Metoya Translation

2. Mossy Grove (The 73rd Time)

(0/39)

Yuuki cleared "Mobius Kitchen."

It was a game themed around a cooking showdown. The players donned chef outfits and put their skills to the test to create dishes within a time limit. These were then eaten and voted upon by the "Children" acting as judges—who were actually management staff members that had also appeared during "Halloween Night"—and the bottom thirty percent with the lowest evaluations would receive a Game Over.

Although Yuuki had lived a life entirely unrelated to the word "cooking," fortunately, this game was not an individual competition but a team battle with groups of three. There was a preparation phase where teams competed to gather ingredients, providing an opportunity for her to shine. She forcefully pushed aside players from other teams and gathered large quantities of high-quality ingredients for the cooking phase—ruthlessly performing acts that would belong to a villain in a cooking manga—and Yuuki broke through this challenge.

Yuuki cleared "Hazard Plant."

It was an orthodox escape-type game where one had to escape from a plant factory full of traps—however, the twist was that the entire facility was filled with toxic chemicals, requiring all players to wear protective suits. The suits were stiff and made movement difficult; for example, it was hard to dodge instantly when a blowgun trap fired. Furthermore, players had to play while being careful not only of injuries to their own bodies but also of damage to their protective suits. It required a mindset vastly different from usual escape games, but it was not a game vicious enough to threaten the current Yuuki, and she broke through this without major issues.

Yuuki cleared "White Shark."

The stage was atop a drifting ship. Lurking in the surrounding sea were huge, ferocious sharks plotting to destroy the ship and devour the castaways, and the castaways—that is, the players—had to repel them. Weapons like pistols and harpoons were loaded on the ship, but the players agreed that simply firing these blindly at sharks swimming in the sea would be ineffective. They formed a strategy to lure the sharks in to a certain extent—. They would only attack once the ship had taken damage, flooded, and the sharks approached to scatter and eat the castaways whose feet were soaked in water. At the end of a battle spanning three days and three nights—finally, Yuuki fired a bullet into a shark's mouth, ending its life. Although she paid the price of having her left arm bitten off, she broke through this as well.

Yuuki cleared "Moist Jungle."

It was a game themed around survival in a jungle. The players were wrapped in ethnic costumes resembling those of savage tribes and had to escape the humid jungle with no decent equipment other than that. No decorations were added for the sake of the game, aside from filming drones and costumes; no such processing was needed, as nature itself was a sufficient threat.

The jungle was a harsh environment, so much so that one could almost admire them for finding such a place. Trees grew ridiculously tall, blocking out almost the entire sky; the ground was overgrown with grass everywhere, and sword-like leaves were rampant, cutting the skin just by walking. Heavy rain fell daily, making one suspect water was being sprayed from the sky, and every living creature there either bit or stung. Twenty-two players including Yuuki participated, but only five survived. It was an exceptionally harsh game among those Yuuki had participated in recently, but nevertheless, she broke through it.

And with that, Yuuki finally—

(1/39)

Yuuki woke up in a forest.

(2/39)

To be more precise, she woke up in the back seat of her agent's car.

And that car was parked inside a forest. Yuuki stared blankly at the deep green scenery framed by the car window with eyes still heavy with sleep.

It was not the Moist Jungle.

This was already outside the game.

"Good morning, Yuuki-san,"

The agent sitting in the driver's seat called out to her.

"...Thank you..."

Replying so, Yuuki sat up.

She briefly recalled her situation. Yuuki, having made it through the jungle and cleared the game, was rescued by a helicopter that arrived shortly after. Since Yuuki's agent was on board, she had requested to be taken to this location. After that, she was given sleeping pills, put to sleep, and when she woke up next, she was in the forest.

"I'm off," Yuuki said, getting out of the car.

"Have a safe trip," the agent replied, and then added, "—Ah, that's right."

"I forgot to mention it. Congratulations on your seventieth game clear, Yuuki-san."

At those words, Yuuki looked back, and with a bitter smile,

"Thank you,"

She replied.

(3/39)

Yes.

She had finally made it this far. Seventy game clears—she had advanced to seventy percent of her goal of ninety-nine times. In the history of the game world, only a very small number of players have reached this point, such as her master with ninety-five clears, or the person who supposedly achieved ninety-eight clears in the past. It was an indisputably great record.

However—contrary to such a record, Yuuki did not look well. The sense of omnipotence that filled Yuuki until a short while ago had already faded away. The sensory abilities acquired in the battle with the phantom were as sharp as ever, and thanks to them, she was able to safely handle the previous four games, but on the other hand, she sensed signs of a new problem—. She had anticipated that "it" would appear eventually, but it was unexpectedly early. As expected, the world would not let her stay safe and peaceful—Yuuki sighed lightly and then looked up.

A mansion stood in the forest.

It was a Western-style building with a romantic appearance, the kind one would only see in history textbooks. It was the residence where the Prosthetic Craftsman lived.

The Prosthetic Craftsman—a person in a peripheral industry who provides new bodies to players who have lost body parts due to the "Game." Yuuki's left hand, from the middle finger to the pinky, was an imitation created by this craftsman, and she visited regularly like this for maintenance.

A paved road continued in front of the mansion. Yuuki walked along the path, stood at the entrance of the mansion, and knocked on the door. Being a building in the deep mountains and dark valleys where no thieves would come, it was unlocked, and there was no doorbell. Visitors were allowed to enter as they pleased, but she made it a rule to at least knock. As usual, there was no answer to the knock, so Yuuki opened the door and stepped into the mansion.

How many times had she visited here—her feet were used to it enough that she could walk without hesitation and reach the craftsman's workshop immediately. Yuuki knocked lightly on the workshop door again, and since there was no reply, she entered without permission.

The workshop was unmanned. Various machine tools ranging in size from microwaves to refrigerators, tools hanging on the walls, and a workbench covered in small scratches that gave off the strong scent of daily use—all were silent without the slightest movement. He wasn't absent—Yuuki realized immediately. She had known him for a long time, so she knew the quality of this craftsman well. When a visitor appeared, instead of greeting them honestly, he would hide somewhere in the room and then suddenly jump out to surprise and enjoy the reaction. The Yuuki of the past had been completely played by this prank, but that no longer worked.

"—Hello, Mr. Craftsman,"

Yuuki said.

She tapped the floor in front of her with the heel of her shoe. Ton-ton.

"Can I ask you to inspect my prosthetic fingers?"

Yuuki's voice was absorbed into the floor.

After a few seconds of silence returning,

"...How did you know?"

A voice came from under the floor.

A floor panel, cleverly disguised so as not to be recognized at a glance, opened up, and a man about one meter tall came out of the underfloor storage space. A characteristically short stature, a thick beard, and a muscular physique—there was no mistaking the prosthetic craftsman old man.

"And I just built this basement extension the other day..."

The craftsman said as he closed the panel.

"My intuition has been getting sharper lately," Yuuki replied.

"Hmph..." The craftsman looked at Yuuki. "Judging by your appearance, it feels like you're fresh out of a game clear."

The craftsman's gaze was directed at Yuuki's face. More strictly speaking, it was directed at her left cheek, where there was a scratch she had picked up in the jungle. Player injuries were usually repaired by management after the game ended, but minor scratches that weren't worth the trouble of fixing were left as they were. "Yes," Yuuki replied, touching the wound.

"This makes seventy times."

"Oh, is that so. Congratulations."

"Um, so, about the inspection of these fingers..."

Yuuki said while moving her left hand from the middle finger to the little finger.

"I know you always do it carefully but... could you examine them especially thoroughly this time to ensure nothing is overlooked?"

"...Huh?" The craftsman said. "Speaking like that, was there some kind of malfunction?"

"If anything, I would be happier if there was."

Yuuki tapped her left arm with her right hand. Not the prosthetic part, but the flesh part.

"Because if there's no problem with the prosthetic fingers... it means the problem is here."

(4/39)

She noticed it during the play of "Moist Jungle."

There was a slight, but definite, strangeness in her left hand. The movement was poor, as if her fingers were numb with cold, and a sensation that was both numb and ticklish—like being in a weak electric bath—covered her entire left hand.

A malfunction of the prosthetic? —She thought at first, but the strangeness extended to the flesh parts as well, so that didn't explain it. She tried warming her left hand and resting it a bit, but it didn't recover. She thought it might heal if left alone for a while, but even after a day, then two days passed and the game approached its final stages, the strangeness did not subside. Eventually, Yuuki came to think that this malfunction was not transient, but something more serious.

Come to think of it—how many times had she taken damage to her left arm? Most recently, it was bitten off by a shark in "White Shark," severed in "Snow Room," stabbed in "Royale Palace," and she had gouged out her own flesh in "Cloudy Beach." She had repeated the cycle of cutting and reattaching many times. Even with "Preservative Treatment," it couldn't be restored infinitely. Even a plastic model toy would have its joints become loose if you detached and reattached the arm constantly. It would be even more so for a human body. In fact, Yuuki's master—Hakushi—had fallen into that plight at the very end of her career.

The time had finally come—the time when the body goes bad.

However, the possibility of a prosthetic malfunction couldn't be denied either, so Yuuki visited the craftsman's mansion. Yuuki underwent an inspection of her prosthetic fingers. The result—

"There are no defects,"

The craftsman declared.

