3. Phantom Thief (The 82nd Time)
(0/39)
On a certain day.
In a particular square, two people were talking.
(1/39)
One was a slender, tall woman. She was a legendary figure who used to be active in the world of killing games under the name Hakushi, holding a record of ninety-five consecutive victories.
The other was a boy with an androgynous appearance. His name was Kowloon. He was the person serving as the leader of the "Management" that governs the world of killing games.
This face-to-face meeting was realized thanks to Hakushi's long struggle. For about two and a half years after quitting as a player, Hakushi had been investigating the Management. She tried to peel off the veil that made the organization mysterious. Her attempt was successful. Hakushi learned everything about the Management, and additionally, even achieved a meeting with its head, Kowloon.
"Come to think of it, there was something I absolutely wanted to ask," Hakushi said.
"What is it?"
Kowloon answered in a mature tone that didn't match his appearance.
"It's about the 'Wall of Thirty.' Does that actually exist?"
That is a "curse" that nests in this world. It's a strange phenomenon where numerous irregularities that would normally be impossible occur around the thirtieth time, and the player survival rate drops significantly.
"Ah... I see," Kowloon scratched the tip of his nose. "If you ask me whether it exists or not, well, I suppose it might. It seems to be widely believed among players."
"The Management isn't manipulating it, are they?"
"That's not happening. Participating players are treated fairly regardless of their history. We don't set disadvantageous settings just because it's their thirtieth time."
Kowloon took out a tablet from the bag placed at his feet. While tapping away on it, he continued speaking.
"We are also aware of the rumors of the 'Wall of Thirty.' We've even taken statistics. The conclusion is, there is no fact that the survival rate drops or that injuries happen more easily just because it's around the thirtieth time. I have to say it doesn't exist as a phenomenon."
Saying so, Kowloon handed the tablet to Hakushi. A PDF file was open, and every page was filled with various graphs. Is this the "statistics" he mentioned?
Hakushi stared at the screen. Her eyes were suspicious.
"Doesn't make sense to you?" Kowloon said to her.
"Is the feeling really that deep for players? From our perspective, it's unclear why such a story even popped up."
"...Ah," Hakushi answered as if muttering. "I often hear stories of players facing irregularities as they approach their thirtieth time. I was like that too. Mechanism of occurrence aside, I had assumed the phenomenon existed. To think it was complete superstition..."
"Hmm. That's interesting." Kowloon put his hand on his chin.
"Even if it doesn't actually exist, it means there are factors that make it easy to have that illusion. By the thirtieth time, they would be among the handful of talented people among players. They won't lose easily. To put it the other way around, if they lose, it's limited to cases where an upset happens. It will always be accompanied by an irregularity."
"Therefore, they feel like 'something is being done' to them?"
"Isn't that right? It's interesting to think about... You could call it the paradox of competition. The better you get, the harder it becomes to obtain a convincing loss. Only the unreasonable, insulting, and hard-to-remove things remain stuck in front of your eyes. Those who should have played more earnestly than anyone are given the most terrible treatment."
Kowloon turned his eyes to Hakushi.
"That's not limited to the thirtieth time, is it? That body of yours, surely, was lost due to an unreasonable twist of fate, wasn't it?"
Hakushi did not answer.
However, thinking back, it was true. She remembered all the games she was involved in well. And their outcomes. The eighty-third time, and the ninetieth time. Both games that resulted in Hakushi being greatly impaired were—.
Suddenly, the face of her disciple floated in her mind. She hadn't been in contact for a while, but if she was stacking clears steadily, she should be around the eightieth time soon.
Will she follow the same path too?
(2/39)
Yuuki woke up on a hard sofa.
(3/39)
A sofa and table without decoration, a sink, a microwave, a refrigerator, a small TV, and other equipment necessary for modern life were all present. However, it lacked a sense of living too much, and didn't feel like a one-room apartment.
It gave the impression of an employee break room at a convenience store or restaurant or something. Yuuki hadn't done a part-time job in a long time, so there was no reason for her to wake up in a room like this. She immediately understood that a "Game" had started.
That fact was clear even looking at her own appearance. Not her favorite jersey, not her school sailor uniform, Yuuki was wrapped in a beige coat. On her head, she was made to wear a hat with a slightly unusual shape. It had brims on both the front and back, and a tiny ribbon was perched on the top. If she recalled correctly, was it called a deerstalker hat? As the name suggests, it was originally a hat for hunting, but in modern times, it is used as a symbol indicating detective-ness. It seemed to be a detective cosplay.
Getting off the sofa and leaving the room, a wide corridor welcomed Yuuki. Lighting that was neither too bright nor too dark was lit, bringing a calm atmosphere to the space. Paintings hung at equal intervals on the walls on both sides. Since there were quite a number of them, it didn't seem they were placed merely as interior decoration. They were probably being exhibited. Was this an art museum?
While walking down the corridor, Yuuki noticed there was something in the pocket of her coat. It was a smartphone. It was a different model from the one Yuuki owned. It was an item for this game. When she pressed the power button, it seemed there was no lock of any kind, and the home screen launched directly.
An app with an icon looking like an art museum was placed at the top left of the screen, and when she opened it, a map that seemed to belong to this building appeared. Yuuki's current location was also shown, and she understood she seemed to be in the corridor on the second floor. It was a dedicated app for this game—she often saw them at theme parks, but it was her first time seeing one targeting a single facility.
For the time being, relying on the map, Yuuki headed to the largest room—the entrance hall on the first floor. In a situation like this where she didn't know the rules or the objective, the theory was to aim for a large room first.
Sure enough, players other than Yuuki were gathered there. Their attire varied. There were those dressed like detectives similar to Yuuki, those wearing worn-out coats like detectives in dramas, and those dressed neatly like plain police officers. The number of people, counting roughly, was about forty.
