Published at 26th of March 2019 12:07 am

Volume 3, Part 2

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

"Eh...?"

Confused by this sudden development, I let my voice leak out. The last thing I can remember is that I had slipped into my bed to forget about this event that almost caused me 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 someone 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 me. 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 meters. And yet, it seems to move away each time I take a step; my perception is ignoring reality and enlarging this distance.

Guni—

My foot hit against something.

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 somewhere before. Could she be an acquaintance on a level where I can faintly remember her...?

She isn't breathing.

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

I confirm my own clothing. The same 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 game machine that secluded Onsen-inns would have. «Kingdom Royale» is written on its screen, which seems to be something 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'"[1]

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

"This is the 'wish' that was put into this 'Game of Idleness'."

I'm unable to grasp his intention.

"Of course you can't understand me, 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 'Game 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 me, huh. People with no imagination are always so conceited."

"...you can't deceive me. 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 remember 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 attachment 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 come 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 statement surprises me.

I would have never dreamed 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 time for people who are engulfed by boredom. Thus, this is only a game. A pointless game."

He explains and starts to grin.

"But it's very valuable to me nonetheless."

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

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

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

"It's just a game for the sake of killing time. It has no other purpose than staving off boredom. So—"

"—Let's have a meaningless 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*

Something grabbed my head in my trance.

Something comes out of the game 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 abdomen, and cover my whole body.

"Da-Daiya—!!"

Daiya coldly ignores my grimace and says,

"Go."

And then I am—drawn in by those hands.

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

▶First Day {A} [Kazuki Hoshino]'s room

The first thing I see is a naked light bulb dangling from a blank concrete ceiling. I have no idea where I am, and I leap up in surprise.

"...What room am I in?"

Even as I try to stem my increasing confusion, I try to remember how I got here.

I went to sleep in the lower bunk like I normally do. I don't remember going anywhere after that. Neither do I remember having changed the place, nor having met anyone.

I look around the six tatami-size room. I see a toilet and a washbowl. There's a table in the center of the room, and a jute bag is sitting on top of the table.

But what stands out most is the modern 20-inch screen embedded in the wall. It seems totally out-of-place in this prison-like room.

I focus my attention on myself. I'm wearing my school uniform, and all my pockets are empty.

I reach into the jute bag and take out one item after another.

A ball-point pen.

A memo book.

A blue digital watch.

Seven portions of solid food.

There's also a portable terminal that looks exactly like an «iPod touch».

Finally---

"------"

A heavy-duty knife.

I carefully remove its sheath. It's a solid blade with a serrated edge. It's like a combat knife that could appear in the hands of a soldier in a movie.

"...What the heck...? Why do I need..."

This is obviously a weapon. A tool made to kill.

Someone is trying to make me fight? Is fighting my only choice?

I shake my head and throw the knife back into the bag. I'm trembling, so I take a deep breath and try to calm down.

I look around the room one more time. There's no window, and I don't see any vents. There's only one door, and it seems really heavy. I consider opening it, but then I realize there's no doorknob. Just in case, I push lightly against it, but it doesn't move an inch.

I totter over to my bed and plunk myself down.

"What's going on here...?"

I don't get it. I don't get it... but this is an abnormal situation.

---Abnormal - totally outside the bounds of my everyday life.

Aah, is this perhaps---

«Good - morning»

Hearing a totally unexpected voice makes my heart skip a beat.

I turn my head. ---What's going on?--- An odd-looking creature has appeared on the previously blank screen.

«HaHaHa - Good - morning - Kazuki-kun»

In contrast to the intimate way I'm being addressed, the voice sounds awfully machine-like and utterly lacking in intonation. The garishly green thing on the screen is supposed to represent a bear... I guess. Probably. Because of its squinty eyes and ill-formed body, it doesn't look cute at all. Put bluntly, it looks gross.

«YaaYaaYaa - Do - you - feel - well? I am - Noitan - the mascot! PleaseD to - meet you»

The bear's ---Noitan's?--- mouth moves up and down. It's animated terribly, with just the chin moving up and down, reinforcing thes same vibe: totally gross.