"As far as I can see, this is working perfectly."

"Is that so..."

Yuuki replied. She couldn't see her own face, but she thought she must have a depressed look.

The craftsman looked at Yuuki and asked, "Do you want to have that side inspected too?"

"Eh. ...Is that possible?"

"No, of course, we can't do it here. I'm talking about connecting you to a hospital under the direct control of 'Management,' like with your right eye before. How about it?"

Yuuki's right eye was blind. Her vision had started to decline at a certain point, but that fact became clear around the time of "Halloween Night." If she recalled correctly, back then, the craftsman noticed Yuuki's declining vision, contacted the agent, and things moved from there.

It was an honestly grateful offer, so Yuuki replied, "Please."

"Okay. I should contact them right away, yeah?"

Yuuki nodded. The craftsman said, "Roger that," and turned on the computer in the workshop. He opened the mail app and clattered on the keyboard.

"Still, seventy times, huh..." The craftsman muttered.

"If you've done that much, well, it's about time things start getting dangerous."

Yuuki was startled by that remark.

Come to think of it—she thought. This person is someone with knowledge in that field. A prosthetic craftsman specializing in players—his customers must have included veterans equal to or greater than Yuuki. There is at least one concrete example: Hakushi, Yuuki's master. This craftsman must have seen the way her body deteriorated and the aspect of its progression up close and in detail.

"Um, Mr. Craftsman."

Yuuki asked. She couldn't help but ask.

"If I recall, you..."

"You mean about your Master?"

At the reply that was one step ahead, Yuuki was startled again.

"...Yes. You used to make her prosthetics, right?"

"Yeah. I did."

"From what I hear... Master also ended up like this, didn't she?"

"......"

The craftsman had already finished typing the email. He touched his beard with the hand he removed from the keyboard.

"I try not to talk about customers' privacy, but..."

He prefaced, and then,

"Well, you're her disciple, so I guess it's fine to talk. ...She did. Assuming that 'it' of yours is really a physical malfunction."

"If I remember correctly, she started tinkering with her body around the eightieth time, right?"

"You know well. Did you hear from your Master?"

"No. I heard from an acquaintance of Master."

Specifically, from a player named Koei. She remembered hearing it towards the end of "Cloudy Beach." Because that number was in her mind, Yuuki thought, It's a little early.

"That's right, it was around eighty times," the craftsman said.

"Then, I am a little early..."

"No, not really. She started messing with her body around the eightieth time, but the timing when she noticed the malfunction should have been a bit earlier. About the same as you are now. So well, I think it's fine to consider that it's progressing at roughly the same pace."

The craftsman said so for her, but the same was a problem.

Progressing at roughly the same pace as her master.

Then, what about it? Doesn't that mean the final destination will also be the same—?

(5/39)

Kokone turned off the stove.

(6/39)

A single frying pan sat on the stove. Inside was a mix of diced meat and ground meat, both sufficiently cooked. Kokone picked up a bowl placed next to the stove and added its contents—chopped vegetables that had been sautéed beforehand. She further added various spices and stirred well so that everything was distributed evenly—

"You're in the way."

—At that moment, a voice called out to Kokone.

Maya was standing right next to Kokone.

This was the dining kitchen of Shirou's house. The width of the kitchen aisle was wider than that of a general household, allowing enough width for people to pass each other, but if the master said "You're in the way," then she was in the way. "I apologize," Kokone bowed her head and moved to the edge of the aisle.

Maya passed by Kokone and headed for the refrigerator at the back of the kitchen. When she returned in front of Kokone again, she was carrying snacks in both hands. A set of strong-flavored potato chips and café au lait.

"Moderation, please. Dinner will be ready soon," Kokone said.

"Annoying. Are you my mom?"

Maya replied, looking utterly annoyed, and averted her gaze from Kokone to look at the numerous ingredients lined up in the kitchen. Tortillas, salsa sauce, shredded cheese, guacamole, and several other ingredients.

"Tacos are pretty much just snacks anyway, right?" said Maya.

"...Is that so?"

It might be a relatively junk food category of cuisine, but Kokone thought there was a clear line between it and snacks. However, knowing her place as a servant, she did not argue.

Anyway, Maya left, and Kokone resumed her work. Since the taco meat she just made completed the lineup of ingredients, she moved on to assembly. She assembled about half of the prepared ingredients into tacos and left the remaining half as they were so people could make their own according to their preference.

When Kokone headed to the dining table carrying a large platter of finished tacos, Maya was there, alternately eating potato chips and drinking café au lait.

"Maya-san. Could you please call the others?" Kokone asked. "My hands are full setting the tableware, so..."

"......"

Maya left the table silently and exited the dining room. Perhaps she had agreed. Maya had a rough temper toward anyone other than Shirou, but she was surprisingly good about listening to requests. Kokone, who had been working here for several months, knew that well.

By the time Kokone had completely finished preparing dinner, Maya returned. She was accompanied by four others. The five of them in total sat down on whichever chairs they pleased around the dining table without particularly discussing it.

In total, five people.

Three of them were the ones who contacted Yuuki the other day—Shirou, Maya, and Shirou's Agent. The remaining two were unknown figures to Yuuki, but to Kokone, they were naturally known figures.

One of them was a girl who looked like she had a nasty personality just by looking at her. She had strangely wide eyes, prominent cheekbones, thin lips, and glossy skin reminiscent of a reptile. It was by no means an ugly face; rather, it would be classified as beautiful, but it was a beauty that somehow instilled a sense of unpleasantness. A beauty that looked like it had been plastered over with cement from above, hiding something underneath—or perhaps, implying she was beautiful as a result of detesting, discriminating against, and firmly excluding ugly and dirty things on a daily basis. Kokone knew well that her name was Takazo and that she was a person with a rotten nature, just as she appeared.

The other person, in contrast, was someone who looked like a person of character. Her eyes, nose, and of course her mouth—every part of her face gave the impression of always smiling. In fact, she laughed often, and when she spoke, she talked very fast with a slightly high-pitched voice. She gave off both a country bumpkin impression and a science student impression. Kokone knew that her name was Dokutake, and that she was a good person, just as she appeared. Though, that is assuming there is such a thing as a "good person" in the world of a Death Game.

These five lived together here.

A small group organized by Shirou—members of what she called the "Secret Meeting."

"—Please. You sit down too, Kokone-san,"

Shirou said.

"Fortunately, there are chairs left over."

True to her words, the dining table was for six people, and one chair was left over. "Understood," Kokone replied and sat in that chair.

Dinner began seamlessly from there. Saying "Let's eat" variously, they picked up tacos according to their own preferences. Shirou reached exclusively for the already-made tacos. Maya also reached only for the ready-made ones, but instead of putting them directly into her mouth, she ate them after adding extra salsa sauce. Also, the café au lait she had been drinking earlier was allowed to participate in the dinner as is. The agent seemed to like manual work and made only her own. Takazo also made her own tacos, but since she hated eating meat, she removed the taco meat from the ingredients. When it came to exclusion, Dokutake was even more extreme, showing an unbalanced diet by sprinkling salt on the tortilla and eating only that.

Kokone watched over such a meal quietly, but at Shirou's words, "Please eat as well, Kokone-san," she honestly accepted the kindness and picked up a taco.

As the meal progressed and their stomachs were moderately filled, Shirou and the others began to make light small talk.

"That 'thing' is spreading quite a bit," the agent said. "I view game footage often for work... and I see it frequently. Players using that technique."

"Is that so," Shirou replied.

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Awahime-san lately," Dokutake said in her strange, science-student-like voice. "What is that person doing now?"

Awahime was the name of a member of the "Secret Meeting." She had lived here until a short while ago, but recently left the house and hasn't shown her face since.

"Apparently, she is angry about that matter," Shirou answered. "It seems poking her poorly would be counterproductive, so I'm leaving her alone. I hope her mood improves..."

The topic of Yuuki also came up. "Speaking of which, what happened with that?" Takazo said.

"That one called Yuuki. How are developments after that?"

"...No progress, really," Shirou shrugged her shoulders. "I'm leaving this one alone for the time being as well. If I press too forcibly, it seems her attitude will harden... Well, I'll find an opportunity somewhere and contact her again."

"Are there no other good candidates? That Yuuki person sounds pretty troublesome from what you say. Wouldn't it be better to switch to someone else?"

"I thought about that too. I do have my eye on a few others. The most promising among them is... a player named Maguma, but this person has also reached around sixty times."

"How is that one?"

"That one also doesn't seem like they'll be easy to deal with. Though I suppose outstanding players are more or less like that. Yuuki-san has a higher clear count, and is actively aiming for ninety-nine times, so basically, it seems best to proceed with her as the main plan. Even if she is a difficult person."

"......"

Hearing that conversation, Kokone was seized by anxiety.

Her employer—Shirou. Her benefactor—Yuuki.

What would happen when these two contacted each other next?

Imagining that, she couldn't help but be anxious.

(7/39)

It has been several months since Kokone began serving this house.

