Published at 26th of March 2019 12:07 am

Volume 4, Part 6

Fourth Day {D} Big room

I am in the process of becoming the «king».

The flow greatly changed through the fall of Yuuri-san and Iroha-san. I was finally able to tell them about the 'Game of Idleness', thanks to Iroha-san's strong presence.

Apart from what happened in the third round, I told them almost everything. Everything, including that everyone's an NPC, that Daiya's the 'owner' watching us from the outside and that he has promised to destroy the 'box' if everyone survives and no one kills anyone until the eighth day.

Koudai Kamiuchi seemed skeptical about it, but in a state where both Iroha-san and Yuuri-san follow me unconditionally, he was unable to object openly.

At any rate, I was able to make it clear.

«Everyone has to survive until the {E}-block of the eighth day.»

I was able to make our goal clear.

Iroha-san, who had lost her thorns, and Yuuri-san, who had no intention to act anymore, were listening to me. The remaining problems were only Koudai Kamiuchi's whims and Daiya's possible deceit.

I made everyone do a coming-out first in order to make those two lose their power.

The [classes] are distributed like this:

Iroha Shindou, [Revolutionary]

Yuuri Yanagi, [Sorcerer]

Koudai Kamiuchi, [The Double]

Maria, [Prince]

Daiya refused to reveal his [class], but since I am the [Knight], he has to be the [King], using the process of elimination.

The knives and the food that were kept by Iroha-san were passed on to me. That should have weakened Koudai Kamiuchi pretty much for the time being. He's [The Double] that has almost no ways of killing anybody as long the [King] doesn't move. Even if he wanted to do something, that would definitely require a lot of dedication and labor. Considering his personality, it's highly possible that he won't do anything anymore because changing the flow is plainly troublesome.

[Kingdom Royale] was almost not in operation anymore.

Of course I didn't lean back because of that.

When I went to the big room, Iroha-san, Yuuri-san and Koudai Kamiuchi were sitting on the ground, chatting.

"Hoshino-senpai, did you know? Yuuri-chan's still a virgin!"

"K-Kamiuchi-san... Please stop."

That's quite---no, very surprising.

"Really, Yuuri-san?"

Yuuri-san gets red, but doesn't answer.

"Oh, you came to harass Yuuri as well, Hoshino-kun? You sure have guts."

"Ah, s-sorry..."

I apologize upon being scolded by Iroha-san, but Yuuri-san averts her eyes anyway, seeming a little sulking.

...well, considering that she neglected her social contacts for learning, it's only natural that she wouldn't have much experience in that field.

So she managed to act like that in-game until now without much experience...? It's no surprise Iroha-san would be jealous of that ability to fascinate others, then...

But that raises another question.

"...have you ever confessed to someone, Yuuri-san?"

"W-Why do you ask that?! Your apology wasn't sincere at all, was it?!"

"S-Sorry, but you got me curious..."

"......no, I guess..."

I can't help but smile to myself. So I am the only one she ever confessed to. I feel just a little honored.

"Eh? Wait a sec, Yuuri. How did you go out with him, then?"

"If I just smile a bit and connect hands, it's a breeze to make any man fall for me~"

"H-Hey, Kamiuchi-san! I d-don't think like that, really!"

"You can't lie to me, Yuuri-chan! That's exactly what you think, isn't it? Well, but leaving that aside, how did you make him confess to you?"

"W-Well......"

"I bet you used a similar method to leave him no other choice, right? Whew, you little devil! Witch!"

"Uuh..."

Next to Yuuri-san who's being teased by Kamiuchi-kun, Iroha-san frowns and looks a little ill-tempered as well.

"Why's everyone just out for Yuuri? I'm quite pretty, too!"

"Ah, that was just pretty cute from you, Kaichou!"

"Eh? What was? I merely acted jealous, didn't I?"

"You exposing your honest emotions was! How should I put it... self-reliant girls aren't cute. I mean, doesn't one feel unnecessary at the side of someone who solves all problems on her own?"

"...Huuh, this is quite an interesting opinion. Which means that it's Yuuri's self-deprecating personality that leads to that «I want to protect her»-feeling, right? Yuuri, you really are a sly one."

"Uuh... Iroha, that's mean~!"

Yuuri-san goes into a huff, whereupon Iroha-san can't resist the urge to hug her.

"Aren't you cuuute..."

Yuuri-san seems surprised at first, but then she just laughs happily and lets Iroha-san hug her.

I have the feeling that Iroha-san has softened a bit when I look at her current mood. Perhaps this side of her was released by the child-like wailing the other day.

