*DEATH WARNING! I REPEAT, DEATH WARNING! THE ANGST IS REAL!*

After walking back to my desk, Sara and I pick up our tablet.

[Vote for Sou?]
    [Yes] [No]
        ^

No hesitation at all.

Please...

...PLEASE...!

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

[...All votes have been received.]

[Displaying results...]

[Sara and (F/n): 0 votes.]

[Joe: 2 votes.]

[Kanna: 0 votes.]

[Sou: 4 votes.]

[Kai: 6 votes.]

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

"No...! Kai...!" I can hear my voice breaking...

Sou smirked. "That's too bad... You lose, Kai." I turn to him feeling tears in my eyes. "Shut the fuck up, you stupid rat!!" I screech out.

I don't even have it in me to insult him well right now!!

"...I understand. So long as you may be the Sacrifice, choosing you is risky..." Kai says, emotionless. His head is down.

Sou shakes his head. "It's more than that. If you picked me with emotion...that would be your will. But everyone chose logic... Awful, isn't it? ..."This vote isn't about our own wills!" That's what everyone's telling themselves - how they're fooling themselves."

I go to lunge at him but Keiji keeps me in place and I'm too emotionally drained to fight back...

Nao is crying as well. "I'm sorry...!! I'm sorry...!! I'm sorry..." Keiji lets me go, sensing that I won't throw myself at Sou anymore.

"Eheehee. Now, everyone, enjoy yourselves as I check your answers!" Miley pulls out her own tablet from her throne.

"First, the Sage! You were right on, everyone! It was Kai Satou!"

Kai looks so helpless and terrified...

"Next, the Keymaster! Eheehee, the fierce battle between you three was a true sight to see! Amazing! It was Sara Chidouin and (F/n) (L/n)!"

"No... Stop it..." Sara pleads.

"Aaand! The Sacrifice! The one who dies with objective incomplete issss..."

"Please...!!!" Both Sara and I cry out.

Miley continues.

"Tadaaah! It was Jou Tazuna!"

"NO!!!"

My legs moved on their own and I ran up to Joe and hugged him. I ended up crying into his chest.

He's shaking...

"Haha...ha... Well...what to say..." Joe barely manages to say the words. I pull my face away. "Stupid!! What are you laughing about!?" I screech in his face. He ruffles my hair before addressing everyone. "Guys... Sorry...for tricking you..." Q-taro slams his fists on the desk. "D...Dumbass!! What're you sorry about!? You...'cause of us, you...you...!! Don't you feel bitter!?"

Joe hugs me closer to him and I feel just how scared he is. "I dunno... I just dunno... I mean... I just can't see you as bad guys..." Joe gently pulls away from me to make eye contact with two people. "Even Sou and Alice...must be good people, really..."

The two both flinched and looked away in shame and guilt.

Joe looks to me. "(F/n)... Make sure to punch me if I make Sara cry because of this. I already deserve a bunch of 'em for making you cry... We haven't even known each other that long, but you're awesome..." I sob loudly and hug him again. "You're the one that's awesome, you dummy..."

This can't be happening...

He gives me another tight hug before walking up to Sara who looks petrified. "Sara... Sorry... I even tricked you." Sara shakes her head and puts her hands on his shoulders. "Joe... Stop it...! I don't believe it... I..." Joe puts a hand on her cheek. "Sara, you and (F/n) didn't vote for me... That's what made it clear." Sara's starting to cry too. "I..." Joe turns to look at everyone.

"All of you guys...are my friends. So...work together and do your best."

I feel my breath catch in my throat. How can one person be so kind??

Joe turns back to Sara and holds one of her hands in his own. "Last... There's something I wanna say. Sure enough... It's hard for a guy and a girl to say this sorta stuff to each other, huh...?" He scratches his neck before leaning over and gently kissing Sara on the lips.

"I love ya Sara! You're my best friend!!"

Sara's full on ugly crying now just like me...

I can't even be happy for them about this kiss...

"Yes, yes, it's over already. Eheehee."

Everyone turns to Miley who harshly yanks Joe away from Sara. Now the doll's standing right next to him.

"Kai Satou, chosen by vote, will be the main event. Whereas you're the opening act."

She pulls out a remote control with the most sinister smile I've ever seen.

"Hurry up and die."

Sara holds out her hand. "Wait...! Wait, Miley..."

Miley ignores her and presses a button.

*Click*

"Come, Wrigglers!"

Grey, snake like tubes start coming down from the ceiling.

W-What?

Miley points to Joe. "Suck all the blood from Jou Tazuna!"

"What!?!? NO!!!"

My yell is forgotten as the Wrigglers pierce Joe's body.

"Gah...!! Ghah...!!"

"AAAAAAAaaaaa...aa...!!" Both Sara and I scream in terror.

Sara runs up to Miley. "Please!! Miley!! Stop this!! I'll do anything!! I'll die in his place!! So...so... Save Joe...! Please, help him...!!"

Miley does a mock shocked expression. "How cuuute, Sara! Ahaha. Why not? I'll give you a chance."

WHAT!?!?

I run up to Miley as well. "Please, we'll do anything!!!"