The general circumstances are as she told Yuuki the other day. Kokone established herself as a servant specializing in players, and as her first client, she is employed by Shirou. Within a few months, she generally understood her personality. Her behavior and speech were theatrical at every turn, her desires for anything named "desire" were robust beyond measure, and—she possessed an extremely cunning personality that would choose any means for her objective.

That cunningness was now directed at Yuuki.

It seems Shirou showed interest in Yuuki—the reason for saying "it seemed" was that Kokone did not know Shirou's plan well. Kokone, who was strictly in the position of a servant, was not taught about Shirou's plan. She didn't know the content of the "Appropriate Time" she spoke of either. However, she understood that she was contacting Yuuki and trying to extract some kind of benefit.

Something will happen—she felt that. Although she barely knew Yuuki, having only a passing relationship with her, she had the impression that Yuuki was a tough nut to crack. Perhaps she had some similarities to Shirou. If those two made contact—if they approached too closely to the point of friction—wouldn't something outrageous happen? It was a vague anxiety, but somehow, it clung to Kokone's heart and wouldn't leave. When they made contact the other day—Kokone was ordered by Shirou and had no choice but to invite Yuuki then, but deep down, she wanted Yuuki to refuse. She wanted to say, "This person is dangerous, you should get away immediately," if only she didn't have the position of a servant.

For the time being, nothing happened the other day.

But there will likely be a second or third contact eventually. What about then? Will it end safely? To Shirou, to Yuuki, and to Kokone herself—what on earth is going to happen?

Kokone does not know. She can only watch the situation unfold—.

—In actual fact.

"That time" Kokone worried about arrived earlier than she thought.

Specifically—about one month after the taco party at the Shirou household, in a certain game.

In the ghost girl's seventy-third battle.

(8/39)

Yuuki woke up in a forest.

(9/39)

Scenery with lots of green flowed into her head, which was groggy from waking up.

I have a connection with forests lately—Yuuki thought. The seventieth game was set in a jungle, and a little before that, she experienced a game set in a copse called "Mine Forest." She also visited a forest when visiting the Prosthetic Craftsman.

However, the impression of this forest was different from any of those forests. To put it simply—it was incredibly beautiful. No, phrasing it like this might be misleading, as if saying the jungle or the copse were dirty, but anyway, it was a forest so beautiful it appealed even to a human with a poor aesthetic sense like Yuuki. Every standing tree was beautiful, as if a bonsai master had raised it with all their skill; the moss spreading over the ground was such that if she were a rock, she would want to be covered in this moss; the air was clear, and her body felt healed with every breath; and the rustling sounds of leaves and branches even had a sensual resonance. It was a forest like a painting, one that seemed likely to appear in a fairy tale, a place so beautiful it would be strange if it weren't registered as a World Heritage site.

In such a forest, Yuuki woke up.

—On top of an exceptionally large tree.

"Eh...!?"

Yuuki, becoming fully awake, recognized the situation she was placed in and was surprised.

Thinking her viewpoint was awfully high—she was on top of a tree. Strictly speaking, a hammock was hung using the tree's thick branches as supports, and she was laid on it.

Yuuki fearfully poked her head out of the hammock and looked down. It was probably about ten meters to the ground. Quite a height. What kind of place did they install this in? She mentally voiced a complaint to "Management."

And she took a good look at her own appearance.

As usual, or perhaps she should say—Yuuki was wrapped in a game costume. It was an outfit based on green and white, possessing an ethnic and ancient feel reminiscent of the Western Middle Ages.

Thinking "Could it be" at that design, Yuuki touched her own ears. Sure enough, fake ear ornaments were attached, making it seem as if her ears were long—. Even Yuuki knew that the biggest characteristic of "that" was long ears. If she recalled correctly, they came to be considered to have long ears due to a misunderstanding like a game of telephone in the dawn of fantasy.

It was an Elf costume.

A cosplay of an unsullied race befitting a beautiful forest.

(10/39)

Yuuki got out of the hammock and descended from the tree. Yuuki, a modern child, had barely any experience climbing trees, and naturally had no experience getting down either, but she managed it effortlessly and landed on the surface.

Then, Yuuki checked her equipment.

No matter how many times she looked, it was an Elf outfit. Her luggage was just a single pouch attached to her waist.

When she opened the pouch, something peculiar came out. It was shaped similarly to an eye mask, but the material was leather, and the strings on both sides were untied. For a moment, Yuuki couldn't gauge what kind of tool it was, but when she searched the pouch further and found a large quantity of suitably sized stones, she guessed its identity.

"...Don't tell me, is this a sling?"

Yuuki muttered and stared at the tool.

Of course, no reply came back.

But there was no mistake. It was a sling—she had seen one being used on TV when she was young. You wrap a stone in this eye-mask-like part, swing it around hyun-hyun via the strings to generate centrifugal force, and then release it to throw it powerfully. It is one of the most primitive of all weapons, and an object rarely seen in modern times.

Yuuki had been trained in handling a general range of weapons by her master, but this was, as expected, an unexperienced area. She tried practicing a little. She set a pebble, grabbed the strings on both sides, spun it hyun-hyun, and released her hand from one of the strings at the appropriate timing—

The released pebble flew off with great force.

It pierced into the trunk of a tree in front of her with a thud.

"Ooh..."

Yuuki leaked a voice of admiration and approached the tree.

The thrown stone was embedded in the tree. One could say it demonstrated the strength of this weapon's power.

It seemed she could handle it without issues—if she had to say, the direction of the shot was slightly off from what she envisioned, but that would likely be adjusted as she used it. Yuuki pulled the stone out of the tree trunk to recover it and stored it in the pouch along with the sling.

Treading on the ground covered in moss and withered grass, Yuuki strolled around the area.

While doing so, she thought. What kind of game is it this time? Weapons are provided—which means conflict is expected. Is the opponent other players? Or enemies prepared by management? Does the Elf outfit relate to the game content? Yuuki didn't know much about Elves. She only had the recognition that they were dexterous, long-lived, and guardians of the forest. If she imagined the game content from that image—would it be fighting barbaric invaders as a guardian of the forest—?

"......"

Yuuki clenched and opened her left hand. Gu-gu.

—It moves. It does move.

However, that movement was clearly—

"—Hello there."

(11/39)

Someone whispered in her ear.

"...!?"

Yuuki jumped.

She noticed recently that she has a habit of jumping pyon when surprised. That habit activated firmly this time as well; she went pyon, and while doing so, she turned around to look behind her.

There was a girl with a slender body like yarn.

Yuuki remembered that face. "...Keito?" she uttered.

"Long time no see, Yuuki-san."

With a not-so-elegant laugh, fuhihi, Keito answered.

Yes—it was Keito. She, who possessed the player name "Yarn" (Keito) just like her appearance, was one of the players Yuuki knew. The first time they met was in the tenth game, "Scrap Building," and after that, she met her once during the Shion incident.

"...Hi,"

Yuuki replied while observing Keito.

Like Yuuki, she was dressed as an Elf. The details of the clothes were different, but the green and white color scheme and the long ears were the same. Perhaps because of her skinny physique, the impression of a fairy was stronger than that of an Elf.

"You continued being a player..." Yuuki said.

"Yes, I'm doing it little by little. Not as frequently as you, Yuuki-san."

It felt like they had this exchange before, or maybe not. "Where did you appear from?" Yuuki asked.

"I didn't sense any presence at all..."

"...Fuhi, is that so."

Keito grinned broadly. What's with this guy, she's creepy, Yuuki thought. Was she a guy who grinned this much?

"I just approached normally from behind. While erasing my presence," Keito said.

"Erasing your presence...?"

That's ridiculous. Outside the game is one thing, but inside a game, it's impossible not to notice a human approaching from behind. Especially recently, when her sensory abilities have become sharper—.

"I practiced that walking art, you see," Keito answered.

"Walking art?" Yuuki asked.

"Oh, do you not know?"

Keito's face changed to a surprised look, and "It's trending among players recently. 'This'."

Saying that, Keito began to wobble on the spot.

It was a staggering walk typical of a drunk person. What is it, what is it, Yuuki thought, observing the state—

Suddenly, Keito vanished fu from the spot.

Barely confirming an afterimage flowing to the right, Yuuki turned right. She caught Keito in her field of vision again.

"Fu," Keito laughed briefly, then,

"Amazing, isn't it, 'This.' It's nimble, like moving a video game character."

Keito wandered around the spot further. It was the same during the staggering walk earlier but—there was absolutely no sound of footsteps. Even subtracting the fact that the footing was covered in moss making it hard to make sound, it was a skillful stealth walk.

"Besides, since there's no footstep sound at all, presence disappears too... Covert action and surprise attacks are yours to command. Since learning this, game strategy has become much easier..."

"Hmph..."

So there is something like this, Yuuki thought.

It was the first she heard of it. Keito said it was "trending," but since Yuuki wasn't the type to talk closely with other players, this was the first time she recognized its existence.

Come to think of it, Shirou the other day also appeared suddenly without presence. She must have been using this walking art. Certainly, if approached with "This," it would be difficult even for Yuuki to notice.

"...Even so."

Keito said, raising the corners of her mouth.

"It works on you too, Yuuki-san. I tried it since I had the chance, but..."

"......"

Yuuki felt a little annoyed.