But I'm sure that's favorable.

"......Iroha-san."

"What, Hoshino-kun?"

"Don't worry, you're going to be popular as well!"

Iroha-san smiles at my words.

Then, she responds, keeping this gentle smile,

"Thank you very much for that degrading advice. You masterfully managed to piss me off."

Well, maybe she won't get soft after all.

"If you stay that way, you're going to be an eternal virgin, Kaichou!☆"

"Shut up."

"In any case, that missing finger's just too scary. You totally look like a high school girl that had to do penance for her failures in the underground society!" [1]

"Ahaha, Kamiuchi, drop dead."

---Koudai Kamiuchi is dangerous.

In fact, the two of them are aware of that.

I didn't go into detail, but I told them that he has personally killed in the past rounds using a knife and also that he seemed to even enjoy it.

But they have still been happily chatting with him, just like now.

That's because I requested them to do that.

Koudai Kamiuchi would naturally not be pleased if they opposed him and were distinctly wary of him.

And if that happened, he would start [Kingdom Royale] by striking back and upsetting the status quo. But if we kept him entertained, he may not do anything.

No... it's not like I relaxed with such an unsure plan. I've been cautious all this time. I've been observing him all this time because I feared that a trivial trigger would be enough to make him explode.

It's just that---

"No, you drop dead."

---Koudai Kamiuchi's actions exceeded all my forecasts by far.

Splash.

Along with that sound, another tragedy occurs.

The arms that have been embracing Yuuri-san drop down whereupon Iroha-san's body starts to slowly slide down. Yuuri-san seems confused about what's just happened and stares perplexedly at the head that's buried in her chest.

Yuuri-san looks at her own hands.

They're stained with red liquid.

"------"

She's unable to even scream at this gruesome scene.

Koudai Kamiuchi pulls out the knife from Iroha-san's back, grabs her head by the hair and throws her away from Yuuri-san. He then straddles her upturned body and starts stabbing her with his knife. Over and over again.

*stab*, *stab*, *stab*, *stab*, *stab*, after stabbing her body for a while at regular intervals, Koudai Kamiuchi stands up and sneers,

"So you were an eternal virgin after all. Too bad."

Why...?

In order to keep the last fragments of my clear mind that have been vanishing bit by bit with each stabbing sound, I hug my own shoulders and start pondering.

The knives in my room are properly stowed away. My, Iroha-san's, Yuuri-san's and Koudai Kamiuchi's knife are there for certain.

So why does he still have a knife?

.......could that be...?

I think about it.

Why did Koudai Kamiuchi exceed my expectations? Why wasn't I able to handle him even though I knew about his unstable personality?

I'm positive that I have done what's necessary. So there must be something I have overlooked.

And that is---

".....Daiya."

I whispered his name, but he didn't look at me.

He was just touching the piercing in his right ear.

I can't comprehend him.

Why did he need to do that?

I take out the portable terminal and start to research something that's been bothering me.

Aah... as I thought. Daiya has had a total of three [Secret Meetings] with Koudai Kamiuchi. On the first day, on the second, and today as well.

I bet Daiya's been wary of me since the very beginning. And after seeing my actions yesterday, he promptly initiated a counter-plan.

"Whew, I was really surprised."

I look at Koudai Kamiuchi.

"I didn't think it would really be as Oomine-senpai said. Hoshino-senpai conspired with Kaichou and Yuuri-chan. You made them lose the will to take part in the game by telling them that they just have to survive for eight days. For that purpose they behaved friendly to me. Heh, if Oomine-senpai's right so far, then it should be safe to assume that the rest's also true."

"......what did he say...?"

"He said that you, the conspirators, will kill the rest of us."

How dare he tell him such bullsh*t...!

"You would win after all, considering the rules. Geez, Hoshino-senpai, you sure are shrewd in spite of your harmless appearance. I have no clue why you knew your own [class], but you've been planning that from the very beginning, right? You noticed that the three [classes] that are capable of killing can coexist, conspired, made up a random another way of surviving and tried to make us lose our will to participate in the killer-game. You almost got me there!"

Why does he... interpret it like that?

But I guess that's [Kingdom Royale]. A game that makes you distrust everyone, makes you deceive each other, and eventually makes you kill each other.

I drop my gaze. Yuuri-san has put Iroha-san's head on her lap and is pushing her insides back into her body while murmuring her name.

Koudai Kamiuchi laughs as if he was watching a comedic play when he sees her like that.

