"Ugh... My head..."

I groan as I pick myself off the ground into a sitting position. I rub my head. "Owww... Huh...?" I look behind what looks to be a table. 

"Sara!?" My grogginess completely gone, I dash to my friend's side. "Sara! Can you hear me!?" I ask. She begins to stir. "Nnh..." She slowly opens her eyes. "Huh...? (F/n)...?" I sigh in relief and hug her. "Thank God you're okay..." I pull away. "...Where are we?" She asks. "Wish I knew... I just woke up too when I saw you passed out." She nods and gets up, I follow.

We don't even get a good look at the table full of food when we notice the most vile creature on earth in the monitor.

"Miley!?" Sara and I yell out. Even though it's just a screen I find myself cowering in my spot. Miley starts giggling on screen. "Eheehee... Everyone... How are you feeling?"

This sack of shit!

How can someone make me feel scared, disgusted and pissed off all at once? That is the real question!

"Like hell,  after all you've put us through!" I yell. "Miley...! Where are the others!?" Sara snarls at the supposed doll. Miley just grins. "This is a pre-recorded video... So I'm afraid I can't answer any questions." She says. "Oh..." I mumble out and straighten up a bit. Miley clasps her hands together. "Allow me to thank you, truly, for taking part in the Main Game." She says.

"No... We're at the Main Game already!?" I ask in a panic. Sara rubs my back and we continue listening to Miley who gestures in front of her. 

"This is the waiting room prepared for participants... The Last Supper Room. You may fill yourselves with food before the game, or form a strategy. Use it however you please." I look at the table. "How can we even have an appetite right now...?" I mumble out. "Those who successfully beat the Main Game can proceed to the next floor! Hooray!" Miley cheers.

Hooray my ass you sack of shit.

The doll raises her pointer finger. "Note that those who do not exit their waiting rooms once the Main Game starts will die as a penalty. Please be aware... Eheehee. I will now explain the rules of the Main Game. Everyone, please take the card you obtained while exploring and touch it to this screen." She instructs. 

"The card...?" Sara asks and digs through her skirt pocket. She pulls out the Keymaster card and pulls me along to the monitor. "Here goes..." I mutter as Sara presses the card to the screen briefly.

This sucks... This really sucks...

"You have your card, yes? Now I will begin to explain." Miley exclaims.

Some music starts and I tune into Miley's words even though I'd rather not if it wasn't my life on the line.

"First off I must address a small issue." Miley says. 

Huh? 

"It appears that two participants have found a single card together and kept it. They will now be counted as one person for the rest of their time here. How that will come to play, I'll explain in a little bit." She assures.

"Well, good to know we won't get a penalty for that..." I mutter. Sara nods.

"The basic rules are profoundly simple. One person will be selected by majority vote, and that person will die. That is all."

Simple my ass!

I don't even care about the fact that my remarks are uncreative. I could fucking die!

The screen starts showing the rules in picture form.

Eleven green silloutes show up on the screen.

"The vote will be split into two parts. Through the first round, the preliminary vote, half the total will be chosen as candidates. Including our two people joint as one, currently 11 are alive, so this will be 5."

Five of the green silloutes go above the rest.

"A final vote will be held using these, deciding the ultimate victim."

The middle green silloute turns red and gets hanged.

"In short, the victim is decided by gradually narrowing it down from 11 people, to 5, to 1!"

Miley's expression turns dark.

"Of course, even those not chosen as candidates will participate in the vote itself! Please, do kill of your own volitions!" She grins sinisterly.

"You sick fuck." I growl under my breath.

Miley raises a finger again. "However, there are holes in this game."

I raise an eyebrow.

"We do not care for intentless games of luck. Such worthless acts as using rock-paper-scissors to fairly decide the victim are forbidden! And so, everyone, please take out your cards!" Miley giggles.

Sara holds the card between us as we wait for the explanation.

"There are four roles given by the cards. The first is the Commoner."

The screen shows 11 green silloutes along with the word Commoner in blue.

"This is a meaningless card with no power at all. The second is the Keymaster."

"That's ours..." Sara murmurs.

All the green silloutes turn red and one of them gets hanged. There's the word Keymaster in yellow at the top.

"And, oh my! It's a terrifying role indeed, for if chosen as the victim, everyone will perish!"

"HUH!?" I take a step pack and put my hands in my hair reflexively.

Everyone will die if we get chosen as the victim!? What!?!?

"Third is the Sage."

DAMNIT NO TIME

I calm down for now.

The silloutes turn green except for one which is yellow and has arrows pointed at it. The word Sage is at the top in green.

"By holy divination, they know who the Keymaster is. A very lucky role! Congratulations to its owner!" Miley chirps.