So, she decided to imitate that walking art or whatever. she had observed Keito's movements just now firmly, and she had the feeling she could do it the same way. Mimicking what she saw, Yuuki did the staggering walk, and—

"—Like this?"

She closed in on Keito in an instant.

The moss and dead leaves at her feet danced up bat.

"Wah...!?"

Surprised by the sudden rapid approach, Keito fell on her backside. Covering her butt and both hands in moss, blinking her eyes rapidly, she said, "Wha, wha..."

"D-Did you know it? Already..."

"No, first time seeing it, but I tried imitating it."

Actually moving, she understood the mechanism well. By bending and extending multiple parts of the body simultaneously—like a spring—sudden acceleration is achieved. The staggering walk in the preliminary stage likely has the intention of reducing the burden on the body when moving quickly by constantly moving the body's center of gravity in advance.

"...Unfair..."

Keito said as she stood up.

"It took me two months to master it..."

"That's because you showed it off boastfully," Yuuki said.

Even so—she thought. Will "This" become standard equipment for players from now on? If it's trending, it wouldn't be strange to meet someone who knows "This" at any time. A troublesome technique has emerged. It seems it would be best to stop walking slowly relying on the presence detection skill as she has done until now.

However, who on earth invented such a technique—?

"Ah, right, this isn't the time to be playing around."

Keito said.

"Yuuki-san, could you come with me? There's a meeting place right nearby."

(12/39)

Just as Keito said, there was a slightly open space in the forest about a ten-minute walk away.

In that place—a "Meeting Place" in Keito's words—there were many girls. She couldn't count them exactly, but Yuuki's impression was about forty people. Without a single exception, they were dressed as Elves.

In the center of the meeting place stood a hut. It was a simple structure with only a roof and walls and no door, reminiscent of a countryside bus stop, for example. In a small space large enough for one person to sit, exactly one human was sitting. Not a young girl—but a wrinkled old woman. She had long ears and was dressed as an Elf, but she didn't seem to be a player. Probably a third party prepared by management. An Elf Elder, presumably.

"Mu, mu, mu, mu."

When the old woman recognized Yuuki, she began to speak.

"They are coming...! They, again! They are coming to hunt us! Ah, ah, terrifying..."

Making exaggerated movements like a Rakugo storyteller, the old woman spoke in that manner.

"...?"

For a moment, Yuuki couldn't gauge the meaning, but

"Apparently, that old woman is like the 'Explainer'."

Keito put in some commentary.

"Since it's an Elf game... I guess having a machine explain wouldn't work. They deliberately placed a management staff member."

"Ah..." Yuuki leaked a voice of understanding.

Depending on the game, a role explaining the rules might be placed. Usually, that would be an explanation by a mechanical voice or an explanation via a monitor, but—Management probably thought such tools of civilization were not befitting an Elf game.

Come to think of it, I don't see any cameras either, Yuuki thought. It is standard for the "Game," being a show, to have surveillance cameras and filming drones prepared to film the players. However, she hasn't seen a single one so far. It shouldn't be that they "don't exist," so they are probably using small cameras that don't stand out.

"However, even though she's called an 'Explainer,' she doesn't tell us anything decent..."

Keito said.

"She just insists on one point: 'They are coming to hunt.' Even if we ask who 'They' are or 'When' they are coming, she won't tell us. Since she's a management staff member, it's scary to force it out of her too much... Since we don't know anything, for the time being, everyone is exploring the forest and gathering players. That's why I called out to you, Yuuki-san."

A "Hunt" in a "Forest," huh, Yuuki thought.

She also thought it was somewhat reminiscent of "Candle Woods." The stage this time is a real forest, not an imitation, and there doesn't seem to be maze terrain, but—imagining from the old woman's story, isn't the game content similar? It's likely a game where we run or fight against "Them" who will eventually come to this forest.

"Even so."

Keito said.

"I'm glad you're an ally, Yuuki-san. You're reliable, after all... I'm counting on you this time too."

Is that flattery? Even though she underestimated me with that "Even so" earlier, Yuuki thought.

"That might not be the case," she said.

"I might not be as reliable as I was during 'Scrap Building'..."

"...? What do you mean?"

Yuuki did not answer.

Secretly, she directed her consciousness to her left hand. To the left hand where the strangeness could not be wiped away.

(13/39)

The inspection that should be done had already been done.

Days after finishing the Prosthetic Craftsman's maintenance—Yuuki rode in the agent's car to the hospital and underwent various inspections just like she did with her right eye.

The results were much the same as with her right eye. Yuuki received a complicated explanation about neural plasticity and so on, but what she ultimately understood was as follows: It wasn't her imagination; Yuuki's left hand movement was indeed becoming dull. The problem wasn't in the left hand itself, but in the nerves of the upper left arm. A hand isn't as delicate an organ as an eyeball, so its function won't decline on its own like the right eye did. However, of course, if she took further injury to her left arm, the possibility of function decline was quite high.

Unlike the right eye, in this case, there was the option of replacing it with a prosthetic, and Yuuki considered it once, but the craftsman recommended, "It's better to keep it flesh for now." Since the strangeness was still minor, the merit of making it a prosthetic was thin, and once done, it couldn't be undone. Thus, physically unchanged from before, but mentally carrying the conviction to avoid further injury, Yuuki challenged this seventy-third game—"Mossy Grove."

The players continued exploring the forest. Yuuki walked through the forest and learned that this place was surrounded by terribly high rock walls. Natural barriers. Up to three directions seemed to be originally existing rock walls, but for the remaining direction, it appeared that rocks had been artificially piled up. "Management" likely prepared it to make it the game stage. It seemed impossible to go outside. The game area surrounded by rock walls—regarding its area, it was difficult to grasp the size because of the dense forest, but Yuuki's impression was about "Not that wide."

There were players still sleeping in the forest and players who hadn't joined the group, and adding them to the original forty, it came to about fifty people. Just at the timing when all of them gathered at the meeting place—or rather, likely having measured that timing—the Elf old woman jumped up as if struck by lightning.

"...Here, here, here!" she screamed.

"They have come! Run, run, run, run, run...!"

And immediately after that—

Bababababa,

the sound of helicopter blades could be heard.

Next, a helicopter actually appeared.

It passed right over the meeting place—a corner where the blue sky was visible because the forest opened up. The sound of helicopter blades approached, appeared from the shadow of the trees, disappeared again, and the sound of blades receded; all fifty or so Elves perceived the entire sequence without missing a thing.

"...Was that..."

The first one to open her mouth was Keito.

"A helicopter, right..."

"Yeah..."

Yuuki answered.

Totally a tool of civilization. That is probably—"Them" that the old woman spoke of, the enemies of the Elves. Whether other players are on board or assassins prepared by management is unknown, but either way, the game finally starts.

Yuuki turned her eyes in the direction the helicopter disappeared. The blade sound could still be heard, keeping a constant volume. That means the helicopter is neither approaching nor receding. It must be hovering—so that "Someone" riding in it can descend safely to the ground.

"Let's go see."

Yuuki said.

"We should see how many opponents there are and what their equipment is like while we can."

"...Are you serious...?"

Keito said with a reluctant face. The faces of the other players were similar.

"She said 'Run,' the old woman."

"That is strictly a recommendation, not mandatory."

Incidentally, that old woman had already disappeared. Keeping her word to the Elves herself, she ran away. Does that mean her role as "Explainer" is over?

Since she said "Run" instead of "Defeat," the Elf clear condition is likely simply to survive. Same as "Candle Woods." However, the tactic of eliminating the threat to ensure survival, as Master did in that game, can be considered in this game too, and even if they don't go that far, knowing the opponent's specs early is important.

"We'll just look a bit from afar. It's in the forest, we won't get caught," Yuuki said.

"Fitting for an Elf, let's peek from the top of a tree."

(14/39)

At the same time.

The players who were on the helicopter descended to the ground.

(15/39)

Ropes were lowered into a place in the dense forest where the standing trees were relatively sparse.

Using those ropes, the players descended one by one. The first to land on the ground was a girl named Iidate. Iidate—knowing that this was already enemy territory—kept a watchful eye on the surroundings while waiting for the other girls to come down.

Of the seven players on the helicopter, Iidate was the only one with descent experience, and the other six couldn't descend as smoothly as Iidate. They fumbled with preparations and got stuck on the way down, consuming a considerable amount of time, but they were not assaulted by enemies halfway, and ultimately everyone was able to step on the ground safely, seeing off the helicopter as it left after finishing its duty.

Thus, there were seven girls in camouflage uniforms in the forest.

Camouflage uniforms—indeed. The costume for this game. It had a casual texture like clothes for survival games, but the rifles each held in their hands were not imitations; they were real guns possessing a realism that could be guessed just by their weight.

Iidate lifted her rifle lightly. Thinking it felt weird to call it a "small arm" (rifle) when it was big enough to require holding with both hands—she looked around again. Confirming that she could still feel "It,"

"We are being watched."

She said in a low voice to the other six.

The six generally showed colors of agitation.

"W-Watched... F-F-From where?"

One of the six asked in a stuttering tone.

"I don't know," Iidate answered.

"But, it's not one person. I feel like we're being watched from here and there..."

The six pointed the muzzles of their rifles in various directions while looking around.