"...What a horrible mascot. It would make kids cry..."

«Who is horrible, you fucking pig! Shall I maim you by crushing your balls? That would serve you right!»

"......Whoa!"

I-It just responded to what I said! On top of that, it's got an extremely foul mouth! And why is it suddenly speaking so naturally!? Also, the graphics depicting those bloodshot eyes is just too scary!

"...U-umm... are you able to talk to me?"

«Yes - I am - able to!»

The original tone has returned.

It seems it's set to speak naturally only when he's angry.

"Noitan,"

«You over-familiar piece of sh*t, why won't you add a "san" to my name!? Also, speak with greater respect!»

"......Noitan-san. I don't know how I got here, so I'm wondering where I am?"

«You are inSide - the game - called - [Kingdom Royale]! I will - eXplain it later - at the place - where eVeryone has gone, but ---»

"Everyone...? So I'm not the only one here?!"

«Shut the fuck up when I'm speaking or do you want me to tear your tongue out?!»

"......I am sorry."

«The door - will now open! You wilL go to - the place - where all participants - of this game are gaThered! I will - eXplain it to you - there so please - wait a moment»

After Noitan finishes speaking, the heavy door starts to swing open, slowly but steadily.

"...May I leave?"

«Please do - if you have - prepareD yourself!»

"Prepared myself...?"

«Beyond thiS door - is the big room - Are you prepared - to mEet the humans - that aRe in the same - position as you?»

"What are we going to do?"

Noitan contorts his eerie-looking face and says,

«Mortal combat!»

"........Eh? What does this---"

The screen shuts down before I can finish my sentence. At the same time, the door had swung completely open.

---What on earth is this?

Darkness blankets whatever is on the other side of the doorway.

Is there really a room out there? ...I can't believe it.

But I'm sure I can't refuse to go.

I put on the blue watch that was on the table and stand in front of the doorway. Despite the doubts that assail my mind, I try to reassure myself that I'm making the right choice:

...It's alright. It should be alright.

Nothing good awaits me out there. But, I am inside a 'box', so she must be here.

---Maria is here.

So it's alright.

This is what I'm thinking as I leap into the dark.

▶First Day {B} Big room

Immediately, everything around me changes.

All I can see is white., an unnatural white that makes me feel like a visitor to a freshly built, empty hospital without any doctors, nurses or patients.

When I finally manage to realize this much---

"Ueh...?"

---I am knocked over.

Without having time to wonder or to feel the pain of the hard ground striking against my back, the point of a knife thrusts before my very eyes.

"Your name?"

Seeing the girl with shoulder length hair that is holding a knife in front of me, I finally realize what is happening to me.

"H-HII...!!"

"You're called «HII»? That's not true, is it? Didn't I ask you for your name?"

W-Who is this?

"K-Kazuki Hoshino."

I notice that she is wearing our school's uniform and, on her left hand, an orange digital watch. Naturally, the color is different from mine.

So is she a participant of this game? ...eh? Perhaps, the life and death fight has already begun and am I just checkmated? W-Wait a moment! Isn't that too cruel?!

Though my situation seems so hopeless---

"Kazuki!"

---Aah, just by hearing this voice I am able to calm down.

"Mh, Otonashi-san, is this an acquaintance of yours?"

"Yeah, he is."

Returning her gaze, the girl with shoulder-length hair looks at me with observing eyes.

"...Huuh."

Having said so, she stands up without changing her expression and steps back. I don't really get it, but it seems I was released.

"Are you alright, Kazuki?"

"Y-Yeah..."

I answer while taking Maria's hand after she rushes to me.

"B-But why on earth did she---"

"---Whoa!"

I stop my words when another voice resounds, and turn around in wonder. The girl from before is holding her knife against an upright guy with brown hair.

"...umm, what, all of a sudden?"

He asks, while looking around using only his eyes. He's startled, but seems to have enough composure to examine us.

"...You're pretty composed, aren't you?"

Having noticed this, she says so to the brown-haired guy.

