Lunchtime is approaching. I'll need to make an excuse to those three… knowing Miyu, she's probably frantic over my disappearance.
"Apologies for the gag, but I can't risk you screaming while I'm away," I say, tying a gag on each of them before leaving the room.
I head to the cafeteria and notice from a distance the unease of the masses who have lost their queen. Rumors must have spread rapidly throughout the school.
Mikoto's disappearance had a more significant impact than I imagined. If everyone decides to search for her, I'll be in quite a bind. However, I have a good idea of how to dissuade them without resorting to drastic measures.
I don't have the mental energy to start another massacre. Nevertheless, I still have a shred of sanity to rid myself of some inconveniences.
"Johann-kun, where have you been?!"
I turn and see Miyu responding calmly.
"I'm in a delicate situation. Can I explain after I've served myself?"
She nods, and I finish filling a very full plate.
"I was worried! You disappeared without saying anything. Shimizu-kun and Manabu-kun also said they didn't see you in the dormitory," she says as we move away from the crowd.
"Are they with you?"
"Yes, we're having lunch together. They're worried, too."
"I'd rather they weren't. I want to minimize the number of people who know about this."
"What are you talking about?"
"Basically, there's strong evidence the game has truly begun, and that's why I'm hiding. I won't say where for my own safety."
Miyu's expression shifts from irritation to concern.
"Wait… are you a player?"
"Exactly. I need your help. I can't face this game, so I'm hiding. I know it's shameful… but I've never been a brave person. Can you cover for my cowardice?"
"There's no reason to be ashamed. It's a natural reaction. But are you sure this is the best course? I think you'd be safer with us, your friends."
"I'd be putting you all at risk by staying close. Now, if you'll excuse me… my paranoia is already killing me."
She hesitates but eventually gives in.
"…All right."
...
In the end, they refused to eat and didn't say another word. Quite some time has passed since I imprisoned them.
After ensuring no one is searching for Mikoto in this old block, I return to them.
"It's time for a bathroom break."
Leaving them with minimal dignity is my duty.
I help them stand since they're tied up, especially Ailiss, whom I restrained with an excessive amount of rope.
Both comply without hesitation, given their circumstances. However… it's not like Ailiss to refrain from cursing me when I speak.
I feel uneasy as we walk through the cluttered basement. Are they plotting something? Do they plan to escape while using the bathroom?
"Wait a moment," I say, turning back to grab the machine gun. "If I notice any suspicious movement, I'll shoot without hesitation."
"Tsk," Ailiss mutters.
...
I hear footsteps above. They're probably searching for her; it's time I deal with that man.
...
"Hey, can we talk?" I ask.
"I'm busy! Talk to another council member!"
His response exudes his rage and obsession with finding her.
"Right, it's just that I think I saw the president. Is there someone specific I should spea—"
"WHERE?! WHERE IS SHE?!" he grabs my shoulders.
"This way, follow me."
So predictable… I've run out of words to describe Takashi. He only needs to serve as a means to destabilize this search for Mikoto. When they find his body, the rest of the council will cower.
"So, where is she?"
We're in a secluded area now.
I shoot him in the back.
...
"You've been here for two days. You need to hydrate and eat."
This has become more emotionally exhausting than I anticipated. If it's this hard for me, imagine for them. However, since I've come this far, I must at least test my hypothesis about an ending where we all survive.
I take the plate of food and the water bottles, approaching them.
"Will you cooperate, or do I need to find other means to feed you?"
Mikoto sighs and nods.
I'm relieved. Despite my attempts to feign coldness, harming them crushes my heart.
I untie Mikoto's hands and point the gun at her.
"I do not understand. It is not like we will die after just a few days in these conditions… what are your intentions with this?"
"Just eat. Don't try to distract me."
Mikoto doesn't have superhuman strength like Ailiss, but she's probably far more skilled than I am. If I falter, she could disarm me, not to mention her strong persuasive abilities.
"Fine…" she sighs and begins eating.
A few minutes later, Mikoto finishes her meal and says.
"You can tie me up again."
That's what I intended to do, but a lousy premonition made me reconsider my decisions.
"I have a better idea…" I turn to Ailiss. "She's too dangerous to hold utensils."
I don't doubt she could kill me with just a spoon or chopsticks.
Ailiss glares at me without a word, which reveals her intentions. She's constantly seeking an opening to eliminate me. Mikoto is clever, too, but lacks Ailiss's experience in such situations.
"I cannot deny that. But what are you implying?" Mikoto asks.
"It's safer for me to keep you untied and let you feed Ailiss."
"Do it yourself. Why should I be responsible for this?"
"I can't feed her and keep my guard up simultaneously. Come on, just follow my orders," I say, raising the gun.
Mikoto takes the other plate and a water bottle then approaches Ailiss.
"It is strange doing this for someone who tried to kill me, but given our situation, I ask for your cooperation."
"I could say the same."
Mikoto then serves the food and brings it to Ailiss's mouth.
Seeing them act this way… how I wish they could reach this point on their own.
Unfortunately, their conflicts are stains that will never fade. In this hell, they will only repeat endlessly.
...
"I feel terrible for keeping you in captivity. I hope someday you'll understand my actions. This is also the best way for me to test a hypothesis: what happens when time runs out?"
"The rules are clear: Death will come personally to end the game for us. That is why I am telling you this will not work. No one will gain anything from this. Including you, you will die just like us," Mikoto finally speaks.
"That's what the rules say… But they never mentioned multiple timelines. It could easily be a false rule."
"If you think that… there is nothing I can do. But why are you telling us this? After all, as you said, it is none of our concern."
She's right. I've been rude, denying them explanations. I'm so stressed I can't measure my words. I must not forget my real goal behind all of this. As harsh as my methods may be, I must treat them with a minimum of respect, or I'd contradict my principles.