Iidate noticed the gazes while the players were descending the ropes. Being watched—by the Elf bunch. She had confirmed their figures from inside the machine when the helicopter passed over what looked like a plaza earlier. The helicopter was flying while making a roar, and the descent operation took quite a long time, so it's no wonder the Elves were able to pinpoint this location. Lurking and hiding means they are wary of us. It seems safe to assume they grasp the rules of this game to some extent.

Iidate and the others received a rule explanation inside the helicopter. Simply put, it's a "Hunt" game, and they just have to kill twenty or more enemies dressed as Elves within twelve hours. How many Elves are there in total, what happens when the twelve-hour time limit comes—they didn't tell us that, but she can guess both. Considering the survival rate, there are about fifty Elves, and if twelve hours pass, it will likely be Game Over regardless of the method.

"What do we do?"

Iidate was asked. "It's creepy being watched like this, let's move immediately," she answered.

"If the surveillance eyes disappear, that's great, and even if they chase us, they might show their tails in doing so. ...Just as we agreed in the helicopter, we act in a group. Got it."

Iidate instructed the six.

She thought coordination was essential. From the peek she took from the helicopter earlier, their equipment seemed several levels above the enemy's—but in numbers, the enemy was far superior. If they utilized their numerical advantage to attack simultaneously from multiple directions, it would be difficult to handle alone. Acting in a group was essential.

Iidate had a sense of responsibility that she had to be solid. She spoke lightly with the other six in the helicopter, and it seemed Iidate had the most experience as a player and experience with forest battles. That's why she would do it. She would lead these six appropriately and guide the team to victory—.

"Let's go."

Iidate said, and took the first step filled with a sense of responsibility.

However, there was no second step.

A murderous intent bursting out with the tremendous force of a geyser made Iidate turn around.

The girl in camouflage uniform who was right behind her was pointing her rifle at Iidate.

(16/39)

Yuuki heard that gunshot from a tree right nearby.

(17/39)

Together with several other players, Yuuki went out for reconnaissance. As they approached the point where the helicopter was hovering, they saw girls in camouflage fatigues descending via ropes. To avoid being noticed, Yuuki and the others quietly went into hiding and shifted to a surveillance stance. One player watched from a distant thicket, another from the shadow of a distant tree, and in Yuuki's case—taking a rather large risk—she climbed a tree right near the landing point and peeked at the opponents from the shadows of the branches and leaves.

Then—she saw something outrageous.

The player who seemed to be leading the group was shot by the player standing right behind her. Furthermore—it wasn't just one shot; five, ten, and finally the entire magazine of the rifle was emptied into her, killing her carefully enough to leave no room for doubt. The shot player scattered the white fluff from the "Preservative Treatment," collapsed, and ceased to move even a twitch.

It was friendly fire.

"—You're annoying. Always wanting to run things."

The player who shot spat out those words.

It was a voice she remembered. Who was it—Yuuki wondered, directing her observing eyes, but she couldn't see the face well because the girl was wearing a helmet.

"Wh-Wh..."

One of the girls in camouflage fatigues spoke. She was a girl with a heavy stutter.

"Wh-What are you doing? Y-Y-You."

"Ha?" Replacing the rifle's magazine, the shooter answered. "What? You got a complaint or something?"

"N-N-No..."

"Hmph."

Saying that, the girl committed further violation upon the girl she had just killed. She roughly flipped the corpse over, opened the backpack it was carrying—since they were dressed like soldiers, perhaps it should be called a rucksack—and rummaged through the contents.

While doing so, she removed the helmet she was equipped with.

Even from Yuuki's vantage point, her face became visible. Knowing her true identity, Yuuki gasped, "Whoa..."

Her—she was a player too?

(18/39)

Maya took off her helmet.

(19/39)

She hated helmets. She hated headgear in general. It made her hair go flat and looked unsightly. She had tried to take it off in the helicopter too, but Iidate was nagging her, saying "It's better to keep it on," so she had reluctantly kept it on, but there was no need for it anymore. Maya removed the helmet and tossed it aside.

She opened Iidate's rucksack. Its contents were exactly the same as Maya's rucksack, and for the most part, she didn't need two of anything, so the loot was limited. Specifically, a magazine containing ammunition, and a luxury item: chewing gum. she immediately unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth.

Finishing her search of the rucksack, Maya turned her eyes to the rifle Iidate had held. She had to recover this properly too. The type of gun was the same as the one Maya held, and the bullets and magazines were compatible, so she left the gun body as it was and removed only the magazine from the gun body to collect it.

And then, she tried to leave the place, but—.

From behind Maya, she heard footsteps following her.

When she turned around, the other five players were following her.

Moving the gum she was chewing to the corner of her mouth, Maya said, "Go away."

"Eh, but, they said it's better to act in a group..."

"The guy who said that is dead, moron."

Maya pointed at Iidate's corpse with her rifle.

"I hate matching my pace with people. You guys can herd together and walk if you want, but don't force it on me. See ya."

Leaving those words behind, Maya started walking again.

This time, no one followed.

She had had enough of being ordered around by people and keeping in step with others.

She would do as she pleased.

(20/39)

Yuuki continued her surveillance of the camouflaged group.

After Maya left, the remaining five hesitated for a while, but seemed to decide to act together. They marched away at about half the speed of Maya and left the scene. Only Iidate's corpse was left behind.

Once that happened—Yuuki climbed down from the tree.

She approached Iidate's corpse and recovered the rifle that had fallen beside it.

Hiding herself in a nearby thicket, Yuuki examined it. It was a type of gun she was seeing for the first time, but she was well-versed in the category of "Rifles," so she understood how to handle it. She pulled the cocking lever on the side and peered into the chamber.

A bullet emitting a dull gleam was there.

Yes, a bullet remained. Although Maya had taken the magazine, regarding the gun itself—specifically, the one round that had already been fed into the chamber—it had been left behind here. The so-called "one in the chamber." It's something often seen in movies.

In short, she had successfully seized a weapon—although it was only one shot, the development was so exceedingly convenient that Yuuki felt a sense of perplexity rather than joy. That player named Maya seemed to be Shirou's associate, so she had assumed she would be incredibly formidable, but—could it be she wasn't actually that big of a deal? Yuuki picked up the magazine Maya had discarded and inserted it just for show. With this, in appearance, it looked no different from its normal state.

Yuuki inspected the gun. A small arm—an Assault Rifle. The range covered by this thing was quite wide. As Maya had done just moments ago, one could bathe an opponent right in front of them in a rain of bullets, or one could peer into the distance through the scope mounted on top and engage in long-distance shooting. Yuuki had experience dealing with submachine gun fire in the forty-fourth game—"Cloudy Beach"—but she didn't exactly have the confidence to consistently perform at that level, and besides, this gun's range was greater than that one. If targeted from afar, it would be a considerable threat.

Regarding this fact—she would have to firmly convey it to everyone else.

Yuuki took out several small stones from her pouch. She looked around the area and placed them at the base of a giant tree that seemed to be the largest in her field of vision. She arranged them in a layout decided upon beforehand—so that the information she wanted to convey would be transmitted correctly.

Simultaneous with the completion of placing the stones, a gunshot rang out in the distance.

It signified the beginning of the game in earnest.

(21/39)

Keito heard the gunshot.

(22/39)

Instantly, she crouched down on the spot.

However, it didn't seem to be a bullet aimed at Keito, as no destruction occurred to Keito herself or anywhere in the surrounding forest. Remaining in her crouched posture, Keito looked around—glance, glance—and convinced of her own safety, she slowly stood up and brushed the moss off her body.

A gunshot. This time, it was a single shot. Keito had heard gunshots earlier too, but those were the sounds of rapid fire. It must be a gun that can fire in both single and automatic modes. A gunshot aimed at someone who wasn't her—Keito, of course, did not worry about whether that someone was dead or alive. Her head was always full to the brim with thoughts of herself. Her own safety was first; there was no second. That was the nature of the human known as Keito.

Therefore, Keito did not go on dangerous reconnaissance missions. Just as most of the Elves had done, she fled in the opposite direction of where the helicopter had flown and hid in the forest. Whether a set number of Elves are killed—or the time limit passes—she didn't strictly know the game's end conditions, but anyway, her plan was to sit tight and wait for something to happen.

However, she did not stay in one spot forever; she moved when she saw an opportunity. It was to search for "a certain thing." At the meeting place beforehand, she had coordinated with the other Elves and decided to place "that" around the roots of giant trees. Keito continued to move, examining the roots of every tree that looked like a giant tree within her field of vision. Using that walking art, erasing her presence as much as possible, yet still with the fear of not knowing when she might be shot, she let time pass.

She didn't encounter any other players at all. Or rather—she made sure not to encounter them. If a bush rustled, or she heard footsteps, or felt even the slightest presence of another player, Keito hid on the spot and waited for the presence to disappear. There was no way she would meet anyone like this. Thinking it might be the presence of an "Enemy," she hesitated to contact other players. Not just Keito, but the other Elves were likely doing roughly the same. This meant that allies could not exchange information with each other, and that was why Keito was searching for "a certain thing."

One hour, or perhaps two hours, since the gunshots started being heard—.

Around the time she felt the passage of a not-insignificant amount of time, Keito discovered it.