"So someone out there knows we're the Keymaster..." I sum up.

"Fourth, is the Sacrifice."

"We saw that card earlier." Sara points out.

The silloutes turn red, except for one which is green and above all the rest. Sacrifice is written at the top in red.

"Amazingly, this curios card allows the person to survive only if chosen as the victim! Which means if they're not chosen, they die! However, there are positives as well!"

"Say WHAT!?" I shout. This doesn't make sense! We have to choose one person to die but then the Sacrifice is still doomed to die!? How is that fair!?

UGH I NEED TO PAY ATTENTION!!

"The Sacrifice alone has 2 votes, and also..."

A green arrow with a heart loop points from the green silloute to another one which has also turned green.

"If they win, they can escape alive with a person of their choice! Well, but in that case...all the others will perish. If the one who drew the Sacrifice card is our joined two people however, then they don't get to save anyone else. That's the price for them being one person! They can still both be saved by a Sacrifice though. So good luck!"

Miley appears on the screen again.

"There is one Keymaster, Sage and Sacrifice each. All the rest are Commoners. Commited it to memory, yes?"

Sara holds her head for a moment as she looks between me and the screen. "H...Hold on... Does this mean... Could it be...?"

"So at minimum, two people will die. Everyone, do you best not to be one of them!" Miley confirms our thoughts with a giggle.

*Thud*

Suddenly there's a thud from somewhere beside our room. "D-Did someone faint??" I ask aloud. "Sure sounded like it..." Sara sighs. I start shaking again. "T-Two people will die? If we get picked, then everyone is dead!!" I start hyperventilating and Sara rushes over to me. "(F/n)! Breathe! In and out! Listen to my voice!" I look at Sara and she nods. "Breathe in for 4 seconds, c'mon!"

I shakily breathe in.

"Hold it for 8 seconds."

I hold my breath as Sara rubs my back and sets us onto the ground.

"Breathe out for 12."

I breathe out and continue doing the cycle on my own. 

"There you go. That's good. Just breathe." Sara encourages me. 

After a minute, I calm down and slump in Sara's arms. "Why do we have to do this...? I don't want anyone to die... I don't want to die either..." I sniffle. Sara grabs my face. "(F/n), you need to calm down. If you panic you won't be able to think rationally. Just be brave out there, follow my lead and only hold back your feelings or decisions if I tell you to. You have a tendency to act without thinking of the consequences, I can do that for you. We will get through this, okay?" She asks.

I take a couple deep breaths before nodding and hugging Sara again. She rubs my back until I pull away by myself after a while. "...Let's check out this table." Sara smiles and nods. "Let's." 

We stand up and I examine the table full of food. "There's sushi, turkey and a lot of fruit rated things. Also some water." I look up at Sara. "Even if we don't have any appetite at all, we should eat and drink something. We need energy for what's about to happen, and who knows when we'll be able to eat again?" I point out. Sara thinks about it for a bit before sighing. "You're right, (F/n)... Let's eat a small snack and drink some water."

Boy, DO we need the energy for what comes next...

I pour Sara and I two glasses of water and hand us both two maki sushi rolls each. "It's small but at least it's something!" I point out. Sara nods and smiles. "Let's try and enjoy this." She says. "Heh... Yeah." I say before we both start eating.

After eating the sushi I grab our glasses of water and hand one to Sara. "Gotta stay hydrated. To...hopefully pulling through this...!" I raise my glass with an awkward laugh. Sara lets out a small laugh and clings our glasses. "I'll drink to that." She tries to be positive as well. "Good... Bottoms up." I say before drinking the glass until it's empty. Sara soon follows.

"Okay... We've eaten and drank a bit... What now?" I ask. Sara shrugs. "Just wait, I guess. We don't have a stratedy and to be honest, I don't think there's a good one in this type of game anyways. All I can think of is to try and figure out who's got which role by how they're acting." She says. I perk up. "That's kinda like this game Werewolf! People die and the town's folk have to figure out which players are werewolves or some additional roles based on how they're acting during interrogation." I say. "I...can't say I've heard of this game before but at least that's some form of experience..." Sara sighs.

I can tell she's trying to keep it together for my sake with how fragile I can be.

I stretch out my arms. "Do you need a hug? I'm not the only person that needs comfort here." I say. Sara stares at me before walking up to me and clutching onto me. I rub her back. "I'm so stressed... I'm afraid we won't be able to pull through with this, but I have to stay strong...! For everyone's sake..." She sniffles. I back away. "No, Sara. You need to stay strong for YOUR sake. Fuck what others need, fuck what even I need! To you, you should come first!" I say and her eyes widen. "(F/n)..." I manage a smile and put my hands on her shoulders. "So c'mon! Let's keep our chins up for our own sakes!" I say. Sara smiles and nods. "You're right... Very much so!"

