for sothing is the proof of being alive... so..."

"How laughable."

In contrast to his words, he isn’t laughing at all. He only continues cruelly,

"So do you have sothing you long for? Na one!"

"Of course I have. It’s—"

I stop.

I have one. I’m supposed to have one. But I can’t articulate it.

—I’m sure it’s because it hasn’t taken shape, yet.

"Because you want to keep longing for sothing. Hmpf, even if I admitted that claim, another question remains. Why did you beco like that?"

"...Eh?"

The reason why I started being particular about this everyday life?

Co to think of it, had I always been like this? ...I don’t think so. So, since when—

"——"

It occurs to .

—Soone, veiled by a haze, that I can’t recognize.

I can’t recognize this vague appearance. Can’t recognize? ...no, in fact I know who this is, no matter how much haze there is.

She is—

"Got it?"

When Daiya interrupts , the silhouette disappears into the haze.

"...What...?"

"The fact is that, in the end, you’re just trying to preserve your everyday life reflexively, like one of Pavlov’s dogs."

I just want to preserve my everyday life? If so—

"This is the sa as to trample others’ ’wishes’ down. ...Hey, Kazu."

Daiya calls with his usual leisureliness.

"I have a ’box.’ I have beco an existence that contradicts this everyday life. —So what will you do?"

I don’t know Daiya’s ’wish.’ But if it’s one that naces this everyday life, I will—

"You’ve already co to a conclusion, haven’t you?"

Daiya continues with an emotionless voice, while lightly touching his right piercing one more ti:

"Thus, I am—your enemy."

✵

Our midterm exams have been returned, and we passed July in sloth, almost as if digesting the results.

"Guys, you absolutely cannot ntion that we’re going to go to the mall after this!"

On our way to Mogi-san’s hospital room, Kokone, who has recently made a big bun of her hair, says this.

"Mainly you, Haruaki!"

"I know, I know!"

"I wonder? After all I’ve heard the modern term «Haruaki» also ans «Unable to sense the mood»."

"I’ve never heard of such a term! But I know that the modern term «K.K.» ans «annoying», though!"

"Hey! Why do my initials an «annoying»!?"

"Kirino, if Mogi hears this loud voice of yours, your consideration will have been in vain."

Having been cautioned by Maria—"Tehe!"—Kokone sticks out her tongue while closing an eye and scowls at Haruaki when he ntions, "You ’thinking that’s cute’ or what?"

Sighing at this relatively normal scene, I enter the hospital room.

"......"

The first thing I see is a half-naked, masculine figure on a magazine cover.

"Kasumi...?"

"Eh...? —AH!"

She hid the magazine in her futon with quick movents.

"H-Hi everyone... W-What’s the matter? You are quite early today, huh...?"

Mogi-san flashes an awkward smile.

"......"

Did I, perhaps, just see sothing I shouldn’t have...? Kokone and I exchange glances, silently agreeing—"Let’s not touch that subject."

"Whoa, what are ya hiding there, Kasumi!"

We fail. There is a guy here, whose na ans «Unable to sense the mood».

"I-I’m not hiding anything...!"

"Don’t lie! ...mh? Ah, it’s a porno magazine, isn’t it! Show , show ! I want to know to what kind of porno magazines girls get ho— Ghgh!"

Kokone strikes him with her elbow. Yeah, I think she did the right thing.

"Don’t worry Kasumi, we didn’t see anything... No, it’s okay, really! After all, if you’re staying for a long ti in a hospital, well... You bottle up a lot, don’t you!"

"I-I-I-I haven’t bottled up anything!"

Mogi-san shakes her hands wildly in front of her crimson face.

"T-That’s not it! This is... well..."

She purses her lips and, hesitating slightly, takes the magazine out of her futon. There is indeed a half-naked man on its cover, but things like "Yoga" and "Proper Training thods" is written on it.

"It’s a fitness magazine for exercising! So, umm... it’s not an erotic one."

"Eh? Ah, you’re right. Haha, sorry. ...But why were you hiding it then?"

For so reason she doesn’t look at Kokone, but at when she whispers:

"...that’s because such magazines don’t suit ..."

Now that she ntions it—I reflexively looked at Mogi-san’s arms. Her white arms, which had seed fragile once, now seems a little more robust. ...They’re still plenty slender, though.

Mogi-san notices my gaze and hides her arms bashfully behind her. Then she says,

"...I hoped it might be useful as a reference for my rehabilitation."

Four months have already passed since those days of recurrences. Her broken bones had nded and her rehabilitation had started by now. Her eventual return to school, which once seed like a distant dream, is slowly coming to fruition. Her wheel-chaired presence in the classroom might soon beco a part of this everyday life.

Mogi-san will return to this everyday life.

—Like the ti before Maria.

✵

"Say, say, Maria, do you feel uneasy around Kasumi?"

Haruaki asks right as we enter the shopping mall, whereas Kokone and I have intentionally kept quiet about it...

"Haru... You know, sotis you are just dreadful..."

"Why so?"

He didn’t even understand what Kokone ant. Dreadful!

"...why do you think so?"

Maria asks Haruaki plainly with an emotionless voice.

"That’s because I have never seen you two talk to each other properly! Well, maybe that’s just because I rarely catch sight of you two being together."

"...Haru, listen," Kokone pulls Haruaki to her and whispers into his ear. "...they are rivals in love... that’s why they get awkward. You should know this much, right...?"

Umm, Kokone...? I know that you’re trying to be considerate, but I can hear you.

"Ooh, I see, I see!"

Haruaki grins broadly at . ...This is quite unnerving.

Maria let out a sigh at their attitude.

"Well, interpret it however you want, but it’s true that I can’t talk to her easily."

"Hoho! In the sense of being rivals?"

"Usui. Could you speak without reservations to soone who made a fool of you and stabbed your gut with a knife?"

"Hah?"

"It’s a joke."

When Maria expressionlessly says so, Kokone and Haruaki exchange glances.

...I was the only one whose heart jumped because of this borderline comnt.

"...err, so let’s leave this topic... Now onto our main objective!! ’Let’s search for clothes that suit Mari-mari!’ Well, almost anything would suit her, though... tch, this damn model body of yours!"

You shouldn’t be the one to complain, having your snapshot in a fashion magazine recently.

"Co to think of it, why did this matter co up anyway?"

"Well, just listen! I’ve often t Mari-mari in regular clothes on holidays recently, but you know, she’s obviously neglecting fashion! Her clothes aren’t exactly bad, though, they just lack individuality... and when I asked for the brand she said it’s UNIQLO."

"Leaving aside how it was in the past, the present UNIQLO has a high fashion value. They offer many high-quality products at low prices made possible by the great endeavor of their company. UNIQLO is the best choice."

"I wear UNIQLO, too, you know! But that’s not what I an! I was just thinking, like... you should strive to beco your ideal self, or... Aah, damn it! Just because you can win with your body alone...!"

"Kiri, be at ease! You can at least beat her with your bust!"

"Only with my bust?! Don’t kid around, Haru! ...I can also beat her in—"

Kokone stops talking, gazing at Maria from head to toe, and was in terror.

"—No way... I have no chance?! Gwaah, that can’t be! You’d better beco sothing like the world’s top idol so I’ll be able to admit that you’re «pretty» without being hurt!"

"...Ko-Kokone, looks are a subjective matter anyway, you know..."

"So who do you find more beautiful, Kazu?"

"......"

"Why do you keep quiet there! Say it’s , even if it’s a lie!"

"Well, isn’t that an impossible request?"

"Shut up, you visually impaired person."

"What!? I’m humbly said to be at least above average!"

Because of the ruckus they were causing, the glances of the shoppers in the vicinity start to focus on us. ...It’s always the sa when Kokone’s with us.

"H-Hey, Kokone, can we slowly..."

When I address her, she looks at with a harsh glance. Uwa, I feel danger...

"In the first place, Kazu-kun, do you know what I cannot permit the most about Mari-mari’s clothes? It’s the fact that you, just because you’re of the sa height, share several pieces of clothing!"

"...eh? Should we not?"

Kokone’s eyes went wide.

"......Hah? What’s with that surprised expression? «...eh? Should we not» my ass! Your common sense is off! I, at least, was shocked when I happened to see you wearing the sa T-shirt that Mari-mari had worn on another day!"

I still didn’t get her and shifted my gaze to Haruaki.

"No, she’s right, you know?"

...I was clearly denied.

"You’re that type of person, right? The type that finishes the half-drunk PET bottle, that was given to you by the girl you like, without any problems."

"Isn’t that normal...?"

"My, my," Haruaki shook his hands exaggeratedly as if to show and let out a sigh. ...What’s with that reaction.

"Haru, do you understand why I want to make her buy new clothes?"

"More than enough!"

After those two allied, our search for clothes for Maria began as Kokone planned. However, Maria herself didn’t fancy shopping at all and hence just gave Kokone half-hearted opinions of the clothes she was shown. And from ti to ti, Kokone forced her to try on so of the clothes.

At first, I had thought Kokone would be displeased because Maria doesn’t buy the clothes she suggests, but in fact Kokone was grinning joyfully. According to her, «It’s already fun just having an outstanding beauty as a dress-up doll!». ...As a man I can’t understand her feelings.

Speaking of the other man here, Haruaki, he seed happy just watching other female clients and shop assistants. I’m jealous of his mode of thought—well, not really. Not at all.

I asked Kokone, who was so full of vigor that I wondered where she got all this energy from, for a break. She did not grant this request until three hours later.

Hah... finally I’m temporarily released.

"...Haruaki, you seem cheerful."

"Yeah! I spent all this ti with the goal of scoring good-looking girls, you know. Ah, that was great! My personal favorite was the shop assistant at the previous shop."

Kokone’s high spirits got spoiled.

"She resembled our school’s student council president a little. Didn’t you think so, too, Hoshii?"

"Eeeh~~... you think so~?" Kokone objected. "Our student council president is a lot cooler... ah, now that you ntion it, do you guys know about the «Three Supern»?"

"I know of them." "...Well, there’s no way it wouldn’t enter my ears."

I am the only one who didn’t know, as it seems.

"...What are those «Three Supern»?"

"Look, isn’t there one student in each year with outstanding grades? Because all of those three have so special characteristics besides their grades, soone treated them as «supern». Well, and this term was so fitting that it spread out."

"...Is Maria perhaps one of them?"

"Yeah. I don’t care about how they call , but I don’t like to stand out too much."

No... what are you saying after the scene you made at the entrance ceremony?

"Well, Mari-mari is the one in the first year, the student council president is the one in the third year. And the one in the second year is—"

Kokone stops mid-sentence. One could clearly see how her mood fell.

...so the last one is Daiya.

Daiya disappeared right after he had announced to us his status as an "owner" in the school cafeteria. He didn’t co to school anymore and wasn’t at ho either.

Without leaving any words for Kokone and Haruaki.

Kokone is extrely angry about this. She couldn’t understand why he disappeared suddenly without telling her anything. Of course, in truth, she’s only worried about him.

I suppose Kokone considers his disappearance as a temporary matter. That’s why she can be angry. But I... I don’t think this is a temporary state.

After all, Daiya—obtained a "box."

He beca disconnected from our everyday life.

After emptying her caral macchiato in one gulp with a frown, Kokone let out a sigh and began to speak.

"Anyway, leaving that jerk aside, the point is that those «Three Supern» are not normal."

"I can understand this for Maria and Daiya... but is the student council president also this amazing?"

"She is amazing! Apparently her grades would easily be enough to enter Tokyo University; as a mber of the track-and-field club she took part in national short distance races and long jump events; and in the student council, she’s putting the lid on those anachronistic school rules. But it seems these superficial facts aren’t even needed to realize how amazing she is."

"...what do you an?"

"According to a little story that reached my ears, the president doesn’t seem to be that fast during practice. She even loses to other mbers sotis. But at the real thing she almost certainly sets best tis and wins."

"So she’s holding back during practice?"

"Apparently not. «The purpose of practice is to improve your power. The purpose of the real race is to win. It’s only natural that I’m the fastest at the real race when I have to concentrate fully on manifesting my power.» is what she says. ...What do you think? She may seem a little strange, but isn’t she sohow amazing?"

"...Yeah. She feels like a human from another dinsion."

"Exactly~"—while saying so, she confird that our cups had beco empty and smiled complacently.

"Well then! Let’s return to our Mari-mari-dress-up-ti!"

Honestly, more of this boredom is tiring...

"Ko-Kokone, it’s soon dinnerti at ho, so I should slowly..."

"Eeh~..."

Kokone purses her lips.

"Then just one more! There is sothing I absolutely want Mari-mari to wear!"

Kokone eventually brought us to a shop that was obviously emitting an atmosphere different from the other ones. Most of the clothes are black and oddly frilled.

"This will definitely suit you! Gothloli-Mari-mari-tan, haah haah"

The clothing the all-too-excited Kokone holds out is a black dress with lots of frills. Understandably, Maria contorts her face slightly while accepting the dress.

"......you want to wear that?"

"’Course! ...by the way, what do you think about Gothlolis?"

"They seem like they live in their own little worlds."

"Suits you perfectly then, doesn’t it!"

Eeeeh! W-What’s with this sudden outrageous statent!

I look reluctantly at Maria. Fortunately, she was so fixated on the dress that Kokone had given her that she didn’t seem to mind the statent just now.

Kokone murmurs sothing like, "Then we need a headdress... or a mini hat might be good as well!" and browses through the accessories.

Maria sighs.

"...If you really don’t want to, you’d better decline properly."

Maria looks back and forth between my face and the Gothloli dress and says with a hushed voice,

"Do you want to see it, too?"

"Eh?"

"I am asking whether you want to see wearing this Gothloli dress, too."

I can’t grasp the intention of this question, but I decide to answer honestly.

"...umm, if I had to say then I’d rather like to see it."

"I see. If you want to see it so badly, I shall wear it."

"...no, I didn’t say—"

"I’m only wearing this because you told to, just so you know. Geez, you really can’t be helped."

.......umm.

Could it be that Maria wanted to wear it?

And so, Maria turned into a Gothloli.

"Ooh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Mari-mari, st-step on ! With those feet of yours, step on !!"

Uwa, what should we do? Kokone just broke....

"My selection was just too correct. Don’t you think so, too, Kazu-kun?!"

"Y-Yeah."

It suits her without doubt. Haruaki is also nodding contentedly and so of the shop assistants are peeking into the dressing room. It suits her that much.

As for Maria, she seems at a loss what kind of face she should make and just crosses her arms without looking anywhere in particular.

"Oi Kazu-kun, that’s all?"

"...What do you an?"

"You should show more... like, excitent. I want to see sothing like a sweet third-rate drama from you that starts with you opening your mouth in astonishnt and murmuring «So pretty...», upon which Mari-mari tries to hide her bashfulness by saying sothing like «Hmpf, so you like all of a sudden just because I look like this?» that makes Kazu-kun object with «N-No, you’re always pretty! You really are pretty, Maria!» and eventually both end up with bright red faces! Because I’ll beat you up then."

"......I can’t."

"What a pathetic guy. At a karaoke bar, you’re the type that only sings ballads nobody knows, aren’t you? And I’m sure you’re the kind of guy that sings neither well nor poorly, so nobody can insert a Tsukkomi. ...Aah, let’s not mind Kazu-kun. Say, say, Mari-mari, can I take a photo?"

"Out of the question."

Maria says with a still-averted gaze and crossed arms.

...Oh? Is she actually embarrassed to be wearing this dress?

"Quit it with the broad grin, Kazuki."

"Eh?"

"You just made a lewd face. So you wanted to humiliate by making wear such a dress, didn’t you?"

"T-That’s not it."

"Co here for a mont."

I prepare myself to get rebuked and stand in front of Maria with my head ducked down. Gothloli Maria appears overbearing with her arms crossed.

"Does this suit ?"

Why is she asking? While wondering, I nodded.

"I see."

Maria removes the frilled headdress from her head. Looking at this headdress, the corners of her mouth raises and,

"...Huh?"

For so reason she put it on my head.

"Yeah, it suits you, too!"

"......Hah?"

Maria seems most amused.

"I wore this because you badly wanted to do so. That’s how it is, right?"

"...umm."

"That’s how it is, right?"

"......Yes."

"Which ans: since I listened to one of your selfish requests, I think it would be only be fair if you listened to one of my requests this ti. Don’t you agree?"

"...I... suppose so."

"This dress suits nicely. We are the sa size. In other words, you can wear it as well."

"......"

Maria continues with a strong voice that did not permit any refusal,

"Wear it."

And that’s how I beca a Gothloli.

"Uuh..."

I moan while looking at myself in the dressing room.

So wearing it first was part of Maria’s sche to get into this appearance. To that end, she wanted to create a situation in which I could not refuse.

Co to think of it, she had looked back and forth between the dress and back then.

"Oi, aren’t you done getting changed, Kazuki? Open the door already."

"...Maria. Why do I have to wear this...?"

"Of course because I want to see you as a Gothloli so badly it’s not even funny. Naturally, that includes you being embarrassed."

This is Maria’s bullying again after a long ti...!

I can’t stay in here forever. I prepare myself and open the door.

"Gyahahahahahahaha—"

Kokone instantly points at and starts laughing. Only Maria, Kokone and Haruaki are supposed to be there in front of the dressing room, but for so reason there are also shop assistants and several unrelated custors. What kind of public execution is this...

"Kyahahaha, Kazuko-chan, you’re so cute!"

While saying so, Kokone takes her mobile phone out and turns it towards . ......Please don’t...

"S-Stop! Don’t take a photo!"

"Impossible. I have to."

Not only Kokone, but also Haruaki and even Maria start photographing . Even though she didn’t let anyone take a photo of her!

"Don’t worry, Kazuki. It’s cute."

Maria attempts an ambiguous encouragent.

"Alright, and sent!"

"W-Wait a sec Kokone! W-Where did you just send this to?!"

"Ha? To Kasumi, of course!"

"W-What’re you doing?! I-In the first place, didn’t you say we shouldn’t ntion to her that we’re going to the mall?!"