Beside the root of a certain tree, a dozen or so small stones were placed. Observing closely, one could tell that they were not "fallen" there, but "placed" there.

This was exactly what Keito had been looking for. These small stones, likely placed by an Elf who went on reconnaissance, were a cryptographic tool similar to, for example, a ninja's Goshiki-mai (five-colored rice) or Ketsujo (knotted ropes), capable of conveying a certain amount of information through their arrangement and number. Keito stared at the small stones—and read contents such as "Six enemies," "Five of them acting together, one acting alone," and "Possessing long-range guns." Keito's mouth inadvertently curved up into a smile at having obtained enemy information without risking danger.

This cryptographic tool was also something that had become known among players recently. Like that walking art, it seemed to have been developed by a certain group. A communication method that does not use words—this time stones were used, but the tools are not limited to that; tree branches, leaves, water droplets, etc., can be used. In fact, tools aren't even necessary; information can be sent via every conceivable method, down to extremely minute gestures like hand signals, the sound of coughing or sniffing, or the movement of one's gaze. Also, compared to its power, learning it is exceedingly easy; in fact, when Keito lightly taught it to Yuuki before the helicopter came, she understood it immediately. It is a wonderful technique with no room for complaint. There are people who think of clever things, Keito thought deeply.

This, too—is thanks to a group called "The Secret Meeting."

(23/39)

Keito learned of the group's existence at the same time she learned about that walking art. She was taught about the walking art by an acquaintance player, but at the same time, she also heard about the developer.

"The Secret Meeting" (Mikkai).

It seems to be a collective plotting to technically hack this world of the Death Game. They develop and possess education packages that aid in game strategy, and this walking art and cryptographic tool are part of that. The one organizing the group is a player with wolf-like hair named Shirou. Keito had heard the name in rumors, but she had never actually met her.

From what she hears, "The Secret Meeting" is constantly recruiting new members—publicizing part of the technology they possess is ostensibly for promotion, to spread the name and activities of "The Secret Meeting." As Keito, who is receiving great benefits from that walking art, she would very much like to join this "Secret Meeting" and have them share other techniques, but she had never met a member of "The Secret Meeting" directly.

Couldn't she get an opportunity to meet them somewhere, someday—?

Keito thinks in such a way, but she does not yet know.

That right now, in this game, she is sharing the same space with a member of "The Secret Meeting."

And that, in a sense, she will succeed in contacting that member.

(24/39)

Several more hours passed. Of course, there are no clocks in this forest, so this is Keito's perceived time, but at any rate, it was several hours. During that time, Keito heard several gunshots, and while she didn't know for sure, presumably multiple Elves lost their lives. Among those victims, whose number was unknown, Keito was not included. Keeping still and hidden in the forest, staring around with the utmost caution, she was surviving safely.

Then, at one moment—Keito's eyes stopped in one direction.

She discovered several small stones placed at the root of a tree a little distance away.

Clearly, they were placed by a person. It was that cryptographic tool. Keito narrowed her eyes and stared at the stones. Since there was some distance, she couldn't read the message the placed stones were trying to convey, but—however, she at least understood that the message was one Keito did not know. It was different from what the scouting Elf had placed.

Someone must have placed it to convey other information—for example, game end conditions, or progress status. Keito thought she should check it. She stood up quietly and moved while hiding herself in the surrounding vegetation.

At that time, the fact that Keito was using that walking art determined her fate.

The slightly swaying gait, like a staggering walk—because of that movement, the position of Keito's head was constantly changing, and because of that, she was able to avoid the worst-case scenario of being hit in the head. The rifle bullet, which came from a distance of roughly several hundred meters at a tremendous speed approaching a thousand meters per second, entered Keito's body from her right shoulder, exited through her back, and stopped at merely crushing all the flesh and bone in its path into a mess.

"Gya... Gyaaaaaaaa!?"

Of course, Keito let out a magnificent scream.

(25/39)

At a distance where that scream could only be heard faintly—.

Tch,

Maya clicked her tongue.

(26/39)

Maya was in a tree.

She was sitting on a trunk thick enough to support the weight of one human, holding her rifle ready.

Through the rifle scope, Maya peered into the distance. What she saw beyond the lens was—only the small stones Maya had placed to lure the enemy, and white fluffy blood. The figure of the Elf who owned that blood—a lanky girl like yarn—was nowhere to be seen. The bullet hit a bad spot, and she failed to kill. She had let her escape. Maya had witnessed the Elf fleeing behind the tree, but this rifle didn't possess enough power to punch through that. There was no longer any means to attack from here.

Once more, loudly than before, Maya clicked her tongue.

That Elf was the tenth target for Maya. She had killed the previous nine perfectly. When she interrogated the first Elf she met—that is, Maya's first victim—she learned that they were exchanging information using placed stones. A cryptographic tool developed by Dokutake of "The Secret Meeting."

Maya devised a strategy to use this against them. She placed several decoy stone piles, took up a position where she could overlook all of them, and sniped the Elves who came nonchalantly. To prevent the system from being exposed, she had to go through the trouble of collecting and re-placing the stones every time she killed one, but even counting that effort, it was a sufficiently efficient and powerful system, and she had succeeded in killing eight Elves so far—nine if she included the first one she interrogated.

But the tenth one was a problem. That player with a lanky body like yarn was walking unsteadily even though she wasn't injured. She knew that movement. It was a walking art originating from a member of "The Secret Meeting" named Awahime. Because of that, her head was constantly swaying, making it not easy to take aim, but even so, since it was desirable to kill instantly with a headshot to conceal the system, Maya attempted it.

And—she failed ungracefully.

Maya climbed down the tree. She headed toward the player in question. She had failed the kill and allowed her to scream brilliantly, but that was all so far. The fact that those placed stones were "bait" hadn't been exposed yet. Either she wasn't thinking straight enough to shout and inform her allies, or she didn't intend to convey it in the first place—either way, she had to go immediately and seal that player's mouth.

—She had to.

That was Maya's most hated phrase.

Impulsively, Maya tried to click her tongue a third time.

But she stopped. The more she did it, the more irritated she became.

(27/39)

Lately, she felt she was more easily irritated than usual.

She was a rough-tempered type to begin with, but recently it was particularly bad. She realized it when she shot that player named Iidate to death. No matter how annoying her bossy attitude was, killing an ally without necessity was too indiscriminate. As expected, she wasn't being quite calm.

The cause was clear.

It was because of that woman called Yuuki.

Maya's partner—Shirou—seemed to be infatuated with her. During the first contact the other day, the gaze Shirou directed at Yuuki contained the same components she usually directed at Maya. It had components she never directed at other members of "The Secret Meeting." That was—affection. Shirou held feelings for Yuuki represented by the word "Love."

She didn't like that.

That person's love should be poured entirely onto her—it must be poured onto her. She actually hated the "Secret Meeting" too. She wanted to be alone with her. She didn't want to hinder Shirou's plan, so she endured "The Secret Meeting," but—this time was no good. Maya felt an instinctive aversion to that ghost woman. Honestly, she wanted her to stop associating with such a human. But since she was a key person in Shirou's plan, she couldn't assert herself strongly, and instead, Maya was taking it out on everything she saw.

Walking briskly through the forest, Maya put her hand into the breast pocket of her camouflage fatigues.

She took out a small terminal. Perhaps called a PDA, it was an outdated item used before smartphones were born; it was rugged, heavy, and the screen was small. On that small screen, the remaining time limit and the counter of killed Elves were displayed. She relied on this to judge the progress of the game. It was unclear how they were determining the life or death of the Elves, but probably, they were measuring pulse or something with sensors embedded in their bodies. The number on the counter was no different from when she checked it earlier. It was a fact indicating that the yarn-like Elf was still alive.

putting away the terminal, Maya closed in on that Elf. She had fled, but it wasn't hard to track her—because the white fluff of the "Preservative Treatment" served as a guidepost. Without taking much time, Maya discovered the Elf. Maya pointed her muzzle at her, who was huddled small in the bushes, and put her finger on the trigger—.

However, at this time.

Maya did not know. That the ghost woman who was irritating her was participating in the same game right now.

That she had picked up the rifle Maya abandoned, and furthermore, stripped the camouflage fatigues, helmet, and rucksack from Iidate's corpse, and was proceeding through the game while evading enemy detection by "disguising" herself.

And—that the rifle she carried was, at this very moment, pointed at Maya.

Maya's abdomen burst open.

(28/39)

Yuuki pulled the trigger of the rifle.

(29/39)

She received the gunshot sound in her eardrums. She received the recoil in her shoulder through the stock.

Paying those two prices, the bullet was fired. This was the only ammunition. She couldn't practice; she had to do it cold. Did it fly to the target properly—of course, she couldn't visually confirm the trajectory, but one second after firing, Maya collapsed to the ground raising a voice of agony, so Yuuki was convinced she had hit her magnificently.

Yuuki headed to where Maya was.

Swinging her arms wrapped in camouflage fatigues widely, she ran. These clothes were stripped from the poor player killed by Maya. In other words, she was disguised. In this game where rifles, weapons with a reasonable long range, played the leading role, confirming the enemy's figure happened from a reasonable distance. Individual identification was difficult. Disguise was extremely effective. Yuuki hugged the rifle, wore the camouflage fatigues, put on the helmet to hide her elf ears, and shouldered the rucksack—though Maya and the other five had taken almost all the contents—completely imitating the enemy's appearance from head to toe.