Unfortunately our moment gets cut off by a certain heartless monster.

"It's now time. Please head to the grounds via the door near the screen, everyone. Remember that if you stay here for too long, you will die as a penalty! Nobody wants that, I'm sure! I wish you luck. Eheehee... Ahaha..." Miley chirps and just stays silent afterwards. I grab Sara's hand. "...Ready?" I ask. She squeezes my hand. "As I'll ever be..."

We slowly make our way out of The Last Supper Room.

We walk into the Main Game grounds. In front of us were strange hourglass shaped desks, about waist height. Two were right beside each other. Must be a desk for Sara and I.

A door opens and Keiji walks up to us. "...Here we are." He says. He doesn't seem too affected surprisingly, but maybe that's just an act?

Another door opens. Q-taro looks both glad and scared to see us. "...! You guys... That was fast..." He walks over too.

Reko, Nao and Kai exit out of their rooms at the same time. They walk over to us without a word.

Gonbee is next to enter the arena. He walks over to us calmly. "...Hmph. All of you, so pale..." He scoffs.

Next are Joe, Gin and Sou. They walk over looking very uneasy. Sou clutches at his beanie. "...Why...is this happening..."

A desperate game is beginning...

And we're forced to play.

Miley appears and skips over to a throne in the room.

"Eheehee... Ah, so you'll all take part after all?" She giggles. "Shut up, you stupid pile of plastic." I snarl. "Miley...!! You...!!" Q-taro is cut off. "Ahaha... Please take a good look at the desks, everyone." Miley motions to the weird shaped desks. "A rather interesting setup, isn't it?"

The bottom parts of the desks fills up with red liquid.

"Eheehee... They are reverse hourglasses. Most curious indeed. When these hourglasses have all reached the top, the discussion will end. You have 70 minutes until the preliminary vote. After that, you can discuss for 20 minutes before the final vote. Well then, shall the discussion begin?" Miley clasps her hands.

"Hold up!! Kanna... Kanna ain't here!!" Reko yells. "Oh my God, you're totally right!!" I say as I frantically look for Kanna around the room. Miley rests her head on her palm. "Oh dear... So some would choose not to take part in something so enjoyable." Sara speaks up with a shaky voice. "H...Hold on!! Kanna...will definitely come!!" Miley just shakes her head. "Time is limited. That is what she chose, and that is the end of the matter. Miss Sara... You haven't made the wrong choice, have you?"

Oh hell no

"You are not about to pull this bullshit, Miley! Not on my watch!! Sara has been working her butt off to keep everyone alive, so don't you dare try and convince her that it was her fault!!" I don't even think about what consequences may come from what I say. I just spill out my feelings. "(F/n)..." I hear Sara whisper. Miley giggles. "Eheehee! Fiesty, aren't you? Just remember that I could kill you with the click of a button." I growl and cross my arms to stop myself from saying anything else. 

Miley quickly moves on. "Well then, let us start the Main Game! Everyone, stand at whichever desk you like! We've only prepared a special spot for our two joint people!"

We were urged to head for the desks. I take a deep breath as Sara and I walk up to ours.

"Now then, you seem to be prepared! Let the Main Game begin!" Miley cheers.

"...Please...wait..."

Everyone's heads turn in the direction of the voice. "Kanna...!!" Sara and I exclaim happily. Kanna awkwardly shifts in her spot. "...U...Um... I'm also..." Miley skips up to the girl. "You are welcomed, Kanna Kizuchi. Regrets...can wait until after taking part. Eheehee..." She laughs and gestures to the only empty desk left. Kanna slowly makes her way to it and Miley claps, overjoyed.

"Ahaha...! Let this wonderful, wonderful Main Game begin!"

[CANDIDATE VOTE]

Sara and I do a quick scan of everyone gathered around.

An extremely heavy air dominates the space.

This is so much different than our previous discussions...

"Heeheehee... Well, I shall go over the basic rules one more time. A total of two votes will be held: the preliminary vote in the middle of the discussion, and the final vote at the finale. 5 candidates will be chosen in the preliminary vote, and 1 victim will be selected in the final vote. If the chosen victim is the Keymaster, all lose, and all will die. If the victim is the Sacrifice, the Sacrifice wins, and can escape with one person of their choosing, unless they're our lovely pair who can't take anyone besides themself."

A weird rule since we can both be saved by the Sacrifice but sure.

"If the victim is a Commoner or Sage, the chosen victim and the Sacrifice will die. Ah, yes... I have left rulebooks on the desks. Make use of them as itmes, everyone. That is all... Heeheehee. Use your time however you please."