"Are you an idiot, Kazu-kun? There is sothing called ’priorities’!"

You’re the idiot of the group, Kokone! This is too cruel!

...my mobile phone vibrates right away. I open it hesitatingly. There is one new e-mail. The sender’s na was «Kasumi Mogi».

The text consists of one word.

«Cute ♡»

I don’t care anymore! ☆

✵✵✵✵✵

I awake to an intense stench that is almost giving a headache.

"Eh...?"

Confused by this sudden developnt, I let my voice leak out. The last thing I can rember is that I had slipped into my bed to forget about this event that almost caused to suffer trauma for the rest of life. After that, I probably fell asleep—

—So, where am I?

It’s pitch-black in here and the air feels as if soone had boiled all desire in a single hot pot. This air clings tenaciously to my body. Tenaciously, to my whole body.

I reluctantly stand up.

The world that enfolds in front of . Black, black, pure blackness that almost invades my eyeballs. I manage to stop myself from collapsing and hold my ground.

Inside the darkness, I notice a faint light. It flickers with bluish-white light. It resembles the light of those bug-zappers that burn insects with a high-output current that’s often put in front of stores. Although I have the feeling that I shouldn’t approach this light, my feet begin to move as if I am drawn to it.

My distance to the light is about five ters. And yet, it seems to move away each ti I take a step; my perception is ignoring reality and enlarging this distance.

Guni—

My foot hit against sothing.

I drop my gaze.

"—HII"

It is a body of a girl.

"Uh, ah, hya! Ha, ha, haa—"

Calming my wild breath, I look at her. It’s an unfamiliar young girl with long hair dressed in pajamas—No, I think that I’ve seen her sowhere before. Could she be an acquaintance on a level where I can faintly rember her...?

She isn’t breathing.

But she isn’t dead. She has probably "stopped."

I confirm my own clothing. The sa clothes I wore when falling asleep—a t-shirt instead of pajamas and trunks.

I see. The two of us were probably brought here while sleeping.

Like this—we were put into this "box".

I finally arrive in front of the bluish-white light. Upon further inspection, it looks like one of those old arcade ga machine that secluded Onsen-inns would have. «Kingdom Royale» is written on its screen, which seems to be sothing like its title.

Next to this machine I see him.

"......Daiya."

He’s standing there, unchanged from prior to his disappearance, with piercings in both ears.

"It has been a while, Kazu. Almost two months?"

He says as if to start a small-talk. There are lots of things I want to ask him, but I ask the obvious question first.

"...Is this your ’box’?"

"Do I even need to answer?"

Exactly. He has obviously used his ’box’ at last.

"Boredom—there are people that blast their own brain away just to escape from this beast."

When he sees that I frowned upon his cryptic words, the corners of his mouth raises.

"It’s a quote from the ’Etudes of my 20th Year’"

"...What are you talking about, Daiya?"

"This is the ’wish’ that was put into this ’Ga of Idleness’."

I’m unable to grasp his intention.

"Of course you can’t understand , can you? There’s no way you would know boredom when you are able to enjoy your everyday life. You can’t imagine how terribly agonizing it is!"

Does Daiya want to say that he invoked this ’Ga of Idleness’ and involved us because he was «bored»?

That would be just too selfish and foolish.

"Judging from your face, you don’t even want to try understanding , huh. People with no imagination are always so conceited."

"...you can’t deceive . To use a ’box’ just to ward off your boredom would be too absurd!"

"I don’t care if you don’t understand. But at least rember that this feeling exists as well."

"...You just have to cure this feeling, no?"

"That’s impossible. It’s a problem that has to do with the respective person’s nature. You can’t change your nature."

"That’s just... a bad excuse!"

"Then fix this abnormal attachnt to that daily life of yours!"

I close my mouth.

"No matter what you do, no matter where you go, you can’t get away from your nature. A seedy-looking guy cannot change his seedy looks, no matter how expensive the clothes he wore, no matter if he spent an hour just for applying make-up. You can’t change the unchangeable."

"...even if boredom’s so agonizing, how does it co up anyway? Aren’t there lots of enjoyable things?"

"’Natures’ are like this. Every event changes its shape according to your nature. Things that you find enjoyable are pure boredom for people that have ’boredom’ as nature."

"...although your high abilities are the envy of the school."

"I’m ordinary. I know that because I can see the limit of my abilities. I realized that I can neither achieve nor attain anything."

This humble statent surprises .

I would have never dread that Daiya was thinking like this although he seems to have great confidence in himself.

"The ’box’ is no more than a way to kill ti for people who are engulfed by boredom. Thus, this is only a ga. A pointless ga."

He explains and starts to grin.

"But it’s very valuable to nonetheless."

I’m still unable to understand his logic; but I understand that it’s impossible to persuade him with words.

"...tell , Daiya. What does this ’box’ specifically do?"

Daiya laughs faintly, grasps my shoulders, and makes sit down in front of the ga machine.

"It’s just a ga for the sake of killing ti. It has no other purpose than staving off boredom. So—"

"—Let’s have a aningless death match."

"...Eh?"

Daiya is pressing his thumbs against my collarbone so I can’t escape. The screen starts to sway. I feel almost intoxicated.

—*grab*

Sothing grabbed my head in my trance.

Sothing cos out of the ga machine’s screen. It’s a transparent hand. I’m grabbed by this transparent hand.

"Ugh..."

Noise reverberates in my head. The number of transparent hands are steadily increasing. Increasing. More and more of those hands grab my head, my arms, my legs, my abdon, and cover my whole body.

"Da-Daiya—!!"

Daiya coldly ignores my grimace and says,

"Go."

And then I am—drawn in by those hands.

A book by Touzou Haraguchi, published after he committed suicide during his 20th year.

▶First Day [Kazuki Hoshino]’s room[]

The first thing that entered my sight was the blank concrete ceiling and the naked light bulb hanging from it. I jumped up, surprised by this unfamiliar place.

"...What room is this?"

Why am I suddenly at such a place?

Suppressing my rising confusion, I tried searching through my mory to rember how I’d arrived here.

I’m supposed to have slept in the lower bunk, as always. I can’t rember having moved after that. Neither do I rember having changed the place, nor having t anyone.

I checked the room, I checked the contents of the jute bag, and was told that this was a killer-ga by a green bear --- Noitan --- who suddenly appeared saying «Good - morning».

This was the deed of a ’box’.

Therefore, Maria was here.

▶First Day Big room[]

The scenery changed at once.

First, everything beca white. It was an unnatural white that made almost feel like I was in a freshly built, empty hospital without any doctors, nurses or patients.

I looked at the person who was standing closest to .

"...Daiya"

"It’s been a while, Kazu."

Daiya, who had been missing, greeted completely naturally as if we had just t at school after the sumr holidays.

He continued speaking without caring that I was completely confused,

"Be grateful, Kazu! I just saved you."

"Saved ?"

Daiya pointed his thumb at a girl with semi-long hair.

"That girl was about to push you down and threaten you with a knife!"

"Eh...!"

I widened my eyes and looked at her. The green bear might have said that we were going to fight to the death, but it had already begun...?

"Hey, Oomine-kun. If you phrase it like that, it will cause a misunderstanding!"

She objected. It was a voice I had already heard sowhere.

"Misunderstanding? But I did not say a single incorrect thing?"

"Shut up. It’s clear that you bear ill will. I just concluded this was a necessary asure to take."

I rembered that I had often heard this voice over school’s broadcasting system. So she had to be the student council president.

"Oh, a necessary asure? I don’t really care, but if you go through with that, you’ll just make the others distrust you and put yourself at a disadvantage, you know? If you’re scared, then you should just be honest with yourself and tremble!"

Kaichou seed lightly surprised by Daiya’s words.

"...oh well. Pretending to be tough seems to be my bad habit."

She’s scared while still looking this composed...? Um, that’s a joke, right?

"In case you need an example of how to naturally express fear, have a look, that girl that’s clinging to you is a good one!"

Upon hearing that, the black-haired girl next to Kaichou cringed so hard she was almost pitiful. Kaichou gently stroked her head while saying "Don’t worry."

...she’s really wax-pale. Isn’t she a bit too scared, considering nothing has happened yet?

But---that might be rather cute.

I realized that thinking like that in itself was imprudent and that I might lack a sense of danger, but my protective instinct welled up as if I were watching a little animal.

That was a charm Maria lacked...

"Kazuki."

"---ugh!"

R-Right. I should have known that Maria was there; I was careless.

"What was this strange cry supposed to an?"

"N-Nothing, Maria."

I turned my face away to escape Maria’s suspicious gaze.

"Mh, whatever... do you realize the situation we’re in? I’m amazed that you can be so much at ease..."

"S-Sorry."

"It’s not the ti to be infatuated with girls."

"......"

So she had noticed that I was just a bit chard by the black-haired one after all.

When I kept silent while averting my face, Maria took off one of her loafers and pressed its sole against my face. Um, it hurt and it was rather unpleasant altogether.

With the shoe sole pressed against my face, Maria whispered into my ear,

"You realize that this is the deed of a ’box’, right...?"

...aah, right.

This situation was only possible with a ’box’. Which ans that this was the deed of Daiya.

And yet he was acting as if he didn’t know of this ’box’.

"’Morning. ...Oh, there are a whole three hotties! Lucky !"

The sixth person arrived, making the number of people and chairs equal.

With that, the players that would «kill each other», as Noitan had said, had gathered.

I had still trouble following the conversation, but as proposed by the brown-haired male student, who had arrived last, we decided to introduce ourselves first.

The brown-haired guy was Koudai Kamiuchi. The girl who had been about to press her knife against my neck was the student council president Iroha Shindou. And finally, the black-haired girl was---

"---I’m Yuuri Yanagi."

Just by hearing that na, my thought process stopped.

"......Eh? Umm, d-did I say sothing weird?"

"N-Nevermind! It’s just that I know soone with the sa surna."

She looked at in astonishnt while I was shaking my hands frantically.

"Who is this acquaintance if I may ask?"

"E, err..."

I tried recalling that person---

"------Ah"

Suddenly, Daiya’s words at the school cafeteria ca to my mind again.

«Because you want to keep longing for sothing. Hmpf, even if I admitted that claim, another question remains. Why did you beco like that?»

I see. Back then the person veiled by a haze was---

"......A classmate back in middle school."

«Nana Yanagi»

Having rembered her na, I shook my head desperately. I didn’t want to rember her. She should have stayed forgotten.

«Yanagi-san», who was my first love.

"Oh, a classmate? Can you retain a little affinity for , then?"

Yuuri-san---using Yanagi-san would be too confusing---tilted her head when asking that.

"Eh? Ah, uh, yeah... I hope we can get along well."

" too."

Yuuri-san smiled charmingly. Once more I couldn’t help but notice how cute she was.

"What’s with that cheery face, Kazuki?"

Hurriedly I turned around; Maria was staring at with half-shut eyes.

"I-I’m not particularly making a cheery face-"

"Yes, you are. Your visage is telling that you’re happy talking to a beauty. What a stupid face..."

"B-But you’re a beauty yourself, aren’t you?"

"......what’s with that flattery? Don’t think I’d fall for that!"

At that point Yuuri-san interjected our exchange,

"U-Umm... I’m not a beauty, really..."

"That’s not true. I think you’re very pretty, you know?"

"I-I..."

Yuuri-san blushed like a peony. When I watched her face silently because I didn’t understand the aning behind that reaction, I suddenly felt an impact on the back of my head.

"O,Ouch!"

When I turned around there was Kamiuchi-kun watching his fist.

"???"

"No, it might have been unconsciously, but sohow I beca hella irritated. Sorry!"

When I held my head, completely confused, Maria let out a sigh.

"Really now, that airheaded philanderer sure makes the tension drop."

"...how cruel."

"Well, anyway. That makes it easier to talk. I’ll raise the main subject."

Saying so, Maria scowled at Daiya.

"What is this all supposed to be, Daiya Oomine?"

With those words, the calm air dispersed.

Everyone’s gaze imdiately shifted to Daiya who had been addressed. He did not show any confusion at being accused; no, rather he flashed a daring grin.

"......eh?"

Yuuri-san, who seed to have trouble following us, unknowingly whispered.

"Oomine-san... has caused this...?"

"What I’m going to say may sound absurd, but will you believe ?"

This ti Yuuri-san just blinked in surprise at Maria’s words. Kaichou instead opened her mouth:

"Aah... Otonashi-san, sorry, but we’ll decide on our own whether we believe you or not! You can’t just force us by saying «believe !»."

"You’re right. But I had to ask for that. It’s a topic that requires to urge you to believe in advance."

Kaichou pursed her lips and nodded, "I see."

"Let’s see, right, I’ll start with the explanation about what a ’box’ is. Alright, ’boxes’ are---"

With that preface, Maria began to explain the ’boxes’.

That a ’box’ was a thing that granted ’wishes’. That they beca embroiled in this situation because of that. That the three of us knew about the ’boxes’. Finally, that the ’owner’ of this ’Ga of Idleness’ was Daiya Oomine.

They all listened to us earnestly.

"...that sure sounds absurd."

Kaichou frowned, as she had done all the ti while listening to Maria.

"Well, this ’box’-thing may be absurd, but then again our situation is more than enough absurd as well. To an extent I happen to think that such a thing might really exist."

"So do you believe us?"

When I asked that Kaichou, apparently out of habit, pursed her lips again and said,

"...no, just ’might exist’. I an, if absurd reasons were fine just because of an absurd situation, I could claim whatever I want, right?"

"I see..."

I hung my head, whereupon Kaichou scratched her head and continued,

"...well, but if you really tried to deceive us, you would have used a more realistic lie. Furthermore you answered all our questions without hesitation and you even ntioned doubtful aspects yourself. So I’d say... mhhh, fifty-fifty. ...what do you think, Kamiuchi-kun?"

"I have so trouble believing them."

Kamiuchi-kun denied right away.

"Much more than what they’ve said, it seems suspicious to how they seem to cooperate. I an, weren’t they also acquainted from the start?"

"B-But we didn’t have any ti to arrange things beforehand...?"

I objected reflexively.

"Maybe. But isn’t it possible that you could sohow match with Maricchi because you knew each other already? Also, at worst it’s possible that the three of you are the wire-pullers, isn’t it?"

"No way!"

"Hoshino-senpai, please don’t get angry. I just want to say that we can’t believe your story that readily as you seem to be operating together right from the start."

Kaichou apparently agreed, saying "You have a point."

"How about you, Yuuri?"

"......umm, I’m sorry, but... I can’t get myself to believe that such ’boxes’ exist. I’m sorry."

I guessed her hesitation didn’t arise from a lack of confidence in her opinion, but rather from not being used to express disagreeing thoughts.

"Oh, Yuuri-chan, you matched with because you want to appeal to , right?!"

"Eh...? N-No..."

"Uhihi, turning bright red because of a re joke, cute!"

Kaichou stepped in as if to protect Yuuri-san who had blushed even more.

"Fine, fine, don’t flirt with Yuuri."

"Kaichou, are you jealous of Yuuri-chan because you’re not being hit on yourself?"

"I don’t even count it as ’being hit on’ if it’s done by soone like you."

"Uwa! How cruel! Actually, I have quite a lot of fans!"

Kaichou sighed, signifying that she’d had enough of that, and got back to the subject,

"For now, let’s put the topic of the ’boxes’ on hold, okay? Yuuri and Kamiuchi-kun, please keep that story in the back of your mind, instead of just dismissing it as absurd. By doing so, we’ll be able to decide whether we believe it or not a bit more objectively at a later date."

The two of them nodded obediently.

Maria said, "Well, a solid outco," but made a discontent, sour face, contrastive to her words.

...well, it’s the sa for . On the one hand I feel discontent that they don’t believe us, but on the other hand I can understand their doubt.

"...Kaichou, what can we do to make you believe us...?"

Kaichou replied imdiately when I asked this nervously,

"Show us with your actions that you’re trustworthy. We might still not believe you about those ’boxes’, but if you do so, we will at least listen to your suggestions about how we can solve this situation."

But that was much easier said than done.

"Um, in specific, how can we---"

I was interrupted.

«Yaa yaa yaa - it seeMs - you are talking - about sothing troUbling. - BuT I will tell yOu aboUt - a reality so harsh - iT will - drive that aWay!»

«Okay thEn - I wiSh all oF you a - good fight! - Just dOn’t end - the gA by - doing sothing - as bOring- as tuRninG - into muMmies everyone - okAy?»

Noitan disappeared after explaining the rules of [Kingdom Royale].

"Say, Otonashi-san,"

Kaichou’s attitude had changed slightly due to this unsettling story.

"If you’ve been telling the truth, we can also survive [Kingdom Royale] through another way besides clearing it, right?"

"Yeah."

Kaichou took Maria’s powerful declaration seriously.

---Maybe she will believe us quicker than we thought.

I an, Kaichou ---no, the others as well--- don’t want to participate in such a killer-ga. If they keep wavering, the ti limit will draw near and make soone lose his nerve. Which marks the start of the ga. They want to take asures before that happens.

Therefore, if they’re shown another solution, they will want to use it.

"Shall I tell you the specifics?"

And Maria is able to show them that other solution.

"...okay, I’ll give it a try and listen. What should we do?"

"If we can get the ’box’ out of Oomine, we will be released."

With that, everyone’s gaze focused on Daiya all at once. Daiya clicked his tongue noticeably at our attitude.

"Say, Oomine-kun, won’t you object against those claims of Otonashi-san?"

As if to repel her, Daiya turned his head away and kept silent.

"...In fact, I can only agree that Oomine-senpai’s suspicious."

Kamiuchi-san said so with a slightly cold voice; Apparently he had beco irritated. Then, he turned around and smiled at Yuuri-san.

"Of course you agree as well, right, Yuuri-chan?"

"Eh?!"

Being addressed out of the blue, Yuuri-san widened her eyes.

"U-Umm... well..."