"Not at all, actually... well, but I noticed that 'Aah, you're not serious', so I could stay cool somehow."

She answers with a meaningful "Ohoo" to his words, then she removes her knife and releases him.

"...Ah, do you let me go already?"

"Do what you want."

...She releases the brown-haired guy readily as well, huh. I really wonder why she's doing this?

The released brown-haired guy already flashes a smile as if he forgot what just happened to him and said,

"Oh, there are a whole three hotties! Lucky me!"

Three...? Umm, Maria, the girl that assaulted me with a knife, and---

I discover a girl with long hair that is curled up into a ball next to the big monitor in this room. With her white skin and the contrastive deep black hair, the girl made a trim impression on me.

Also, she is wearing a beige digital watch on her left wrist.

"Don't worry, Yuuri!"

The knife-wielding girl pats the head of the black-haired girl and smiles at her, showing a kindness she did not display to us. The face of the black-haired girl that is being contorted in fear relaxes slightly, but this lasts only for a short moment.

"...What will become of us...?"

"We'll be fine!"

...It seems those two are acquainted.

"You're Hoshino-Upperclassmansenpai, right?"

Being addressed, I remove my glance from those two. It's the brown-haired guy from before.

"Do you know me?"

"Of course! Senpai, aren't you famous, together with this Maricchi over there? You can't tell me that you forgot about that legendary entrance ceremony!"

He is wearing a crinkled uniform, a silver necklace and on his wrist a green digital watch. ...come to think of it, everyone here wears our school's uniform.

"Umm, what's your name?"

"I am --- ah! Kaichou, it seems we're all here now, so how about an introduction?"

He says to the knife-girl.

«Council ChairmanKaichou»? Does this mean that she's the student council chairman? One of the three supermen Kokone told me about?

"Mh, right. That might not be bad."

Now that he mentions it, I have often heard this crisp voice in announcements over mic. This self-confidently smiling girl is... right, without doubt the student council chairman.

So---

I'll have to fight against those supermen in this life and death fight?

"Do you think this is everyone?"

The student council chairman asks him.

"There are six chairs, so I guess so."

"Well, yeah."

...eh? Six?

"Wait a sec! Aren't we only five---"

"Kazu, are your eyes made of glass?"

I hold my breath when I hear these words.

In the center of the room is an oblong table with six chairs arranged evenly around it. On the furthest one from me is, he.

"...Daiya."

The uniformed Daiya contorts his mouth slightly, and raises the hand on which he is wearing a black digital watch, as if to send me a light greeting.

Despite this being the first time we meet in almost two months, despite this being at such a place, his greeting was light as if we had just met.

"What? Do you know each other? ......I see."

"Kaichou. Can I take this as your assessment of the risk that we may ally against you?"

The chairman loses her composure for an instant, but then she snorts. She continues,

"I leave that to your own judgement."

This time it is Daiya who smirks at her words.

What kind of exchange are those two having...? Almost as if they are already preparing for war.

...No, or has it already begun? Is this the reason why she held a knife against me?

"I'm the only one without acquaintances then? I feel so lonely~"

The brown-haired one embraces his head exaggeratedly as if he hasn't noticed the tension between the two of them at all. ...I wonder if that guy even knows what situation he is in...?

"Right, we were going to introduce ourselves. Shall we do it then? For now, let's sit down since there are seats after all."

I sit down in front of Daiya and Maria takes the spot next to me. Maria is wearing a watch on her wrist as well. The color is red.

"Okay, many of you should already know me, but I'll start with my introduction. I am---"

"Before that, can I ask one question?"

Maria scowls at the chairman in front of her and asks so.

"What?"

"I didn't intervene because I did not sense the will to harm anyone in you... but what was this threat with your knife supposed to be?"

"Aah, that?"

Seeming not to care about Maria's scowl, the chairman starts to explain.

"If you've got the same explanation as I have from that silly bear, you should know that a «death-feud» game is going to be carried out here, right? Therefore, I considered that there might be someone who would want to take the initiative while everyone is still confused. So I thought by doing so I could prevent this. In short; crisis management."