Miley quietly sat down in her throne.

And...in dead silence...the Main Game began.

Q-taro speaks up. "...Think we jus' gotta choose the most suspicious, least cooperative person here." Sara and I nod. "I agree to that." I say. "I've already settled on my pick..." Q-taro confesses. "Huh...!?" Joe and I exclaim at the same time. "How!?" I flail my hands. Q-taro sighs. "Curse me if you wanna! I..." He slams his fists on his desk. "Gonbee!! I'm votin' fer you!!"

WELL DAMN

Gonbee just keeps quiet for a second with that cocky smirk of his. "...What about it?" Q-taro is taken aback. "Say what...!?" Gonbee laughs. "Mwahaha... Do what you like." He shrugs. "D...Dumbass! What're you talkin' about!? That means...you'll die!" Joe yells. "You're the fools... Just think for a second." Gonbee scoffs. "How do you mean that...?" Nao asks. Keiji grabs everyone's attention. "This vote...shouldn't be focused on one point." Kai nods. "Indeed, this is the preliminary vote. If we were to unanimously vote for Mr. Gonbee..." He trails off and Sou finishes for him. "Gonbee would be our only choice for the final vote..."

Damnit, they're right...

Joe gets a distressed look on his face. "Oh man... And if Gonbee is the Sacrifice or the Keymaster..." Q-taro cuts in. "We're all done feeeeer!?" Sou speaks up. "It's not as if we freely chose which role cards we got, right?" I nod. "That's right! We found them randomly while exploring!" Kai rubs his chin. "There is a possibility...that the kidnappers granted the least-trustworthy Mr. Gonbee a special role for their own amusement."

Ugh, everything is possible! How are we supposed to figure everything out in less than 90 minutes!?

"And now... The chaos ensues! I'll watch closely as you all flail about..." Gonbee smirks. "How about you do something useful and help us figure this out instead!?" I shout.

He just flat out ignored me!

"Answer me when I'm talking to you!" I'm getting super frustrated now. Sara puts a hand on my back. "Let it go, (F/n). This isn't helping us get through this." She tells me. "Fine..." I sigh. 

"Damnit...!" Q-taro curses in frustration. "Whew... This game is even more malicious than I thought. If we want to survive, we need to assemble as close to 5 candidates as we can." Keiji points out. "We gotta suspect FIVE people!?" Joe clutches at his head. I lean against my desk. "Ugh, this sucks ass!!"

An oppressive air covers the area.

"Sheesh... Already beaten at the first push?" Gonbee asks. "How about you try, wise guy!?" I sass him. He rolls his eyes. "...I'll make a topic for you. Sara Chidouin, (F/n) (L/n), I will vote for you! Have you anything to say back?" My jaw drops. "Excuse me!?" Joe speaks up. "Hold on!! Sara and (F/n) are like our leaders!! What's your basis...!?" My eyes widen. "...Leader...? Me...?" I mumble.

Is that what these people see me as?? As one of their two leaders?

Wow

"Haha... Then why don't we discuss whether their actions are suspicious or not?" Gonbee proposes.

[DEVELOPMENT]

"I found it suspicious from the word go... How mere high school girls became leaders." Gonbee says. "Sara and (F/n) almost always acted with others. They couldn't do anything suspicious...right?" Keiji muses. Nao cuts in. "Doubting others is one thing, but doubting Sara and (F/n)!? You're awful...!" Joe catches mine and Sara's attention. "Sara! (F/n)! Talk back to him! Gonbee's just got the wrong idea about you two!" Gonbee crosses his arms. "Hmph... You two sure have a lot of friends... Have at you...!"

Ok Sara and I need to shut this dude down.

"What's your reason for suspecting us Gonbee? Just because we're young doesn't give you a reason to suspect us!" I point out. "I've seen through to the reason why the others have submitted to you." He states. "What do you mean by that...!?" Sara asks. "You alone alone have a weapon... The only one!" Gonbee points to Sara. She tilts her head. "A...weapon?" I run my hand down my face. "Is this seriously about the stupid revolver again?" Gonbee slams his hands on the desk. "That's right! Sara Chidouin, you possess all that can be called a weapon in this place, and stand supreme with (F/n) (L/n) at your side! You're an accursed dictator!"

Lord, give me strength to not smack this man across the mouth.

I rub the bridge of my nose and Sara pats my back. "We can prove him wrong. Remember what we found in the kitchen?" My eyes light up. "That's right! You present that and defend us!" I say. Sara smiles and nods before pulling out the box. "This is it!" She mumbles to herself.

Get ready to get shut down, Gonbee!

