.................
Yumeto and his friends were carrying their luggage down the mountain road on the opposite side of the school. The leaves of broad-leaved trees are dyed yellow and red, making the surrounding scenery vivid. When he came out to an open area, he could see the road several hundred meters below. Self-Defense Forces vehicles are evenly parked on the road, and men in protective suits are walking around them.
"Looks like they're trying to keep us in."
"Yes...."
Yuna, who was next to him, muttered in a dark voice.
"There's no way we can run away. No matter where you run, it's meaningless."
"That's right. Conversely, there is also the possibility that if you leave here, you won't be able to clear the orders. But even if the government thinks so, they can't stop monitoring us."
"Rather than that, if they told us who the king is. at least the classmates wouldn't fight each other..."
"It looks like the king is blackmailing the government. If the king says they'll turn themselves in after killing us that infected with the Keldo virus. In that case, the government won't go too far. In order to protect other peoples, they should wait for the king to kill us."
Yumeto squeezed the handle of the bag he was holding.
...Perhaps, if we were thinking in terms of a whole human, it might be better for us all to die. That way, the Keldo virus will not spread in Honshu. However.....
Yumeto looked at Yuna and Fuka alternately.
....No, it can't be! Only Yuna-san and Fuka-san will never be killed. Even if it means I die, I will protect them!
At that time, I saw something like a wall made of piled logs behind Fuka.
"Hmm? What is that?"
Yumeto pushed his way through the wild grass and approached the log wall.
It was a small mountain hut. Green ivy covered half of the log wall, and part of the wooden door was damaged.
Yumeto opened the door while being wary of his surroundings. The mountain hut was about eight tatami mats in size, and there was no one inside. The light that shines through the door makes the dust floating in the air sparkle.
"Okay, if it's here..."
Yumeto called out to Yuna who was behind him.
"Yuna-san, let's let Fuka-san rest here.
"Yeah. I think that's good."
Yuna turned her gaze to Fuka, who was crouching down on the mountain path.
"If it's here, you can lie down."
"Then, Yuna-san and Fuka-san are in the mountain hut."
"What are you going to do, Yumeto-kun?"
"I'm going to make the wall of the mountain hut invisible from the mountain road. If you use ivy leaves well, you can hide the whole wall."
The ivy leaves clinging tightly to the log wall were reflected in Yumeto's eyes.
..................
[November 10 (Wednesday) 04:22 pm]
The scenery seen through the dusty window had turned orange. After checking the time on his smartphone, Yumeto saw Fuka sleeping next to him. Fuka curls her body up and makes a sleep. Yuna's handkerchief was wrapped around her injured arm.
Yuna, who was sitting next to him, pulled Yumeto's sleeve.
"Yumeto-kun, you should eat something."
"What's left?"
"Um..... 1 bag of potato chips, 3 chocolates, and about 20 candies."
"What about water?"
"There are three and half plastic bottles left. I used them to wash Fuka's wounds."
"I see. Well, I'll draw the water later, so there's no problem. It'll be a mountain stream."
"Yes. Food is the problem. At this rate, just for today, it'll be all gone."
"Either way, I have no choice but to go back to school tomorrow."
Yumeto groaned and folded his arms.
.....When I go back to school, food will be readily available for a day or two, they'll be fine with just water, but they're dangerous if the body weakened when another group attacks. Besides, Fuka-san, I should get some pain medicine for her.
"... I will go to school at night."
"Eh? But Souta-kun and the others might be in ambush, right?
Yuna looked at Yumeto with a worried look on her face.
"Isn't it better not to overdo it?"
"No. I'd like to get some pain medicine, and I have to find some food anyway. I also want a battery-powered charger and a flashlight."
"Ah... that's right. Should I charge my smartphone and mobile phone too?"
"Well, the king's game orders won't be sent until this order is finished."
".....If Takeshi-kun or Hisashi-kun are the kings, so it's possible that the next order won't come, right?"
At Yuna's question, Yumeto shook his head.
"That's possible. Takeshi-kun was a suspect the police had marked. I can't say that Hisashi-kun isn't a king either. And..."