"Hello..." Yuuki greeted the girls.
"Was there any explanation of the rules or something?"
"No, probably, from now on..."
A sound like a snap interrupted the voice of the girl who tried to answer.
The monitor with a stand installed in the entrance hall projected an image. A puppet dressed as a police inspector, looking like something out of a children's show, appeared hugely on the screen, and emitted a voice while moving its mouth.
"A notice letter has arrived at this art museum from a phantom thief gang..."
(4/39)
In a theatrical tone, the rules of the game conveyed by the "Explainer" were as follows.
Apparently, this art museum is being targeted by a phantom thief gang. A notice saying "We have come to take them" arrived for a total of twenty exhibits of various sizes, such as bronze statues, crowns, necklaces, etc. Protecting them through to the end is the mission imposed on Yuuki and the other "Security" side players.
The "Phantom Thieves" also seem to be players. There are twenty of them in total, and the condition for clearing the game is for each of them to steal one or more exhibits.
For every one stolen, a penalty is given to the Security side. By the hand of the Management, a device for injecting a powerful drug is implanted in Yuuki and the others' bodies, and the moment an exhibit is stolen out of the building, one person is randomly selected and the device activates. It circulates poison through that body, leading to death instantly. Since there are forty players on the Security side in total, in the worst case, up to twenty out of forty people could die.
The duration of the game is one night. The current time is 8 PM, and the game end time is 5 AM the next day. It is guaranteed that the phantom thieves will invade at least after 9 PM, meaning Yuuki and the others were given one hour of preparation time.
One hour—a subtle amount of time that could be taken as long or short, but in any case, it would be best to get things done quickly. Yuuki and the others set about preparing for the game. Since the number of people was what it was, they couldn't take time to introduce themselves to each other, but without needing to do so, there was a certain number who knew Yuuki. A shrewd person on her eighty-second time this time—as expected, there was no one with more experience than that, and naturally, Yuuki came to take command of the Security side.
Standing in front of the group, Yuuki said, "According to the rule explanation just now..."
"When an exhibit is stolen, the player who takes the penalty is decided randomly. This means the responsibility for the blunder falls on the group as a whole. No matter how well an individual player plays, that alone cannot ensure survival. It is a complete group battle."
Yuuki tapped her chest.
"I have somewhat more experience than others, but I cannot get through this game alone. Everyone's cooperation is necessary. Let's aim for a perfect game so no one has to die. We will protect all the exhibits."
This wasn't a bluff to raise morale. She intended to do so seriously. Due to the rule that the penalty falls randomly, to survive with certainty, they had to achieve a shutout.
Don't let them steal a single one. Annihilate the enemy side.
(5/39)
Inside a speeding bus, Kagura woke up.
(6/39)
Before opening her eyes, she thought, It's a bus.
Because sensations peculiar to a bus visited Kagura's five senses in a flock. The feel of the seat that wasn't quite comfortable, the vibrations transmitted ever so slightly, the feverish and stagnant air—. Opening her eyes, it was just as she thought. The windows were blocked and she couldn't see outside, but it was clearly inside a large bus.
Not just Kagura, there seemed to be about twenty other passengers as well. They were looking at each other and buzzing. They looked confused.
Kagura was also confused. Judging from the situation, there was no mistake that a "Game" had started, but this case was a first. Usually, players wake up at the game venue, and being in transit was unheard of.
Was there some kind of mistake—? Kagura's thought was canceled when monitors installed in several places on the bus lit up, and an "Explainer" dressed like a phantom thief appeared.
"Welcome, players. To 'Phantom Thief'..."
Prompted by the game name and the "Explainer's" outfit, Kagura suddenly became curious and looked at herself. She was dressed in a tailcoat and a silk hat. It was the appearance of a "Phantom Thief" frequently seen in all kinds of creative works. Looking at the surrounding seats and observing the costumes of other players, it seemed the costumes varied by person. There were those wearing enamel bodysuits, and those wearing a cloth wrapped around their head like Nezumi Kozo. Anyway, did it mean they were some kind of "Thieves"?
"In a little while, this bus will arrive at the art museum. From there, you all will..."
The "Explainer" told the rules. As could be understood from being made to wear this outfit, it seemed to be a game to steal art pieces. Each person just had to steal one exhibit—any one would do—out of the twenty available to clear the game.
It didn't seem like a complicated rule. For Kagura, who wasn't confident in her brains, this was convenient. This was scheduled to be her last game, and she was grateful it started auspiciously. Although she didn't know the detailed content yet—
If it's just one, I should be able to filch it.
(7/39)
On the map of the dedicated app on the game terminals Yuuki and the others held, the locations of the exhibits were shown. Of the twenty points arranged as if scattered throughout the building, Yuuki and the others headed to an exhibition room that was close at hand from the entrance hall.
A glass case was installed in the center of the room, and inside it, one of the key items—a scepter adorned with a large jewel—was housed. The "Explainer" had said that all twenty exhibits were in glass cases. They were props made for the game and probably didn't have real artistic value, but still, they looked special, so it seemed unlikely they would lose track of them during the game.
Yuuki tried tapping the glass case. Knock knock. Her impression was that while not fragile, it didn't seem particularly hard either.
"If possible, I'd want to hide it somewhere, though..." Yuuki said.
"They said that was prohibited," another player answered.
According to the "Explainer," it seemed prohibited for Security side players to intentionally break the cases. In that case too, a penalty would be given to one random player. However, it seemed that if the Phantom Thief side broke the case, the exhibit could be moved freely after that.
"Well, in phantom thief works, I've never seen a scene where they take measures like that. ...Still, why do they go out of their way to wait in a state where it's being exhibited? The police in that world..."