Sara holds up the box for all to see and opens it. "Take a look at this, please." Gonbee tilts his head. "Hm?" She continues. "This box was in the kitchen. It says "Please use as you wish", yet there was nothing inside to use." Gonbee gets a confused look on his face. "...What of it?" He asks. "All that's left is an impression. An impression which (F/n) pointed out to have been made by a kitchen knife." Sara finishes. Gonbee starts to sweat. "What...!? A kitchen knife!?" Keiji cuts in. "Yep. By the time Sara and (F/n) checked it, it was gone. Someone probably went and took it."

Get wrecked!

"The kitchen was locked the whole time. And both miss Sara and miss (F/n) very rarely acted alone... So surely they could not have taken it." Kai points out. "How're you staying so calm!? Like, who was it!? Who took the knife...!?" Gonbee shouts. I rub my chin in thought but Sara speaks up. "That's not relevant right now!!" Gonbee looks at Sara as if she were an idiot. "How could it not be...!?" Sara slams her hands on the desk. "The point I'm making is that (F/n) and I don't have control of all the weapons! So we didn't earn this trust by force!!"

Gonbee staggers back. "Uuuurgh...!" Sara turns to me. "We can't fall into our opponent's trap!" I smirk and nod. "You're right!" Gonbee scoffs. "Sheesh! Look at you two, feeling all pleased! ...Hmph. Very well. I'll speak no more... You trusting fools can just suspect one another." He backs down.

That's one argument out of the way...

[PROGRESS]

...

Quiet

It's too quiet.

This is so much harder than I thought it would be... I already suspected the worst, but this? This surpasses ALL expectations!

"I've...resolved on an answer." Q-taro says. "Go on. Let's hear it." I tell him, thankful that someone spoke up. "Lettin' this end in silence's the most inane plan we could take. That's why I'm gonna say it." Q-taro leans against his desk. "In all our searchin' and discussions... Who were the biggest burdens, an' the most weak...? Kanna, Gin, Nao... I'm talkin' about you three." He points to them.

"What!?!?" I screech out. Gin and Kanna look terrified to even be considered as choices. "You couldn't...!" Nao says in disbelief. "Are you shittin' me!? You think YOU ain't gonna get picked just 'cause you've got strength!?" Reko shouts at him. Q-taro clenches his fists. "Then go ahead and vote for me!!" Reko staggers back. "Wha...!?" Q-taro continues. "Vote what your will tells ya!! If ya think I'm useless, then take responsibility and kill me, Reko!! That's what I mean by resolve!!" Reko stays silent before looking at the three people Q-taro suggested. "...Nao! Kanna! Gin! Tell him! Use your words...to prove your worth!!"

YES! PLEASE DO!

"C'mon, you guys! Protect yourselves!" I beg them. "...Ah...I...I...! I searched the best I could! And I found things! Lots of things...!!" Nao exclaims. "K...Kanna..." Kanna looks at Sou who just stares at her. 

Wait...why are they making eye contact like that? Is there something up with those two?? 

Gin looks around at everyone while trembling. "Gin! If ya don't talk...it's over...! Don't tell me... None of y'all are thinkin' you'd be fine dying, right!?" Q-taro shouts. Keiji looks to us. "...Looks bad, you two. Q-taro is serious." Sara plays with her bangs nervously. "What should we...!?"

Damnit! I dunno what to do either!

Keiji cuts Sara and mine's train of thought off. "...Draw it out for 'em. That's something only you two can do." I nod at him and turn to Kanna. "Kanna? Sweetie? Are you okay?" I ask. "...(F/n)..." The girl looks back to Sou and flinches. "Kanna what's the matter? Talk to us." I beg her. She looks down at her feet for a second before lifting her head back up again. "...Kanna...Kanna...doesn't...care what happens anymore." Sara and I look at her in disbelief while whispering her name. Kanna continues. "Even if she's chosen...it's fine. Kanna...doesn't really mind if she's picked." I look at her desperately. "Kanna, no!!" I cry out.

There's a loud bang of fists on a desk.

"Wh...aaaaaat...!?" Q-taro yells. "She's had...enough... Kanna just...wants to got to her sister..." The girl cries out. I cover my mouth from the shock. "Kanna!! Don't be ridiculous!!" Reko scolds the girl. "I'm just...tired..." Kanna rubs her eyes from tears that threatened to spill. "You gotta be kiddin'!! You really wanna die without a peep!?" Q-taro shouts. Kai raises a hand. "Please, wait. Miss Kanna, are you serious? Or is this an act?" He asks. My eyes widen as I look to Kanna for an answer. "Kanna...won't say anything else... Please do what you want..."

Sweetie...no...