"Ha!"

Daiya snorts at this explanation. The chairman seems obviously offended.

"Uumm... Daiya Oomine-kun, was it, right? I've heard of you in rumors. So, what was that sardonic laugh supposed to mean?"

"I just thought that this was a painful lie. Crisis management? Do you seriously believe there is a militant that would cause a massacre just by this explanation of that bear? You merely tried to make the first move in order to be in a psychologically superior position, or am I wrong? Be at ease, the only one who could do this is you, who can arrive at such a thought!"

"A strategy to be in a psychologically superior position, huh. You're getting me wrong, totally wrong. I would not use such means in which the downside outweighs the benefit. If I acted clumsily and incurred someone's enmity, I would be the one at risk, right?"

"Then was it a check for the wirepuller? Did you try to find suspicious people by their reaction?"

"I didn't think that far. How rude."

Her replies are light. However, the anxiety in the air cannot be hidden by that.

"Whoa, chill out Senpais! You're really scary!"

The brown-haired guy interrupts them.

"...Okay. But you sure are calmed down, aren't you? You're quite a strange fellow."

"Cut it out please! I'm like this just because I can't keep cool. Usually, I act more maturely, but how should I say it, a strange tension's in the air now... Well, but I think I'm not as tense as your friend there, Kaichou."

When the conversation goes towards her, the docile-looking girl cringes her shoulders.

"I-I'm sorry..."

"No, Yuuri. You have no reason to apologize."

"I-I'm sorry, Iroha."

The chairman laughs and shrugs her shoulders when seeing how she apologizes right again.

"Aah~... somehow I lost my tension."

"Yuuri-chan, nice!"

He sends her a thumbs up.

"Eh? Eh? Did I do anything...?"

She blinks puzzledly, which makes the chairman giggle again.

"Shall we return to our main subject and start the introduction? I am the third year Iroha Shindou and, as you may know, the chairman of the student council. My special skill is that I can sleep anywhere. My hobby is track and field."

"While being able to participate in events all over the land, Track and field athletics is just your hobby, huh? I bet you're quite unpopular, aren't you?"

Daiya butts in.

"You have a sharp tongue, huh? But it's a simple fact that it's my hobby. After all I'm not suited for track-and-field. In those events you have no other choice but to rely on your physical nature. And I'm not so gifted in that. Hence, I'm not suited. It's just a hobby."

"It's called 'sarcasm'!"

"'-The youngster said sarcastically.'"

The chairman counters nonchalantly. To be able to keep up with Daiya, she really is superhuman.

She pokes the girl next to her with her elbow, urging her to continue.

"Ah, I-I am, um, a third-year and, err, was on good terms with Iroha in the first year when we were in the same class... umm, special skills and such as well, Iroha? Uuumm... I don't know of any special skill... but my hobby is to read. My name is Yuuri --- Yuuri Yanagi."

"Eh?"

I mutter unknowingly.

Did she just say «Yanagi»?

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

The girl that named herself «Yuuri Yanagi» becomes confused by my behavior.

"Ah"

I come to my senses again and shake my hands desperately.

"N-Nevermind! It's just that I know someone with the same surname."

"I-I see..."

Yanagi-san---would be confusing, so I'll use Yuuri-san---is still looking in wonder at me, but then,

"Yuuri, are you done?"

"Ah, err..."

She is told so by the chairman and removes her gaze from me.

"Pl-Pleased to meet you."

...Oh no, maybe she received a strange impression from me.

The brown-haired guy that is grinning at me opens his mouth.

"Yuuri-chan's really cute. She's my type."

"Fhue!"

"Hey, first year, don't hit on Yuuri! Also, you're overfamiliar adding a 'chan'."

"By the way, you're too strong-willed, hence not my type, Kaichou."

"I don't care. Now get on with your introduction."

"Oka~y. I'm the first year Koudai Kamiuchi, nice to meet you. Ah, it's especially nice to meet you, Yuuri-chan. Then, my hobby is to play on the slot machine. ...ah, just to get things straight, the ones at game centers."