"I would just need to kill Hoshino-senpai and Maricchi now, but... I'll enjoy this some more. Looks like you can't resist me anyway. Ahaha, this thrill that you can't get in the real world is the true charm of [Kingdom Royale], isn't it!"

So in the end, I couldn't prevent Koudai Kamiuchi from committing murder again.

I lost.

No... I was made to lose.

«Absolutely impossible!»

I was made to lose by Daiya Oomine.

«It sure is easy to understand one's own thoughts. Thanks to that, I just got what the 'real me' is thinking.»

"------Ah."

I see.

Of course Daiya would do that.

I've told him everything. I've told the «NPC Daiya Oomine» what the «real Daiya Oomine» has done. And the «NPC Daiya Oomine» understood the intention of the «real Daiya Oomine».

If he understood it, he would naturally take the actions the «original» wishes for.

And that «real Daiya» is my enemy.

Therefore, it's only natural that the Daiya here would oppose me with his actions and try to prevent me from achieving my goal of «making everyone survive».

And in fact, he succeeded at preventing my victory.

...Heh.

I lost the moment I tried to make him my ally.

"...hrhr"

Daiya's muffled laugh.

"You couldn't possibly become the «king» in the first place! As if you were geared for that!"

These words make me realize.

Previously I ridiculed Iroha-san as a child that wants to become the «king». Just how dumb have I been? That child was no one else but... me.

"......Haha."

From the very start, there's been only one person that could become the «king».

Daiya Oomine.

Like that, I was easily thrown off the throne.

- [Iroha Shindou], stabbed 17 times over different locations on her body by [Koudai Kamiuchi], dead.

Fifth Day {B} Big room

Yuuri-san died.

She was executed because she didn't come to the big room in time.

I feared this already because yesterday she didn't return to her room on her own after becoming traumatized. So in the end, she really did it.

Yuuri-san committed passive suicide and is no more.

"Uwaa... that's awful! My valuable prize disappeared before I could obtain it! Uuh, Yuuri-chan's virginity!"

I feel dark emotions well up inside me at seeing Koudai Kamiuchi, who is, in spite of what he said, really just grinning while supporting his head with his hand.

However, I don't care about how horrible he is anymore.

I have no goal anymore, after all.

What remains are feelings of guilt towards Iroha-san and Yuuri-san. Only the feelings towards those two who had to die just because I thought I could become the «king».

Should I have done the same as Yuuri-san...?

I'm so lost that I even have such thoughts. Right now, I have no idea what to do with the remaining few days of my life.

Therefore, the only thing I'm doing is apologizing to them in my mind.

I'm sorry.

I'm really sorry.

Of course they were just NPCs, so I can meet them again if I manage to survive. But that fact doesn't make these feelings of guilt disappear. Aah... I finally understood how they felt when they were forced to kill the NPCs when they were players.

Indeed, the fact that the others are just NPCs doesn't make it any better.

I can't lift my face off the table.

There was one jute bag on it. In the bag was a disabled portable terminal and the two watches Iroha-san had been wearing - orange and beige.

Daiya puts on these watches.

After seeing that, I also throw my blue watch to him. Daiya glances at me, but then he wordlessly puts on my watch as well.

"Rather than the watch, I hope you also brought the other things I asked you to?"

I nod, take the food portions out of the jute bag I brought along and lay them out on the table. I didn't do that because I gave up, but because I gathered that he would kill me otherwise.

Since I still have all of my own portions, I won't die instantly. But I lost my [Revolutionary]-like power with this.

[Kingdom Royale] has regained its original gruesomeness. In order to survive there's no way left anymore but to meet one's victory conditions. Daiya and Koudai Kamiuchi will naturally come to kill me soon.

So, should I try to win myself?

......Impossible. I'm the [Knight] while Maria's the [Prince]. We can't survive together. Trying to win would automatically mean wishing for Maria's death. No matter how much she's an NPC, I would definitely never wish for her to die.

I can't win against them with this kind of feeling.

So, I'm going to die.

"......"

...I'm going to die?

Well, yeah. I guess so.

But then---why?

I raise my head.

I look at Maria.

All four of us should know that I'm going to be next. Maria should know, too. And yet she's not doing anything to prevent it.

She? She, who can easily throw her own life away for others? And not just since today. All the time since yesterday, she almost hasn't spoken at all.

That can't be.

"Maria?"

I call her name. Although she can clearly hear me, she doesn't look at me.

Maria was just biting secretly on her lip.

- [Yuuri Yanagi], executed because she didn't return to the big room until 12:10. Death by beheading.