She murmured vaguely, but judging from her peeks at Daiya, she seed to be of the sa opinion as Kamiuchi-kun.

The atmosphere in the room had turned entirely against Daiya.

"Hah..."

Daiya sighed deeply at this situation.

"Only idiots here that are easily led by the nose..."

But even that insult did not change the mood.

"How about objecting before you call others idiots?"

Kaichou replied calmly. Daiya seed utterly amazed and raised a scornful laugh.

"...What? Why are you laughing?"

"I just thought about how easy it would be to annihilate you all as you seem to believe others readily. Are you guys really top students? That’s not true, right?"

"Object already instead of speaking in riddles!"

"Sorry, but I’ll wait to do that until the [Secret etings] are over."

"Hah? What are you saying? So you’re asking us to give you ti until you can figure out so good defense, right?"

"I don’t know what stance I should take yet! I have soone I want to consult about that matter."

"I don’t mind, but you really raise suspicion this way, okay?"

Daiya did not reply.

▶First Day [Kazuki Hoshino]’s room[]

«Your [class] is [Revolutionary].»

I stood still for a while, looking at those letters.

"......eh?"

I am the [Revolutionary]? The most dangerous [class] for sure, [Revolutionary]...?

If [Kingdom Royale] starts, without a doubt I’m going to be aid at first. Because it’s obvious that I’m dangerous, being able to kill on my own.

...No, let’s think the other way around.

That I’m the [Revolutionary] ans that I won’t be [assassinated]. Considering things that way, I might be surprisingly safe.

And that’s not all. As I’m the [Revolutionary], who is the likeliest to start [Kingdom Royale], I’m able to prevent the start of the ga.

Therefore, the situation instead beca safer. Yeah.

I reassured myself like that and took a deep breath in order to calm down my racing heart.

«Ya ya ya - Kazuki-san - it’s tI - for - [Secret eting]!»

"HII!"

This mascot always managed to appear with terrible timing. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was doing it on purpose.

After hearing the explanation about the [Secret etings] from Noitan, I naturally selected Maria.

[Iroha Shindou][Koudai Kamiuchi][Yuuri Yanagi][Iroha Shindou][Daiya Oomine][Kazuki Hoshino][Kazuki Hoshino][Maria Otonashi][Koudai Kamiuchi][Yuuri Yanagi][Maria Otonashi][Daiya Oomine]

"...Daiya chose ?"

Which ans that I was the one Daiya wanted to consult?

......whatever, my eting with Maria is earlier.

▶First Day [Secret eting] with [Maria Otonashi], [Maria Otonashi]’s room[]

"We might have been luckier than we thought,"

Maria suddenly said.

"...how so?"

"Because we were able to tell them about the ’box’."

"...eh? Is there a situation where we wouldn’t?"

"There is. If we told them after the explanation of the ga, they would have thought that we were just trying to trick them in order to win. We could tell them only because they were still able to consider it properly."

That was certainly possible.

"Thanks to that, a chance of winning was born. When the ti limit draws near, the others will have no choice but to believe us, as only we know a way to get everyone out of here. Oomine will probably offer resistance like now, but look at his personality. No one is going to believe him."

I think that is true. If I had to decide about who’s right between us and Daiya, then sorry, but I wouldn’t choose Daiya.

"...Maria."

"What?"

"Is Daiya really the ’owner’ of this ’box’?"

Maria raised an eyebrow.

"Only he could be, considering the situation, or do you disagree?"

"But didn’t Daiya prevent the situation from getting rough by stopping Kaichou? That way he gave us the opportunity to talk to them about the ’box’ seriously. Would he really have done that if he planned to start [Kingdom Royale]?"

"...well, indeed. But I doubt he had thought that far. Or else that might have been a strategy to catch us off guard?"

"Hmmm."

"Well, although it’s strange, Oomine himself told us that he’s an ’owner’ after all. Is there better proof than that?"

"...I guess you’re right."

"As you seem to agree, let’s order our thoughts. Our task is to get the ’box’ out of Oomine. For that purpose, we have to persuade him. But there’s no way he would readily accept."

I nodded quietly. Right, now ca the main problem.

"We need ti for persuading Oomine. And to guarantee that we get it, we have to make sure that [Kingdom Royale] doesn’t start, no matter what."

"So what should we do?"

"As Shindou said, we should establish a relationship of mutual trust. Therefore it would be best if the players who have the ability to kill revealed themselves, especially the [Revolutionary]..."

"Ah, that would be ."

"FOR REAL?!"

"Y-Yeah."

Maria’s appeal made wince a little.

"That is great. Because that ans the [Revolutionary] won’t possibly make the mistake of killing soone due to distrust. Furthermore, if we do a coming-out with appropriate timing, we can gain a lot of trust."

...so it really was advantageous that I beca the [Revolutionary].

"By the way, what’s your [class]?"

"I’m [The Double]."

"...I see."

We’d be enemies in the ga...

"We have a great chance of winning. Then... right, what worries is that Oomine might team up with soone secretly and make him use [Sorcery]..."

"I have a [Secret eting] with Daiya after this, so I’ll ask him various things, then! ...Umm, I just have to remind him not to start [Kingdom Royale] if possible, right?"

"...Yeah. But be careful! You mustn’t let him notice that you’re the [Revolutionary]."

▶First Day [Secret eting] with [Daiya Oomine], [Kazuki Hoshino]’s room[]

"I have no intention of playing this pathetic [Kingdom Royale]."

That was the first thing Daiya said to upon entering my room.

"What’s with those wide eyes?"

"N-No, I an---"

Daiya himself, who is supposed to be the ’owner’, doesn’t want to start [Kingdom Royale] - isn’t that unreasonable?

"Your face is telling that you think that can’t be."

As he guessed correctly, I kept quiet.

"The answer to your doubt is simple. It ans that I’m not the ’owner’ of such a fucking ’box’. A ’box’ just for the purpose of making others play a killer-ga? Kuku... just how nonsensical is this? There’s no aning to its existence."

"...I think so, too, but..."

"So you’re insulting indirectly by saying that I brought forth this ’box’, right?"

"No, that’s not..."

So basically, Daiya wanted to say:

He was an ’owner’ all right. But that ’box’ that made others play [Kingdom Royale] was not his.

There was another ’owner’ of this ’box’.

"But still, what on earth is this ’box’? It doesn’t seem to allow intervention of any kind. I can’t find any gaps, so the ’owner’ seems to have mastered it."

"Eh...?"

Why did Daiya make such a Maria-like remark...?

"Oi oi, why so surprised? Just think about it for once! Otonashi can sense and intervene in ’boxes’ and knows ’O’ because she’s an ’owner’, right? As I’m already an ’owner’ myself, it wouldn’t be strange if I had the sa abilities."

"Indeed..."

"What’s with that visage? For , you are much more abnormal as you can rember ’O’ although he’s supposed to be entirely erased from your mory, you know?"

"...That’s---"

"---not true, my ass. Because we are ’owners’ and deliberately make use of its singularity, we are capable of such things. But you aren’t an ’owner’, are you?"

I couldn’t retort.

"...in the first place, what is that ’singularity’?"

Daiya crossed his arms and answered while thinking.

"...this is only how it feels to , but at the mont one obtains a ’box’, one stops being human. That is because one crosses the bounds of mankind thanks to the ’box’. And with the bounds being removed, the ’owner’ is also removed from everyone’s everyday life.This is the singular nature of being an ’owner’."

After noticing my perplexed frown Daiya added,

"Because one moves up from one’s original standpoint, one becos able to «see» things one couldn’t before! I don’t an you can visually see the ’boxes’ or ’O’s existence, it’s just, you beco able to notice them. Just like you don’t find out about a hairdressing salon in the vicinity until you want to cut your hair, in spite of passing by it every day."

...Does Daiya really think he could convey his thoughts like that?

"So, why can you «see» ’O’?"

"How should I know!"

I answered a bit unnerved.

"...Kazu, although you returned it, it seems you have touched a ’box’ once, right?"

Because it was a bother to reply properly, I just nodded slightly.

"By that you learned that such an absurd thing like a ’box that grants any ’wish really exists. You learned that there are no bounds. How about the thesis that you were a little bit removed at that mont?"

Daiya focused on .

"But you would be able to master it. That’s why you beca like this just by touching a ’box’."

"I wouldn’t be able! I am... normal."

"Oh no, you’re not. As I said previously, you are floating. Aloof this everyday life."

"I’m not."

"You are. Even worse, this abnormality of yours was there even before you touched the ’box’. Your nature resembled us ’owners’ from the start! No... rather than resembling us ’owners’, you might resemble ’O’."

"---Cut it out!!"

I roared. I could absolutely not admit resembling such a disgusting being.

Daiya looked at and sighed after a while.

"Well, this topic doesn’t matter now indeed. Right, I was supposed to convince you that I’m not the ’owner’ of this ’box’."

"...I don’t think I can believe you anymore."

"Co on, don’t jump to conclusions like that. Mh... would you believe if I myself stopped [Kingdom Royale] from working?"

"...What do you an?"

"If [Kingdom Royale] really is about «killing» and «deceiving» each other, then I just have to make sure that won’t possibly happen! The ga wouldn’t work anymore, then."

...We don’t want to start [Kingdom Royale], so our goals would overlap with his... I suppose?

"Do you think the ’owner’ of this ’box’ would wish for it to lose its function?"

"I don’t think he would... Err, wait a sec! Does that an you have a specific idea to stop [Kingdom Royale]?"

"Yeah."

Then, Daiya stated,

"Finding the [Revolutionary]."

"------"

I held my breath unknowingly.

I could sohow manage to prevent my disturbance from appearing on my face. That was dangerous. A tiny mistake and he would’ve noticed that I was the [Revolutionary].

"Why can you stop it by finding the [Revolutionary]?"

I was able to ask him naturally sohow. Daiya answered without seeming to be suspicious of my attitude,

"Because if I prevent him from executing [Assassination], the ga won’t start. So I just need to find the [Revolutionary] and threaten him so he won’t be able to use [Assassination]. The goal would already be achieved then."

My heart jumped when I heard the word «threaten», but I pretended to be composed and asked,

"’Won’t be able to,’ you say - but how...?"

"There are several ways, aren’t there? For example by telling him I’d reveal that he’s the [Revolutionary] if he kills soone. He has no chance of winning anymore if his [class] gets revealed. And there is no fool that would kill for nothing."

"But even if, for argunt’s sake, you were able to find the [Revolutionary] and could prevent him from executing [Assassination], what about [Sorcery]...? Isn’t it possible that soone dies because of that, which launches the ga?"

"You don’t need to worry about that."

Daiya declared distinctly.

"Why?"

"Because I am the [Sorcerer]."

...eh? Is he really okay with telling his [class] so readily?

"F-For real...? Or are you just trying to deceive ?"

"Do you think I would profit in the ga by telling you such a lie?"

"Well---"

I thought for a short while, but nothing ca to mind.

"I want to slip out of this worthless ’box’. For that sake, I have no other choice but to cooperate with you and Otonashi! That’s why I don’t hide my [class] from you."

"...Are you sure you won’t regret it? Our [classes] might be opposing yours after all..."

"You guys know that this matter can be resolved by destroying the ’box’, so do the [classes] of this ga really matter to you?"

...that may be, indeed.

"I’m fine if you guys realize that I’m not the ’owner’ of this ’box’! ...Based on that, let ask---"

He asked plainly,

"---You are the [Revolutionary], aren’t you?"

Because of my reaction right then, Daiya could get confirmation of my [class]. Although it seed he had been almost sure of that already due to the reaction I had shown to his words earlier.

So now I am under Daiya Oomine’s control.

Well... can’t be helped, I guess. Nobody would be able to keep his [class] secret from that guy.

▶First Day Big room[]

Daiya might have been honest when he said that he wanted to stop [Kingdom Royale] from working.

"If you don’t want a deadly feud to start, everyone should reveal their [class]."

He made that proposal after all. If we did the coming-out now, he couldn’t lie. The [class] he would reveal was even the [Sorcerer], who had the ability to kill.

"...Is that the conclusion you ca to after consulting Hoshino-kun?"

Kaichou was the one who broke the ongoing silence.

"Right. I don’t plan to obey this ga."

"That’s good to hear, but I don’t think it’s a good idea, you know? Because, for example---"

"Just for your information: if soone doesn’t follow my proposal, I will conclude that he has the will to participate in [Kingdom Royale]."

"Don’t say such arbitrary things!"

"Arbitrary? But I think only I can decide on my own how I judge that?"

Kaichou frowned at his words.

"B-But, Iroha. To tell the truth, I planned to propose the sa idea, you know?"

"...well, I got the impression you would during our [Secret eting]."

Kaichou looked at us once and asked,

"Are you alright with that? If you have objections, just voice them."

No one raised their voice. I had expected Kamiuchi-kun to object because it was Daiya’s proposal, but apparently he kept quiet because Yuuri-san had agreed.

"Hah... for real? Well, I guess I can’t be the only one against it as that would disturb the..."

"So we’re going to announce our [classes], right?"

"Yeah, yeah."

When Kaichou had given up, Daiya handed us sheets of his mo book that had been in his jute bag, one each.

"Write your [class] on it. There’s only one pen, so we’ll do it one after another. Make sure to write it so the others can’t see, so no one can cheat. If you’re done, turn it around. We’ll turn it over all at once when I give the sign."

Daiya wrote first, then Maria, , Kaichou, Yuuri-san and Kamiuchi-kun followed his instruction and wrote as well. Six upside down mos were lying on the table.

"Okay, turn them around!"

Everyone turned their mo. I read the [classes] that were written on each.

Maria was «The Double».

Kaichou was the «King».

Yuuri-san was the «Prince».

Kamiuchi-kun was the «Knight».

And Daiya was--- I had expected he would use so trick, but he had written «Sorcerer» as he had proclaid to .

"...Hoshino-kun is the [Revolutionary], huh. ...Hah, I feel relieved now. I was already worried about what to do if it were Kamiuchi-kun."

"Hey Kaichou, what’s that supposed to an!"

"Aah, well, actually I an it just like I said?"

Kamiuchi smiled bitterly, "Uhee..."

"How’s that, Kaichou-sama? This outco is quite reassuring for you, isn’t it?"

"...Well, yeah. It’s quite reassuring as long there’s no such surprise like Hoshino-kun secretly being awfully wicked."

"...what’s with that..."

I pursed my lips, but the comnt was ignored by Daiya,

"Further, I have one more proposal. I’ll collect the knives that were distributed to each of you. That won’t prevent violence entirely, but it’s much better than not doing it."

"Don’t tell you want to have all of the knives for yourself? If so, I’m against it. It’s too dangerous if you’re the only one with power while taking ours, Senpai."

"Hmpf, we just need to keep them in the room of soone other than , then."

Kaichou interrupted him,

"Wouldn’t Yuuri’s or Hoshino-kun’s room be the most appropriate places? Well, I don’t care which one, so decide on it on your own, you two."

"Huh?" "Huh?"

We raised our voices simultaneously and exchanged glances when our nas were suddenly called.

"Ah, please go ahead, Hoshino-san." "Ah, no, please, you go ahead, Yuuri-san." "I don’t particularly want to..." "I don’t, either." "I think that you would store the knives properly for us..." "I would be at ease if you did, Yuuri-san." "But..." "You just need to keep them, really." "But that’s the sa for---"

"Fine, fine, Yuuri it is."

Kaichou interrupted us while clapping her hands and decided on her own.

"I-Irohaa~"

"Be quiet, it’s decided! Everyone, bring your knives for tomorrow’s -ti. Yuuri will collect them. Okay? So, are you finally happy now?"

"Not yet."

Kaichou let out a sigh at his behavior.

"Fine, fine, so what’s next, oh great Emperor?"

Daiya completely ignored Kaichou’s sarcasm and continued,

"With that, [Kingdom Royale] stopped working for the ti being. However, our goal isn’t just to stop it, but to slip out from it. In the end it’s just a temporary agreent. If the circumstances change, it won’t hold anymore."

"Well, I guess so. So what do you suggest? Do you have so important information?"

"I know how to slip out of this ga."

Not only Kaichou, but everyone of us tensed up.

...Daiya, don’t tell ---

"We just need to destroy the ’box’."

Exactly as I had feared. Daiya admitted the existence of the ’boxes’ in front of the others.

In a condition where he was the main suspect.

"The ’boxes’ that Maria Otonashi ntioned certainly exist. If you fail to believe, just think of the ’box’ as a taphor of the thing that drove us into this situation. Anyways, in order to achieve our goal, we just need to destroy this ’box’. We are able to do so by killing its ’owner’."

"But didn’t Otonashi-san say sothing along the lines of you being that ’owner’?"

"......I take that claim back for now."

Maria interrupted their talk with a frown.

"Oomine is the greatest suspect - that doesn’t change. But I’ve co to the conclusion that it’s still too early to rule out other possibilities. Firstly, that’s how I felt during the [Secret eting], and secondly, Oomine’s proposals do, without doubt, prevent anyone’s death. ...Therefore, I can’t say for sure whether he’s the ’owner’."

Kaichou held her head without hiding the bewildernt from Maria’s positive reply.

Neither Maria nor I knew whether Daiya was telling the truth or not. We didn’t know what Daiya planned to do about us.

But it was certain that [Kingdom Royale] was the deed of a ’box’.

If only they believed that, I was sure [Kingdom Royale] would not start. Then, we could unite and head towards a solu---

"Please spare !"

My optimistic thinking was halted abruptly.

Everyone’s gaze focused on Kamiuchi who had spoken.

"Why are you considering it seriously, Kaichou? There’s no need for that, really!"

"...why?"

Her question caused Kamiuchi-kun to flash a grin and declare,

"I an --- those three are already completely conspiring together, aren’t they?"

And then I --- grew stiff.

The usual looseness had disappeared from his face. Instead, there was a lack of expression, radiating cruelty.

"This is... a trap. Yeah, a trap. Of course we have no clue what kind of humans ’owners’ are, right? That ans that, if we searched for that ’owner’ we’d have no other choice but to entirely listen to what those three say, and search based on that. Do you realize what that ans?"