Surprisingly, Daiya interrupts the introduction of the brown-haired guy, Koudai Kamiuchi.

"Aah, you're that Kamiuchi, huh. I often hear rumors about you. Seems you have never lost on a Pachinko machine?"

"That's not true, though. Well, but on the whole I definitely win. I have good eyes, basically."

"The guy called Haruaki Usui scouted you once to get you to enter the baseball club, right? Because you were famous as the one that stormed through the sport tournaments in middle school."

"Scout? Can't really remember... but no, no, high school baseball is seriously impossible for me! And anyway, there's no way someone as delicate as me could keep up with that draconic practice, right? The go-home club suits me best."

Could it be that Kamiuchi-kun is, while not at the level of the «Three Supermen», an amazing person...?

"...umm, Yuuri-san."

"Y-Yes?"

"Are you, by any chance, also extremely smart?"

"Eh? I-I am, um... not really."

"Yuuri is always at the top in class 1."

The chairman said plainly.

Third year, class one? That's an elite class in liberal arts that's aiming for the universities of Tokyo and Kyoto. She's number one there...?

"T-That's because you're in the science class, Iroha. If you were in the liberal arts class, I'd lose to you without doubt..."

"Ah, by the way, it seems my results in the entrance exams were the second best. Yuuri-chan, we're both second placers that can't rival over-talented first placers, aren't we?"

"H-Haah..."

So Kamiuchi-kun isn't an ordinary person either.

"Hmm. I think I grasped the commonality of us. Top students... well, since science and liberal arts are quite different, so I can't say for sure, but it seems we're a gathering of each year's first and second place students. The number of people would just fit."

"Ah, but my results are just barely above-average? My results in the last exams were relatively good, but I was still just at the lower to---"

I swallow my started word.

Because the chairman, Yuuri-san and Kamiuchi are staring at me.

...Why? Did I just say something strange?

"Just confirming: Otonashi-san and Oomine-kun are top students, right?"

The chairman says with her gaze fixed on me. I nod silently.

"I see."

She then asks with a smile in which only the eyes are not smiling:

"So why are you the only exception, I wonder?"

I wince at the coercion she didn't even bother to conceal.

What is this? Why do they look at me like that?

"There is a limit to rashness."

Hearing these words, the chairman removes her gaze from me. From me --- to Maria.

"Why are you so strained when we don't even know what kind of game this is? Does this mean that you endorse this «death-feud» and are eager to participate in it? If so, then you are the one we should be cautious of."

"I-I agree. After all it's not like anything has started yet..."

Upon hearing Maria out, Yuuri-san says so while peeking at the chairman.

As for the chairman, she purses her lips for a while. It's not like she's pouting - this merely seemed to be her habit when thinking.

She tightens her mouth and says with a sigh,

"That's also true. Since it's only a hypothesis that we're a gathering of top students, it would be weird to be cautious of someone only because he doesn't fit in, huh. Also, I guess I'd be tripped up by someone if I continued doubting everyone without basis."

"Well, and the way I see it, you're the most suspicious of us, Kaichou, with your actions being too quick."

"Hahaha, I am suspicious? Take a look in the mirror sometime."

Daiya flashes a satisfied grin upon hearing her words.

"...Umm, what are you doing? Are you already searching for the culprit?"

The corners of the chairman's mouth raises slightly to this question I ask because I couldn't follow their conversation.

"Rather than searching for the culprit, I'm just looking for people I have to be careful about. The wirepuller that schemed this game could be among us or a supporter of him could be here to try to spur this «death-feud» on. I want to disclose this as soon as possible if I discover something - before it's too late."

The wirepuller, huh.

Wirepuller, my ass --- I know who the cause of this is.

---Daiya Oomine. Only he can possibly be the culprit.

...But I realize that I can't just tell them of this fact.

Careless statements are not allowed here. I'm getting doubted just because I'm no top student. Actions that go against the flow of the others lead to doubt immediately.

What would happen if I said «this is the deed of a 'box' which was used by Daiya»?