Kai rubs his chin. "...This is troubling... Miss Kanna may have drawn the Sacrifice card." Joe cuts in. "Sacrifice...!?" He says in disbelief. "The Sacrifice must be chosen to survive. Thus, they would put on a one-man show." Kai explains. "Would Kanna really...play with us like this, though?" I ask as I rub my head. "She's got enough motive that we could believe she actually wants to die." Keiji thinks aloud. "T-Then no pickin' her for right now, right...!?" Reko asks.

Sara grabs my shoulder and starts whispering to me. "I can't imagine Kanna playing these sorts of mind games, you don't either as it appears from what you said! Unless...someone suggested it to her...!" My eyes widen in realization. "I know who it is! It's..."

"Everyone, let's just put the subject of Kanna aside for now."

The stinky bitch himself interrupts me. A.K.A Sou. I glare at him with narrowed eyes and Sara notices. "...Can't know her true intent, after all." Q-taro sighs. "First, why don't we hear from Gin and miss Nao too, and then make our decision?" Sou proposes. Sara whispers in my ear. "Save your theory for later. Wait for the right moment." I groan and nod. 

Right as always. 

Sara straightens up and looks the teal haired guy in the eye. "Sou... Is it just me, or are you protecting Kanna?" She asks.

What? How's that theory stack up?? Wait... Hmm... He is swaying attention away from her and making us focus on someone else after she just told us she wants to die... Does that mean he's looking for excuses for anyone else to be executed? If him and Kanna really are working together...that would add up. Why would they work together in the first place, though??

My thoughts get interrupted by Sou's answer to Sara's question. "I-I can't afford to do that... I just don't want to waste our time. Don't want to be scrambling before the vote, right?" He asks with a smile. I narrow my eyes at him in thought. "...That's true." Sara admits. "Thank you, miss Sara." He grins but then looks like he's remembered something. "Oh, that's right. There's something I should take this opportunity to tell everyone." I raise an eyebrow. Everyone's intrigued.

[DISCLOSURE]

"You see, I'm the Keymaster."

...

...What...?

"I was unsure whether I should keep quiet... But I want to avoid us all dying, so..."

That's...bullshit! I'm the Keymaster! Sara too! He's fucking lying!

"Besides, if the Keymaster doesn't manage things, they'll just turn into a mess."

I have to shut this fucker down!

As I'm about to open my mouth, Sara yanks on my hoodie. "Remember what the card said!? We'll die if we say anything!!" She whispers.

 Oh God, that's right...!! I can't even disprove this fucker! 

"But...if the cards say we'll die if anyone finds out our role, this should be proof enough that he's not Keymaster!" I whisper back. Sara casts a worried look at Sou and sighs. "We don't know if everyone's card said that! We have to...keep quiet..."

SHIT

"Really...!? That's the truth, ain't it...!? If nobody else is gonna name themselves... Then yeah, I'll believe it!" No it's not, Q-taro. No it's not. Yet I can't tell you that!

What reason would Sou have to lie about his role? Well, you can't vote for the Keymaster or everyone dies. That means he doesn't want any votes! Which means he can't be the Sacrifice! He's either the Sage or a Commoner! He hasn't shown signs of knowing that Sara and I are the Keymaster, but I'm not excluding Sage from his possible roles!

Kai holds his ladle underneath his chin. "...Hm, is that a fact? No, I'm afraid I can't believe that easily... But for the current time, Sou, I will trust you are the Keymaster." He says. Sou grins. "Thanks. I'll do my best." 

Shut the fuck up, you liar. 

Despite my thoughts, he continues. "For now, Gin, could we get some proper statements from you?" He asks. Gin clutches onto Mew-Chan. "Meow..." Q-taro cuts in. "Y-Yeah, that's right! Gin! Be a man! Tell him what you gotta say!" I narrow my eyes at his wording but ultimately shift my attention to Gin.

[PROGRESS]

Gin starts trembling. "...Meow...meow..." Reko clutches at her desk. "Gin's frightened! And it's you crude-ass men to blame!" She snarls. Q-taro ignores her. "We've got no time. Gin, prove that you've been useful to everybody!" 

Uhhhh what do we do?? 

I don't do anything so Sara turns to Reko. "What do you mean by that?" She asks. "You say something too, Sara!" Reko tells her. "Reko... Can you recall anything in particular that Gin did?" Sara asks. Reko scratches her head. "Err, well...hmm... Ah... Come to think of it! Gin said he found somethin' amazing searching that second floor room!"

Say what!? Why haven't we heard about this earlier!?