No one answered Yuuki's question, and next they headed to the warehouse. There, handguns for the number of people and enough bullets were prepared. There were those dressed as police officers among them, but there was no need to capture the phantom thieves; it didn't matter if they killed them. Yuuki, too, was thinking with a policy of a KO victory by annihilating the phantom thieves rather than holding out until dawn.
Strapping holsters containing handguns to their waists and stuffing their clothes' pockets full of ammunition, Yuuki and the others went around the art museum once. It was a vast three-story building with many rooms. As a slightly unusual thing, there were no places that looked like entrances or exits—the entrance and windows were blocked, and they couldn't see the state of the outdoors.
Where would the phantom thieves enter from? There was no mention from the "Explainer." Being phantom thieves, did they have secret infiltration routes? However, it seemed Yuuki and the others didn't have the time to ascertain that. Since it was quite a large building, after circling it once, there was already little time left until 9 PM. There was no choice but to grasp the opponent's hand while fighting.
"Let's start getting ready soon," Yuuki said.
(8/39)
The bus stopped. When Kagura and the others went outside, it was a wide parking lot leveled flat. A little distance away, a large mansion stood. It was the art museum mentioned in the "Explainer's" story.
Even from a distance, one could tell the building had a strange structure. Every window was blocked, and no entrance existed. It was a facility built specially for the game. At a glance, it seemed impossible to enter or leave, but Kagura and the others knew that in reality, entering and leaving was free.
The twenty players each took out the terminal that was a game item. It was a modified commercially available smartphone. When they opened the dedicated app crowned with an icon looking like an art museum, numerous pieces of information were displayed, such as routes to infiltrate the building, locations of surveillance cameras inside the building, and the locations of the exhibits which were the crucial point.
This was the advantage given to the phantom thieves. It was more than enough to compensate for the numerical disadvantage of forty against twenty.
"Well then, let's do our best." Someone said. The other nineteen nodded deeply.
Who would go to steal which exhibit had already been discussed inside the bus. What Kagura was aiming for was a brooch set with a pink stone.
The twenty phantom thieves scattered in twos and threes to infiltrate the art museum. Kagura naturally intended to do so as well, but—
"Hey, won't you cooperate?"
She was called out to by another player.
Who was it again, Kagura thought. They did self-introductions inside the bus, but since Kagura had a bird brain, she forgot names immediately. But, she remembered that she was a quite experienced person on her fifteenth time this time.
"Cooperate?" Kagura furrowed her brows.
"It's an individual match, right, this game? Even if two people cooperate to steal an exhibit, only one person gets the clear, right?"
"Yes. Therefore, the two of us will retrieve two.
The fifteenth-timer opened the map of the art museum from the terminal's dedicated app and showed it to Kagura.
"The exhibit Kagura-san is in charge of is the brooch in this room, right?"
"That's right, but."
"My exhibit is also in the room right next to it. That means, we infiltrate from this corridor..." She tapped the screen with her finger. "Go like this, go around the two rooms in order, and escape from this point. Then both of us clear the game."
"Well, that might be so, but."
"There are forty people on the Security side, right? That means for one exhibit, two people are guarding it. To pull off a theft alone, there is a numerical disadvantage. I think we should unite as well, what do you think?"
Looking around casually, other players were also solidified in groups of two or three. They probably had similar opinions.
Kagura thought. No, thinking wasn't accurate. Kagura was terrible at any act involving using her head, and it was more in line with reality to express it as asking her heart rather than thinking. All she could do was decide based on vague impressions. She had lived relying only on this.
Eventually, Kagura's intuition handed down an oracle.
"...No. I'll do it alone." She answered.
"If you want to cooperate, please ask someone else."
(9/39)
There were twenty art pieces in total. Forty security guards.
In other words, numerically, it calculated to being able to assign two guards per exhibit.
However, in reality, they limited the number of guards around the glass cases to thirty. Considering the surrounding environment and each player's experience, they placed one or two guards per exhibit.
Of the remaining ten, two were deployed to the monitor room. This room was on the second floor. So many monitors were placed there that it was bright enough without turning on the lights, and one could view the footage of surveillance cameras inside the building at a glance. If a figure of a phantom thief appeared on any of them, they were to report it immediately.
And, the remaining eight were the mobile unit. These eight had no fixed role. They moved freely inside the building, repelling entering phantom thieves quickly, searching for infiltration routes, or rushing as reinforcements when an exhibit somewhere was targeted by a group. Since the workload was heavy and flexible judgment was also necessary, experienced players among the forty took this role. Of course, Yuuki belonged to this segment too.
The eight split into four pairs and scattered throughout the building. Yuuki and her partner were walking in the corridor on the third floor. It was an atrium, and looking down, one could see the floor of the second story.
"This map is interesting, isn't it?" Yuuki's partner said. Both her eyes were on the terminal screen. The map of the dedicated app was open.
"Isn't it a normal map? The GPS accuracy seems good though..." Yuuki answered.
"It's not just that. For example, right now, the third floor map is shown... Normal GPS cannot identify the Z-axis. You can't tell what floor you're on.
Come to think of it, that's right, she thought. The map of this dedicated app automatically switched the display when crossing floors. Since it functioned so naturally, she didn't notice until it was pointed out.
"Probably, antennas are installed at the venue, and it's obtaining information from there too. Recent surveying doesn't just rely on information from satellites, but puts in corrections based on positional relationships with surrounding base stations and devices... Is it the same way of thinking? It's well made. They're doing a good job."
Uh-huh, she nodded.
A person who is impressed by strange things—thinking that, Yuuki called her name.
"Busutake-san, you're knowledgeable about machines and stuff."
An unusual player name, she thought. One shouldn't call a girl of that age 'busu' (ugly). Why was she given such a name? In appearance, she was a gentle-looking person who didn't feel like "poison" (busu) at all. Her softly fluffy hair did somewhat remind one of a mushroom cap, so maybe that was it.