"And....?"
"Death may still occur. Narumi-san and the others said they were targeting Hinako-san. And Souta-kun and the others are probably targeting me."
Yuna's body started to move, and her expression stiffened.
"Yumeto-kun...I'm scared..."
"Are you scared? Narumi-san and the others?"
"No. I'm scared of myself."
Yuna shook her shoulders and made her eyes water.
"Ever since the king's game started, I've felt sad that my classmates would be punished and die. But now, rather than Yumeto and Fuka dying, I want other classmates to die instead. This order won't end until four more people die, right?"
Yuna's cheeks, which were white like candles, twitched.
"Even if the king is dead, the current order cannot be lifted. In other words, out of the 8 survivors, the other 4 will definitely die. From Narumi-san, Iori-san, Hinako-san, Souta-kun, Satoshi-kun, and the three of us"
"Four more..."
"Yes. And I hope that other classmates will die."
"....Me too"
A low voice leaked from Yumeto's mouth.
"I don't want Yuna-san and Fuka-san to die. The same goes for the other classmates, but if you ask me which one to choose, I'll choose you without hesitation."
"Is that because we confessed to Yumeto?"
"That's part of it, and we've been in the same group for a long time. I didn't want Seiya-kun and Tokisada-kun to die either."
"Yes...."
Yuna's eyes moistened.
"I'm sure other groups feel the same way."
"It's the king's purpose to make us fight each other. If the whole class had cooperated, we might have found out who the king was right away."
"From now on, it's impossible to cooperate, right? Unless this order is finished."
"I....agree."
Yumeto closed his lips and lowered his gaze to the floor.
....If you know for sure who the king is, you can cooperate. But in the current situation, that's not possible. Narumi-san and the others are trying to kill Yuna-san and the others, and Souta-kun and the others are probably doing the same. That way, you can kill the king candidate while clearing this order.
Sweat dripping down his neck seeps into his shirt.
.....but now our group has the advantage. If we make good use of this situation, we will be saved. If we continue to hide like this, it's possible that with Narumi-san and Sota-kun's personalities, they will kill each other.
A dark flame lit in Yumeto's eyes as he stared at the floor.
....That's it. If Souta-kun and the others kill each other, we won't be randomly punished every 24 hours. If it be like that ....
Suddenly, Fuka, who was lying down, grabbed Yumeto's hand.
"Yumeto-kun, what's wrong?"
Fuka looked up at Yumeto with her eyelids half closed.
"You looked really scary. What were you thinking?"
"Oh, no. It's nothing."
Yumeto answered with a tense face.
"More importantly, are the wounds okay?"
"Yeah. The bleeding has already stopped. By the way, can I have some water? I'm a little thirsty."
"Okay. Hold on a bit."
Yumeto gave Fuka the plastic bottle he received from Yuna. Fuka lifts her upper body and drinks it down.
"Hmm, it's lukewarm water, but it tastes really good."
"How's the food? I think you should eat some."
"The food is fine. I have no appetite. Food weren't many left, right?"
"Don't worry about it. I'm going to go back to school and get some food."
"Are you going back to school?"
Fuka's eyebrows twitched.
"Isn't that dangerous? Isn't it better to hide here? Yumeto hid the mountain hut for me, so I don't think it's easy to find."
"No. I want to get a flashlight. Also, I want weapons for everyone."
"A weapon..."
"Just in case, though. There is high risk for them to attacking group of boy and girl like us."
"That's right. If a boy attacks you, Yuna and I can stop them. If a girl attacks me, Yumeto-kun will play the role of stopping them... huh."
"Yeah. That's why Souta-kun and Narumi-san are unlikely to attack us."
"Then why don't we go back to school? If it's just a couple of days, we don't have to eat anything and we should all stay together."
"In order to do that, I want to go back once. So that it's okay to hide here for days."
Yumeto turned his gaze to the dusty window.
"Narumi-san and the others are after Hinako-san, who is now alone. Souta-kun and the others will probably target me, the remaining male. And if they're aiming for me, they should be searching in the mountains. They know right away that I'm not inside the school."
