Published at 26th of March 2019 12:07 am

Volume 3, Part 9

▶Sixth Day {B} Big room

It became 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 time 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 me and approached me quickly with a bright smile.

"Mh? Did something 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 meet you, Kazuki-kun! She sure has become 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 something~"

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

"Phf!!"

Oh dear, that would suit her too well!

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

She puffed up her cheeks. For the moment 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 Meetings] 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 someone.

"...Kazuki-san, as punishment for laughing, please... um, for today's [Secret Meeting], select me as your partner."

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

"I don't mind, but how is that punishment?"

"...eh? ...ahhh, a-anyway, it's punishment! ...probably!"

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

"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 some reason.

"......well, what I want to say is... you have already spent four [Secret Meetings] 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 Meeting] with a specific person five times 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 me to have a [Secret Meeting] 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 Meetings] with me!"

Wasn't her point something 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 become 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 came 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 come to a conclusion now that the time limit draws near. And since we don't have any other explanation but the 'box', we have no other choice."

Come to think of it, Maria had mentioned that they would have to believe us when the time limit draws near.

"OK, what were we supposed to do again? If memory serves me 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 time.

I had no time to realize the meaning of those words.

Without giving us time 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 meaning.

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 mean Oomine-senpai's still not dead? Okay, then I'll do that."

He said and---

---thrust his knife into Daiya's neck a second time.

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 means that Maricchi's first judgement 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 meaning 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 excitement.

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

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

[Kingdom Royale] is a game 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 comes up? Well, it was child's play. I just stole it during a [Secret Meeting] 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 me.

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

He designated me 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 me.

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 me, 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 name, she sent me a smile. I saw that gentle smile and became convinced:

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

"I'm moved, Maricchi. I never thought there would really exist someone 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 become 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 me 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 mess with me. I'd rather die than surrender my body to you."

"How cruel! There are a lot that would do it willingly for me, 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 me after all... Ah, but I prefer you anyway, so I don't mind at all!"

"Something like that, i-is impossible to me..."

"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 me!"

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

She conveyed me a message with those tears.

«---don't betray me.»

---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 me who said so in a low voice, but Maria.

Koudai Kamiuchi opened his mouth contentedly.

"Mh? Well, if you feel like pleasing me 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 me and---said clearly,

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

---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 me! 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 time to time 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 mean 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 become her substitute. I'll rape Yuuri-chan whatever you do."

"...what... are you saying, bastard?! There's no meaning 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 {C} [Kazuki Hoshino]'s room

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

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 Meeting].

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 measures at the time Yuuri-san cried to me about him being scary, this wouldn't have happened. This outcome is the result we got because we underestimated [Kingdom Royale] and wasted our time.

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

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

«You only had three [Secret Meetings] with me!»

For some reason I recalled that statement Maria made.

...why did I just remember 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 same 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 dimension of danger is different.

Therefore---

Therefore, I --- selected «Yuuri Yanagi»

[Iroha Shindou] -> [Yuuri Yanagi] 17:00~17:30

[Yuuri Yanagi] -> [Koudai Kamiuchi] 15:00~16:00

[Daiya Oomine] dead

[Kazuki Hoshino] -> [Yuuri Yanagi] 16:20~16:50

[Koudai Kamiuchi] -> [Yuuri Yanagi] 15:00~16:00

[Maria Otonashi] -> [Koudai Kamiuchi] 16:20~16:50

▶Sixth Day {C} [Secret Meeting] with [Yuuri Yanagi], [Yuuri Yanagi]'s room

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

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

"......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 time, when I ought to support Yuuri-san, I only think about «Yanagi-san».

But listening to a girl's lamentations while embracing her - at that time she forced such situations upon me countless times.

Since she made me remember those feelings, I got a delusion---

---that I was now having the same 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 me 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 same failure as with my failed love.

I won't --- let someone who doesn't even love me depend on me 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 me."

"-----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 me,

would the outcome 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 me.

Unless I betray her now, she will surely accept me. 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 me 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 something horrible now. But please... don't hate me."

"I won't hate you!"

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

"Save, me."

"---that's horrible...?"

She nodded slightly.

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

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 me to kill Koudai Kamiuchi?"

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

"But you know, killing is---"

"---even I!"

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

"Even I... would want to use another means. I don't wish for a solution that requires us to kill someone. But is there another one? Is there another way where I don't have to go through that a second time and where we can survive? Or... do you actually want to tell me 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 judgment?

...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 become 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 me."

I,

I've been waiting for this opportunity all this time. 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 me 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 someone else properly.

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

I also think the method 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 me.

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 me.

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 outcome wouldn't change even if I cursed at her in my mind. I couldn't do what «Yanagi-san» wished from me anymore.

«Yanagi-san» was waiting for my kiss. After some 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.

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