"Yes, reasonably," Busutake answered. "Hardware or software, I dabble in everything evenly."
"From a science person's perspective, how is it? Games like this."
"How is it, meaning?"
"You know, in this kind of killing game, science-type tricksters appear, right? Making bombs from materials lying around, or hacking the management headquarters' computer... And then the management side goes into a panic. How is that kind of stuff? Is it possible? In reality."
"Ah. Well, I wonder."
Busutake laughed. It was a laugh for dodging something, neither a social laugh nor a bitter laugh.
"Regarding this time, I think it would be difficult. Useful materials are scarce, and I tried tinkering with the terminal too, but the guard seems tight... Or rather, Yuuki-san, haven't you heard stories like that? You've been here a long time."
"I don't hear them much... The first time aside, from the second time onwards, people participate voluntarily, right? Maybe it's because there are few rebels to begin with. Ah, but I've heard a story of a person who participated with a transmitter in their stomach."
"What happened? The result."
"It was crushed in the preliminary body check."
She didn't mention that she was the person in question.
"Well, they probably aren't negligent in that area. It seems they've been running the show for hundreds of years, so there probably aren't holes that can be easily pierced."
"That's right..."
While nodding in agreement, Yuuki's ears reacted to the phrase "hundreds of years."
Oh, does she know about that? Yuuki wanted to ask, but interrupting that, the terminal in her pocket vibrated. Looking at it again, a photo had been posted in the chat room of the dedicated app. It was a post from a player in the monitor room, and it seemed to be a photo taken of the surveillance camera footage with a smartphone.
There, a figure looking like a player was shown. Not dressed as a detective like Yuuki, nor as a detective or police officer, she was wrapped in a black bodysuit. Clearly, it was the attire of a human plotting "infiltration."
A phantom thief.
Since Yuuki had memorized the location of each surveillance camera, she knew the place immediately. Beside the stairs on the second floor—directly below this atrium corridor. In other words, it was a matter Yuuki and her partner should deal with.
Thud, a sound of kicking the floor was heard.
Looking to the side, Busutake had climbed over the handrail and leaped into the air. —She jumped.
"Ah... Busutake-san?!" Yuuki grabbed the handrail and leaned out.
By that time, Busutake was already falling toward the second floor. Twisting her body dexterously in the air and turning her face this way,
"I'm going ahead!" She said.
Immediately after, Busutake crashed onto the second-floor floor.
This atrium was nearly ten meters high. A distance that could take a life if done poorly, but she rolled on the floor and skillfully dissipated the impact. She wasn't dead, didn't look injured, and additionally, while waving her hand at Yuuki, ran toward the location of the photo.
Was she—a parkour master?
"...What a strange person..." Muttering that, Yuuki headed to the nearby stairs.
(10/39)
In this game, it could be said there are three challenges for the Phantom Thief faction.
First, to infiltrate and move while evading surveillance cameras. Second, to get past security and steal the exhibit. Third, to carry it out of the building safely.
Chiya was caught in the first mesh of that triple sieve.
It was just eight seconds after she achieved infiltration from a hidden passage set behind one of the paintings exhibited in the corridor on the second floor. Information about the locations and angles of all surveillance cameras was given to the phantom thieves, but not all players could utilize it correctly.
Fools are everywhere.
Eight seconds until the figure of Chiya sneaking down the corridor in a pitch-black bodysuit was captured by one of the cameras. Another two seconds until it was recognized by the player in the monitor room. Seven seconds until the report went to the Security side players. Ten seconds until Busutake, who was in the nearest vicinity, rushed to the scene.
What happened there was hardly something that could be called a battle. Busutake readied her handgun and shot Chiya twice in the back, who still didn't understand the situation well and intended to be moving stealthily. Approaching Chiya who fell to the floor and struggled in pain, Busutake shot both her legs once each. All these processes took less than ten seconds, and within less than a minute of infiltrating the building, Chiya's hope of clearing the game was cut off.
(11/39)
"Guh, ah—"
Scattering white fluffy stuff around, the girl in the bodysuit struggled. "Anti-decay treatment" is great. Because even while receiving four bullets in her body, it didn't become a fatal wound, and she could writhe in pain energetically.
"I'll kill you. If you don't stay quiet."
So, Busutake whispered that.
In addition to the threatening words, when she pressed the muzzle of the handgun, which still retained heat, against her temple, the girl in the bodysuit became quiet, seemingly chilled to the bone.
"H-Help me."
"That depends on your attitude, I suppose. Phantom Thief-san, your name?"
"Chiya..."
Busutake noticed that the pocket part of Chiya's bodysuit was bulging. Searching it, two items came out. The same ones distributed to the Security side players—namely, a handgun and a smartphone terminal.
When she pressed the power button of the terminal, a lock screen appeared, as she had cheekily set a password.
"Chiya-san. Please tell me the password."
"...2032..."
On the home screen, there was indeed a dedicated app. Although there were some functions common with the Security side app such as the art museum map and chat room, there were also unique ones such as the locations of surveillance cameras and infiltration routes into the building.
Got it, Busutake thought. With this, the opponent's hand is laid bare.
"Ah... Good work, Busutake-san."
Turning her face toward the voice, Yuuki was there. She caught up.
"It seems the phantom thief people have something similar to ours too."
While reporting, Busutake held up the recovered terminal and handgun in both hands.
"What shall we do? She's still alive, do you want to interrogate her or something?"
"No," Yuuki shook her head. "There's no time. Gradually, other phantom thieves will invade too. We have to deal with them... Do it."
"Roger." Busutake answered shortly and fired.
Chiya's head shook ever so slightly. Having been flustered until just now, the movement of her expression stopped abruptly, and white fluffy stuff overflowed small from the bullet hole opened in her forehead.