Miley pulls out two buttons and hands them to us.

"Eheehee. These buttons will slow the device connected to Jou Tazuna. Just keep pressing them! The device will be slowed the more you press, and maybe even stop!"

"G...Give me that!!" Sara screeches as both of us yank the buttons from Miley.

Sara and I get on the ground in front of Joe. There's now a meter in front of him. He's barely even kneeling and holding those tubes anymore. I can tell that all strength is leaving him.

"Now, keep mashing those buttons. Maybe you'll save him? Heeheehee..."

I start mashing as fast as I can

clickclickclickclickclickclickclick

"Oh God, please let me save him!"

clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick

"Please...!! Please!!!"

clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick

The sound of draining blood is unbearable.

"PLEASE!!!!"

clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick

No matter how much we press, the meter doesn't want to fill up.

"Please let me save him...!! Why won't you let me save him!?!?"

My vision starts growing hazy through the tears.

clickclickclickclickclickclickclickcliclclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick...

We're so close...!!!

...

... My hands are getting tired...

click...clickclickclicklcick...click...clickclickclickclick...clickclick...clickclickclick...click...clickclickclickclickclickclickclick...click...clickclickclickclick...click...click...clickclickclickclickclickclick...clickclick...clickclickclickclickclickclickclick...click...clickclickclick...click...clickclickclicklcickclickclick...clickclickclick...click...clickclick.......click........

"Oh God... Pleeeeeaseeeee...!!"

Suddenly the meter is full by some miracle!!

I stop.

...

The machine doesn't stop...

I drop the button to the floor and watch the last of Joe's blood leave his body.

"Please stop...hic."

The meter depleted quickly without my button mashing...

His clothes are soaking red.

...

"Stop...please..."

The meter drops all the way down.

His grip loosens and he leans over, completely lifeless with a sad smile on his face.

"AAAAAAAaaaaAAaaaaaagh...!!!"

I break down even more on the ground.

[Joe expired]

"...Wheeze...sob..."

I chuck the button, making it roll to God knows where.

I can't even bare to look at it through my blurred vision...

...

clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick

What...?

I turn to my right.

clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick

Sara's still pressing the button, holding it close to her chest...

clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick

"Joe... Please...respond..."

clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclikclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick

"Open your eyes... Ryoko...your parents... You need to go home to them, don't you...?"

clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick

"Let's go...to school together...with Ryoko..."

clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick

"Let's...try to be together..."

My heart breaks as I watch tears stream down her face like a waterfall.

clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick

Next to her, my despair is nothing...

clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick

Keiji puts a hand on top of Sara's wrists. "Just stop, Sara... It's enough..."

"Waaaaaaaaaa...aaahhh...!!"

With that wail she drops the button and crawls over to me seeking comfort. We start clinging to each other.

"Eheehee, how cute you two are even when you cry."

Miley skips up to us with an eager glint in her eye.

I look up at her.

"Fuck you bitch... Just fuck you...hic." I choke out.

She kneels down and puts her hands on her cheeks.

"You two were so close! It might have stopped with just a little more. Ahaha...!"

Sara looks up at my Miley with her soaked face. "Y...You're horrible... As if you ever intended to...let us save him..."

"The buttons were rigged... Weren't they?" I ask.

Miley nods.

...

I fucking knew it...

"It's nothing to cry about, is it? Your hard work let Jou Tazuna live just a bit longer."

Her crazed grin brightens.

"With each button press of yours, Joe suffered longer. Eheehee... Ahaha...!"

My eyes widen.

No...! 

I didn't want that for Joe...!

I... I...

Miley looks at us with a bored expression. "Ah...how boring. Have you two been broken?" She stands up and waves us off. "Oh, very well. I have no time to spare for you."

She gets her remote out again.

"For Kai Satou, you are the main event."

"NO!! PLEASE!! NO MORE!!!" I beg.

"Unfortunately, I will not let you do as you wish."

Huh?

I look behind me to see a barely concious Kai with his hands in the air, fists clenched and blood dripping down his sleeves.

"I will issue...my own death."

What?

...! The knife!

Miley takes a step forward, looking more pissed off than ever before. "Y...You! What selfishness...!! The knife from the kitchen!? As if I'll allow you suicide..." She goes to press another execution button.

"HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!''

In the blink of an eye, Q-taro lunges at Miley and restraints her from using the remote.

"Graaah! Dammit...!! Get off!! You idiot brute...!!" Miley growls.

"Like hell!! I wouldn't let go if ya killed me!!" Q-taro's grip on the doll tightens.

"Dammit...!! I can't...activate the device..." Miley groans in pain.

Kai catches my attention again. "Miss Sara...miss (F/n)... Can you hear me?" I look up at him and wipe my eyes but Sara is still in a state of shock.

"Listen to me! Sara!!"

Sara finally looks up at him and blinks her tears back.

"This is...resistance. Our lives toyed with to our enemy's whims, we are unable to save even a single person... As we die off, this is...my feeble...resistance." Kai smiles. "But it is one large step...towards counterattack...! It is a step I was able to take...because you two bought me time. It is surely...not futile."

