5:00 PM
Alright, it's five in the afternoon. By now, they must have fulfilled my requirements for releasing Miyu. I must hurry to put the final part of my spectacle into practice.
"Get up already. Now that they know your location, I can't leave you locked up here like before," I say, pulling her by the rope.
"Please, Johann-kun. Stop this… How many more people do you need to kill to satisfy yourself? How many more lives must you take?"
I pause for a moment and sigh, reflecting on my nefarious actions.
However, I cannot stop. I must not stop.
"I don't have time to argue. Stay quiet and just walk ahead of me, or I'll kill them too."
I grab my hostage and the fuel gallons, descend the stairs, and head to the main block.
It seems now there's literally no one in the courtyard. Those I didn't eliminate must have returned and sought refuge with the student council. That's probably what I would have done in their position, but nothing will spare them from their inevitable end.
Along the way, as we proceed, Miyu grows increasingly shocked at the sight of the growing pile of corpses.
Eventually, she freezes in place.
"I could hear the gunshots and cries. But I couldn't believe you were capable of such horror," Miyu says, collapsing to the ground and holding back vomit.
Stopping to carefully observe the scene, the destruction I caused this morning is indeed substantial. White and red are the two colors covering the entire courtyard. The silence is such that I feel I can almost hear the sound of snowflakes falling to the ground in this slightly orange-tinted late afternoon. In any other context, this atmosphere would create a majestic scene.
We don't have time to dwell on this.
"Get up and walk. You're slowing me down."
We walk past the pile of bodies I left earlier and stop near the block entrance.
I briefly analyze the situation and notice no movement inside. Then, pushing Miyu ahead of me, I enter the school lobby.
Again, no movement is present.
It seems they followed my demands. But this seems to have worked too well. As before, my pessimistic sensor begins to sound an alarm. Honestly, I can't believe both of them managed this task without any complications.
I climb the stairs, and upon reaching the floors that served as dormitories, I notice the rooms are securely locked.
Ah, I see... So this was the reaction they managed to provoke. I'd say it fits well with my plans.
The idea of locking themselves in isn't bad in itself, considering my remaining ammunition isn't infinite enough to waste it on attempting to break down the doors. If they're hiding, it's a good way to buy time.
However, they have no way of escaping the fire. Unfortunately, they weren't aware that I'd use such an approach.
I walk through the corridors, pouring the gasoline from the gallons on every floor, spreading it thoroughly by the dormitory doors as well.
Probably Ailiss and Mikoto, like royalty, have hidden themselves in a place distinct from these and left the terrified commoners behind. Perhaps they justified it with their potential counterattack. Whether that's true or a lie, it doesn't matter.
As a final action, I go to the school's sound room and play a classical music playlist. The music will continue playing until the fire damages the speakers or the computer in the sound room.
Then I light a lighter I took from the cafeteria kitchen, toss it onto the fuel I've spread, and observe the reaction begin.
I never thought this would be so fitting. Nero truly had great taste. Now I understand him completely.
"How far are you planning to go with this madness?!" Miyu, still bound, asks.
I no longer know. I'm not even thinking about my actions anymore. I'm just killing for the sake of killing—it's as if this has become an automatic activity for me. It's as if I've killed them all this way billions and billions of times.
Could I have influenced my other versions to do the same? And now, have the infinite timelines taken the same course? In that case, my actions were a great success because it means my emotions for my beloved ones have transcended this world.
We descend to the lobby, where I stop to admire the beauty of the flames flickering in harmony with a magnificent orchestra of violins. Snow, fire, blood, and classical music—I never imagined I'd find so much harmony in this splendid combination.
6:32 PM
Well, I've finished enjoying my spectacle, and now I'm growing quite impatient. Did they fail to execute the rest of the plan? I think I was expecting too much from them, after all. Managing to make both retreat was already a significant achievement for me. I can find a way to meet them on my own.
I hear a loud noise immediately after something grazes my school uniform. Without hesitation, I pull Miyu by the rope and use her as a shield against this unexpected attack.
I observe the silhouette of five people at the entrance of the lobby, and soon after, I can identify who they are.
So, they succeeded… I shouldn't have underestimated you two, Manabu, Shou. I must congratulate you—the result was beyond my expectations.
There they are: Mikoto, Ailiss, Shou, Manabu, and another student holding Ailiss's revolver.
I was nearly hit by his shot. A weapon with a silencer is truly dangerous. I could only hear the bullet's impact against the lobby wall.
But who is he? In the end, it doesn't matter. He's probably just a volunteer willing to kill me.