Reko turns to the boy. "Gin! Show it to 'em! The amazing thing you found searching the second floor room!" Q-taro's eyes widen. "Amazin' thing...!?" Gin starts fidgeting with his cape. "...I... Dunno...anything about that, meow..." He says. "Wh...what'd you say...?" Reko asks flabbergasted. Q-taro turns to her. "Reko... Ya got a fine attitude...but see here. It ain't right to go an' spot lies to protect people, alright!?" He clenches his fists and Reko slams her hands onto the desk. "Augggh...!! No!! I...I tell you... I'm not lying...!!" Q-taro glares at her. "Somebody's gotta die in this place... Maybe it'll be you?"

EXCUSE ME!?

"Oh fuck you, Q-taro!" I yell in disbelief. "Y-Yeah! Hold the hell up!" Reko snarls at him. "...Woof... Big sis Reko..." Gin mumbles sadly. Sara turns to him. "Gin, tell the truth and stick up for Reko. Don't you feel bad seeing her get insulted and (F/n) getting mad because of it?" She asks. "...I do... I do, meow...but...but..." Q-taro cuts him off. "What a cowardly kid! You call yourself a man!?" I slam my fists on my desk and ignore the pain as I start screeching. "He's a little boy!! How fucking dare you!?!?" Q-taro shoots me a nasty look and Gin starts sniffling quietly.

[PROGRESS]

[BALANCE BATTLE]

Q-taro turns his attention back to Gin. "Nobody's gonna lend a hand if yer silent!"

I speak up. "As much as it pains me to say this, Q-taro is right, Gin." Sara also turns to Gin. "Gin, please say something! It doesn't matter what!"

Gin hugs Mew-Chan closer. "But...but I mean..."

Q-taro cuts him off. "Ya won't get special treatment, kid!" Gin forces himself to respond. "...I didn't see anything, meow..."

I shake my head. "No, Gin. Reko clearly said you found something important! So please tell us!" I beg him. Sara gets a stern look on her face and crosses her arms. "Are you trying to say that everything Reko said was a lie?"

Gin shakes his head frantically. "N-No, meow! B-but...but I didn't..." I give him a hopeful look. "Sweetie, you gotta say something!"

Gin stares at me and Sara with a pained look in his eyes. "...Big sis Reko's got it wrong, woof..." Q-taro responds quickly. "Gin! You gotta just be lyin', right!?" He asks.

Sara speaks up this time. "Reko didn't get anything wrong! Gin, why are you being stubborn about this...!?" She asks. "Besides, she was watching you the whole time on the second floor!" I add.

Gin suddenly yells. "I...I...! I just...didn't wanna believe that thing, woof!!" He cries.

[BALLANCE BROKEN]

Once Gin calms down he speaks again. "I didn't wanna show that thing...and make everyone worry, meow..." I shake my head. "Gin, a kid your age shouldn't be worrying about this type of stuff by yourself. Tell us what's wrong." I say. "Mya... Big sis (F/n)..." Gin looks at me wide eyed and Sara flashes him a confident smile. "We believe you, Gin. Whatever strange thing you'll present, we'll handle it." She assures him. Gin stays quiet for a moment before he gets all fired up. "Okay, meow...! Seeing big sis Reko getting yelled at by the muscle gorilla really ticked me off, meow!"

Oh my God that nickname is hilarious.

Q-taro interrupts him. "Jus' so ya know, I take" gorilla" as a compliment!" I roll my eyes and look back to Gin. "Go on, sweetie! Tell us what you found!" Gin nods at me. "...Woof! I believe in you, big sis Sara and big sis (F/n)!" Sara raises a fist in the air. "Yeah!" She encourages him. "So... I was trying to put together the paper scraps from the shredder thingy on the second floor, meow. But then, woof! Taking a look in there... I noticed some hand-torn paper too, meow. A...And there, woof...it said..." Gin takes a deep breath before continuing.

"That big sis Sara and big sis (F/n) were...murderers..."

I'm sorry, what!?

"What!?" I voice my thoughts and Sara makes a confused noise. "WHAAAAAAAAAAT!?" Joe grips onto his head. "What're you on about!?" Q-taro shouts. "Q-taro! Please, don't shout!!" Gin begs. "But I...believe in big sis Sara and big sis (F/n), woof..." He adds. "Sweetie, do you have the paper on you?" I ask. "Oh, yeah! I have it, meow! Look at it, woof!" Gin runs over to me and hands it to me. I read the paper aloud. "15.5% Sara Chidouin, (F/n) (L/n) - Murderer, 9.8% Naomichi Kurumada - Boxer, 9.5% Keiji Shinogi - Detective, 8.8% Q-taro B.B. - HS Teacher??"

That last part made me the most confused. Anyways, this paper looks just like the one half Sara and I found in the Red Room when we found Gonbee!