Kamiuchi-kun flashed a faint smile and said,

"They are able to --- make soone appear to be the ’owner’ we are supposed to kill."

What---

What is he saying...?

"We have no plans to kill the ’owner’---"

"---Shut up!"

A single outcry.

Just that had an extre impact.

I realized that instant; That person was --- different. He was living in another world than I did. And in his world --- violence existed.

No one was able to speak.

What broke the ongoing silence was the sound of Kamiuchi-kun’s deep and long sigh. After breathing in and out several tis, his expression had returned to the usual leisurely one.

But I wasn’t cald by that expression anymore, not like I was before.

"You can’t believe that such ’boxes’ exist either, right, Yuuri-chan?"

I heard the sound of Yuuri-san draw breath.

He was coercing her into agreeing. A denial wouldn’t be accepted.

"......I..."

Gaining a false legitimacy for the sake of getting rid of us by making her nod.

That was his objective.

Therefore, it would be over once Yuuri-san nodded.

But for her it was impossible. It was impossible a timid girl like her could hold against him in his current state.

Yuuri-san stole a short peek at with her teary eyes, but then she averted them right away.

With trembling lips she murmured,

"......yes, I can’t believe it."

Aah, that’s it...

Is what I thought, but---

"......But,"

She continued,

"I think we can at least trust Hoshino-san. Therefore, I can’t... accept that he would want to lure us into a trap."

She couldn’t accept it.

She clearly said so. She did so while trembling, while fearing him, but still she managed to persist against Kamiuchi-kun’s opinion. She defended .

She crouched down, her hands in front of her chest, her breathing fitful - apparently it was a reaction to mustering up all her courage.

Kamiuchi-kun seed to be surprised by her rebuttal and gazed at her with wide eyes. Then he shot a sharp glance. I gulped as I felt like a criminal about to be judged.

"Well, I have to admit that Hoshino-senpai looks good-natured to as well."

And then, the enmity finally disappeared from his expression.

...did we make it...?

Yuuri-san raised her face and looked at . She relaxed her tense face and sent a smile.

Like that we managed to preserve the hope for a peaceful solution, thanks to Yuuri-san’s courage.

Daiya, Kaichou, Kamiuchi-kun and Maria returned to their rooms. When I was about to go through the door as well, Yuuri-san grasped my hand.

"What’s the matter?"

I noticed right when I asked that---Her hands were trembling.

"...I was frightened."

She whispered without raising her face.

"He was... very frightening."

"Yeah... Umm... You pretty much saved us, Yuuri-san. Thank you."

I tried to comfort her with a smile, but the fear didn’t leave her expression.

"The [Secret eting]."

"...eh?"

"I’m frightened... of the next [Secret eting] with him."

Yuuri-san was wax-pale like the ti we first t.

"Y-You don’t have to worry! I an, it seems Kamiuchi-kun likes you, so---"

"---that’s why I’m frightened!!"

She raised her face and almost shouted before looking at the ground again almost imdiately. Apparently she felt uncomfortable for her loud voice.

"S-Sorry, I didn’t want to unsettle you."

"M-Mhm..."

What’s the aning of that?

[Secret eting] - it’s about getting to be all alone with soone in that prison-like room. Since Kamiuchi-kun seems to like her, I don’t think he would kill---

"Ah..."

Then I realized.

I realized what Yuuri-san was frightened of.

Seeming to have noticed that I guessed that, she grasped my hand tightly.

"......I’m serious, you know?"

"Eh?"

"I’m seriously thinking that we can trust you, I didn’t just say it to calm Kamiuchi-san down."

Her trembling beca even worse. Worrying about her, I looked at her downcast face.

"I’m scared... I’m scared...!"

She was crying.

Damn, what should I do?

As I judged that thinking about it wouldn’t help, I returned the pressure of her trembling hand. Yuuri-san put her left hand on mine as well and grasped strongly.

"Ah---"

Again

Yet again.

Again, I rembered.

I rembered «Nana Yanagi» more clearly than I had when I heard Yuuri-san’s last na.

Rather, it seed weird to ; how I could forget her so completely? Though it hadn’t even been two years since, I hadn’t been reminiscing about her very existence recently. I had forgotten her almost as if those events hadn’t even happened.

Don’t tell the wish I bore ever since I betrayed her, «I want to forget Nana Yanagi», had been granted?

Right --- by painting her over with my everyday life.

«Even worse, this abnormality of yours was there even before you touched the ’box’.»

---That has nothing to do with it. Definitely not.

"...I’m sorry, Hoshino-san, I’m really sorry... I’m going to be selfish now, but please forgive . I’m trusting you arbitrarily. Therefore---"

She spoke. Yanagi-san spoke,

"Therefore, please--- don’t betray ."

Her teary face... reminded of my first love for so reason.

And then, at the mont I thought they resembled, I said it.

"I won’t betray you. I won’t betray you anymore, «Yanagi-san»!"

▶First Day [Kazuki Hoshino]’s room[]

When I had returned to my room I finally reminisced about her after a long ti.

Nana Yanagi. She was my classmate, my first love and --- the girlfriend of my best friend.

While having the sa last na, she was completely different from Yuuri-san. If I had to describe her in one word, she was a troublemaker. For example once she suddenly shaved off her eyebrows during break, or she made the classroom turn pink with a fire extinguisher - she had played countless numbers of these antics. The girls were secretly calling her «weirdo».

Naturally Yanagi-san was scary to and honestly, I really didn’t want to associate with her. I think there are almost no people that would want to associate with a classmate who has dyed her hair blonde, wears an anachronistically long skirt that would even put off other delinquents, and smokes secretly.

But there was one of those ’almost no people’ close to .

«Touji Kijima», my best friend.

Touji was a very curious person whose eyes always sparkled when he ca upon sothing unknown. He always watched her eccentric endeavors with radiant eyes. Perhaps it was natural for Touji to be attracted to her.

Yanagi-san had been rejecting him when he had first started to approach her. But in truth, she had probably longed for soone that would care about her. Finally she accepted Touji and they beca lovers.

And right when they beca lovers, she showed her true nature.

That was --- the nature of being a lonely person.

She depended on Touji. But the level of that dependence was plainly abnormal. She would never leave his side and she would always nace other girls that approached him in order to ward them off. Because of Touji’s wish, she dyed her hair back to its natural black color, she started wearing a normal skirt and she buried her cigarettes in the garden.

Touji was Yanagi-san’s everything.

Therefore, she was already unable to endure it just when he, her everything, did not completely fulfill her expectations, even if it was just words or manner she didn’t like. She got awfully hurt by the tiniest let-downs. Sotis so badly, she would cut her own wrist.

The only one who could listen to her lantations was .

Her phone calls always started with her crying voice. She would often lead to secluded places and cried.

At first, I only listened to what she had to say. But she gradually sought greater comfort from . She made stroke her head, she made hug her, she made sleep next to her and she made drink her tears. I rember her saying sothing unreasonable like she would calm down when looking at my face while I was licking over her cheeks, though she had feelings of guilt towards Touji at those tis.

Right, she also depended on .

To be honest, it was tireso. There were tis when I didn’t answer her phone calls as well because she was a bother.

Considering even I was like that, Touji found her tireso in no ti as well.

After several talks about separation, they finally split up for good.

From that day on she buzzed around each and every day. While there surely are a lot of people that don’t taste others’ tears in their entire life, I tasted that saltiness to an extent that I got completely sick of it. But I endured it because I knew that I was the only one she could rely on.

But even I was at my limit. My stomach hurt because of my constant irritation. I lost my hunger. It made sick - why did I have to keep comforting a girl that wasn’t even my girlfriend?

Therefore, one day I told her,

"I can’t stand your company anymore."

She didn’t understand .

I gradually used rougher words in order to make her understand my intent.

I can’t stand your company anymore, you’re a bother! You only think about yourself! Cut it out already! You were abandoned by Touji because you don’t care about others! I don’t want anymore, don’t follow around anymore, you weirdo---

And the day I insulted her like this----Yanagi-san and Touji disappeared.

The other classmates that only knew them as lovers arbitrarily called it elopent, but I knew that wasn’t the case.

So why did those two disappear simultaneously?

That’s obvious. Yanagi-san, who had despaired because of my betrayal, carried Touji off. And --- made sure he could never return.

I blad myself. It was my fault. Because I failed to support her. Because I rejected her despite being the only one she could depend on.

But what occupied my heart even more than the feelings of guilt were feelings of emptiness.

Everything in my daily routine beca virtually insipid. A daily routine as flavorless as a gum that has been chewed for three days. It was lacking. The world was lacking flavor.

It was lacking that strong saltiness.

That’s cruel! I wouldn’t have thought you would disappear from just because of those words! I thought you would still continue to depend on ! Making , making taste such a flavor and then disappearing like that is just too irresponsible!

Why---was it Touji?

If it had been , I would have given you everything. Though I had given you almost everything already.

After noticing the hollowness in my heart, I finally...really, finally realized.

---Aah... that was it.

I --- had loved Nana Yanagi.

But she wasn’t here anymore. She took Touji with her, she took almost everything in my heart with her, and disappeared sowhere.

But even after betraying, hurting, cornering and killing my loved one, my everyday life continued. Because I was living, I had to keep on living. I had to keep on living in a world without her.

For that sake, I decided to forget her.

I decided to forget Nana Yanagi. She was not soone I should have accompanied to begin with. I wanted to seal her, who was almost sothing like the symbol of the abnormal due to her eccentricity.

And then, I really forgot her, surprisingly well.

Co to think of it, when did I start being particular about my everyday life?

«Please select a target for [Assassination]»

This ssage plus the photographs of six people, including myself, were shown on the monitor.

There was no way I would do such a thing.

I didn’t understand this ’Ga of Idleness’. Even the thought of it having no aning at all went through my head.

I let myself fall on the bed.

But even if this ’box’ has no aning - so what? Does the everyday life I’m going to return to have a aning?

This everyday life that only has the purpose of forgetting her?

"------"

Yuuri-san ca to my mind.

I was aware that I was overlapping «Yuuri Yanagi» with «Nana Yanagi» without soone having to point it out to .

If I manage to save Yuuri-san without betraying her, will I then be able to get free from «Nana»’s curse?

I don’t know. I don’t know, but---

The instant I imagined Yuuri-san’s face,

---I felt the taste of soone’s tears in my dry mouth.

▶Sixth Day Big room[]

It beca the sixth day without any notable progress.

As expected by Daiya, [Kingdom Royale] stopped working when we revealed our [classes] and collected all knives. But those three were still not completely believing us about the ’boxes’, no matter how much we explained it to them, and we were still unable to make out the ’owner’. And the ti limit was gradually drawing nearer.

I went from my room to the big room. I had already gotten used to that warp-like sensation, so it was no big deal anymore.

The white room that’s unnaturally white.

---But nothing to worry about, I guess. As I’m the [Revolutionary] and Daiya’s the [Sorcerer], [Kingdom Royale] won’t start.

"Kazuki-san."

Yuuri-san discovered and approached quickly with a bright smile.

"Mh? Did sothing good happen?"

Apparently unaware of her smile, Yuuri-san tilted her head and let out a small voice, "Eh?" Iroha-san, who was watching her with a sidelong glance, started teasing her:

"Yuuri’s happy to et you, Kazuki-kun! She sure has beco attached to you, hasn’t she?"

One couldn’t judge from her tone whether she was serious or not. Yuuri-san’s face turned bright red.

"I-Iroha~! Please don’t speak as if I were a puppy or sothing~"

I imagined Yuuri-san wagging a dog’s tail, rushing towards .

"Phf!!"

Oh dear, that would suit her too well!

"W-Why did you just laugh, Kazuki-san?!"

She puffed up her cheeks. For the mont I decided to seek refuge in smiling at her.

But still --- over the days we sure had gotten used to chat with each other.

From the second day on we had endeavored to talk to the others actively for the sake of deepening our trust. We also had done [Secret etings] with each player. I thought this was pretty successful, as even Daiya had participated.

At least I couldn’t imagine anymore that any one of us would kill soone.

"...Kazuki-san, as punishnt for laughing, please... um, for today’s [Secret eting], select as your partner."

For so reason Yuuri-san’s still puffed-up cheeks were slightly red when she said that.

"I don’t mind, but how is that punishnt?"

"...eh? ...ahhh, a-anyway, it’s punishnt! ...probably!"

She said so with all her might, swinging her arms up and down. That amused sohow.

"Mh?"

Maria, who had stolen a glance at her, approached us while scratching her head moodily.

"...eh? What’s wrong, Maria?"

At first, Maria kept silent for so reason.

"......well, what I want to say is... you have already spent four [Secret etings] with Yanagi, right?"

"Eh?"

"It will be the fifth one if you go today. So it’s possible that the others think you prefer a specific person. If you have a [Secret eting] with a specific person five tis even, the cooperativeness that has finally started to arise between the six of us might be at stake."

"...umm? In short, you don’t want to have a [Secret eting] with Yuuri-san?"

"No, I’m not particularly talking about Yanagi. I’m just saying that a situation in which others might think you prefer a specific person is dangerous."

"...aren’t you chasing ghosts?"

"You’ve only had three [Secret etings] with !"

Wasn’t her point sothing else...?

"Otonashi-san is jealous. How cute!"

Iroha-san said while looking at her amusedly.

"...what are those weird false assumptions. I just pointed Kazuki’s attitude out."

"Otonashi-san’s desperate."

"...it seems my words don’t reach you."

"Maria, are you jealous?"

---Bam!

"O-Ouch!"

She just kicked my shin with all her heart!

"Hah..."

Kamiuchi-kun, who had been watching us while playing around on his portable terminal, interrupted us with an amazed expression.

"Aah, geez, actually, I’m incredibly jealous, so could you please die, Hoshino-senpai?"

"Eh? What are you jealous of...? Wasn’t I just kicked?"

"...what’s with that face as if you don’t know what I’m talking about? Is that the winner’s composure?"

When I tilted my head to those words Kamiuchi-kun sighed once and returned his attention to his portable terminal.

He might still be acting like that, but I thought I had managed to get on quite well with him. I had beco anxious when I saw that violent side of him, but after talking to him I noticed that he was quite a sociable fellow.

"Mh? Ah, I see."

He put the portable terminal on the table and stood up.

"What’s the matter?"

"Ah, I just reread the past conversations and ca to a conclusion!"

He walked over to Daiya, who was sitting on a chair, and tapped his shoulder with a smile. Daiya frowned annoyedly at this overly familiar behavior. That was how they usually handled each other recently.

"Oomine-senpai. I’ll believe you about that ’box’-thingy!"

I was surprised and reflexively asked,

"Eh? For real, Kamiuchi-kun?"

"Why should I lie? ...oh well, to be frank, it’s not a matter of believing or not anymore. We have to co to a conclusion now that the ti limit draws near. And since we don’t have any other explanation but the ’box’, we have no other choice."

Co to think of it, Maria had ntioned that they would have to believe us when the ti limit draws near.

"OK, what were we supposed to do again? If mory serves right, you said that this would be settled by destroying the ’box’, right? So how about this:"

Kamiuchi-kun rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt.

"Let’s kill Oomine-senpai."

"---------Eh?"

But there was no ti.

I had no ti to realize the aning of those words.

Without giving us ti to realize, he swung down his and----

He killed Daiya.

"------ah..."

......Eh? What the...?

Although I was able to describe what had happened, my realization still couldn’t follow.

Kamiuchi-kun had slashed Daiya’s throat. Blood had spurted out from the wounded spot. Daiya had stopped moving with opened eyes. Then he --- had died. I could confirm that. But I was only able to recognize that as a fact, not to realize its aning.

Therefore, I just stood still, dumbfounded.

Kamiuchi-kun’s shirt had turned deep red and his face was full of Daiya’s blood. In his hand he was holding the knife that was not supposed to be here. The combat knife that we had collected.

"Strange, isn’t it?"

While toying with the knife he had hidden at his belt, Kamiuchi-san whispered that.

"Didn’t you say this would be settled if the ’owner’ dies? And the ’owner’ was Oomine-senpai, right?"

He looked at Maria.

"Hey, wasn’t it like that, Maricchi?"

Maria had kept her eyes opened and was completely taken aback.

Apparently he hadn’t expected an answer to begin with and continued to talk,

"Does that an Oomine-senpai’s still not dead? Okay, then I’ll do that."

He said and---

---thrust his knife into Daiya’s neck a second ti.

Even more blood splashed around.

Daiya’s body fell over due to the impact and his head crashed on the table with a loud thud. Red liquid started to spread out on the table.

"Eh,---"

Yuuri-san raised her voice and fell on her back.

"IIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"

Kamiuchi-kun looked at Yuuri-san and smiled.

"Your scream sure is cute... mh, but he’s definitely dead, isn’t he? Which either ans that Maricchi’s first judgent was wrong or the ’box’ was a lie, mh. Ah, but I decided to believe the story about the ’box’, right? So I should consider Oomine-senpai was the «wrong one»."

«Wrong one», he said.

I understood the aning of that instantly. ---unfortunately I understood.

"Maricchi."

The murderer asked.

"With whom should I continue?"

He asked who the «right one» was.

Suddenly, I noticed that the hand he was holding the knife with was trembling.

At first I thought that was out of fear of his own actions. But after seeing his expression, I understood the real reason.

That hand was trembling in excitent.

Aah --- why did I misunderstand him? Why did I think I had beco on good terms with that murderer?

He’s just been waiting for the right ti to expose the violent nature that he has been hiding.

[Kingdom Royale] is a ga about deceiving. About killing.

There’s never been a chance to stop it from working. Daiya’s attempt failed and he got killed in compensation.

Even on the very first day ...[Kingdom Royale] had already begun.

"Why, do you still... have that knife?"

I asked him while looking at the knife that was dripping with Daiya’s blood.

"That’s the first question that cos up? Well, it was child’s play. I just stole it during a [Secret eting] with Yuuri-chan. That’s all."