"I'm sorry if I've offended you at any point. My methods may not have been the best, but I want you to know I'm doing this for you. If I left you free, one of you would likely harm the other, as has repeatedly happened," I turn to the other. "That was your task, wasn't it, Ailiss?"
"Indeed, when you informed me she's a player, I automatically remembered the identity of my target. My mission became to kill the girl next to me. I don't know how you know all this, but multiple timelines? That must be a joke… there must be a more rational explanation for this information leak."
"I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. I no longer know what to try to save your lives. I've tried everything you can imagine and more, so I resorted to captivity. This way, I can see with my own eyes what happens when the game's time runs out and use that as a basis for new ideas to save you."
"I never asked for your help. I might be wrong about my colleague, but apparently, she did not ask either," says Mikoto.
"I don't need to wait for a request for help. I'm acting on my own, out of love."
"And now you speak of love? I cannot think of anything more ridiculous than that. All I can conclude from your nonsensical story is that you are completely schizophrenic."
"Schizophrenic? That's a compliment compared to the nonsense he's spouting," Ailiss adds.
Schizophrenic, me? Despite everything I've done, that's how they see me? This is so unfair…
"Listen, you two," I stand and crouch in front of them, getting close to their faces. "You are mine, got it? I will save you because you two are mine."
Wait, what am I saying? I must really be out of my mind. Of course, from their perspective, I must seem crazy—they haven't retained their memories, after all.
This situation is frustrating me too much and causing me to say things without thinking. But it scares me to know I have such obsessive impulses.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that," I apologize.
...
Tired, I lean against the wall and watch them. They both rest against each other as if they weren't eternal enemies.
A smile forms involuntarily on my face. I decide to enjoy this sweet illusion for a few minutes.
A few days have passed, and tomorrow, I'll finally have my answer about the veracity of the rules.
Wait a moment. Have they become this close in such a short time? In my other attempts, I had to force them into extreme conditions to break their animosities.
I stand and approach them.
"What do you want now?" Ailiss asks, irritated.
Holding the gun ready to prevent a counterattack, I pull her up.
"How did you notice? I'm sure I did not show any movement," Mikoto comments.
"Intuition," I say, tightening the semi-loosened ropes. "Let me check yours too."
"I still didn't have the mobility to free myself," Ailiss says.
"That seems to be the case, but I can't lower my guard with you two anymore. Who would have thought you'd cooperate with each other."
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Mikoto says with a defiant smile. "It is a principle that applies in any battle. This is no exception."
"I see your point. I wouldn't expect anything less from you two."
I step away from them and return to my watch.
As the remaining time dwindles, their susceptibility to escape increases. Putting myself in their shoes, I'd probably act the same way.
However, I wonder how you would act in my place. What would Ailiss or Mikoto, whom I admired so much, do in an ambush like this?
In those distant worlds, I felt confident being by their side. I felt that if I acted on behalf of one of them or followed their orders, I was at least on the right path.
Now, I feel unmoored. I'm falling into an endless descent.
...
"Hey, Johann, how much time is left until the end?" Mikoto asks, gazing up at the window.
It's been a while since either of them spoke. Maybe they've lost hope of escaping.
The final night has arrived. There will be no spectacle to illuminate and warm this cold winter night this time.
"Twenty minutes."
"You are not going to abandon this crazy plan, are you?" she smiles bitterly and sighs. "To go this far, maybe you are not so crazy after all. Going back in time… there is nothing I would want more than that."
"I've wished for that many times too, so many times it's impossible to count. But all I gained was a curse."
"I have my doubts about the truth of this whole story. But reality doesn't tend to grant blessings—what were you expecting? What's in the past can never be saved," Ailiss mutters.
Both of them wish to avoid the loss of their parents above all else, while I seek to save them at all costs. Our motivations are identical yet so distinct. We will never reach common ground.
The deadline expires.
So, what will happen to us?
I stand and look around. However, nothing unusual happens.
Could it be? Was the solution really just to wait for time to run out? Have we been suffering all this time for nothing?
The bittersweet taste of my self-deprecating feelings doesn't even have time to dissolve in my mouth before I realize I've made a grave mistake.
I know this pattern...
The clock hands begin to stop.
"Tsk. We told you this wouldn't end well," Ailiss mutters angrily.
A chill runs down my spine as I sense a presence emerging from the rubble.
I was wrong. The rules are valid.
I run toward Ailiss and Mikoto, desperately trying to untie them to escape.
"The time is up, and there is nothing we can do. There is nowhere to run," Mikoto comments.
Perhaps I can stop Death by killing myself.
I place the gun to my head and try to pull the trigger, but my body freezes entirely due to the temporal distortion.
Just as it was when crossing the gate, the blade of Death's scythe pierces us. As my body rots and disintegrates slowly, I watch my beloveds endure this terribly painful and slow torture.
Their expressions of agony cause me a pain more extraordinary than the decay itself.
I'm sorry.
My vision darkens.
Day 1
10:27 AM
Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!
Nothing I try works!
I take a few steps back, run toward the window, and once again shatter the glass with the momentum.
Lying on the ground, I look at the same shards of glass I've used to kill myself countless times. I grip one tightly until my hand starts bleeding.
I'm an idiot. A complete idiot.
Keeping them confined like that only made everything worse. They suffered a slow and painful death because of me…
What have I been doing all this time?! IDIOT, IDIOT, IDIOT!
I can't bear this burden anymore; I don't want to think about it.
I immediately end it all by slashing my throat.
...
Seconds later, I find myself back in the classroom without a single wound… this is something I realized long ago: There's no escaping my sins. I have no option but to flee this reality.