How abrupt, Busutake felt. There was no exaggerated death cry like in movies, nor sad BGM. Sacred things like "soul" or "heart" or "spirit" were nowhere to be seen. It was just like she broke. She thought, after all, she is just a system. Same as a car or an airplane. A system possessing a complex mechanism. That was all, and not something to be viewed specially compared to others.
Confirming without reservation that Chiya was dead, when she turned her eyes to Yuuki, she was casting her gaze down at the terminal. "They came," she muttered small.
"Three invaded on the first floor, it says. Let's go."
"Yes, ma'am."
Yuuki ran. Busutake followed from behind.
Busutake stared at her back cutting through the wind with beautiful form. That appearance seemed almost defenseless.
"......"
Busutake stared at the gun in her hand.
Ah, no good, she thought. I must not arouse strange curiosity—.
(12/39)
Kagura recalled the past.
(13/39)
The second meeting with Sana—when she was going around the amusement park with her. It became lunchtime, and they entered a restaurant inside the park. Ordering overpriced dishes typical of amusement parks without reserve, while waiting for them to be served, the two had this conversation.
"Kagura-san, what do you usually do?" Sana asked.
"Hmm, what do you mean?" Kagura asked back.
"Work or... Or are you a student?"
"Ah... Not a student. A freelancer, maybe. Though I haven't worked a single day since becoming a player."
"You mean you're living on game prize money?"
"Yeah. Because, you know, it's like millions in one go, right? It makes working normally seem stupid."
"What's that..." Sana said, seemingly exasperated.
"It's risking your life. If you die, you lose everything."
"Well... that's true, but. How should I put it, it doesn't feel real. Even if I die, there's no one in particular besides myself who would be troubled. I feel like, if that happens, then that happens."
That is the nature of the human named Kagura. Terribly indifferent, unable to be serious about anything. Being able to take such an attitude even toward her own life was something she understood for the first time after participating in the "Game"—but she was an irresponsible human from the start. That was why she was being a playgirl.
Somehow Kagura started feeling guilty. Compared to Sana who was fighting unavoidably due to a "contract" with the Management, she was doing it for "spending money." The gap in seriousness was immense.
"Somehow, sorry."
"No, it's not something to apologize for, but..."
Sana narrowed her eyes and stared at Kagura. After a pause of a few seconds, probably pondering something, "Kagura-san."
"You couldn't shoot the pistol, could you?"
It must be about the previous game—"Undead Mall." At that time, Kagura possessed a gun, but couldn't handle it properly. She thought it wasn't something one could do without practice.
"Well yeah... Because, even if I'm handed something like that suddenly. I don't know."
"Everyone practices so it doesn't become 'sudden'."
"Practice... where? Overseas?"
Nod, Sana nodded.
"Kagura-san, do you have a passport?"
(14/39)
The infiltration route Kagura selected was a ventilation duct.
Like a Hollywood movie of yesteryear, she advanced through the duct crawling on her stomach—and pried open a vent she found on the way, infiltrating the art museum.
That place was a corner of the second floor. Without needing to strain her ears, dangerous noises could be heard from here and there. Shooting sounds, screams. She realized the "Game" was moving. She didn't know when she would be caught up in this upheaval. Kagura took out the handguns from the pockets of her tailcoat and gripped them in both hands.
Handguns—they were. She knew how to handle them. Because she was taken by Sana to a shooting range in a neighboring country and practiced a lot. Not limited to this, Kagura had received a full course of necessary training as a player from Sana. She heard it was common for senior players to beat the ABCs of survival into newcomers, but why did she take care of someone like Kagura? There shouldn't have been any element making her want to lend a hand—. Because Kagura's behavior was too idiotic, she might have thought "I can't leave her alone."
In any case, that training was helping Kagura. Kagura, who had participated in as many as six games in this month and a half to buy Sana's body, was managing to get by without major injuries. And, this was the last one—the date for the body auction was already fixed, and considering the grace period until then, this game would likely be the last.
While being careful not to be caught by the surveillance cameras set up everywhere, Kagura began to move. Aiming for the room where the brooch was exhibited.
However—just as she started, she ran into an obstacle.
As soon as she turned the first corridor, she encountered a pair of players.
Unknown faces and attire. Not the Phantom Thief faction. Security side players.
"...!!"
Kagura and the pair readied their guns instantly.
In times like this, what counts is the initial movement. Readying it even a little faster, the one who shoots first wins. In other words, everything depends on prior training—Kagura's seemed to be superior to the pair's, and two bullets released from Kagura's handguns in succession were sucked into the pair's foreheads respectively, ending their lives.
In front of the two corpses lying on the floor, this is bad, Kagura thought. This area was a blind spot for surveillance cameras. The combat act just now and these two corpses shouldn't have been filmed. However, since the footage of the pair entering the blind spot must have been filmed, if they disappeared, it would be logical for them to sense "did something happen?".
An inauspicious start. Did she bump into patrol players by chance? No, the timing was too good for that. Did they choose to come here? Perhaps the vent infiltration route was exposed, and they came here to confirm that? Maybe someone from the Phantom Thief faction had their terminal stolen, and all information was already leaking. If so, this game would be tough.
Kagura's terminal vibrated. There was a post with a photo in the chat room of the dedicated app. It seemed to be a photo of one of the Security side players taken from diagonally above. She was wearing a coat reminiscent of a detective, and emitted a chilling atmosphere understandable even through the photo. Text was appended below—.
<Caution! Yuuki is in Security. An expert player with over seventy times>
"...Yuuki?" Kagura knew that name.
(15/39)
Yuuki cast her gaze diagonally upward.
(16/39)
She felt a gaze from the floor one level above, which was an atrium.
There was no one there, but Yuuki didn't think Just my imagination. She had absolute confidence in her sensory abilities. She definitely must have been watched.