Kai raised one of his clenched fists.

"I entrust them to you...! Our regrets...!! Our hopes...!!"

He lets out a content sigh.

"I...am satisfied."

His eyes rolled back and he fell backwards with one last shallow breath, any strength and life gone from his body.

"KAI!!" I yell and feel myself cry even more. I hear Q-taro yell his name from behind me too.

"Kai...!! KAI...!!!!!!!!"

...

I think all my exhauston, sadness and fear caught up with me at that exact moment of immense trauma.

Because I completely blacked out...

...

[FLASHBACK]

It's after school. The last period just ended and classes are officially over.

Sara Chidouin lets out a small sigh before tapping Jou Tazuna on the back, who was currently checking his phone. "Tazuna, wasn't today your birthday?" Jou smiles and pockets his phone before turning around in his seat and leaning on the back. "Huh? Good memory, Chidouin! And hey, didn't I say "Joe" was fine?" Sara giggles. "Then you should call me Sara, yourself. Have this, Joe."

She pulls out a small gift box from her book bag and hands it to Joe. His expression goes from shocked, to confused, to grateful in seconds. He pulls on the ribbon and opens the small box.

His eyes light up.

"Waugh! What the heck, it's so cute!! It's a...dog keychain?" Joe cradles it in his hands. His eyes are basically sparkling!

Sara smiles. "My friend Ryoko won it at an arcade. You can take it." Joe's grin turns almost as bright as the sun. "Then I'll wear it here 'till graduation!" Sara snorts and crosses her arms over her chest. She grins."That long? ...Don't get it confiscated." She teases. Joe looks back up at Sara with his big, dopy grin, the keychain dangling from one of his hands.

"Thanks, Sara!"

[FLASHBACK END]

[10 Remain]

[AFTERMATH]

Reko, Nao and Gin are in the Blue Room looking after a passed out Sara and (F/n). Reko is leaning on the wall with a worried expression, Nao is beside Reko and Gin is in between the two passed out girls.

"...How're they?" Reko asked. Nao sighed and got some loose strands of hair out of her face. "...Sara's constantly tossing and turning. (F/n) is just completely out. She must have been exhausted..."

Gin is trying to calm Sara down by petting her hair and has the other hand on (F/n)'s head. "I...I'm right next to you... Meow..."

Nao clenches her fists and kneels by the girls. "I'll go too...! I don't know what I can do... But I'll at least stay by their side...!" Reko nods and joins her. "Yeah...right. This time, we'll give them strength...!!"

An announcement sound plays.

It's Miley.

"Eheehee... Please, everyone, rest up a while before proceeding to the next floor."

"Eh? Can you go home...?"

"A funny joke! We've only just begun!"

"Let us enjoy this, everyone... Eheehee... Ahaha..."

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

In the bar is Q-taro, who's eyeing the alcohol on the shelves as well as Kai's name on the blackboard there.

He sighs. "...Kai. Were you really a bad guy...? Bein' bad...that makes ya a good-for-nothing. And ya didn't seems like a good-for-nothing guy... I dunno... I jus' dunno..."

He lays his head down on the bar with an exasperated sigh.

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

In the second floor hallway are Kanna and Sou. Sou is leaning against the wall and eyeing the girl in front of him who looks pretty uncomfortable.

" "I want to know everything"... You're the one who said it." He reminds her. "I...don't like this... Please don't make Sara and (F/n) sad... Didn't you feel anything from what Joe said...?" Kanna asks.

Sou looks down at his feet with a frown and clenches his teeth.

"...I..."

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

In the hidden room are Alice and Keiji. Alice is sitting on the desk and Keiji's looking at the books in an attempt to distract himself.

Alice sighs and stands up. "Hey. You said you were a policeman, yes?" Keiji doesn't look up from a book he's inspecting. "...What about it?" He asks. "A policeman knows about murder cases, yes?" Alice picks at his chain bracelets. "Yeah... If I'm in charge of 'em." Keiji shrugs matter-of-factly.

There's silence for a moment...

Alice clutches at his uniform. "...Do you know the crime I committed?" Keiji turns to him and runs a thumb underneath his collar. "...Why?" Alice takes a deep breath. "I imagine it's just a coincidence, but... I killed a person once." Keiji finally puts the book back in its place.

He crosses his arms and tilts his head. "What was the victim's name...?"

Alice starts to sweat. "It was..."

"...Sou Hiyori."

[YOUR TURN TO DIE]

[-DEATH GAME BY MAJORITY-]

[CHAPTER 1, PART 2]

[END]

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

[Author's Note]

AND THAT'S ALL FOLKS!

*throws confetti and blows a party streemer*

...

Be honest, how many of you cried? I'm curious.

The Main Games really sucks the spirit out of ya, huh?

Chapter 2 will be WILD so get yourselves ready, bitches!

I'm about to break all of your hearts even more in this one! ;3

Anyways, here's my apology for the feels trip.

Apology accepted?? :D

Anyways, I'm gonna take a one week break to be able to work on this story some more since I've been procrastinating a bit!

See ya in two weeks~!

Kaja is finished here ^^

[Word Count: 2634]