Fifth Day {C} [Secret Meeting] with [Maria Otonashi], [Maria Otonashi]'s room

[Iroha Shindou] dead

[Yuuri Yanagi] dead

[Daiya Oomine] -> [Kazuki Hoshino] 16:10~16:40

[Kazuki Hoshino] -> [Maria Otonashi] 15:00~16:00

[Koudai Kamiuchi] -> [Daiya Oomine] 15:00~15:30

[Maria Otonashi] -> [Kazuki Hoshino] 15:00~16:00

Why doesn't Maria do anything?

There is only one answer to this question:

Like me, she's at a loss what to do.

But how did she arrive at this condition? Did she also get shocked by something, like I did by Yuuri-san's and Iroha-san's death?

Maria doesn't greet me when I arrive at her room, seeming a bit uncomfortable.

"Maria?"

"......"

...Something's definitely wrong.

"...Can I sit down next to you?"

Usually I wouldn't even need to ask. We don't need to ask each other's approval first.

But Maria frowns at hearing this question now.

"No. Don't sit there."

And leaves me dumbfounded.

"...why?"

Maria closes her mouth and averts her eyes to avoid my question.

But I mustn't ignore that.

"...tell me."

Even so, Maria still hesitates to open her mouth. But when I stare at her for a while without saying a word, she finally, reluctantly opens her mouth.

"I've been watching your actions all the while."

Maria continues, still not meeting my gaze.

"I've been watching your movements in this game, waiting for you to rely on me. You managed to drive Shindou into a corner all alone, you built a foundation to explain the 'boxes' to them by yourself and you even were on the verge of succeeding once. Kamiuchi may have ruined it in the end, but I think your actions themselves were splendid. And after watching you, I've arrived at a conclusion."

Maria says,

"You are not Kazuki Hoshino."

That's the reason for her indecisive attitude...?

«You are... Kazuki, right?»

Indeed, she's said that already in our [Secret Meeting] on the second day.

But I didn't take it too seriously at that time. I mean, she was able to recognize me even during the 'Sevennight in Mud'.

So this has to be a joke.

"...Geez, what are you talking about, Maria?"

She does, however, not say "just joking" as always. She won't relieve me like that.

"Kazuki."

Instead, she says that.

"[Class]-wise we're enemies, right?"

"...what are you saying? But well, yeah, our [classes] are opposing each other... eh?"

Did Maria want to hint at following?

"Do you think I'd kill you...?"

For some reason Maria doesn't shake her head at this question that's just like a joke to me.

"S-Stop that... I would never---"

"Kazuki."

She interrupts me.

"I was confident in being able to predict your actions. We've spent a whole lifetime together, after all. But your actions in [Kingdom Royale] have all been contrary to my expectations. So, I just don't know anymore. I'm also not sure if you will move as I expect from now on."

"......"

"I'm positive that the victory conditions you mentioned were true. But, we failed. So, what will you do now?"

"I'm... still..."

"I'm an NPC, right? Even if you killed me, the real Maria Otonashi wouldn't die, would she?"

"What are you getting at...? Do you think... I would kill you because of that?"

"That's not what I think. I can't imagine you killing me."

"Then..."

"But as I said; that's just another of my inaccurate predictions. I don't understand your thoughts anymore, since you let go of my hand."

"No way..."

When I'm about to press her, wanting to solve this misunderstanding,

"Don't come near!"

Maria rejects me by showing me the palm of her hand.

But what makes me stop, more than her words or her attitude, is the disturbance on her face.

"You look exactly like Kazuki Hoshino, and that makes you --- scary."

I haven't relied on Maria in this game.

Because I knew that relying on Maria, who can be called the weakest in here, leads to defeat. Because I knew that I couldn't win if I didn't suppress the desire to rely on her, and if I didn't stop being so soft.

I was able to pull that off because of my experiences in the previous rounds.

It's something I wouldn't have been able to do without the information I gathered. So, indeed, my actions must look unnatural from Maria's point of view.

But I was sure she would understand nonetheless.

I mean, it's Maria! She, who comprehends me more than anyone else. I thought she would accept everything I'd do and never mistake me.

It was my emotional support.

Being confident that we trust each other was my emotional support.

Even so---

"......Why?"

Before my eyes is Maria's disturbed face.

This is what my actions have led to.

---I see.

I just got the reason Maria doesn't do anything.

I've already lost her trust long ago.

There's no need for Maria to save someone she doesn't know.

Thus, Maria won't save me anymore.

......................................................................