It would seem more absurd to them than it is already. At most, they would think that I'd be trying to make Daiya the bad guy.

Therefore, no matter how true it is, I can't tell them about the 'box'.

This is probably also the reason why Maria has fallen into silence with a stern expression.

«WeLl, well, well - IT - seeMs you have - alreAdy started - tHe fuN of douBting - each oTher - as hoPed for - Very nicE»

We look all at once at the big monitor in the center of the room.

On display is the absolutely not cute green bear from before. His repulsiveness is even more conspicuous on the bigger screen.

The chairman flashes a wry smile while looking at the monitor.

"Uglypooh appeared again."

«Watch your mouth and call me "Noitan-san"! Don't be proud of yourself just because you're a stinky council prez' of some school!»

The chairman herself smiles full of ease, but Yuuri-san is startled by this foul mouth and graphic and cringes with a small scream.

...It's not like her body's small, but she sure looks like a little animal... though I'm not one to speak, since people often say the same to me.

"Give us an explanation already, Uglypooh."

«Are you too dumb to comprehend words!? I hope you die first, bitch!»

"Oi, Kaichou-sama! Could you please be quiet? We won't get anywhere like this."

"Aye, aye."

The chairman just shrugs her shoulders at Daiya's sarcasm and closes her mouth obediently. After some silence Noitan cheers up again, his graphic returned to the normal one and he starts to speak with his awkward voice.

«I wiLl now - eXplain what - [Kingdom Royale] - is aBout!»

I gaze silently at the monitor.

«This is bAsically - a kiLLer-game - but to be - a liTtle more prEcise - it's a gAme - in which eVEryone tries - to stEal - the kinG's thronE!»

We exchange glances when hearing Noitan's explanation.

«A [class] was - aSsigned to eaCh one - of you partiCipants - [Classes] can bE [King], [Prince], [The Double], [Sorcerer], [Knight] and [Revolutionary]! ThEy all hAve - their speCial - characTeristics»

"How can we find out our own [class]?"

«You cAn check - yoUr [class] on - the mOnitor in - yOur room! By the wAy - they are - tOUch-sensitive and cAn be - contrOlled acCording - to yOur [class]»

The chairman frowns and waits for the continuation.

«Okay, beFore I - explain to you - the [classes] - I will gIve you - sOme informaTion - about the stAge - of this [Kingdom Royale]! You knOw - this cOuntry - is a dicTatorship - that has invAded - many otHer countriEs - and---»

"Noitan."

Maria interrupts Noitan who is about to start an explanation that would most likely be skipped by the players if it was a game.

«What - iS it - Maria-chan - ?»

"We don't need that. Just tell us what we need to know about this game already."

«You've got some nerve to take up such an attitude when I'm about to explain it all kindly to you! You're conceited, you stinky brat!»

The graphic changes once again to the usual blood-shot eyes.

"Didn't you use 'stinky' already for Shindou just now? What a poor vocabulary."

«If you have the time for fault-finding you'd better find a fucking way to survive, you poor caged bird!»

Satisfied, his graphic returns to normal.

«It can - nOt be - hElped - I wIll - tell yOu - only the iMportant - pArts! FiRstly - you hAve to - abIde by the - timetable striCtly - or else yOu will - automaticAlly [lose] - So be - carefuL»

"...what happens when we [lose]?"

«Execution»

The air freezes.

«BeheAding to - bE exact! FAir enough - is it nOt? - Someone wHo can - not eVen abIde - by the tiMe - should beTter - just diE - aftEr all»

Yuuri-san doesn't even blink. And as soon as she realizes that «execution» is to be taken literally, her face loses even more of its color.

Noitan ignores her reaction completely and proceeds.

«Also, - thEre is a - univErsal time liMit! Your fOod supply - consists of - sEven portions - of sOlid food - This is jUst enough - for oNe week - You wIll - not be hUngry - if you eAt one - of these mAgical - portions of sOlid food - eaCh day! HoweVer - if you fAil - to eAt one - each dAy - you wIll becoMe - a muMmy due to - hunGer!»