However, there was no time to bother with that now. Discovery reports of phantom thieves were coming into Yuuki's terminal one after another even at this moment, and she was running around inside the building to respond. She had already separated from Busutake. Considering safety, she wanted to act in a group of two or more, but there wasn't enough manpower to do so.
Yuuki ran and headed to one of the exhibition rooms on the second floor. Gunshots could be heard from inside the room. They were shooting at each other. After filling the cylinder of her handgun with bullets, when Yuuki stormed in, she could discover two security guards and three phantom thieves. The three enemies were all hiding behind cover, but from Yuuki's angle, they were fully visible. Faster than they could react to the intruder, Yuuki readied her gun. A thought crossed her mind.
Is it here?
No. Not here yet.
Giving death to the three with unrivaled accurate aim and restoring order, Yuuki left hurriedly.
Replenishing bullets, she headed to the next destination. This time a corner room on the third floor—finding two phantom thieves trying to enter the room, she quickly sent them to the other world. Next was in front of the stairs on the first floor. Seeing a phantom thief taking independent action in the corridor on the way, she finished her off while she was at it, and when she went to the scene, she discovered a trio just descending from a ceiling vent right now. One shot per person, hitting vital points precisely, she killed them. Having fired all six shots of her revolver, while reloading bullets, Yuuki continued to run about—.
Meanwhile, opening the chat room on her terminal and glancing over the lined-up posts, she understood that girls other than Yuuki were also doing well—already, all twenty phantom thieves had been captured, and they had succeeded in killing twelve of them. Smooth sailing, Yuuki thought. At this pace, they would reach annihilation before long.
Putting the terminal away in her coat pocket, Yuuki made a solemn face.
To tell the truth, she was a little nervous. It had been like this ever since she entered the eighties. She heard that her master started relying on prosthetics around this time too. She had a premonition-like feeling of Is it coming soon? but—was she worrying too much?
"...Oops."
The terminal she just put in her pocket moved like a pet disliking the dark. Looking, there was a new post in the chat room. A report from the monitor room. It started with the wording [Emergency]. It was decided to append this to the beginning for highly urgent reports.
According to it, an exhibit had been stolen. The location was the first floor. Right near where Yuuki was. If it was taken out of the building, a penalty would occur. She had to take it back before that.
Attaching a stamp meaning "I'm going" to the problem post, Yuuki headed there.
(17/39)
At this point, the game could be said to be approaching the middle stage.
Although the time was still 9:30—only thirty minutes since the phantom thieves barged in—fifteen players had already died. The breakdown was twelve from the Phantom Thief faction and three from the Security side. Just now, one exhibit passed into the hands of a phantom thief, but none had been taken out of the building yet. The goal Yuuki raised of a perfect game was maintained.
A reasonable result. There were no oversights on the Security side in the game development so far. Player placement, mutual communication, each person's commitment, all were impeccable. Although the Phantom Thief faction had also formed a minimum strategy, overall this side was superior, and results befitting that were appearing.
Above all, the fact that Yuuki was on the Security side was significant—while there were many players with abundant experience as individuals, players rich in experience operating a group of dozens were rare. There were no blind spots for Yuuki, who had accumulated eighty-two experiences. Just as her former master was, she was in a position infinitely close to perfect as a player.
Therefore—.
If she were to lose, it would only be due to a fluke.
Yuuki did not know about the conversation that took place in a certain square a few months ago. She was not aware in the slightest of what Kowloon called the "Paradox of Competition," or what Hakushi experienced in her eighty-third and ninetieth games.
There was no way she could realize that it conflicted with Yuuki's wish. The current Yuuki was seeking a "convincing loss." She was seeking a sunset as a player that would come someday, a moment befitting that. However, such a thing would never visit—what existed was rather treatment that was unreasonable, humiliating, and even mocking. Otherwise, it would not be enough to threaten her.
If I were to disclose it a step ahead.
The setting sun will visit precisely in this instance.
Yuuki still does not know about the fate awaiting her.
(18/39)
Player name, Yuuki.
Kagura had heard that name from Kotono.
Even after becoming a player, she visited Kotono's used bookstore frequently, but—one day, when she went just before closing time, she was pouting. It seemed she got entangled with a troublesome customer.
Kotono pulled out a liquor bottle from the store's refrigerator. It seemed alcohol hadn't entered her system yet, but with eyes that were already fully glazed over,
"Keep me company." She said to Kagura.
Well, if she could drink for free, there was no reason to refuse. Inside the store with the shutters down, Kagura toasted with Kotono.
After pouring out complaints about the mental strain related to the service industry extensively, Kotono talked about herself. It seemed she wasn't just a game broker, but there was a time she herself was a player. In her fifth time—an escape game called "Scrap Building," she met Yuuki.
"She was a weird person, anyway." Kotono described her.
"But, she was an incredible master. Rumor has it she's still playing, but... if so, her clear count must be considerable."
"Heh..." Kagura nodded, "If I happen to meet her somewhere, I'll say hi."
"No no, you better stop."
Kotono waved her hand, which was bright red to the fingertips, vigorously.
"That person is a ghost. Even if you see a ghost, you shouldn't call out to it. If you get involved—you'll be dragged into the other world too."
(19/39)
Along with the story of Yuuki, she remembered Kotono's red face.
Kagura smiled bitterly—but immediately retracted that smile. It was absolutely not the time to be laughing.
Currently, Kagura was mostly on the second floor—"mostly" because she was sitting on the stairs connecting to the first floor. Her butt was barely on the second-floor corridor, but her legs were sticking out onto the stairs.
In her hand, there was no exhibit. She had fled empty-handed. As planned, she stormed into the room where the brooch was placed, but struggled against two security guards, and while she was fumbling around, two more enemy reinforcements rushed in. Thinking four against one was disadvantageous, Kagura retreated irresistibly, and shook off the still pursuing guards by stumbling and rolling, but by then she was far away from the brooch room. Attacking again would be difficult.