Thus, Yuuki completed a certain degree of defense. Whether thanks to that or not, several hours passed without encountering enemies—when she heard a gunshot and a scream nearby. Heading in the direction of the sound, she saw the figures of Keito and Maya. There was no particular need to intervene, but Yuuki's game stance was "Altruism." If she could sell a favor to another, she wouldn't miss the opportunity. Yuuki readied the rifle, returning the one shot she had overlooked back to her—and was rushing to the scene for further response.

By the time Yuuki arrived, Maya had already disappeared. Looking around, she discovered Keito huddled in the bushes. White fluff was overflowing from her back. She must have been shot by Maya.

"A-A-Ah, Yuuki-san..."

Keito said.

"Um, the placed stones, the placed stones are a trap."

She guessed the general situation. "Can you move?" Yuuki asked, holding up the rifle to guard against Maya—the empty gun with no bullets.

(30/39)

"...Tch...!!"

Maya suppressed her voice and hid in the shade of a tree.

She looked at the shot area.

It was gouged out. There was a hole in her stomach, and white fluff was popping out. She couldn't believe it—the situation of having a hole in her own body. Thanks to the "Preservative Treatment," the bleeding had stopped, but there was no telling what aftereffects it would leave, and speaking of the present moment, a massive amount of pain signals, enough to think she didn't need that much, were tormenting Maya's brain with a throbbing ache.

But she couldn't raise her voice. She couldn't breathe roughly either. She had to be quiet and stay hidden—. She was shot. By whom? She was desperate to hide and didn't see the shooter's face well, but she confirmed they were wearing camouflage fatigues. Shot by an ally—? No, that's wrong. One of the Elves disguised themselves. They stole Iidate's clothes.

In addition to that realization, Maya also realized the source of this one shot. It was the one round in the chamber. What a blunder. To overlook something so elementary. Maya wanted to spew dirty curses, but since she couldn't make a sound, she stopped at mumbling her mouth.

And, she thought strongly.

It's a humiliation. She won't forgive this. She doesn't know who it is, but she will absolutely kill them.

(31/39)

Yuuki took Keito and left the spot.

The composition was Yuuki standing by and guarding Keito, who moved on all fours. The rifle was empty after the shot just now, but she carried it just in case. There's nothing like a bluff. This was something she learned from the blind player—Rinrin—who could be called Yuuki's other master.

Keito should have known how to erase her presence with that walking art, but as expected, she couldn't do so while crawling on all fours after being shot in the back—it was a movement accompanied by rough breathing and pathetic groans mixed with tears. She applied a cloth to the wound on her back and devised a way not to leave a guidepost of white fluff, but since the speed of escape was slow, she could have been easily tracked if someone wanted to.

However, she didn't feel Maya's presence. There was the matter of that walking art, so she couldn't be certain she "wasn't there"—but at least she didn't feel she "was there." Did she retreat? Or was she unable to move from pain, or passed out? Yuuki fervently hoped so, but still continued her vigilance—moving with Keito—and passed through a corner where much sunlight filtered through the trees.

—At that moment.

A flickering light was sent to Yuuki's eyes.

(32/39)

Exactly at the same time.

Maya confirmed the opponent's true identity from close range.

Before thinking, power went into the trigger.

(33/39)

"...!!"

Yuuki instantly stuck out her leg.

She kicked Keito away, forcibly moving her position.

And Yuuki moved herself too. Simultaneously kicking the ground hard to jump and hiding behind a nearby tree—she heard gunshots. Not one shot, not a three-round burst, but many more gunshots. When Yuuki poked her face out from the shadow of the tree to peek, she saw moss dancing, dead leaves dancing, and bullets dancing in the area where Yuuki and the other had been just moments ago—the way they danced told her the approximate trajectory, so Yuuki traced it back and turned her eyes to the source of the bullets.

She discovered Maya holding a rifle on top of a tree.

She had tracked Yuuki and the other silently, climbed a tree, and then fired—. That flickering light was probably the reflection off the scope lens.

She hadn't noticed at all. To perform such a feat while wounded—she wasn't an amateur. Shooting an ally, overlooking the round in the chamber, forgetting to remove the scope; while unevenness was recognized here and there—she was undoubtedly strong.

While Yuuki was convinced of that, the shooting continued. Even though Yuuki and Keito were no longer there, Maya continued to fire bullets that wouldn't hit. Several seconds passed, she used up all the ammunition in the magazine, and the shooting sound stopped. Clack, clack, sounds of her likely changing magazines were heard.

"Fu, fufu."

A laughing voice was heard.

"See that! You really are a nasty piece of work!"

There was volume and clarity in her voice that made it hard to believe she was injured.

"You came out to be killed by me, didn't you! Right!? Otherwise, such a coincidence is impossible! As you wish, I'll kill you! I'm gonna kill you!"

She didn't quite understand what she was saying but—apparently, Maya was speaking with the recognition that the opponent was Yuuki. She remembered being glared at by her when they met the other day. Yuuki's life had these moments sometimes. Without any idea why, she would be showered with tremendous hatred. Perhaps she was unconsciously behaving in a way that irritated a specific type of person.

Yuuki turned her eyes toward Keito. She had kicked her into the shade of a tree earlier but—before she knew it, she had disappeared. It seemed she left Yuuki and ran away. She couldn't help but think she should at least say thanks—but, come to think of it, she had been taught about that walking art by Keito, so perhaps there was an interpretation that Yuuki was the one returning a favor. Anyway, she had to manage to get through this situation alone.

Yuuki put down the rifle.

From her pouch, she took out the sling.

(34/39)

Maya climbed down the tree. Walking with long strides, she chased Yuuki's whereabouts.

The pain had receded. Joy that canceled out all that pain and still had plenty left over filled her chest.

That woman—is participating in this game. And as an enemy. It's a chance to kill her. Is it not the perfect opportunity to dispose of her openly? Despite being irreligious since birth, only at times like this did Maya believe this must be God's will. It means "Do it." She can't think of it any other way. If she misses this opportunity, she'll be punished instead. Even if she hates it, she'll do it. Just kill her quickly and—

And, keep it a secret from Darling.

Nah, no problem.

Because that excellent person will surely find a plan that doesn't need to rely on her.

Maya went around to the back of the tree where Yuuki had fled and readied her gun.

Naturally, that woman's figure was no longer there.

Maya looked around—and—discovered the woman in camouflage fatigues moving while hiding herself under a short tree, perhaps called a shrub or bush.

Immediately Maya pointed her gun and fired—but a step ahead of that, that woman hid in the shade of a tree. She seemed to have predicted the shooting. Does she have eyes in the back of her head? Maya felt unpleasant, thought Then I'll shoot from closer range, and stepped forward.

However, at that point, Yuuki appeared from the shade of the tree again.

In her right hand, there was something she was swinging around.

A sling—. A weapon issued to Elves. It wasn't the first time Maya saw "it." The first Elf she killed—the Elf she interrogated and got the information about the placed stones from—used it to resist Maya.

However—although she used it, that player couldn't master a weapon unfamiliar to modern people like a sling at all, and therefore, this was the first time she saw it used properly. Honestly, she had to admit she had underestimated its power. She thought it wouldn't be much different from throwing a stone normally. If that were the case, there would be no need to go out of the way to use a tool—. A stone projectile flew at a speed about three times what she imagined, hit her left leg violently and directly, and unable to stand, Maya collapsed to the ground. Feeling the rough sensation of dead leaves on her cheek, she revised her understanding of the thing called a sling.

When Maya sat up and readied her gun again, Yuuki's figure had become larger than before. She was approaching—running towards her. She probably planned to run, get close, close in to point-blank range where the gun wouldn't be effective, and do Maya in with bare knuckles. However—it was still far from being achieved. There was still sufficient distance. Both in time and distance, there was still a margin to shoot that woman. Maya aimed at Yuuki's head and squeezed the trigger—

—A split second before that, she realized.

That a helmet was not sitting on Yuuki's head.

She should have been wearing it until just a moment ago. Where did it go?

The answer to that question was given immediately. Skillfully slipping through Maya's field of vision—drawing a parabola—the helmet that flew over hit Maya's head hard. Sparks scattered before her eyes, and there was a blank time in her consciousness. She threw the helmet—simultaneous with recognizing that, Maya still squeezed the trigger within her vision that had not yet recovered. A gunshot rang out, and she felt the recoil, so it seemed the bullet was fired, but not a single one of those bullets hit Yuuki—having been hit hard by her—Maya realized.

Thus, the stage of the battle shifted to a fistfight. Maya put up the best resistance she could, but she was forced to admit that the opponent was a step or two ahead of her. Within less than a minute, Maya was suppressed. Punched in the face multiple times, both arms pinned down by knees, taken into a mount position, and her gun was taken. Maya saw the muzzle of the rifle that was hers until a minute ago, and Yuuki's cold gaze holding it. She saw Yuuki's finger, already on the trigger, move.

—Drop dead.

She wanted to say that, but her mouth was throbbing and she couldn't speak.