"...Eh? So, it’s my fault...?"

She raised her head and looked at him with wide eyes. The murderer smiled back at her and said,

"Please be more careful!"

"Ah---"

Yuuri-san was at a loss of words and burst out in tears.

"So, who’s next, Maricchi? ...hey, still frozen? Aren’t you overreacting? Well, but to tell the truth, I think naive characters are pretty cute."

While blurting out those indifferent things, he scrutinized his bloody knife.

"...I decided."

He said so and approached .

"I think I’ll go for Hoshino-senpai, since I’m jealous of him. ---After all I want him to die anyway."

He designated as if he was just ordering his lunch.

But the intent to kill dwelt in his eyes.

I looked at the blood-stained knife and grew stiff. After all, it was the knife that had actually taken Daiya’s life.

The murderer approached .

Although I had to escape, I was unable to move.

"Wait."

Kamiuchi-kun stopped obediently at Maria’s words.

"What, Maricchi?"

Maria told him, who was hiding the intent to kill in his eyes,

"I am the ’owner’."

Kamiuchi-kun raised an eyebrow.

"You have to kill , not Kazuki."

He laughed bitterly when he realized what she was saying.

"Haha, so you want to save him so badly you would sacrifice yourself? Amazing!"

"I’m just telling the truth."

Kamiuchi-kun drew close to Maria, who was scowling at him. Maria raised her arms to emphasize that she had no intent to resist.

"Ma-Maria..."

When I called her na, she sent a smile. I saw that gentle smile and beca convinced:

She said so without a strategy. She was really just about to sacrifice herself for .

"I’m moved, Maricchi. I never thought there would really exist soone that values others’ lives more than his own. It doesn’t look like you just blurted out empty words, either. That’s love! Truly love!"

Maria laughed scornfully.

"I see. Great that you were moved."

"Are you really fine if you die in order to save Hoshino-senpai?"

"Yeah."

Kamiuchi-kun snorted when Maria declared so without hesitation.

"That’s problematic. Isn’t that love much too beautiful? Aah, geez, I got it! It’s not like I want to beco the bad guy, I just want to settle this matter as fast as possible. I really don’t feel like playing your third-class villain who would attack you while screaming «I’ll have you die then!» So, the two of you can live."

While stroking her head over-familiarly Koudai Kamiuchi continued,

"If you let do you, Maricchi."

He pressed the knife against her throat.

"------"

Maria’s face contorted in revulsion. She scowled at him and, ignoring the fact that he was pressing a knife against her, brushed away the hand he was stroking her with.

"......don’t ss with . I’d rather die than surrender my body to you."

"How cruel! There are a lot that would do it willingly for , though. So you won’t accept?"

"Of course not!!"

"Never mind then."

He gave up readily --- too easily.

"Then I’ll just do Yuuri-chan instead."

There’d be no way he’d let go.

Yuuri-san instantly turned pale when she apprehended that his words weren’t a lie, forced to realize by his cold smile at her and the lust in his eyes.

"N-No---!!"

"No, but Yuuri-chan, it can’t be helped, can it? Maricchi rejected after all... Ah, but I prefer you anyway, so I don’t mind at all!"

"Sothing like that, i-is impossible to ..."

"Then I’ll kill Maricchi and Hoshino-senpai."

Yuuri-san’s face turned even paler at those inhumane words.

"Please give yourself up already if you don’t want those two to die because you rejected !"

Yuuri-san turned around slowly and gazed at . Those eyes were full of tears.

She conveyed a ssage with those tears.

«---don’t betray .»

---Ah, right. Yuuri-san had been fearing such a situation from the first day on. And I had promised her. I had promised to not betray «Yanagi-san» anymore.

But if I tried to save Yuuri-san, Maria would---

"...Stop."

It was not who said so in a low voice, but Maria.

Koudai Kamiuchi opened his mouth contentedly.

"Mh? Well, if you feel like pleasing now, go ahead."

She had surely anticipated that he would say that.

Maria bit tightly on her lips, so strong that blood started to flow from her mouth. Then she averted her gaze from and---said clearly,

"......Okay, then content yourself with just ."

---what,

---what are you saying, Maria?

"Eh? For real?"

Koudai Kamiuchi widened his eyes.

"......fu, fufu, ahahahaha!"

This determination---

Although she would rather die, she was about to give in in order to save Yuuri-san --- Maria was that determined --- and Koudai Kamiuchi pointed at her and laughed.

"Ahahahaha! For real? If it were for saving your beloved Hoshino-senpai, I would still get it! But you would do such a thing for Yuuri-chan although you only spent a few days together? Ahaha, that’s too ridiculous!!"

"......what’s so funny?"

"It’s a culture shock for ! Your values are weird! It’s distorted to prioritize others before yourself! Wait, do you actually think that’s beautiful?!"

Indeed, I also couldn’t appreciate Maria’s attitude. From ti to ti her self-sacrifice even hurt my feelings. Her attitude couldn’t always be called as living for the sake of others.

But.

Even if her attitude was wrong---

That didn’t an that such a guy was allowed to make fun of it.

"So others’ suffering is worse than your own pain? Ah, then I’ll take back my word. You don’t beco her substitute. I’ll rape Yuuri-chan whatever you do."

"...what... are you saying, bastard?! There’s no aning in that, is there!?!"

"Isn’t it funnier that way?"

Even Maria lost her tongue. Koudai Kamiuchi sneered at her when he saw her shock.

He thought of it as funny. He considered her awe-inspiring nature pathetic and amused himself by toying with her.

I can’t allow that. I absolutely can’t allow him to insult Maria’s high pride. ...Though I can’t allow it--- Even though I can’t allow it, why---

"Uh, uh, uuuuuh..."

Yuuri-san’s crying voice resounded. Maria had the knife pressed against her throat.

---why can’t I do anything!

"You don’t want to die yet, right, Senpais?"

No one could oppose him, so he declared,

"Okay, then from now on you’re all my slaves."

- [Daiya Oomine], carotid artery cut by [Koudai Kamiuchi], dead

▶Sixth Day [Kazuki Hoshino]’s room[]

«SelecT - a partneR - for thE - [Secret eting]»

Despite Noitan’s prompt I could not move, feeling totally helpless.

I couldn’t do anything. Though Yuuri-san and Maria were both suffering, I couldn’t do anything to save them.

Yuuri-san was forced to select «Koudai Kamiuchi» as her partner for the [Secret eting].

Although she knew what was awaiting her, she had no other choice but to select «Koudai Kamiuchi». Just how cruel was that...?

"------gh!"

I bit on my lips.

I should... I should have been able to do better. Even if it isn’t possible any more, if I had taken the danger Koudai Kamiuchi posed more seriously, I could have averted this.

Right, if I had taken asures at the ti Yuuri-san cried to about him being scary, this wouldn’t have happened. This outco is the result we got because we underestimated [Kingdom Royale] and wasted our ti.

...But it isn’t like everything is over yet.

I was about to press «Yuuri Yanagi» ’s button---

«You only had three [Secret etings] with !»

For so reason I recalled that statent Maria made.

...why did I just rember that? That doesn’t matter now, does it? The best thing I can do right now is naturally to comfort Yuuri-san, who was hurt.

Sure, Maria’s in danger as well. Like Yuuri-san, she was forced to select Koudai Kamiuchi.

But not for the sa reason as Yuuri-san. He just doesn’t want to give her the opportunity to consult us. As his most important goal is survival, he tries to crush any possibility of us conspiring and working out a plan against him.

Probably he doesn’t even care about the ’owner’ anymore. Rather than to find and kill an ’owner’, whose very existence is dubious, he thinks about winning [Kingdom Royale].

Koudai Kamiuchi is the [Knight]. In order to win he has to kill the [King] and the [Prince].

And those targets are Iroha-san, who’s the [King], and Yuuri-san, who’s the [Prince].

So Maria’s still safer than those two. Of course she’s still in danger, but the dinsion of danger is different.

Therefore---

Therefore, I --- selected «Yuuri Yanagi»

[Iroha Shindou][Yuuri Yanagi][Yuuri Yanagi][Koudai Kamiuchi][Daiya Oomine][Kazuki Hoshino][Yuuri Yanagi][Koudai Kamiuchi][Yuuri Yanagi][Maria Otonashi][Koudai Kamiuchi]

▶Sixth Day [Secret eting] with [Yuuri Yanagi], [Yuuri Yanagi]’s room[]

The instant I arrived at Yuuri-san’s room, I was embraced.

She imdiately buried her face in my chest, which was probably because she wanted to hide her expression. The hollow expression I had seen for a re instant before she rushed to .

"......I didn’t want to die."

She said with a strained voice while still burying her head in my chest.

"I didn’t want to die on any account. Therefore, therefore, I---"

I put my hand on her back to make her stop speaking.

"Uh, uuuuuh......"

She is crying.

«Yanagi-san» is crying.

Aah---just how selfish am I. Even at such a ti, when I ought to support Yuuri-san, I only think about «Yanagi-san».

But listening to a girl’s lantations while embracing her - at that ti she forced such situations upon countless tis.

Since she made rember those feelings, I got a delusion---

---that I was now having the sa feelings I had once had for «Nana Yanagi».

Aah, her tears soak her uniform. What a waste...

I want to drink them.

"------"

Self-hatred arose in for having such thoughts.

What am I thinking? Didn’t I decide not to repeat such a thing anymore?

I definitely can’t be allowed to do such a thing to another person. I mustn’t repeat the sa failure as with my failed love.

I won’t --- let soone who doesn’t even love depend on anymore.

And yet,

"I, love you."

She said that with her face buried in my chest.

"I love you. I love you, Kazuki-san. Therefore, I absolutely didn’t want him to do such things to ."

"-----ah"

After «Nana Yanagi» had gone missing, there was a question I pondered over, each day, over and over:

If she had said she loved ,

would the outco have been a different one?

I had known that was just a coward’s delusion in order to justify my sin. But even while I had been aware of that, I wanted to know.

I had wanted to know the answer to that assumption.

"......I love you......"

«Yanagi-san» says she loves .

Unless I betray her now, she will surely accept . If that results in happiness---

Will I be released from that past?

"...Sorry, for being that sudden."

She finally raised her head. Her eyes weren’t hollow anymore, but had reddened due to her tears. Her will was firmly dwelling in them.

She walked away from and sat down on the bed. I sat down next to her.

On top of this bed, Yuuri-san was---

Before I could think further, she laid her hand on my right hand. I took this hand of hers and grasped it tightly.

"...I don’t want to go through that again... no matter what."

"...Mhm."

Her pain was conveyed all too well.

"......I’m going to say sothing horrible now. But please... don’t hate ."

"I won’t hate you!"

She murmured while looking really anxious whether I would start to hate her.

"Save, ."

"---that’s horrible...?"

She nodded slightly.

"I want you to save with maximum priority. Do you understand what that ans?"

I was still amazed, so she added with a downcast look,

"You are the [Revolutionary], aren’t you, Kazuki-san?"

Ahh, so that’s what she was getting at.

"You want to kill Koudai Kamiuchi?"

When I worded it straight-out, she kept quiet.

"But you know, killing is---"

"---even I!"

She interrupted with a shout. I was taken aback by that and she awkwardly looked down.

"Even I... would want to use another ans. I don’t wish for a solution that requires us to kill soone. But is there another one? Is there another way where I don’t have to go through that a second ti and where we can survive? Or... do you actually want to tell that it’s still possible to persuade him?"

"Well---"

I couldn’t say it. Even I knew that it was not possible anymore to persuade him.

But is that enough reason to condemn him to death with my own judgnt?

...no way. No matter how inexcusable he is, no matter how many reasons there are that would justify his death, no matter if everything points out it’s right, the instant I beco a murderer my life will take a complete turn.

And I won’t be able to return to my everyday life anymore.

So, I can’t do it.

And although I can’t do it---

"Don’t betray ."

I,

I’ve been waiting for this opportunity all this ti. I’ve always been waiting for the opportunity to repeat that past over again.

To tell the truth, I had noticed it.

I had noticed that Nana Yanagi’s attitude wasn’t just because she wanted to comfort her about Touji.

She truly was beyond help, but even she had noticed that her love towards Touji was distorted. She wanted to love soone else properly.

Unable to deal with her feelings towards Touji, she made lick her tears. She made rember her taste. And that way my heart was stolen, just as planned.

I also think the thod she had employed was wrong.

But it’s not like those feelings were false.

I had noticed what she wanted. I had noticed it, but pretended I had not.

After all, I was Touji’s best friend, and Yanagi-san was his girlfriend. Therefore I wasn’t even allowed to admit my love towards her.

There was no way I could have done what Yanagi-san wished from .

But that doesn’t change the fact that I had noticed her feelings. The fact that I had noticed and intentionally ignored them doesn’t change. The fact that I abandoned her doesn’t change.

Thus, it is my sin after all.

«Yanagi-san» closed her swollen eyes and turned her lips towards .

Her expression did resemble «Nana Yanagi’s».

I could no longer pretend not to notice it.

I had to answer «Yanagi-san’s» feelings.

I grasped both of her shoulders, making them jerk lightly. I closed my eyes and approached her lips---

---that’s wrong.

I didn’t draw any closer toward her lips and opened my eyes.

I didn’t know from where those sudden words originated. Neither did I know why I thought like that.

Just, those few words sounded like her.

Maria.

......that’s so irresponsible of you, Maria! So what would you do instead?

But the outco wouldn’t change even if I cursed at her in my mind. I couldn’t do what «Yanagi-san» wished from anymore.

«Yanagi-san» was waiting for my kiss. After so hesitation, I kissed her on the cheek. When she opened her eyes again she smiled contentedly anyway.

The kiss had the taste of tears.

But it was kind of strange.

My thirst was not satisfied by them.

▶Sixth Day [Kazuki Hoshino]’s room[]

Even while I was thinking about what to do, things were progressing.

«[Iroha Shindou] was executed because she did not abide by the titable»

- [Iroha Shindou], executed because she didn’t return to her room until 17:40. Death by beheading.

▶Sixth Day Big room[]

There were two jute bags on the table in the big room. The contents were the sa as in mine, but the colors of the watches were different. The colors were black and orange. The colors Daiya and Iroha-san had worn.

The two days’ leftover rations, in total four days’, were of course taken by Koudai Kamiuchi.

But even while seeing that, Iroha-san’s death still seed unreal to .

In the first place, she died because she could not obey the ti schedule? Is that even possible, I an, Noitan even cos to tell us it’s ti?

"A clear case of suicide."

Koudai Kamiuchi said.

"She couldn’t endure this situation and let herself willingly get executed by not moving. Probably because she’d rather die than be eaten by or sothing. Whoa, I’m already getting refused again after Maricchi, these girls are so rude..."

Iroha-san commited suicide? That Iroha-san?

This felt just too wrong. I had spent only a few days with her, but I could not believe she would make such a choice.

Yuuri-san seed to have trouble realizing her death as well. She had taken the orange watch in hand and was eyeing it dumbfoundedly. Maria watched her suspiciously.

"Yanagi."

Yuuri-san reacted to Maria’s call, still absentminded.

"Aren’t you sad?"

Only when she was told that, emotions started to well up in her expression. When tears started to wet her eyes, she crouched down and gazed at the ground.

"......"

Maria seed unable to endure watching her like that and averted her eyes after shaking her head.

"How kind of you to teach her when to cry, Maricchi."

"...hmpf."

Koudai Kamiuchi sneered when Maria exposed her aversion openly,

"How cooold. ...by the way, Hoshino-senpai."

He shifted his gaze to .

"You’re the [Revolutionary], right? So you’d be able to kill in the next tiblock. Which happens to an that I have to kill you during this block---"

---Dong.

He thrust his knife into the table.

"Do you want to try resisting? By all ans, go ahead! Well, I’ll use the knife while you only have your bare hands, though. Ah, you might as well attack with the whole bunch, if you want?"

"......three against one?"

"If you think you can win, please go ahead."

...impossible. No matter how much Maria has refined her martial arts, she lacks strength. I don’t think we could win against the ard Koudai Kamiuchi with violence unless we have so kind of agreent. And even then...

"In other words, it’s already been decided that you’re going to die, Senpai."

Koudai Kamiuchi pulled the knife out of the table. Then he pointed it towards and raised the corners of his mouth.

"---or so you thought."

Unable to comprehend his behavior, I beca dumbfounded.

He then guffawed because my expression was apparently funny.

"I wondered: isn’t it boring if it’s my overwhelming victory like this? We might as well make it a little more entertaining, don’t you agree?"

I have no idea what that guy was saying. I didn’t care about victory or defeat, entertaining or boring.

"Let’s make a bet."

He continued, completely ignoring my frown.

"Let confirm that again: you can use the [Assassination] command in the next -block, right? I ca to the conclusion that you won’t [assassinate] . Therefore, I’ll bet on that."

"......?"

"As-I-said, I will naturally die if you [assassinate] , right? If that happens, I lose of course. So let’s conversely make it my victory when you let the ti pass without doing it. That’s all."

"...I don’t get you! What’s with such a bet? You don’t profit in any way, do you? Do you want to be [assassinated] by or what?"

"Of course not. Haven’t I said it? It’s not funny if my victory is that overwhelming!"

"That’s exactly what I don’t get!"

"Aah... umm, let’s see. Taking a risk itself feels exciting - do you understand?"

I could only frown.

"For example, let’s say that I entered the world cup, which is impossible of course, but anyway: I manage to make a goal. My team wins. In that case I beco a superstar, no matter what kind of loser I actually am. However, if I contrarily let the enemy land a goal and Japan loses because of that, I’d be hated by nurous people and would beco a villain."

Indeed, that would be a high-risk-high-return match. Almost like a gamble.

"You’re the type that would want to avoid such a match, right, Senpai? Because you fear being hated by so many people. But I’m the opposite! It’d be pure adrenaline. I’d love to do it."

...I see, I think I get it. But---

"...it’s strange to... bet one’s life!"

"Well, it might indeed be overdoing it."