......................................................................

..............................................................really?

It's Maria.

Sitting in front of me is Maria, who would sacrifice herself for absolutely anyone in order to save that person.

And yet she's abandoned me...?

Just because she doubts whether I'm really Kazuki Hoshino?

"Are you okay with this?"

I ask her.

"...I'm going to die, you know?"

The fear and disturbance in Maria's expression seem to be real.

But what disturbs her so much? What frightens her so much? She wouldn't behave like that even when she thought of me as her enemy. If she considered me an enemy, she would definitely be a lot more determined.

So, what is she thinking, then?

"......as you are right now, you can survive on your own, can't you?"

Maria replies with downcast eyes.

"No way! I can neither kill you, nor accept it if someone else killed you! So there's no way I could win against Da---"

Wait.

I can definitely not kill Maria. As long as Maria's here, I can't possibly win in [Kingdom Royale]. That is a certain fact.

But if you turn that around, it becomes:

I can survive if Maria disappears.

"......Maria."

When she raises her head, I say,

"Do you intend to commit suicide?"

Upon hearing that, Maria silently fixes her gaze on me.

"Do you plan to die on your own, like Yuuri-san did? To raise my survival chances at least a bit?"

She stays silent and I continue,

"Because you think I may be able to kill Daiya's NPC as I am now...?"

Maria's expression finally softens.

"I thought about that, indeed. After all, I am just an NPC whose life doesn't matter. However, I merely considered that method."

"Cut that out...! I don't want to win in this game at all!"

"But that's because I'm here, isn't it? If it weren't for me, you would tend more towards surviving."

"That's---"

Seeing me waver, Maria lets out a small sigh.

"...you know, Kazuki. It seems I can't talk myself out of it anymore, so let me tell you this: I consider your change undesirable. That is because it makes me unable to predict your actions."

"...What's the point in being able to do that?"

"If I could predict them, I could, for example, surmise what actions you would take after my death and judge whether you could survive or not. But because I'm not able to do that now, my hands are tied."

".....what are you talking about?"

'After my death?' What kind of assumption is that!

But Maria continues without caring about my reaction.

"You haven't depended on me this time. Indeed, I may be helpless and serve no purpose in [Kingdom Royale]. Sure. But I don't care."

Maria says with a smile of all things,

"I will protect you all the same!"

And for that sake you don't mind using your own life...?

Even though you perfectly know that I don't desire that?

«Still, I want to protect you even if I have to pay with my own life»

Didn't I tell her?

Didn't I tell her in the second round that,

«It's my job to protect you when you have lost your 'box'.»

Therefore---

"---I won't let you."

I definitely won't allow Maria to die for my sake.

"Didn't I tell you, that's my task?! I won't let you!"

Maria widens her eyes.

Aah, right. Maria doesn't remember what I told her in the second round. It's only natural that she's dumbfounded.

That doesn't matter. As long I can convey my intention!

"You don't protect me. I will protect---"

"Wait."

But she stops me.

She has already narrowed her eyes and is piercing me with a sharp glance,

"What has come over you?"

"...What do you mean?"

"What you want to protect is your everyday life, not me, right? It's the everyday life Mogi, Kirino and the others are in, right? Didn't you have an unshakable determination for that? So what's with this whining? Don't disappoint me too much!"

I'm left astonished.

Because she obviously is serious about that.

"......I see."

I finally noticed.

Maria has been overestimating me.

She has come to see me insisting on my everyday life for a whole lifetime without changing this belief. That may have looked amazing to her. Although the only reason I couldn't change was being inside that unchanging recurrence, I must have looked like some superhuman to her.

Maria thought that I would never change because I didn't change for such a long time.

But that's not possible.

I'm ordinary. That's what I always say. Even 'O' said that I'm going to change soon.

Also, I'm sure superhumans don't exist. Even people like Iroha Shindou, Yuuri Yanagi, Koudai Kamiuchi or Daiya Oomine didn't always manage to survive [Kingdom Royale]. I don't know which one of them is the best. And I think that's the evidence that there are no superhumans. Ironically, I realized that in this 'box' that was only created for staving off boredom.

Thus, I'm no superhuman.

And---neither is Maria.

And yet she's getting something wrong.

"...why aren't you in this everyday life as well?"

"Isn't that... obvious?"

Because she's trying to be special. Because she thinks she can.

"Because I am a 'box'."

Even though she's just a normal person.

Then, I think without any logical connection or basis:

It's not over yet.

I haven't lost yet.

Maria is still alive, after all.

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