~Y/n pov~

Shin went to the monitor room for the escape plan while Sara gathered everyone.

He grabbed my hand as he left, dragging my with him for whatever reason.

I debated on whether to say anything but ultimately decided not to.

After a few moments, I felt him lace our fingers.

~*~

Shin figured out where the secret room was.

We both climbed up the ladder into a room.

The teal-haired male went straight for a computer set up in the wall and started typing on it.

I walked around the room, picking up various things. Eventually, I got bored of that and settled for sitting beside Shin.

Shin was doing some sort of coding, something that my tiny brain couldn't comprehend. I was never good at coding or computing.

I let out a sigh, curling into Shin's side and resting my head on his shoulder. His body tensed for a moment before relaxing.

No words were exchanged. I closed my eyes, taking refuge in the comfort he provided.

I heard two people come up the ladder. They most likely thought I was asleep but I know Shin knew I was awake.

"Is this the secret room...?" It was Sara.

"Yeah... No doubt about it, it's Gashu's room." I felt Shin's warm breathe hit my ear and I held back a shiver, not wanting Sara and whoever she had with her to realise I was awake.

All conversations with Sara feel like an interrogation.

"I'm using Ranger's chip right now to neutralize the security." Shin added.

"Can you actually do that?"

I felt Shin shuffle, "Yep... This chip's amazing stuff. It's got a lot of important data that could probably be misused. Almost makes me think Ranger was intended to inherit all that data. Was he going to be a successor or something...?"

"A successor..."

"The hacking is still going to take some time. Could you keep an eye out below for anyone coming?" Shin informed them.

The other person finally spoke up, "I'll keep watch, meow! Big sis Sara, you watch the loners, woof!"

I opened my eyes slightly to see the back of Gin's head disappear from view as he went down the ladder.

Sara perched herself in one of the corners of the room.

Closing my eyes again, I inhaled Shin's scent.

After a long while had passed, I felt a hand wrap around my shoulders and warm breathe hit my ear.

"It's done....also I know you're awake." Shin whispered the last part.

"Yeah.." I whispered back, slowly opening my eyes and rubbing them.

Shin kept his arm around my shoulder for a good few moments, leaned his head against my shoulder and sighed.

Then he slowly got up and offered me a hand.

He pulled me up and then led me to the ladder. It seems Sara had already left a few moments prior.

~*~

All of the monitors in the monitor room were on showing AI's, expect for the broken ones.

"Meooow?! They're showing everybody, woof!!" Gin exclaimed.

"Huh...? What's the matter, everyone?" The Kanna AI asked.

"Yaaawn... Man I'm bored... You wanna talk about somethin'?"

"Hmph... You're awfully busy, it seems."

The AI's started having a conversation.

"...Huh... How interesting... Looks like the AI control system broke too. Sure enough, the hacking was a complete success." Shin commented.

"Are we leaving them like this, meow...?" Gin asked, tilting his head.

"...If you wanna say farewell, make it quick. I'll be in the lobby." Shin turned and headed towards the lobby, pulling me along with him.

~*~

Everyone was gather in the lobby.

"All right, everybody. Let's head for the exit!" Shin exclaimed.

"Wait! Is what you're saying true?!" Alice asked.

Shin just smiled, "I'll explain later... There's no time now."

"Everyone...! Let's trust Sou!" Kanna looked at everyone with pleading eyes.

"Whoever wants to escape, come to the stairs. ...If you wanna stay, I won't stop you." Shin turned to leave.

I grabbed onto his hand and intertwined our fingers. Shin looked shocked I was the one to initiate hand contact for once.

"I didn't say I wouldn't come along, you know!!" Alice grumbled, following after us.

~*~

"So you all came." I commented, noticing everyone had indeed followed us.

"Is there a way to escape over here...?" Sara asked, glancing at me and Shin.

"If you doubt me, check whatever looks suspicious!"

Sara walked around and then walked up to the venue machine.

As soon as she touched it, a passage appeared behind the vending machine.

"Well done...good detective skill as always." I smiled, masking my true emotions.

"The exit is straight ahead from here. The only doors keeping us from it are this vending machine, and the last exit door. And both of those use the exact same security." Shin exclaimed.

"Let's go! Before the Floor Masters interfere...!" Kanna said.

There's a large passage behind the vending machine.

Within the passage is an endless flight of stairs. Hurried yet careful, we advance step by step.

"Stay close to me, everybody." Shin warned.
Me, Shin and Kanna walked in front. Along the way, we notice doors on the sides. Lots of them, spaced some distance apart.

"I suppose these connect to the other floors..." Kanna pondered aloud.

"These are probably the victory stairs that only the survivors are allowed to climb... It must be built so that they can access these stairs no matter when the Death Game concludes." Shin concluded.

"Wahaha... Hearing that makes me hope, whether or not I want to. For an exit...
An exit... If there really is an exit like Sou says... Have we been saved...? From... this Death Game..." Keiji trailed off.

We walked for a while, Shin broke the silence.

"Hm... I see something..."

"Huh?"

"The exit...?"

~*~

It's... a traditional Japanese room...