"In the first place, what do you gain from betting your life?"

"There’s a «reward», isn’t there?"

"Eh?"

I had never heard of such a thing.

"I’ve been aiming for that «reward» from the start! I think I’ve also ntioned it at that ti."

I still rembered his first words. I rembered having read it several tis on my portable terminal. Surely, it was---

«’Morning. ...Oh, there are a whole three hotties! Lucky !»

"......wait..."

"I’ve already received one!☆"

I had thought no one would possibly wish for [Kingdom Royale] to start. I had been completely sure I was right on that.

But I was wrong. Koudai Kamiuchi had been enjoying this situation from the very beginning.

"I can’t understand you. There is no consistency in your actions. What on earth do you want after all?"

"They often say that about !"

He answered Maria with a broad grin.

"’What do you want to do’, ’get yourself a goal’, ’be serious’ - mind your own business! Isn’t that all indifferent? I am better than those preachers. Just spare their envy!"

"I see. You’re a real idiot."

"Watch your mouth!"

Maria obediently kept quiet when he suddenly rebuked her in a cold tone.

"Alright, let’s get back to our bet, Hoshino-senpai. We bet our lives - you got that, right? So let’s talk about the price. Since I’m so gracious as to do this even though I would have won originally, I’m the only one who gets one, okay?"

He wouldn’t allow to reject anyway.

"All you have to do is to show a good performance!"

I had known it could not be anything upright. But---

"Just show how you get killed by Yuuri-chan."

But his demand exceeded all my expectations.

"......what do you an?"

"Exactly as I said it. If I win, we’ll all naturally be able to reach tomorrow’s -block unhurt. Then I’ll again be able to enjoy my fun ti with Yuuri-chan in our [Secret eting]. Well, I’ll cooperate with Yuuri-chan then and [murder] you, Senpai."

"What are you saying? Yuuri-san is the [Prince], isn’t she?"

"She’s the [King]!"

Koudai Kamiuchi declared coolly.

"Eh? That can’t---"

I stopped mid-sentence. Yuuri-san was looking up to with a pale face.

"...Yuuri-san...?"

"I-It’s not like this... don’t get wrong, Kazuki-san!"

Why? Why does she already excuse herself though I haven’t said anything yet?

"In short, it’s like this: Yuuri-chan faked her [class]. She exchanged [classes] with Kaichou."

"...for what purpose?"

"To survive, of course!"

Yuuri-san’s pale expression told that this was the truth.

"There’s no way Yuuri-chan would be able to resist my threat, as she wants to survive so badly that she uses such tricks! I’ll be able to [murder] you with ease."

"......I won’t."

Yuuri-san whispered.

Koudai Kamiuchi sneered at her, acting surprised.

"You won’t use [Murder]? Hehe, you will!"

"...D-Don’t make a fool of . I would never do such a thing to Kazuki-san, and I couldn’t, either. So why can you claim that with so much confidence...?"

"No, I an, you are a girl that submitted her own body in order to survive, aren’t you? Yuuri-chan?"

Yuuri-san didn’t reply and tensed up.

"Yuuri-chan will definitely kill in order to survive!"

"I would no---"

"Hey, shall I tell them how you begged to for your life?"

Yuuri-chan widened her eyes.

"Our pure-hearted boy might not like you anymore if he heard what kind of things you said to ."

"......stop."

"Truly amazing. You have no pride at all, do you? Since I’m just a pure junior who had an illusion of girls, it was quite a shock for ~."

"S....top, stop, stop...!! Don’t say it!!"

Yuuri-san burst out in tears right there.

"You sure cry quickly... Don’t worry! I was just joking!"

Of course she didn’t stop crying. Koudai Kamiuchi lifted his arms, "My, my."

"Well, it’s your decision whether you believe her or not. I suggest you don’t!"

Yuuri-san peeked at while crying.

I felt sorry towards Yuuri-san, but I did think it was possible for her to [murder] . After all, she even faked her [class]. If she got threatened with death, I doubted she would be able to resist.

Yuuri-san wanted to survive that badly.

"Well, that’s it, concerning our bet. You’ve got no choice but to accept. But surely you don’t mind, right? After all, you won’t lose anything by it."

After ending this topic on his own, Koudai Kamiuchi suddenly laid his arm around my shoulder and over-familiarly pulled closer, almost like he had done before the murder.

---Huh?

The instant I thought that, he thrust sothing into the pocket of my pants. When I looked at him, he pressed his index finger against his lips. Because he was embracing my shoulder, Yuuri-san and Maria couldn’t see what had happened.

After achieving his goal, he let go of again.

I pushed my hand into the pocket and felt sothing thin.

Paper...? Did he give a ssage he doesn’t want the others to see or sothing...?

"Kazuki."

I instantly took my hand out of my pocket. Maria continued without going into my behavior,

"I don’t think it’s a problem, but let say this once again:"

Maria focused her gaze on and said,

"Don’t kill."

...Well, yeah. I expected she would say so.

No matter the situation, no matter who it’s about, Maria would never wish for a solution in which soone has to die.

"......I would rather not, as well. But what should we do then? I’m still fine, but you and Yuuri-san will..."

"You want to sacrifice yourself for that sake? Don’t you know? If you kill soone, even if it’s by [Assassination], it will shackle you for the rest of your life."

I was aware of that.

As soon I killed Koudai Kamiuchi, I would not be able to return to my everyday life anymore.

But---

«Don’t betray .»

Yuuri-san was still crying.

When I saw her like that, the words I had once said ca back to my mind.

«I can’t stand your company anymore.»

I won’t do sothing like that anymore.

I won’t make that mistake a second ti. Therefore, I have to---

"You don’t have to think about saving us, Kazuki."

I averted my eyes because I felt caught.

"You don’t have to sacrifice yourself for such a thing. Just think about protecting your own life."

"...But if I lose the bet, I’m going to get killed?"

"Don’t worry."

Maria said as if it was a matter of course,

"I will protect you, Kazuki."

▶Sixth Day [Kazuki Hoshino]’s room[]

Before even looking at the mo, I knew it wouldn’t contain anything good.

«Everything will be solved if you kill Yuuri-chan!»

But I hadn’t expected such a stupid ssage.

Sure, Yuuri-san’s [class] is opposing mine, since I’m the [Revolutionary]. It’s the sa for Koudai Kamiuchi, who is the [Knight]. On the other hand, the [Revolutionary] and the [Knight] can coexist. In terms of the ga, it’s pointless to kill him.

So what?

Did he bet with because he concluded that I would [assassinate] Yuuri-san if he gave this mo or what?

Stop belittling like that.

I crumpled the mo up and threw it onto the table. Then I looked at the monitor.

«Please select a target for [Assassination]»

I rembered how I thought I would never select sothing like that on the first day.

But---

I didn’t know anymore. I had no idea what to do.

But it was clear that no one would be saved unless I did sothing.

...So am I supposed to kill Koudai Kamiuchi after all?

That ans to give in to the ’box’. To lose. And---to not return to my everyday life a second ti.

But does that even matter anymore? After all, if I manage to save «Yanagi-san», the everyday life I was so tenacious about might beco indifferent.

That’s right! If I can undo that mistake, if I can make a fresh start together with «Yanagi-san», I---

I---don’t mind abandoning my everyday life.

I stretched my hand out to the monitor.

Too bad, Koudai Kamiuchi, but I’ve won the bet! I will save «Yanagi-san». I will be fine with that. That’s justice to .

So, it’s okay, right, Maria? You’re okay with that outco, right?

I asked with the expectation that the Maria in would answer in my favor.

But what she said was---

«I will protect you, Kazuki.»

---the words she had said before.

".........ah."

I stopped my hand because I noticed that sothing about those words felt strange.

Right, why did she say sothing like that...? Did I perhaps overlook anything?

---Aah, right. Co to think of it, what was the reason for Iroha-san’s death?

Iroha-san would never give her life up so easily. There’s sothing wrong about that...

But what if she was already on the verge of death at the ti she was executed? Or else, what if her death was already decided at that ti?

I took my portable terminal and checked the rules.

Even if one got selected as the target of [Deathblow], it wouldn’t be executed until 17:55. Iroha-san had died at 17:40. If, at that ti, she had known that she would be killed by [Deathblow]...

Wouldn’t she have sent us a ssage?

......No, that can’t be after all. Iroha-san was the [King]. There’s no way she would select herself as the target for [Murder]---

---Wait, that’s wrong. It’s different. Iroha-san was the [Prince].

The [King], who can select the target for [Murder], is---

---Yuuri Yanagi.

No, no, that’s impossible. Don’t jump to a hasty conclusion. It’s only a thought of mine from my current point of view that this was a ssage from Iroha-san.

But,

I checked on the portable terminal.

There was no doubt. Right until her death---Iroha-san had been in a [Secret eting] with Yuuri-san.

Iroha-san hadn’t abode by the schedule and had been executed. Because she hadn’t returned to her room until 17:40. Because she had not returned from Yuuri-san’s room to her own.

In short---

Yuuri-san had witnessed Iroha-san’s death before her very eyes.

«Aren’t you sad?»

That was the question Maria had posed to Yuuri-san, who had been watching the orange watch. Then, Yuuri-san had started to cry as if the dam had finally been broken.

As if she had rembered that she was supposed to cry.

«I didn’t want to die on any account. Therefore, therefore, I---»

Because she doesn’t want to die?

Because she doesn’t want to die.

«I love you. I love you, Kazuki-san.»

"......"

I stretched my hand out to the table. I unfolded the mo I had crumpled up.

«Everything will be solved if you kill Yuuri-chan!»

...Let’s assu I killed Koudai Kamiuchi. Of course the ga would still continue because I’m the [Revolutionary], Maria’s [The Double] and Yuuri-san’s the [King].

So what will she do then? What will Yuuri-san do when she doesn’t want to die on any account?

Koudai Kamiuchi had said it.

«Yuuri-chan will definitely kill in order to survive!»

I suppressed my chest that was throbbing wildly.

«Don’t kill.»

Why didn’t Maria add «Koudai Kamiuchi» to the end of that sentence?

I reluctantly took out my portable terminal. Then I replayed Maria’s words.

«I will protect you, Kazuki.»

No matter how often I listened to the recording, the words didn’t change. Maria had known. So that’s why she, although Yuuri-san had been crying, although she should have wanted to save everyone, had not said:

«I will protect you all.»

I understood why she hadn’t said that.

And then, I---

▶Seventh Day Big room[]

"I won."

I lost the bet against Koudai Kamiuchi.

▶Seventh Day [Secret eting] with [Koudai Kamiuchi], [Kazuki Hoshino]’s room[]

[Iroha Shindou][Yuuri Yanagi][Kazuki Hoshino][Daiya Oomine][Kazuki Hoshino][Yuuri Yanagi][Koudai Kamiuchi][Kazuki Hoshino][Maria Otonashi][Kazuki Hoshino]

I never thought he would choose for the [Secret eting].

"Heh, judging from your face, you did not [assassinate] because you noticed the truth, right?"

Though his life had been at stake, Koudai Kamiuchi spoke to leisurely as always.

"...did you have confidence?"

He smiled lightly.

"No way! Didn’t I tell you? I enjoy the risk!"

His ntal structure was a riddle to after all.

"So, now you want to assist you in killing Yuuri-chan? ...no way, huh. If you did, you’d have killed her yesterday already. Uhihi, Yuuri-chan was quite flustered when I disclosed that she’s ready to kill you, wasn’t she, Senpai?... that sure was cute."

"...Why?"

"Mh?"

"Why did you write it like that? Why didn’t you just spell out what she was doing?"

Koudai Kamiuchi answered coolly,

"I can’t do that."

"But why?!"

"Well, because I fell in love with her."

I first thought that was just another joke. But his eyes weren’t lying.

"...but you noticed that you were being used, huh? You also noticed that she’s going to kill you, right?"

"Well, yeah."

"And you’re still in love with her?"

"That’s what I’m saying the whole ti."

That’s just weird. It’s not normal to think like that.

"What’s with that face? Didn’t she do sothing similar to you as well? You should understand my feelings, then."

"There’s no way I could u---"

"So Senpai, did you think about killing her even for a mont?"

"...I,"

I closed my mouth subconsciously. No, he had to be mistaken. I would not kill, no matter who the target is.

But it was true that I had been on the brink of killing him while not thinking a tiny bit about killing Yuuri-san. And even now that he pointed it out, I still didn’t want to.

"Even while being deceived, one is still chard by Yuuri-chan. That applies to the both of us, right? Because we can understand that she wants to survive so well, we want to forgive her. ...well, in short, we still continue to be deceived although we noticed it. Hah... geez, Yuuri-chan really is too strong at this ga."

...we still continue to be deceived.

...I guess so. I’m still thinking that Koudai Kamiuchi might just be making this up in order to deceive . I want him to.

Therefore, in order to free myself from that naive thought, I asked him further,

"...Since when have you been cooperating with Yuuri-san?"

"Since the [Secret eting] on the first day! Playing the bad guy at that ti was also a request by Yuuri-chan."

So it had really been since the very start. Yuuri-san had been groping for a way to survive already at the very start, already at the ti she was pale.

"...was it Yuuri-san’s instruction to kill Daiya as well?"

"Well, yeah. It seems Yuuri-chan pretty much believed that story about the ’boxes’, and seriously thought that it would end with Oomine-senpai’s death."

"She believed the story about the ’boxes’...?"

Although she denied their existence all that ti...? Aah, I see. That was a performance to avoid being doubted by the rest of us as well.

"Do you rember that I was looking at my portable terminal at that ti, right before I did it? Actually, I was re-reading Yuuri-chan’s instructions!"

"...how detailed did she instruct you?"

"She roughly specified how I should act. Basically she wanted to make sure that she wouldn’t get doubted, you see. Well, that’s not the reason she gave , though."

Yuuri-san had smiled happily until Kamiuchi-kun caused that incident.

Even though she had known what would happen.

"......Maria..."

"Mh?"

"Why did Maria keep quiet despite knowing that Yuuri-san was involved in it?"

"Ah, you even noticed that?"

Maria had a [Secret eting] with Koudai Kamiuchi before that. So he forced her to keep quiet about it sohow?

"To tell the truth, Maricchi had already noticed yesterday. She wasn’t convinced, though, and only suspected her. Then, she questioned about Yuuri-chan’s involvent in our [Secret eting]."

I suddenly rembered Maria’s statent.

«......what I want to say is... you have already spent four [Secret etings] with Yanagi, right?»

"......don’t tell ,"

Did Maria doubt Yuuri-san already at that ti? Did she suspect Yuuri-san’s behavior when she subtly urged for a [Secret eting] with her?

But I was unable to notice Maria’s warning and still had a [Secret eting] with Yuuri-san. Because I was captured by my past with «Yanagi-san».

And that led to this worst-case situation.

"But don’t you think Maricchi’s too frank? Didn’t she fear for her own safety when she asked about Yuuri-chan?"

I could only agree with him, but that was the only way Maria could attack.

"Well, since I didn’t think I could keep it a secret anymore, I just told her almost the whole truth. Ah, as you guessed, I also made sure she would keep quiet about it."

"...How? Maria can’t be threatened that easily! Even if her own life was at stake, she wouldn’t obey such a threat!"

"I guess so. She doesn’t obey no matter what you threaten her with. ---therefore, I threatened her with doing sothing to you, Hoshino-senpai."

"......eh?"

"No, I hadn’t planned to do that, really. I simply announced to her that I would kill you next, Hoshino-senpai. Then she made that proposal herself: «I’ll keep quiet about the truth as you want, so don’t harm Kazuki. You can kill instead.» Really, how brave."

---Aah, I see now.

«I will protect you, Kazuki.»

That’s what those words ant.

"I agreed to it. Well, I don’t intend to stick to it, though. Or do you see a sense in it? I an, Yuuri-chan can’t leave the [Revolutionary] opposing her alive anyway."

...Maria has been more than enough aware of that. She certainly knew that her sacrifice wouldn’t solve anything.

But still Maria can’t abandon .

Because that’s what she takes pride in.

However---

"I wonder if she’s surprisingly an idiot... Maricchi, that is."

---Koudai Kamiuchi was unable to comprehend that.

As he lived at a place far away from such pride.

"......Kamiuchi-kun."

"What’s the matter?"

"If Yuuri-san hadn’t given you the instruction to kill Daiya, would you have let him live?"

He answered on the spot.

"No way."

That probably wasn’t even a difficult question to him.

"She just gave the last push. Even if she hadn’t handed a knife, I would have done sothing similar, I guess. I an, it would be idiotic to just wait until the ti runs out."

He continued amusedly,

"When we could enjoy such nice entertainnt!"

Aah, I got it.

Yuuri-san’s secret maneuvers don’t matter in that regard. I must not forgive him, whatever happens. On no account.

While I was clenching my fist silently, Koudai Kamiuchi searched his jute bag beside .

"Since I pity you, I’ll give you this!"

He stretched out that knife.

"......what are you scheming?"

"Take it as a ans of self-defence for now. It seems Yuuri-chan doesn’t plan to select the target of [Murder] until the [Secret eting] with you. If you kill Yuuri-chan quickly, you might survive."

"...are you serious?"

"...mh? Is it strange for to help you? As I said, I’m doing this out of sympathy, really. Consider it a farewell gift from a mber of the ’Victims of Yuuri Yanagi Club’!"

"That’s not it! What I an is... don’t you love Yuuri-san?"

He stared at perplexedly as if he had not understood .

Aah, I see.

He has nothing to protect. It’s like I can’t see a core in his heart. That’s why we couldn’t see consistency in his actions. Silencing Maria and giving hints at Yuuri-san’s secret manoeuvering didn’t bother him at all.

That was enough. I didn’t feel like talking with him anymore.

"......I don’t need that."

"Oh well."

He threw the knife on the table without showing any deeper emotions.

The conversation ended like that. He sat down on the bed and boredly played around with his portable terminal. I sat down on the ground and pressed my head against my knees.

I didn’t want to talk with him anymore, but there was sothing I had to confirm.