"But If Souta-kun and the others are work as duo?
"If there is such a sign, I will give up and come back. So, don't worry."
"Don't push yourself too hard. If Yumeto-kun dies without replying to my confession, I will never forgive you."
"I know. It's a popular season for me. I don't want to die soon."
Fuka and Yuna laughed at Yumeto's words.
..................
Yuna was the first notice the change.
"Yumeto-kun, smoke is coming out!"
"Smoke?"
Yumeto raised his upper body and checked his surroundings. White smoke is coming into the mountain hut from the four log walls. I look out the window and see orange flames flickering.
"Yuna-san, Fuka-san! Get out of here right away!"
After shouting that, Yumeto opened the door of the mountain hut.
In front of him he saw a landscape engulfed in flames. Sparks fly in the sky, and the wild grass under my feet is spewing white smoke.
"Did you set fire to find us...?"
He can't imagine a sudden fire in a closed mountain. Yumeto expected it to be Souta and the others that set the fire.
.....If it's Souta-kun, he might light a fire to find us who are hiding. But then, what would you do if a girl burned to death too? Or do you have some strategy?
Yumeto's expression tightened as he felt the heat all over his body.
"Both of you, follow me! Get out of here!"
"Run away, where are we going?"
Fuka looked around and called out to Yumeto.
"The smoke is terrible, and the self-defense forces are blocking road, so you can't go down to the bottom."
"Move to a place with water. That way you won't burn to death. Also, pour water from a plastic bottle over your body!"
Following Yumeto's instructions, Fuka and Yuna poured bottled water over their heads. Taking the remaining water, Yumeto also wets his head and clothes.
"Hurry up! Keep your head down so you don't inhale the smoke."
Yumeto and the others covered their mouths with their hands and started climbing the mountain path.
..................
The mountain road leading to the summit was obscured by a large amount of smoke. There was a crackling sound of trees burning, and orange sparks fell on Yumeto's shirt.
Looking back, a wave of orange flames approached Yumeto and the others.
"Yuna-san, Fuka-san, this way!"
Yumeto pointed to a slope with less smoke.
"If you pass through this forest, you should come out to the pond."
"Understood!"
"Yeah!"
Fuka and Yuna replied at the same time.
Yumeto picked up a fallen tree branch and mowed down the burning wild grass in front of him.
....If you go to the pond, you shouldn't burn to death. All that's left is for us to avoid the smoke. You will definitely survive!
..................
[November 10 (Wednesday) 11:25 pm]
"We did it! We make it to the pond!"
Yumeto saw the water flowing in front of him, and his eyes lit up.
"Crouching near the water. Quick!"
Hearing Yumeto's words, Yuna and Fuka crouch down on the river bank.
After confirming that the area wasn't filled with smoke, Yumeto placed both hands on his knees and exhaled.
He took a deep breath and looked up to see the sky light up in all directions. Apparently, the fire has spread all over the mountain. The forest on the other side of the river was also engulfed in flames for several dozen meters.
"It's such a big wildfire..."
"It hasn't rained recently."
Fuka opened her mouth while still crouched down.
"But it seems that many places are burning, so it may have been set on fire in many places."
"Probably Souta-kun. To kill us..."
"That's different."
Suddenly, I heard a boy's voice behind me.
When I turned around quickly, Souta was standing there. Souta tilted his head slightly and smiled. He holds a wooden sword in his right hand.
"Finally, I found you. Yumeto-kun."
"Souta-kun..."
A dry voice escaped from Yumeto's mouth.
"Why are you here?"
"That's because if a wildfire breaks out, you'll run to a place with water. That's why I was waiting for you at the pond."
"So you're the one who started the fire to kill us, aren't you?"
"No, no. I said that the purpose is different."
Souta hits his own shoulder with the tip of the wooden sword.
"It's true that I started the fire, but it wasn't to kill you. In that case, I'll do more calculations and make sure no one can come to the water. I set the fire in such a way that you can escape from the scene."
"I see. To don't kill the girls..."