So, Maya put up a middle finger in her heart.

She heard a click sound.

(35/39)

Yuuki heard a click sound.

It was the sound of the trigger being pulled and the released hammer striking the pin.

However—no bullet came out.

(36/39)

Click,

click, she tried pulling the trigger a few times.

But it didn't fire. No bullet came out.

What does this mean, Yuuki thought. Out of ammo—shouldn't be. This rifle should have only fired a few shots since the magazine was last changed. Being empty is impossible. Then—is it a jam? No matter that it's a gun prepared by management, malfunctions happen. If so, what a lucky guy—thinking that, Yuuki glared at Maya, but,

At that moment, a sound rang from the breast pocket of her camouflage fatigues.

It was a voice mixed with static. A communication must be coming in on a transceiver or something.

"...ver. It is over, Maya-san."

Could be heard.

That voice made Yuuki retreat from on top of Maya. Maya, whose arms became free, reached into her breast pocket, took out a small terminal—a shape a size ruggeder than a smartphone—and looked at its screen.

And she laughed cynically.

"Says it's over."

Saying that, she showed the screen to Yuuki.

On that LCD screen, which couldn't be called very big or easy to see, the game's progress status was apparently displayed. She couldn't read all the information on the screen, but a counter was attached to the bottom area, and she saw "20" displayed in digital characters.

With that, Yuuki understood everything. This "20" was likely the prescribed number. The quota imposed on Maya and her group—the number of Elves to kill. That had just been fulfilled. The game ended. That's probably why the gun couldn't fire anymore. A control mechanism was built in to automatically lock it when the clear conditions were met.

When Yuuki arrived at that deduction—she heard the sound of helicopter blades from the sky above.

It was the same sound she heard several hours ago. Before long, a large number of management staff who must have descended from the helicopter arrived. Some of them carried a stretcher for relief, put the injured Maya on it, and left.

After watching all of that, Yuuki tossed the rifle aside.

And said.

"...She's got some luck, that one."

(37/39)

Thus—one way or another, the game ended.

(38/39)

Although it was an ending like being interrupted at a good part—anyway, it ended. Not only Maya, not only the girls in camouflage fatigues, but the Elf faction including Yuuki was also welcomed by the management staff and returned.

Since she didn't suffer any injury worth calling an injury, Yuuki went straight home. Yuuki, who woke up in Room 107 of Tochinoki Manor, stored the Elf costume placed by her pillow in the closet, and finished her usual routine of three minutes of prayer and game reflection without incident. Even after all the steps were finished, it was still evening, and it seemed she would make it in time for school if she hurried. Yuuki changed into her sailor uniform, put on loafers, and went out into the city at dusk.

Just then—she received a call on her mobile phone.

Looking at the screen, Kokone's number, which she registered the other day, was displayed. Yuuki pressed the answer button and said "Hello" while putting the smartphone to her ear.

"—Congratulations on clearing the game, Yuuki-san."

It was clearly the voice of a human who was not Kokone.

Or rather, it was Shirou.

"...What's the matter, Kokone," Yuuki said.

"Your voice sounds scratchier than before."

"That gag isn't very sharp."

"What do you want?"

"I thought it might be a good opportunity soon, so I contacted you. Apparently, you had a match with our Maya. I've heard about it."

Information travels fast, Yuuki thought.

"Where did you hear that? Isn't she still in the management hospital?"

After the game ends, there are roughly two paths a player follows. One is the route of going straight home like Yuuki this time. And the other is—presumably Maya this time—the route of being transported to the management hospital to heal wounds received in the game. By now, Maya should still be in the hospital under direct management control. During that time, she should be put to sleep, and shouldn't be able to contact Shirou.

But, "I didn't hear it from Maya-san," Shirou answered.

"I am somewhat intimate with the Agents, you see. I am in a position to obtain more information than usual. ...How was it? She was strong, wasn't she?"

"Well, reasonably."

Actually, it was quite a close call, but she answered with some discount.

"She does quite well, right? She is still only a fourth-time player with that."

"Heh..."

She didn't look like it, Yuuki thought. But, certainly, now that it was mentioned, there was a strange unevenness to her strength. That must be because she is a beginner.

"She didn't particularly have sense as a player. We built her up to that level in just a few months. Utilizing our education package."

"What's an education package?"

"Ah, right. I haven't spoken to you about it yet, Yuuki-san..."

After a short pause, likely considering the arrangement of the story, Shirou spoke.

"We are developing such things. Education packages that train skills as a player and transform them into outstanding existences. As you know well, Yuuki-san—in this world, learning experientially is very difficult, isn't it? One's own experience alone is not enough. Learning from the outside is essential. 'How' quickly one obtains 'how' powerful know-how determines a player's performance. Isn't that right?"

She didn't answer "That's right," but Yuuki was generally of the same opinion. The fact that Yuuki has been able to survive until today and overcome numerous formidable enemies and numerous challenges is largely due to the fact that she received direct instruction from the strongest player of the day, Hakushi.

"Therefore, I decided to seize that when starting as a player. It is neither violence nor intellect that conquers this world. It is 'Education.' The one who holds more powerful know-how rules the world. Accumulating and refining the knowledge that is in a dispersed state among players, and monopolizing the most powerful education package. Well, we are still only halfway there, though..."

Yuuki heard the sound of taking a breath. The sound of Shirou, who had delivered a long harangue, recovering lost oxygen.

"She is, so to speak, a sample to prove our know-how. To verify how far a complete amateur can be pulled up, I brought her into the group. ...If you fought her directly, the story is quick. Surely, Yuuki-san, you must have recognized the efficacy of our education package."

"What do you want to say?"

"I am proposing to offer our knowledge—to you, Yuuki-san."

Shirou continued.

"I want you to join—our team—I call it 'The Secret Meeting.' We will welcome you."

"......"

Yuuki understood the story.

This implies it is a continuation of the negotiation from the other day. She is trying to bring Yuuki into the fold. Since the gift from the other day wasn't appreciated, she prepared a different gift.

"...Are you still making passes at me?" Yuuki asked.

"I beat your lover to a pulp, you know."

"Lover, is it."

Perhaps finding that word choice amusing, Shirou giggled.

"I do not particularly mind. Because it is a matter within the game. Does a professional fighter hate their opponent just because they were beaten thoroughly in a match? It is the same as that."

I guess that's true too, Yuuki thought. It is natural for players to hurt each other, and Yuuki herself doesn't harbor grudges or hatred toward Maya.

"I've been a player longer than that person named Maya," Yuuki said. "Is there any benefit for me to introduce your education package or whatever?"

"There is greatly. Even for a veteran player like you, Yuuki-san, our knowledge is useful. For example... are you aware that there is a walking art actively used among players recently?"

"Yeah."

"That is something we developed. It is based on the skills of a player named Awahime, who belongs to 'The Secret Meeting.' Regarding that, we are daring to make it public for promotion... but there are various other unique technologies monopolized by 'The Secret Meeting.' Some of them will surely be useful to you too, Yuuki-san."

"What's the return? That 'Appropriate Time'?"

"No... Regarding that, you may forget about it for the time being. You must have been very confused to be told something like that so suddenly. I was too hasty the other day. I am reflecting on it."

Yuuki didn't miss that the condition "for the time being" was attached.

"Even leaving 'that' aside, I want to bring you in, Yuuki-san. As an active player, you are likely the person with the most clears—if you lend us that knowledge, 'The Secret Meeting' can advance even further. As for you, Yuuki-san, if you introduce our education package, you will undoubtedly achieve further breakthroughs as a player. It will contribute greatly to ninety-nine game clears. It is a story that benefits both sides."

Ninety-nine game clears—.

It seems Shirou knows more about that than Yuuki.

"...'Achiever's Privilege'."

Yuuki muttered. "Yes?" Shirou asked back.

"You mentioned 'Achiever's Privilege' the other day."

"Ah, yes."

"You are playing the game aiming for that. Right?"

"As a main objective, yes."

"And yet, is it okay to make me a comrade?"

"...? What do you mean?"

"Let's say I join that 'Secret Meeting.' Let's say I receive the education package or whatever as you say, and thanks to that, I achieve ninety-nine clears. Then, wouldn't I be the one receiving the 'Privilege'? Are you okay with that?"

"......"

"Or does it mean that 'Privilege' isn't something sent to only one person? When the 'Appropriate Time' comes, if I designate you, you can share in a certain amount of the cut... or something like that?"

The answer did not come back immediately. After a while, "...Hmm," Shirou said.

"If you wish, shall I tell you right here and now? About 'It'."

"Is that okay?"

"It seems I am inviting unnecessary suspicion, after all," Shirou continued. "If my objective is unclear and suspicious, I shall disclose it. It seems it isn't that attractive as bargaining material anyway... Regarding joining 'The Secret Meeting,' you can decide after all the information is on the table. What will you do?"

Yuuki thought. She wasn't without hesitation to hear about "It." The number ninety-nine, which she had set as a goal for the sake of a goal—when a different meaning is added there, what kind of change will appear in my heart? She had that anxiety.

But she wanted to know Shirou's objective, and she would find out eventually anyway. Yuuki answered.

"Let me hear it."

(39/39)

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