"Kamiuchi-kun."

I asked him without raising my face.

"Will you kill Yuuri-san after I die?"

Since Yuuri-san and Koudai Kamiuchi were the [King] and the [Knight], they couldn’t survive together. If he wanted to win the ga, he had to kill her.

He answered,

"Honestly speaking, I don’t know."

With his usual leisure tone. Halfheartedly.

"Isn’t it okay to look at it as another gamble?"

I raised my head and looked at his face.

As always, a loose expression was there. Koudai Kamiuchi had not changed at all. He didn’t feel any sin for killing Daiya and Iroha-san whatsoever.

"...hey, Kamiuchi-kun. It’s the first ti I’ll say sothing like this, but I have to get it off my chest."

"Just co out with it."

I took a deep breath and braced up as much ill will as possible,

"I hope you get fucking killed by Yuuri-san."

▶Seventh Day [Secret eting] with [Yuuri Yanagi], [Yuuri Yanagi]’s room[]

The Yuuri Yanagi I had known already wasn’t there anymore. Any loveliness had disappeared from her white face and what remained was re exhaustion.

And in her eyes dwelt that blankness.

Those were the eyes she had shown yesterday before embracing . I had thought that their origin was the emotional wound she had suffered.

But that was wrong.

That blankness resulted from her suppressing her feelings for a long ti in order to act in front of us.

And---I was no longer able to mix her up with «Nana Yanagi» when she was like that.

...no, it wasn’t just about her expression.

Probably, I had already realized that when I kissed her on the cheek.

Probably, I had already realized that when I thought that her tears are different from «Nana Yanagi»’s, when they didn’t quench my thirst.

I simply gazed at the girl in front of .

I simply continued to stare at her, without any sign of averting my gaze, but without putting any emotion into it as well.

The pale girl pressed her hands against her chest. She breathed fitfully.

Although I had been trying to keep my gaze free of any emotion, she had figured out its aning. And she had started to suffer.

---from her awareness of sin.

She wavered slightly and imdiately covered her mouth. But her resistance was futile; vomit flowed out through the gaps between her fingers.

"Uh, ghe..."

I was however unable to look after her and simply kept on watching.

Hate her.

Hate her.

I should hate her, who deceived us, who cornered us, who led us into this situation. It would be easier for if I did. Also, if I perceived her as my enemy, there might still be chances. I need to hate her.

And yet, she lanted to , looking so shaful.

---It’s painful.

She lanted.

---It’s painful, it’s painful, it’s painful, it’s painful it’s painful it’s painful it’s painful it’s painful it’s painful painful painful painful painful painful painful painful painful.

"------"

So what? Yuuri-san cornered and tornted others as well. She deserves to suffer like this now. Looking that painful might even be another of her tricks. Wouldn’t it be downright idiotic to feel sympathy for her?

And yet---

"......Are you okay?"

I spoke those kind words to her and stroked her back.

"...I’m, sorry."

Co to think of it, she had always been apologizing.

"I’m sorry."

After her default apology she continued,

"But I’m still going to kill you, Kazuki-san."

I know that!

Of course you wouldn’t let go of your life after hurting yourself so much to keep it.

"......Yuuri-san, you’d better lie down."

When I suggested that, even feeling compassion for her, she followed my advice obediently and lay down on the bed. But she didn’t turn her head to .

She asked like that,

"......Won’t you offer resistance?"

"I won’t."

I myself was surprised by my distinct words. Though I had been unsure whether to oppose her or not, I managed to answer her question on the spot.

But it was probably okay like that. Those reflexive words were certain to be my final answer.

"...so why did you want to have a [Secret eting] with ?"

"Because I have one wish."

Then I told her why I didn’t select Maria, but her to be my partner for the [Secret eting],

"Don’t kill Maria."

I noticed Yuuri-san breathe in, in surprise.

"...Why do you think I’d kill Otonashi-san? I an, I’m the [King] and Otonashi-san is [The Double]. In regard to the ga, she has a [class] I don’t need to kill in order to survive."

"You tried to make kill Koudai Kamiuchi, right?"

"......Yes."

"Even if I killed him, the ga would not end. However, you would beco unable to make him kill . Hence, no matter who you use to kill, in the end you have to get rid of the remaining one with your own hands. So, I wonder: why did you particularly want to kill him?"

Yuuri-san kept quiet, but I had found the answer myself,

"Because it’s easy to kill soone like , right?"

Her head twitched slightly.

"It would be too risky to save him for last, since you have to kill the remaining one with a knife. But in my case, there’s almost no danger for you. Hence, you wanted to save . Or am I wrong?"

Yuuri-san kept silent for a while, but at last she answered properly,

"......you’re right."

It was still a shock that she admitted it. But I hid those feelings and continued,

"But now you’ll have to kill Koudai Kamiuchi yourself. On top of that you even need to do it directly with a knife, though you have no chances of winning against him in a direct confrontation. So what are you going to do, I wonder? How would you raise your chance of survival?"

"......"

"...I think you already understand what I want to say, right? In order to raise your chance of survival---you will use Maria Otonashi."

Yuuri-san curled her body up.

"Well, I don’t know how exactly you plan to use her! Just, it’s unreasonable to think you would start to restrain yourself after having done all that. Yuuri-san, at worst you would even kill Maria in order to survive."

I drew closer to her face and looked into her eyes.

"Therefore, please."

I repeated my words.

"Don’t kill Maria."

I wouldn’t let her avert her eyes. I had to make her promise this.

The girl with a blank look answered, looking slightly frightened,

"...It’s easy to promise that. I just need to say it, even if it’s a lie."

"......Mh?"

"I an, you have no ans to confirm whether I abide by it, because you’ll be dead when I would use Otonashi-san. So isn’t it pointless to promise sothing like that now? By now you should be aware that I lie if I need to."

Although she’d just need to make the promise, she intentionally gave advice.

"...you’re different from Koudai Kamiuchi."

"Eh?"

"You have a proper awareness of sin. Therefore, you’re going to give in to my threat."

Threat. She widened her eyes because I had used such a word.

"If you kill Maria---I will ruin your life."

I won’t be alive anymore when Yuuri-san breaks our promise. But that doesn’t an I can’t threaten her.

I just need to prepare sothing that will be invoked when she breaks the promise.

"If you kill Maria, I will curse you and tornt you until the end of your life. I will beco a spirit that throws curses at you all day long. I won’t let you forget the fact that you’re a murderer even for a single mont. By doing so I will make you lose the aning of life and erase you."

Upon hearing the determination in my voice, Yuuri-san contorted her face to one that was either smiling or about to cry...I couldn’t judge.

"She’s important to you, huh."

She whispered.

"Otonashi-san’s very important to you, isn’t she?"

I was relieved that she had understood my intent.

"Yeah... therefore I won’t forgive you if you kill her."

This threat could only work because Yuuri-san had an awareness of sin.

Now she was going to fall prey to her feelings of guilt at the mont she’d kill Maria.

So she wouldn’t kill Maria anymore.

I stepped back from the bed and sat on the table.

"...So, why did you want to have a [Secret eting] with , Yuuri-san?"

"......"

"You selected as the partner of your [Secret eting], didn’t you?"

I gazed at her from the table.

"Indeed. ...I did."

She shifted her gaze to the ceiling.

"There’s one last thing I wanted to tell you. It may be hard to listen to, but can I tell you about my misdeeds? ...well, it seems you know most of it already, though."

"...As a confession?"

"No. It would be easier for to keep it hidden, after all."

"Why then?"

"Because it will help you."

I frowned.

"It will help ? What will?"

"The details about how I created this situation will help you."

I didn’t get it. Wouldn’t I die shortly after? What might help or not didn’t matter anymore.

But Yuuri-san didn’t elaborate on her reasoning and began her talk,

"I thought about ways to survive since I arrived in [Kingdom Royale]."

Her voice was trembling. As it seed, she really didn’t want to talk about it.

"While fearing for my life, I thought about how I could raise my chance of surviving. In other words, I planned to beco the winner of this murder-ga at that ti. The conclusion I ca to was to first make the others my allies for the ti being.

I especially wanted the [Revolutionary] and the [Sorcerer] on my side. Hence, I wanted to know who had those [classes]. For that sake, I intended to propose a coming-out of the [classes]. But surprisingly, Oomine-san proposed it instead."

"You wanted the [Revolutionary] and the [Sorcerer] on your side---"

"---in order to kill."

She declared so unhesitatingly. ...maybe she had beco a little bit too frank about her deeds.

"But the [Sorcerer] was Oomine-kun and he didn’t want to beco my ally. I suppose he saw through my acting that allowed to let tears flow like a faucet. And the [Revolutionary] was you, Kazuki-san. But you wouldn’t be able to kill anyone even if I asked you to."

"Thus, you made Kamiuchi-kun, the [Knight], your ally...? But your decision was quick, wasn’t it? He told that he had already received so instructions on the first day."

"It was... well, obvious that he had a crush on . I’m pretty sensitive to such things. Therefore, I quickly made him my ally and had him throw a tantrum to raise the tension."

"Why was there a need to do that?"

"To make the rest of you want to do sothing quickly. If they feel threatened, people want to make a plan against it. By doing so I made you want to do a coming-out."

I see... indeed, if everyone concluded that such a killer-ga could not happen, there would be no need to do anything new.

"I concluded that the story about the ’boxes’ is true. Therefore, I had to get rid of Oomine-san."

"That’s why you made Koudai Kamiuchi kill him?"

"Yes. But [Kingdom Royale] didn’t stop when Oomine-san died. Thus, I shifted my goal from killing the ’owner’ to winning the ga. ---you overall know the rest, right?"

I nodded. I was confident to have understood it in general. ...But I still had one more question.

"Then what about Iroha-san...? I assud the way she died might have been a ssage, but what exactly happened?"

I saw clearly that Yuuri-san’s face tensed up.

I comprehended from her expression that Iroha-san’s death was sothing special to her. Although she had spoken so boldly about her actions, this matter apparently caused so reluctance in her.

Yuuri-san bit on her lip once, but then she spoke,

"...I think it’s as you presud. We selected Iroha as a target for [Murder]. And when Iroha ca to know, she died like that to leave behind a ssage to tell you and Otonashi-san about my secret maneuvering."

She willingly suppressed her feelings and spoke in a plain voice.

Suddenly, I noticed a certain thing. The watch she was wearing on the right wrist. Her original watch had been beige-colored. But---her present one was orange.

"Even in this ga... I can still not win... against Iroha..."

And then she fell into silence.

I had the hunch that she would not answer any more questions about Iroha-san.

Therefore, I stopped pressing her on that matter any further.

"Okay, I understood what you did secretly.... but I still don’t understand how this should help ?"

To this question, Yuuri-san raised herself up from the bed and gazed at with those blank eyes.

"......Why do you think I believed the story about the ’box’?"

"Eh?"

"Can you please believe what I’m going to say now? ...No, sorry. After betraying you like that, it’s stupid to expect you could still believe , isn’t it?"

She continued hesitatingly,

"But since you asked , I’ll tell you. Unlike everyone else, I can rember what happened right before we arrived here."

"------!!"

I widened my eyes confronted with those unexpected words.

"There, I received an explanation from the ’owner’. He told that I would be going to play a killer-ga called [Kingdom Royale]."

The ’owner’...? So she knew the ’owner’, the wirepuller of [Kingdom Royale], from the very start?

"...who is that ’owner’...?"

Yuuri-san answered ,

"It’s Oomine-san."

Daiya is the ’owner’...?

I held my breath. Honestly, it wasn’t unexpected. Rather, it was only natural that it was him. She probably believed Maria because she knew that Daiya was the ’owner’. But---

"But---the ’box’ wasn’t destroyed in spite of Daiya’s death."

Right, if Daiya had been the ’owner’, this ’Ga of Idleness’ would have ended already.

"As I told you previously, I also thought it would end like that. But as you see, it didn’t. By that I imdiately ca across the answer."

She said,

"The Oomine-san that was here --- was not «Daiya Oomine»."

"......What are you talking about? So what on earth was that Daiya?"

"Well---"

But Yuuri-san hesitated.

"...I’m sorry, but I’d rather not tell you. If I said it now, you probably would not believe anyway. But think about it just for once: it can’t be called a proof, but the Oomine-san here had no self-awareness of being the ’owner’ of this ’box’, right?"

"Well, probably..."

If he had been self-aware, he would not have let himself get killed like that.

But even if that was true, that didn’t an that Yuuri-san was telling the truth. I couldn’t judge how much of her words were true.

"Yuuri-san, I’ll die soon, right?"

"Yes."

"So when I can’t fully believe you now, when on earth will I be able to?"

This question was probably a bit an, as there could be no answer.

However, she answered on the spot.

"At the mont when it’s your turn."

"My turn...? What turn...?"

But she didn’t answer anymore. That was probably another matter I «couldn’t believe now».

Maybe---[Kingdom Royale] won’t end even after she won and I died? Will it be started over again? But until when?

Don’t tell until the ’owner’ is satisfied...?

"Will we have to fight against each other like this again...?"

Yuuri-san averted her eyes when I said so.

Instead of the answer she told ,

"...Kazuki-san, I have one wish. Will you listen?"

With a face that seed to be on the verge of crying.

"Yeah, I’ll listen."

She flashed a spiritless smile and said,

"Thank you very much. So, please make a promise. Next ti, the ti after next ti or even the last ti, anyway, soti your turn will co without fail. At that ti, we’re certain to confront each other again. At that ti---"

She stood up and staggeringly walked to .

"At that ti---"

Tears started to flow from her eyes.

"---please kill ."

Then she clung to . However, rather than embracing , she just leaned against .

"Absolutely, absolutely, kill , please. If you don’t, I won’t be able to forgive myself. No... I can’t forgive myself already, but then, it would be even more so. So please kill . And let et you again afterwards. Please. Please, please, please---"

"---Don’t betray ."

Then, I realized.

Maybe I could start over again. Maybe there still was a chance to survive.

However---I could not save «Yanagi-san».

Looking at her, I recalled «Nana Yanagi» once more.

I had mixed up «Nana Yanagi» and «Yuuri Yanagi». I had thought that I might be able to change my past by getting attached to and saving Yuuri-san.

Although that was completely unreasonable.

They were different individuals, so saving one couldn’t possibly an saving the other. I hadn’t noticed that obvious point because I didn’t want to notice.

Because I sought relief.

But I now knew. I couldn’t possibly attain relief in such a ’box’ that was used by soone to kill ti.

"Sorry, but I’ll betray you."

I told her straightforwardly.

After all I was certain to---forget «Yanagi-san» again.

"Even if it’s my turn, I won’t kill you."

Maybe Yuuri-san would continue to suffer even when [Kingdom Royale] has ended because of that.

But I had decided.

Without giving in to such a ’box’ and without giving in to my past with «Nana Yanagi», I would protect.

I would protect myself,

Maria,

and---my everyday life.

...huh, the sa conclusion as always.

"I see......"

Whispering so, she retreated to her bed, her face downcast. There, she turned her back to in order to hide her face. I posed a question towards that back.

"...Can I ask just one more question, too?"

"...What?"

"Do you think you can defeat Koudai Kamiuchi?"

She was going to fight against her last enemy afterwards, Koudai Kamiuchi. She had to kill him directly with a knife, though she had virtually no chance of winning in a proper fight.

"...Of course!"

She turned around after saying so.

"......Ah."

I was surprised.

Those eyes weren’t blank anymore. The charming smile had returned to her face.

Of course it wasn’t a heartfelt expression. But that was exactly what surprised .

I was astonished that she could conceal even such horrible suffering perfectly.

"If it were Iroha or Otonashi-san, I could understand your doubts, but there’s no way I would lose to such a little fish, is there?"

She, who had used without depending on , unlike «Nana Yanagi», said so sharply.

"I’ll deceive him until the very end and kill him."

"...I see."

Though I had been deceived more than enough myself, I couldn’t suppress a laugh. Doing so, I rembered:

«I’m scared... I’m scared...!»

«I didn’t want to die on any account. Therefore, therefore, I---»

«Save, .»

She had deceived indeed. But she told surprisingly few lies. After all, she really had been scared, she did suffer and she had sought help.

And---

"Kazuki-san."

Yuuri Yanagi flashed a smile like when I kissed her on the cheek and said,

"I really did like you, Kazuki-san."

▶Seventh Day [Secret eting] with [Maria Otonashi], [Kazuki Hoshino]’s room[]

I told Maria everything I had found out.

No matter how hard it is for her to accept this outco, she can’t do anything about it.

Yuuri-san has already selected as the target for [Murder]. Maria knows that nothing can be done against it any more.

Therefore, we were just sitting on the bed, connecting hands. As if to carve the shape of each other’s hand into our mind, we entwined our fingers, correcting our grip over and over, just feeling each other.

Feeling each other for the last ti.

"Kazuki."

Maria called my na.

"Truth be told, there’s sothing I purposely didn’t tell you."

"...Eh?"

"I don’t have the ’Flawed Bliss’ at the present ti."

As I didn’t get what she was talking about, I just gazed at her.

"I suppose that I lost my power temporarily, but I can’t say for sure. I haven’t co upon such a ’box’ until now, but that might be one of the characteristics of the ’Ga of Idleness’."

...wasn’t that actually rather important?

"Why didn’t you tell ?"

Maria turned her glance slightly downwards and said while entwining our fingers,

"I am not a human, but a ’box’. I am just a being that exists for the sake of others. That’s how I always explained it to you. Maria Otonashi... no, Aya Otonashi has to be such a being. And what sustains , what lets be like that, is the ’Flawed Bliss’. However, I cannot use it now. So, what am I?"

"Maria is Maria!"

"......and this is where we ended up, huh."

Maria gripped my hand so strongly, it almost hurt .

"Am I not even able to protect just Kazuki...?"

"...Maria."

"Hah! [The Double]? I wish I’d be able to die in your place, then."

Maria’s bad habit appeared again.

The bad habit of straightaway disdaining herself.