"A mummy... huh."

The chairman scratches her head with pursed lips.

"So, how can I win this game? Honestly, I have no clue what to do."

«Alright - the conditions to win - vary according to - your [classes] - For example - if you are - the [King] - you can win by - eliminating all players - that aim for - the throne! I wIll now - diSplay the - deTails for - eAch one»

Noitan disappears from the screen, letters replacing him.

[King]

He is the king who has ascended to the throne by assassinating the previous ruler and has carried out many invasions. Having a distrustful personality, he's scheming murder of the ones that threaten his throne. He does not notice that his distrust makes others lose their loyalty for him.

He can request his subordinates to commit [murder], but he cannot force them because he fears their animosity could become directed at him.

A land ruled by a man that cannot trust others is unlikely to have a bright future.

Skills of the [King] [Murder]

He can select a player he wants to kill and request the [Sorcerer] or the [Knight] to execute this action. He does not need to select. [Substitution]

He can once avoid being the target of [Assassination] by changing roles with [The Double] for a single day. If he was selected as the target on this day, [The Double] will die instead of the [King].

Victory conditions for the [King]

To protect his throne. (Elimination of the ones that threaten the king's throne - [Prince] [Revolutionary])

[Prince]

An ambitious person. He was originally only at the third place in the inheritance order of the king's rank. But taking advantage of the king's mistrust, he made him murder the other princes and moved up to the first place. He acquired anti-magic to guard himself against this mistrust.

If he comes to the throne, this land is likely to turn into a worse dictatorship than it was before.

Skills of the [Prince]

[Throne Succession]

He becomes able to use [Murder] once the [King] and [The Double] die. [Anti-magic]

He cannot be killed by [Sorcery].

Victory

conditions for the [Prince] To become the king. (Elimination of [King] [The Double] [Revolutionary])

[The Double]

An ex-farmer who is loyal to the [King] and looks exactly the same as him. He is not really ambitious, but he can absolutely not allow the [Prince] to become the king since he was always made a fool by him.

If he, with no ideals, becomes the king, this land is likely to fall into ruin in no time.

Skills of [The Double]

[Inheritance]

If the [King] dies or [Substitution] was executed, he becomes able to use [Murder].

Victory conditions for [The Double]

Death of the ones that try to kill him. (Death of [Prince] [Revolutionary])

[Sorcerer]

A subordinate of the [King]. He is the teacher of the [Prince] in magic and also gets on well with the [Prince]. He is satisfied as long he can pursue his studies in magic and has no interest in the king's throne whatsoever.

No matter how much he can raise his magic skills, nobody will value a person that secludes himself in his shell.

Skills of the [Sorcerer]

[Sorcery]

He can choose whether to effectively kill the character that was selected by [Murder]. The targeted character will become a burnt corpse.

Victory conditions for the [Sorcerer]

To survive.

[Knight]

A subordinate of the [King]. While being a subordinate, he is plotting revenge on the royal family for they have ruined his homeland. He believes firmly that he can only attain happiness by exterminating the royal family.

As a matter of course, a man that has drowned in his own feelings of loss will only fall into the darkness of misfortune.

Skills of the [Knight]

[Deathblow]

He can choose whether to effectively kill the character that was selected by [Murder]. Only executable when the [Sorcerer] is dead. The targeted character will die due to beheading.

Victory conditions for the [Knight]

To take revenge. (Death of [King] [Prince])

[Revolutionary]

He is the right arm of the [King]. Because of his competence, he realized that this land is going to fall into ruin if it goes on like this. Hence, he prepared himself to take over the land.

A ruler that has accumulated feelings of bitterness due to assassinations is incapable of leading a kingdom. At most he will be assassinated himself.

Skills of the [Revolutionary]

[Assassination]

He can assassinate the selected character. He does not need to select one. The targeted character will become a strangulated corpse.

Win conditions of the [Revolutionary]

To become the king. (Murder of [King] [Prince] [The Double])

* The game ends when all victory conditions for the remaining players have been met.

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