Well, there's no other solution—they need someone to sacrifice for this task. I'm just surprised that one of the school's fools managed to fit this role.
"I'm sorry, Kaichou. I missed by a hair. Next time, I'll hit him," the boy says, aiming at me.
Besides, I must get into character to continue this theater. A provocation is a good way to start.
"Who would've thought? The queen and her general abandoned the rest of the commoners to save their own lives. How apathetic of you. Haven't you ever heard that there's no kingdom without people?" I say with the machine gun pointed at Miyu's back.
"That is where you are wrong. We did not abandon anyone; that would be an outrage to our speech at the last assembly. Basically, we took advantage of the time you were arguing with Shimizu-kun and Matsumoto-kun to evacuate the main block without raising suspicion. We then blocked the dormitory entrances to simulate the retreat you requested from them," Mikoto explains.
The block is empty?
"I see. But how did you know I would resort to fire and not try to break down the door?"
"We didn't know exactly what you planned to do. However, from my experience, it was evident that your ammunition wouldn't be enough to deal with all the students. Thus, you'd have to resort to some other means," Ailiss says.
I sensed something was wrong with the environment. I can't say for sure if they betrayed me, as Mikoto explained, the movement was already happening while I relayed the plan. In any case, the essential part was communicating my intentions and, most importantly, keeping the lobby clear to carry out this meeting.
"You really thought of everything… you even found a lackey to shoot? But how skilled is he to shoot without hitting the hostage? Aren't you being overly confident? Is one day of training enough to risk Miyu's life?" I glare at Shou and Manabu. "Are you really willing to take this risk?"
"I have no experience with firearms, but I'm the captain of Kyudo. So, I believe I'm competent for this," the boy responds.
If I move the machine gun away from Miyu for even a second, that boy will probably shoot without hesitation. This leaves us at an impasse, but time continues to work against me.
"You're aware that by killing me, you'll also die as a consequence, correct? I imagine you were forced into this, but deep down, you want to survive. If you put down that weapon, I'll let you live. How about it?"
"One of your poison victims was my cousin. Not to mention my classmates you killed this afternoon. I don't intend to let you go unpunished for this, you bastard!"
I didn't expect that to work anyway. At least I've confirmed his motivation to shoot, and from what it seems, he won't back down.
I suppose I've truly succeeded in being hated by everyone, including them.
"Give up. A patience contest is not advantageous for you, as the flames will reach you faster than us or the game's time limit. If you make things easier, we can lighten your sentence," Mikoto says.
Even if I weren't in the circumstance of a fire, as she said, the time until the game ends continues to count down, and the conditions for me to end this the way I want are still not fully prepared.
"Lighten my sentence? In the position we're in, none of us can escape the death penalty anyway."
"You are correct. However, I believe you would prefer a painless death rather than burning to death under a collapse."
If my intentions weren't to die or if I were unprepared, I'd truly be cornered in a situation like this. However, that's not the case.
Attempting to move might create an opening for him to shoot. So, I imagine it's time to proceed with the second phase of the spectacle.
"I'm very disappointed in you two, Manabu, Shou. I believe Miyu is as well. I can consider that you no longer care about her safety since you decided to betray me and set up an ambush against me. So I can kill her, right?"
"Jocchi, please understand our side and release her. We couldn't follow your orders; too many of our colleagues would've died. This place is too dangerous—you have nothing to gain by persisting in this madness; you'll die anyway!" Manabu pleads.
"Johann, you bastard! If you still have a shred of consideration for your friends, obey them and surrender already!" Shou yells, taking a few steps forward.
Miyu turns her saddened face to me but can't say anything.
Don't tell me you're regretting it just now? You should stop thinking so much about others and focus more on yourself. Or better yet, stop worrying about how others perceive your actions.
She knows what will happen from here, and it's eating her up inside. All three of them know the weight of their actions, but to have a chance of surviving, they must bear this guilt and follow my instructions.
Very well, the two have given their cues. There's no reason to delay any further.
"Setting the traitors aside… Ailiss, Mikoto, I must congratulate you on getting this far. I wouldn't expect any less from you. However, you failed at a crucial point. You only focused on what's visible and forgot about what's not. In battle, one cannot limit themselves to the probable, which is why pessimism is so important," I say.
"What are you talking about? You're not making any sense. Are you just trying to buy time? Idiot… haven't you realized that time is against you?" Ailiss grumbles.
"Don't rush to understand what I'm talking about. Now, let me ask just one question: What will you do about the bomb?"