Sara looks to him. "Add this paper to your statement, Gin." She tells him. "So that's important, woof? Got it, meow! I'll state it loud and clear, woof!" I turn to Sara. "You still have that paper from the Red Room?" I ask. She nods. "This is it!" She says. The new paper gets Gin's attention. "What is it, meow?" Sara shows off the paper for everyone to see. "Take a look at this. It's a piece of paper (F/n) and I picked up." Gin's eyes widen. "My-my-myow!? This looks...!" I show off the paper he handed me. "Just like the one you found?" Gin points to the papers. "Similar, woof! Totally the same, woof!"

Sara swaps our papers. "Look at this, if you remove the left half and connect it to the piece we found...!" We stick the papers together to produce a whole 'nother list. 

"M-Meow...!? They connected, woof!!" Gin announces. Sara takes the sheets of paper and puts the name sides on top of each other. "There were at least two of these sheets stacked together." Gin is still in shock. "Is that it, woof...!?" Sara nods. "Since they fit together so cleanly, of course misunderstandings would happen." Gin cheers. "Yaaaaaay! Thank goodness, meow!!"

Oh this sweet little summer child.

Joe scratches his cheek. "But y'know... What are those sheets in the first place?" Sou clutches at his scarf. "...They are creepy, aren't they." He says quietly. "The professor's name is on here, and even some people I don't know..." Nao notices. "And whatever could the percentages on the side be...?" Kai wonders aloud. "And why do Sara and I share a spot on the list?" I wonder aloud. 

There's silence for a moment before Gin speaks up. "Anyway! I've proved I was useful for exploring, meow! And now I'm glad that big sis Sara and big sis (F/n) weren't murderers after... Eh...? Then who IS a murderer, meow...?" He questions as he walks back to his desk.

Sara and I look at the paper. "That'd be Alice Yabusame. Whoever that is." I say. "Yabusame...? That sounds kinda familiar, meow." Gin muses. "It does..." I simply say. I remember back in the Red Room Sara told me who out of all of us had the last name Yabusame. 

I turn to Reko. "Your last name is Yabusame, right?" She flinches. "Urgh...!! Y...Yeah... I'm Reko Yabusame... And so what? J...Just a coincidence, right? I dunno...anybody with that name." Keiji narrows his eyes at her. "Uh-huh... What do you two think?" He asks us. Sara speaks up. "Reko...might be an alias..."

Damn! I didn't even think of that! I thought maybe it was her sister that we haven't met!

Joe interrupts Sara. "H-Hold on a sec! In the bar, on the blackboard... I saw a list of people who could drink and couldn't! And it said both "Reko" and "Alice"!" 

Good thing he did cuz I sure as hell didn't! 

"...Ummm... Come to think of it, when I was searching... I found some chalk on the floor..." Nao adds. My eyes widen and Keiji speaks up. "So...it's not impossible it was changed." Reko slams a fist onto the desk. "Y-You got it wrong! It's not me!! Besides, handwritten pieces of paper!? Anybody could make those, right!?" Keiji smirks. "If they had a pen, sure." Reko staggers back. "Oof...!"

Shiiiiit what am I supposed to believe!?

"B...Big sis Reko can't be a murderer, woof!!" Gin shouts. "Then...should we call it a relative's name?" Keiji muses. Reko speaks up. "I...I remembered...! M...My brother! It's my brother's name!" She yells. I look at her confused. "Alice...is your brother?? Isn't that a girl's name??" I ask confused. "Even your excuses are becoming illogical." Kai sighs. Reko grabs onto the desk like her life depends on it. "It ain't an excuse...!! Alice is a gender neutral name, I'll have you know!!" She yells. "Reko, tell the truth...!" Q-taro shouts. "Believe me!! I'm... I mean... I...!!" Reko can't finish her sentence. "...Reko...!" Sara calls out. "Sara! (F/n)! Help me!"

She's counting on Sara and I! I don't know what to say though...!

Sara notices my distress and takes responsibility. "Um... It's not wise to trust these scraps of paper." She tries. "Somebody was trying to dispose of these scraps. Maybe 'cause they were too "inconvenient"...?" Keiji proposes. Reko hangs her head low as sweat starts forming on her face. "Damnit...! I...I..."

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIT!!"

Someone slams a hand on their desk and all heads turn when they yell.

"It's me! I'm Alice, okay!?!?"

...

...Gonbee...?

---------------------

[Author's Note]

DUN DUN DUN!

Alice has been revealed!

Who else was absolutely dumbfounded at this plot twist?

I found out that Alice was a gender neutral name thanks to this game!

Who's ready for Sou to become an even bigger dick than he was before? I sure as hell am not!

One last meme before I leave.

Toodles~!

Kaja is finished here ^^

[Word Count: 6975]