"According to the floor map, this is... The Winner's Room." Shin told us.

A white sliding door conceals what's outside the windows. A warm light illuminates the room.

Two low chairs are facing each other.

The corridor continues further.

Shin adjusted his scarf, "Up ahead... is the exit..."

We proceeded down the corridor. My heartbeat growing faster and faster. Hope. Future. Normality. Believing that all of this lied just ahead. What awaited us... was a solid wall of rock.

"W... What the heck is this...?!
This? This is the exit...? It's nothing but rocks... Almost like there'd been a landslide..."

"Ridiculous...!! I mean, this means... l The exit is blocked...?!"

"The security had indeed been neutralized. But without a door... there was no point."

There was no hope. Any hope we had was crushed...there was only despair. Despair consumed me, and everyone's voices just became background noise.

"No...!!"

"Ahh... ahhhhh..."

"Don't be ridiculous...!! What in the wooorld?!"

"We... can't go home... meow...?"

"It can't be!! This is all... a lie!"

It is not a lie.

"This is the truth you sought out. An external explosion was used to make a physical lid. Long before the Death Game began..."

"Damn you...!!"

"Ahem. I have it this time."

"Please forgive my rudeness. I do not wish to use violence."

"Now, everyone, it is time to stop dreaming. You must win...! Only for the victor will the path open!! You have only a brief time left... Spend your last moments before the Main Game well."

Despair became one with me and I became one with despair.

~*~

"This place..."

Gashu is on the screen.

"Everyone... How are you feeling? I truly thank you for once again participating in the Main Game. I will omit detailed explanations, but I have one point of warning this time... It appears one of you lost your tablet. Due to the need for fingerprint identification, others cannot misuse it, but... As it is a disadvantage to not know your own role, a spare tablet has been placed on your table. Please use it if you are the person in question. That is all for my warning. To proceed with the rules, please touch the screen."

There was silence.

"Well then, allow me to explain the rules of the Main Game. The basic rules are that one person to be sacrificed will be chosen by majority vote.
The vote will be split into two parts. Through the first round, the preliminary vote, half the total will be chosen as candidates. As there are 8 presently alive, this would be 4. A final vote will be held using these, deciding the ultimate victim. In other words, the sacrifice is decided by narrowing down from 8, to 4, to 1. Of importance are the four roles. First is the Commoner. This is a normal role, which has no powers. The second is the Keymaster. As one would expect, they hold the key. If chosen as the sacrifice, all will perish. The third is the Sage. By the power of holy divination, they can know who the Keymaster is. The fourth is the Sacrifice. This is a card of reversals, which lets its owner live only if they are chosen as the victim. But meanwhile... if not chosen, they will die. So it is also an accursed card. In exchange, the Sacrifice can vote twice... And if they win, they can escape together with one person of their choice. Incidentally, in the event that multiple people are tied for first... If the Sacrifice is in the tie, the Sacrifice wins." " If the Keymaster is in the tie, all perish. If both the Sacrifice and Keymasterare tied for first... The Keymaster takes priority, and all perish. The distribution is 1 Keymaster, Sage, and Sacrifice. All others are Commoners. Best of luck... and may you avoid total destruction at all costs."

"Well, everyone, please wait for the game to beg..."

Miley stormed in, cutting off Gashu, "Hey! Gashu!!"

"Gashu, are you listening?! You've really gone and mucked things up...! You've made a flagrant transgression...!! One that shakes the very core of the Main Game!! Are you trying to appropriate the Main Game for yourse..."

Gashu's facial expression remained blank, "...Apologies for the video malfunction. The Main Game will now begin. Please enter, everyone."

What just happened?

"We have already opened. Please enter quickly."

Everyone sluggishly made their way to the main game room, despair coursing through their veins.

I pulled Shin to the side so I could talk to him before the main game.

~*~

"What is it n/n?"

"N/n!?" My cheeks flushed.

I cleared my throat and started speaking, "I'm worried at this main game...one of us may not survive so I've got something I want to say..."

Shin looked away, "H-how could you trust someone like me? After everything.."

I placed my hands on his shoulders, "Hey I trust you ok? Whether you are lying to others or yourself. I will always trust you. It's a decision I've made and I trust that decision. I won't go back on it."

Shin looked at me with wide eyes and blinked owlishly, his face was getting redder and redder.

He hid his face in his scarf and turned away.

"Well in that case....I trust you too and I have something to tell you...." Shin trailed off nervously, "This isn't the time or place and I don't know how to say this....I just know I want to say this...before it's too late."

My eyes widened not expecting it to go this way.

"I like...no I love you n/n!" Shin looked away, ready for rejection.

I chuckled, making him tense up.

"This is a weird turn of events...you took the words right out of my mouth..." I smiled, looking down.

"I love you Sou...no..." I leaned closer to his ear and whispered, "I love you Shin."

Shin was speechless for a few moments, then he suddenly smashed his lips onto mine.

It felt like fireworks were going off....if only we didn't have to do the main game.

~*~

_____________________________________
2009 words

A/n I wanted to have the confession before the main game....do you feel despair, yet? Puhuhu~