"That's right. Yumeto-kun is smart, after all. I thought he would protect his friends and come to the water."
"Didn't you think that Narumi-san and the others would die?"
"Neither Narumi-san and Hinako-san won't die. Cause I emailed them before I lit the fire."
Souta sticks out his tongue.
"The wind was a little stronger than I expected, so the fire was so strong that I panicked too. If one of the girls died, there was a possibility that I would be punished."
"Are you going to start a forest fire to lure me to the water?"
"Our lives are at stake here, too. Right now, the ones who are dead are Takeshi and Hisashi, right? Also, if we don't kill four more people, we won't be able to complete the order."
"What are you going to do after you kill me? There are only girls left, so you can't do anything as a boy, can you?"
"There's no problem with that. If Yumeto-kun dies, Narumi-san and the others will kill the rest of the girls. Then, we can clear this order. Yumeto-kun, Yuna-san, Fuka-san and If Hinako-san dies, together with Takeshi-kun and others, there will be six people."
"Is this a strategy for you and Narumi-san to survive?"
"Actually, it would be better if Narumi-san and the others also died. Because the king is a girl."
"Are you sure?"
At Yumeto's question, Souta showed his white teeth.
"Huh? Didn't Yumeto notice? The hint left by the king."
"Hint?"
"That's right. Oh... I was the only one who noticed this?"
"What kind of hint is that?"
"Even though you know about that. What you can do? You're going to die right here."
"There's no guarantee that I'll die. Conversely, you could be killed by me."
"Ahaha. Certainly, the possibility is not zero."
Pointing the tip of his wooden sword at Yumeto, Souta smiled innocently.
"Then I'll just give you a hint. The hint is order 10."
"Order 10 is the one that finds the king's letter, right? There was no sentence in all sentence that we can decided the girl was the king?"
"That's what it is. If you read it properly, you'll understand. Especially the first letter of the ten letter."
"First letter..."
"Unfortunately, you don't have that opportunity."
When Souta tries to approach Yumeto, Yuna and Fuka stand in his way.
The two spread their hands to the left and right to protect Yumeto.
"I won't let you kill Yumeto-kun."
Fuka held up her knife and glared at Souta.
"You know what? You can't kill us girls."
"Of course I know. That's why I chose this as my weapon."
The tip of the wooden sword turned toward Fuka.
"This way I can immobilize you without killing you. Even if I break your arm and leg, you won't die. After that, I can have Narumi-san kill you guys who can't move."
"Before that happens, we will kill you before. If Yuna and I stop you, Yumeto will kill you soon."
"That's impossible. I'm average in physical education classes, but I have talent in kendo. I once went to a dojo in town, and there, I beat a 4th-dan opponent. Well, I was swinging my bamboo sword around as I pleased, and before I knew it, I was winning."
Souta swings his wooden sword up and down and left and right, moving only his right wrist. You can hear the hum and the sound of tearing the air.
"I don't think even the two of you can touch me. I'll probably break your bones soon enough that you won't be able to move."
"Even so, I..."
"Fuka-san, it's okay."
Yumeto put his hand on Fuka's shoulder.
"Give me the knife. I will fight Souta-kun alone."
"But...."
"It's okay. I won't lose."
Yumeto takes the knife from Fuka's hand and looks back at Souta.
"Souta-kun, let's do it one-on-one. Isn't that better for you too?"
"Well, I don't mind, but do you think you can win with that knife?"
Souta's eyes narrowed.
"I think knife are more lethal, but the difference in reach is nothing. Besides, Yumeto-kun, you've never stabbed someone with a knife, have you? I don't think you're good at physical education either."
"It's true that I'm not good at physical education, and I've never used a knife. But I definitely can't lose in this battle!"
"Does that mean you'll kill me?"
"..... Ah. I don't want to die, and I have to protect Yuna-san and Fuka-san no matter what."
Yumeto glances at Yuna and Fuka behind him. The two of them looked at Yumeto with worried eyes.
....If I die, Yuna-san and Fuka-san will probably be killed by Narumi-san as well. That's why I can't die!
...................