"...Please stop. I don’t wish for anything like that."

"I know! I know that this desire serves nothing but my own selfishness!"

I opened my eyes wide when she suddenly shouted at .

"...Eh?"

Maria was aware of it? She didn’t actually believe that it would help others?

"After all during «that week» you harshly taught that it’s just my haughtiness..."

She said and scowled at .

"But still! But still, I’m a ’box’!"

I was overwheld by the intensity of her words and kept silent.

She had noticed it, but she couldn’t change it. Because she held a conviction that was unshakable for her. If she changed that, she wouldn’t be able to stay the person she was anymore.

"......Sorry for shouting at you."

Maria averted her eyes awkwardly.

"But it’s mortifying. I’m downright unable to accept this outco."

"...Don’t worry, Maria. If Yuuri-san’s telling the truth, we can et again."

"That doesn’t matter. The fact that you’re going to part from shortly doesn’t change. I’m certain to lose you now, Kazuki."

"......Maria."

Indeed, I can’t believe it either, that I can co back to life.

"...Kazuki, as I said just now, you can’t call a ’box’ at the mont. Therefore, I’m unable to protect anyone. Even after this I might have to watch Yanagi suffer, without being able to do anything. In [Kingdom Royale], I’m only a powerless girl."

After saying that, Maria embraced my head.

"Therefore I think it’s okay to show so of Maria Otonashi’s weakness."

Close to my ear she whispered.

"I’m sad!"

Her lips slightly touched my ear.

"I can’t bear your death. It breaks my heart. I don’t want that. I want to be with you."

Suddenly I rembered the scene during the repeating classroom when I had knelt and held my hand out to her.

"I may be powerless. I may be just Maria Otonashi right now. But---"

At that ti, she had certainly been a powerless girl as well, though just for an instant.

And similarly, she was a powerless girl in the ’Ga of Idleness’.

"---still, I want to protect you even if I have to pay with my own life."

I didn’t know what her face looked like when she said that.

But I knew the answer I had to give.

"Sorry."

After all I had decided at the ti when I had chosen Maria, and not «Yanagi-san».

"No matter how hard this may be for you, this ti it’s not your job to protect."

When I had chosen her, who made the I am now, I had decided.

"It’s my job to protect you when you have lost your ’box’."

I had decided to protect Maria.

And like that, to protect my everyday life.

To protect the everyday life Maria didn’t desire.

▶Seventh Day [Kazuki Hoshino]’s room[]

And then I was pierced by an invisible blade.

- [Kazuki Hoshino], death by [Deathblow]

*********** GA OVER ***********

Winners

[Yuuri Yanagi] (Player)

[King], killed Kazuki Hoshino on the seventh day by selecting him as the target of [Murder]. Killed Koudai Kamiuchi directly on the sa day. Alive.

* Victory conditions have been t due to Iroha Shindou, Kazuki Hoshino and Koudai Kamiuchi’s death.

[Maria Otonashi]

[The Double], alive.

* Victory conditions have been t due to Iroha Shindou, Kazuki Hoshino’s death.

Losers

[Iroha Shindou]

[Prince], executed on the sixth day because of ignoring the ti schedule.

[Daiya Oomine]

[Sorcerer], carotid artery was directly cut by Koudai Kamiuchi on the sixth day, bled to death.

[Kazuki Hoshino]

[Revolutionary], killed on the seventh day by Yuuri Yanagi and Koudai Kamiuchi’s [Deathblow].

[Koudai Kamiuchi]

[Knight], directly killed Daiya Oomine on the sixth day. Killed Kazuki Hoshino using [Deathblow] on the seventh day. Was stabbed in the stomach by Yuuri Yanagi on the sa day, death due to hemorrhagic shock.

▶First Day Big room[]

I heard that it’s a ga about killing each other.

I think I also paid an appropriate amount of attention.

But there’s no way I could ever deal with sothing like this! How should I have imagined that I would hit Ga Over right away?

The knife found its way into the flesh of my throat. I was thrown down on the floor and could feel that blood was flowing down my neck.

"Stray thoughts."

The girl in front of opened the mouth on her neat face.

"Stray thoughts arose in when I noticed it’s you, Kazuki-kun. It seems I would actually want to save you. I wonder, does that an I’m still inexperienced?"

The girl chanically said incomprehensible stuff, only blinking with her eyes, her empty expression unchanged.

She slightly loosened the pressure of the knife and continued,

"Well, I might as well teach you about for the sake of your future! I only have ti until that asshole Kamiuchi arrives here, so it won’t be long. Tch, too bad he’s going to live. I would have wanted to kill him the most."

What is that girl talking about...? Who’s Kamiuchi? And in the first place, who’s she? Why does she know my na?

"I neither have astounding physical abilities, nor do I have an outstanding IQ. I have no photographic mory either, nor do I have synesthesia. I have no evident special abilities at all. So, how can I be what I am?"

The blood-stained girl said, still devoid of any expression,

"It’s because I can concentrate."

She continued plainly,

"For example, foot races. At first I erase all stray thoughts. I cut off thoughts like against whom I could win, how my chances are or what I might achieve by winning. Then I do so light analysis from the condition of the ground over the condition of my own body, like my white fibers, to today’s perfect running form and make a simulation. While doing the crouch start, I only concentrate on the sound. I erase all stray thoughts and just concentrate on the sound of the starting shot. But at only 340m/s, the speed of sound is slow. As a matter of fact, I start sprinting exactly at the sa ti the shot resounds, but I mustn’t imagine it like that. I try to get ahead of the sound in my mind. Then, I run like I simulated beforehand. I don’t need any unnecessary thoughts. That’s why I have no mories of the ti I was running when the race is over."

After finishing she directed her emotionless eyes towards .

"Aah, sorry. That turned out to be longer than expected. In short, one can evoke ’extraordinary’ abilities if one focuses all energy on just one point. And it’s just that I’m good at doing that; I’m no superman. Okay, this information will help you, certainly."

What is she talking about? Is she insane?

I noticed that the back of my head felt wet. While I could conjecture what kind of liquid it was, I was unable to confirm it. ...I didn’t want to.

Instead my eyes found sothing different.

"Uh, aah---"

Maria’s collapsed body.

And not only she was lying there collapsed. There were other slumped bodies as well.

"I think I’m a little angry. On one hand at Koudai Kamiuchi’s inhumanity, but mainly at that bitch. She deceived not only in this ga, but just as easily in our daily life."

Despite her words, I couldn’t see any anger in her face.

"Did you know? Yuuri went out with him, knowing that I had a crush on him. And on top of that, she didn’t even like him herself. She did it just to make suffer. Isn’t that cruel? When soone tells you sothing like that, it’s only natural that you can’t do anything but leave a dying ssage."

I had already given up trying to understand her.

"But I think those emotions have no relation to what I’m doing here. Emotions aren’t necessary to win this ga after all. And well, I had already finished my preparations when the explanation of [Kingdom Royale] ended."

"......preparations?"

"Yeah---The preparations to maintain concentration until I’ve killed everyone I need to kill in order to win."

Then, without the slightest change in her expression---

---she killed .

"I’ll worry about emotions and regrets after everything’s over."

My carotid artery was cut, whereupon my consciousness instantly started to fade.

And in my fading consciousness I had the feeling of hearing soone’s wailing. I listened to that voice and finally rembered.

Right, that girl is the student council presi...

- [Kazuki Hoshino], carotid artery cut by [Iroha Shindou], dead

*********** GA OVER ***********

Winners

[Iroha Shindou] (Player)

[Sorcerer], directly killed Yuuri Yanagi, Maria Otonashi, Daiya Oomine and Kazuki Hoshino on the first day. Alive.

* Victory conditions have been t because she brilliantly managed to survive.

[Koudai Kamiuchi]

[The Double], alive.

* Victory conditions have been t due to Kazuki Hoshino and Maria Otonashi’s death.

Losers

[Yuuri Yanagi]

[Knight], carotid artery was cut by Iroha Shindou on the first day, bled to death.

[Daiya Oomine]

[King], carotid artery was cut by Iroha Shindou on the first day, bled to death.

[Kazuki Hoshino]

[Prince], carotid artery was cut by Iroha Shindou on the first day, bled to death.

[Maria Otonashi]

[Revolutionary], carotid artery was cut by Iroha Shindou on the first day, bled to death.

The intoxicated swaying stopped and the transparent hands that had pulled in disappeared.

Before my eyes was an arcade ga machine with [Kingdom Royale] written on it.

I had returned to the black room. I felt revulsion against the black air that had stuck to my entire body --- and rembered.

Right. Those transparent hands had co out from that ga machine and seized , and---

"Welco back from that aningless fight to the death."

Daiya Oomine, the ’owner’ of the ’Ga of Idleness’, was standing before my eyes.

"How was that [vicarious experience]?"

Daiya said such a thing.

"It was a [vicarious experience]...?"

"Yeah, you actually didn’t experience anything of what happened in [Kingdom Royale] so far yourself. How should I explain it... right, consider it as having experienced sothing like the mories or the past logs of another player."

What is he talking about? The mory of other players? But why did I see those mories from my point of view, then?

That was my very own mory!

"It seems you don’t get it."

"...well, I an, it was obviously that was in the---"

"That was an NPC."

Daiya cut short.

"...Hah?"

"You don’t even know such simple gaming terms? Listen, that guy, who you thought was yourself, was actually an enemy character controlled by the computer of [Kingdom Royale]. If it had been the real you, you would hardly be here now, would you? After all, you died twice."

...I don’t get it. An NPC had all those worries I had and suffered like that?

"...That’s a lie! There’s no way my thinking and actions could be imitated that accurately."

"Doesn’t it prove that it’s a ’box’ because it can do it?"

"...well, that may be so, but..."

Co to think of it, Maria didn’t have her ’box’. Can that also be explained with her having been an NPC?

"...but for what purpose did you include them?"

"As I told you before, this ’Ga of Idleness’ is a ’box’ that rely forces people to play [Kingdom Royale] in order to stave off boredom. But [Kingdom Royale] doesn’t start until soone starts killing. And how can it stave off boredom if it doesn’t start? So, here’s my question: how can we make sure that soone definitely kills soone else?"

Without letting interrupt him, he said,

"Simply create a system that forces you to kill."

"How does the existence of NPCs ensure that soone will kill?"

"There is only one player in [Kingdom Royale] that fights in the truest sense. The one that dies if he’s defeated. The others are NPCs. Can you follow ?"

I nodded with a frown.

"That player knows that the others are just NPCs. It’s still not easy to bring himself to do it, but he knows that the real person will stay alive even if he kills the corresponding NPC. Contrary, he also knows that he’s the only one that would die for good. So, I wonder: can a player in that position keep himself from killing anyone?"

I recalled what Yuuri-san had told in the second round.

«I don’t want to die!»

The player of that round had most likely been her. If she had been completely in the dark about the circumstances, would she really have been able to go that far? I doubted it. It was the fact that the others were NPCs that allowed her to take the last step, for sure.

No it was even more obvious in Iroha-san’s case. Because she knew that she wouldn’t steal our chance, she suppressed her emotions and ended the ga quickly.

Those three rounds progressed completely differently, just by changing the player. This demonstrated the heavy influence of the player and made clear that the player’s existence really was the key to starting [Kingdom Royale].

"...so why was Yuuri-san so reluctant to kill us and suffered like that? Didn’t she know that we were just NPCs?"

"You’re a piece of trash without imagination, aren’t you? You realize that that NPC is a perfect copy of you, right? Sure, you won’t die yourself if he gets killed. ... but that’s as far as it goes."

"......?"

"Your NPC isn’t any different from you. The personality and everything else is the sa as you. Could you easily forgive soone that killed a being that’s identical to you? Or vice versa: could you calmly kill the NPCs identical to the others?"

I closed my mouth.

"You know the answer because you [vicariously experienced] it, right? Killing the NPC is just like killing the real guy."

...exactly. My real self’s life had nothing to do with my NPCs. They were exactly the sa as and they were indeed killed by Yuuri-san and Iroha-san.

My NPCs and I were the exact sa person but existed separately.

"...Daiya, you ntioned [vicarious experience] a few tis. Do you an that I indirectly experienced what my NPCs experienced through their eyes?"

"Yeah, that’s right."

In that case I hadn’t won or lost in [Kingdom Royale] up to that point.

This was going to be decided now.

I looked at the gaming machine in front of .

This ti I was finally going to start [Kingdom Royale] in the real sense. I was going to start a ga in which I wouldn’t recover from death.

"It’s your turn."

"...the playing order until now was you, Yuuri-san and Iroha-san, right?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Where are Yuuri-san and Iroha-san now?"

"They’re in this dark room. They are sleeping... or to be more exact, they are in a stopped condition. You could actually find them here, but it’s pointless since you can’t do anything for them anyway. They will be released when all six players have finished the ga."

"Everyone has survived until now, right?"

"Yeah. Because they won when they were players."

"...the mory from inside [Kingdom Royale] won’t disappear, I guess?"

"Yeah, it won’t."

I rembered. Since I didn’t experience it myself, this might not be the correct expression, though... anyway, I rembered.

Yuuri Yanagi’s blank eyes.

Iroha Shindou’s wailing.

Those two suffered and were burdened with sins that they can’t make up for anymore. No matter what I’d do in my round, I was unable to save them.

I couldn’t save those two anymore.

I could only save myself, as they had done.

...no, that wasn’t quite right.

"Daiya."

"What?"

"When is Maria’s turn?"

Daiya answered ,

"After yours."

I see, so---

---I can save Maria.

I looked around in this dark room searching for her body. But everything was concealed by that unpleasant darkness, so I could only see the imdiate vicinity of the ga machine.

Yuuri-san and Iroha-san had given so hints to win. They had taught how to defeat them.

But that was no good for .

The problem was that Maria couldn’t win in this ga no matter what. This ga required the player to deceive and kill the others, but she could do neither.

She was powerless in the ’Ga of Idleness’.

I had to save her. If I didn’t, to , she was going to beco another «Nana Yanagi».

But what should I do? Even if I won [Kingdom Royale], that would only an that I survived and not that Maria’s saved.

Right---it was not my goal to win [Kingdom Royale].

It was to destroy this foolish ’box’; to destroy the ’Ga of Idleness’.

"...what’s with that conceited look, Kazu?"

Daiya frowned at when I scowled at him.

"You aren’t fair, are you, Daiya?"

"What?"

"I’m saying that you’re unfair."

Daiya was clearly displeased at those words, just as I had planned.

"How so? I was the very first to play [Kingdom Royale]. Since I wasn’t able to resort to any [vicarious experiences], I was clearly at a disadvantage and had to grope my own way. And still you call unfair?"

"Our goal is different."

"What?"

"To , winning in [Kingdom Royale] doesn’t achieve my goal. It would just an that I managed to survive. You know that my goal is to return to my everyday life, don’t you?"

"......"

"I beco unable to achieve my goal just by killing soone in the ga. If [Kingdom Royale] really is a ga that only ends if I kill soone, then I definitely can’t achieve my goal. In other words, I can’t win. And you simply shut into that cage and watch my inevitable death. How can you call that fair?"

Daiya just scowled at when silently I declared so. I hid my inner anxiety and scowled back at him.

This condition lasted for a while---but then Daiya began to laugh.

"W-What’s so funny?"

"What are you saying? Didn’t you start this staring contest to make laugh? Aah, yeah yeah, I lost. Your face sure is funny!"

"...tell already what’s so funny!"

"That’s obvious, isn’t it? I an, with this provocation you’re clearly trying to get so advantageous conditions out of ."

"......Ah."

He had seen through .

"Please do that when you’ve beco as skillful as Yanagi. There’s no way I’d fall for such a crappy performance. You sure are a laughable and foolish guy."

"Uh---"

Did I fail---?

If Daiya doesn’t change the rules for , I won’t be able to achieve my goal. So it’s a stalemate, then?

Will I---not be able to save Maria?

"But this seems interesting."

Daiya said.

"......eh?"

"I’ll accept your challenge. That’s what I’m saying."

But I was still unable to comprehend and dropped my jaw.

"There is a hidden trick to end [Kingdom Royale] without killing anyone."

Daiya continued without caring about . I managed to close my mouth again and concentrated on the conversation with Daiya.

"Do you rember that that green bear said that it would be boring if everyone turned into a mummy?"

I tried to retrace my mory.

«Okay thEn - I wiSh all oF you a - good fight! - Just dOn’t end - the gA by - doing sothing - as bOring- as to tuRn - into muMmies everyone - okAy?»

Yeah, he had said so.

"Again, this is a ’box’ that serves to stave off boredom. A round that ends peacefully without anything happening is unwanted. I haven’t considered an end in which no one has killed anyone, and I also have no interest in such an end. Therefore, if it’s sure that no one will kill, the ga will be forced to end. So, if everyone’s food supply runs out and the ti cos, the player will be released just like that."

"In other words---"

"You can survive if nobody kills anyone during those eight days."

Aah, that’s it.

That can beco proof that I managed to win against the ’box’ and maintain my everyday life.

"And---if you can cause that kind of end, I will destroy the ’Ga of Idleness’. That’s the ’fair’ you’ve been talking about, right?"

"...really?"

"Have I ever lied to you?"

......very often, actually.

Since it was Daiya, he would keep his promise. There was no way soone as prideful as him would break a promise that was that clearly about victory or defeat.

My victory had beco possible.

Of course, it was most difficult to prevent Daiya, Koudai Kamiuchi and the others from killing soone. When the ti limit draws near and the fear of death haunts them, soone might make a mistake. It was a difficult task to reach an end in which nothing happens.

But still, I had to attempt it.

"...Daiya."

I pointed my index finger at him.

Daiya called the [Kingdom Royale] so far a «aningless fight to the death».

But I denied that.

There was a aning. Yuuri-san, Iroha-san and everyone else’s struggling had taught the way to win against Daiya.

I definitely wouldn’t render everyone’s suffering futile.

"I will win against you, Daiya!"

Daiya grinned confidently and declared,

"Absolutely impossible."