In short, she failed miserably, but this wasn't limited to Kagura. Other phantom thieves seemed to have similar progress. There were no glorious reports in the chat room saying they successfully stole an exhibit and escaped. Everyone was blocked by security, running about in confusion or being killed.
The opponent was tough. Quite well-coordinated. Probably because that Yuuki was over there—apparently over seventy times, and she must be the one commanding them. Her skill must be incomparable to ordinary players.
"Give me a break..." Kagura grumbled.
Why does someone like that appear? If she could just get through this time, everything would go well. The war funds were likely sufficient. Arrangements to participate in the auction a few days later were also in place. And yet—to run into a devil at the very end.
What to do. Give up on the brooch and go for another exhibit? At this point, the agreement on assigned items probably didn't hold water anymore. It might be better to look for a thinly guarded place and hit it. Or request cooperation from other phantom thieves even now? No, should she go outside for now and regroup—?
Immersed in thought, she was late to notice approaching footsteps.
Ah, bad, by the time Kagura thought that, a single player appeared on the landing of the stairs visible below.
(20/39)
She had come up from the first floor.
She was dressed in a pitch-black mask and a pitch-black jacket. She seemed to be a player of the Phantom Thief faction. Probably because she ran up the stairs in a hurry, she was out of breath, but her chest expanding and contracting could not be seen—because she was holding something glittering on her chest. A dress with many jewels sewn onto it.
One of the exhibits. Did she succeed in securing it?
"Ah... um, Kagura-san!"
The masked girl recognized Kagura's figure.
"Um, this! Please take it! Pass!"
Shouting loudly, she threw the dress.
"Eh...?!"
Kagura was surprised by the sudden event. "W-Wha-"
While she was stuttering, the dress continued its flight. Although exposed to significant air resistance being a piece of cloth, it flew in a trajectory generally recognizable as a parabola, and Kagura managed to catch it while flustered.
Feeling the smooth touch of silk, Kagura said, "Um, thanks..."
"But, why are you giving it to me? If you carry it yourself—"
It happened before she finished speaking.
White fluffy stuff burst from the right temple of the masked girl.
She was shot in the head by someone—. Kagura ran away in a hurry. Of course, while holding the dress in her hands.
So that's it, Kagura thought. She was being chased. She couldn't see the figure as they were seemingly below the landing, and she only heard footsteps for one person, but there was a Security side player aiming at the masked girl. Realizing it was the end, she discovered Kagura at the top of the stairs and threw the dress on the spur of the moment, huh.
Kagura raised the corners of her mouth.
Grateful. She's lucky. A windfall, as they say. Thinking about it, my life is full of this kind of thing. I got through my first game with beginner's luck, and was saved well by Sana in the zombie game. Every time I get in a pinch, convenient luck comes and saves me. No, should I say that's exactly why my life is connected this far? Since I don't have certain ability, I have no choice but to survive by fluke.
As a player, it's probably a completely shameful state, but who cares. I don't want to be seen as a skilled person. My goal is to take back Sana, that's all. Fluke or luck, as long as I survive, it's fine.
Kagura ran through the second floor. Aiming for the nearest exit from here.
(21/39)
Kagura rejoiced at the luck that rolled in unexpectedly, but—.
In reality, she wasn't rejoicing enough. She was visited by a bigger fortune than she thought. Until this dress settled in Kagura's hands, several coincidences had piled up.
First, to begin with, this dress was in the easiest situation to steal among the twenty exhibits. Only one guard stood by the glass case, and it was in a location relatively close to the exit. At the stage of deciding security placement, Yuuki and the others couldn't know the locations of the exits, so this thinness was born.
When the masked player—Kudan—went to take the dress accompanied by two other phantom thieves, a gunfight ensued with that one guard. Here, conveniently, Kudan's bullet, who should have been touching a handgun for the first time in her life, was sucked into the guard's head as if attracted by a magnet. Kudan and the others, having eliminated the guard, broke the glass case, stole the dress, and aimed for the nearest exit—located near the stairs on the second floor.
However, at this point, a report entered the Security members through the monitor room, and of all people, the strongest monster was dispatched—the eighty-second time player, Yuuki. This master, already well-known to the phantom thieves, appeared before Kudan and the others soundlessly, fired two bullets, and instantly drove the two phantom thieves excluding Kudan to death.
Continuing, she pointed the muzzle at Kudan and squeezed the trigger, but—
"...Hah?!"
Yuuki made a surprised face.
From her revolver—a bullet was not fired.
Judging from her expression that seemed to say Impossible or Why, Kudan considered it didn't seem to be out of ammo. It must have been a misfire. What is the rate of dud bullets? She didn't know, but there was no mistake it was a considerably low probability. She was extremely lucky.
Thanks to that, Yuuki was forced to change handguns, and in that gap, Kudan reached the stairs. Looking back while running up, Yuuki's figure pointing a gun at her was reflected in her vision—one could not hope for two consecutive misfires, no matter what. This is it, Kudan realized. In a few seconds, a bullet will penetrate my brain, and I won't know anything anymore.
However, at that time, she discovered a person sitting at the top of the stairs. If she recalled correctly, was it Kagura? The feeling born within Kudan at this time was the top tier of the piled-up coincidences. Namely, a feeling of selflessness. I'm done for. Then at least, I'll entrust it to a human with possibility.
Kudan shouted.
"Kagura-san! Please take this!"
Immediately after that, her brain was stirred by a bullet.
(22/39)
Watching the masked girl fall unsteadily—
She got me, Yuuki thought.
(23/39)
There was an ally at the top of the stairs. It seemed she wouldn't be allowed to end the game of tag yet. Yuuki bit her lip—if not for that misfire, this wouldn't have happened.
Hurrying up the stairs, she came out to the landing. Looking up at the second floor, there was already no one there, but footsteps moving away reached her ears. As expected, someone received the dress.
Chasing the footsteps, Yuuki went down the second-floor corridor. Just as she turned the first corner, the figure of a phantom thief hugging a dress was visible at the end of the corridor—sensing Yuuki pressing from behind, she turned only her head toward here.
For an instant, eyes met with that phantom thief.
Yuuki's heart moved with a thud.
Eyes of a human with guts, she thought.
Yuuki knew well that was the most troublesome thing. A human who has steeled themselves displays more than just simple ability and accomplishes things. Yuuki, who has been in this industry for many years, understands that well. There were things she accomplished, and many things accomplished against her.
She threw a question to her heart.
Is it here?
There was an answer. I don't know. Maybe.
(24/39)
By the way.
Even with all this, the human named Kagura has a sensitive side.
It should be clear from the fact that she felt a complex towards Sana. Because she is a sloppy person, she constantly feels inferior to those who aren't.
When she walks on a street corner and sees a poster advertising a talent with a beautiful face, disgust runs through her. It's painful, feeling as if she's being told I'm piling up efforts daily, but what about you? Isn't everyone like that? Why are they worshipping such an existence? Although it was a feeling almost like unjustified resentment, it was hard to wipe away, and was one of the dissatisfactions rampant in Kagura's daily life.
The moment she saw Yuuki's figure, what erupted in Kagura's heart was that kind of anger.
An expert with over seventy times, you say? That's fine. You must have worked very hard to get to that point. However.
No matter how much of an invincible superhuman you are.
Like I'd let you crush me as you please.
(25/39)
Leaving aside the emotional theory—Yuuki understood that the opposing phantom thief was a formidable one.
First, the fact that she looked this way immediately the moment Yuuki turned the corner. Excellent insight. She should have made almost no sound with her footsteps, but did she pick up even that slight volume? Or did she guess based on distance? Or was it pure intuition? In any case, it couldn't be done easily. It was a skilled technique.
Furthermore, that phantom thief pointed her gun at Yuuki, and her aim was extremely appropriate. Looking at the muzzle, one can tell roughly if it's going to fly towards them. If the trigger was pulled in that state, the bullet would pierce Yuuki's body. A gun readied on the spur of the moment doesn't hit so easily, but—she probably received prior training. She didn't know who, but it seemed she had a good master.
Yuuki went back around the corner she had turned once, hiding herself from the phantom thief. Confirming that a gunshot rang out and the bullet embedded itself in the wall rather than her body, Yuuki crouched a little and turned the corner again. Readying her handgun, she quickly aimed at the phantom thief.
However, by that time, the phantom thief had also taken defensive measures—she was holding the exhibit dress as if raising it high, fluttering it behind her back.
There was no way a mere piece of cloth could block a bullet. Thanks to the unnecessarily long skirt, the phantom thief's own figure was mostly hidden, and aiming accurately seemed difficult, but hitting somewhere on her body could be done without hindrance. Defense didn't mean that; the main point lay in the fact that it was a key item of the game.
In other words—it was a question of whether it was okay to shoot through the dress.
According to the rules, destruction of exhibits was not permitted. This was because if the phantom thief made it impossible to steal, it would cause problems for the game's progression. Just as destruction of the glass case by the Security side resulted in a penalty, destruction of the exhibit was also supposed to incur a penalty. The "Explainer" didn't explicitly state the exact borderline of what degree of damage would be certified as "destruction," but it had been confirmed during the rule explanation that one wouldn't be punished for something like a single decoration coming off or a single scratch.
Could it be said there was no problem even if she pierced the dress with a bullet—?
Yuuki narrowed her eyes.
It was somewhat dubious, but she judged I can do it. Its value as an art piece would be ruined, but it wasn't damaged enough to become unstealable. There should be no problem. Either way, if it gets stolen, it's a penalty—rather than letting it be taken, destroy it.
Aiming around the phantom thief's chest, she pulled the trigger. A hole opened in the dress. Giving a short scream, she collapsed on the spot. The dress left her hands, immediately stopped fluttering, and fell as if to cover her.
And—the corridor fell silent.
The phantom thief showed no movement. She didn't seem to be suffering, just lying still face down on the floor. Was she dead? Was she unconscious? Or perhaps—was she playing dead? If possible, she wanted to fire additional bullets to confirm life or death, but that dress was the problem. If she fired two or three shots, it might be bad after all.
For that reason, Yuuki approached the phantom thief with stealthy steps. Needless to say, with maximum caution. Yuuki had the preparation and confidence to take appropriate action immediately if there was even the slightest movement or bloodlust.
—However.
Even for such an expert, a counterattack with zero preparatory movement was unexpected.
A 9mm bullet hole opened in Yuuki's coat.
(26/39)
Several strokes of luck helped this surprise counterattack.
First, the fact that Kagura lost consciousness for a few seconds by taking a bullet. Thanks to that, she unintentionally ended up in a posture of playing dead.
Waking up and feeling her chest throbbing as if placed on a stove, Kagura realized she was shot through the dress. What the hell. It's an exhibit, you know. Is it okay to shoot it?
Then, I'll do it too, she thought. Fortunately, Kagura was in a state where she could realize that—she had fallen in a prone position, but by chance, her right arm had gone under her body, and her right hand gripping the handgun was touching her left flank. If she fired while bending her wrist skillfully, she could shoot behind her through the dress without changing her posture at all.
She had accumulated a reasonable amount of training in no-look shooting too. Relying only on the sensation of her wrist, she could at least send a bullet roughly in the desired direction. The problem was the target—namely, Yuuki's position. Since she didn't make footsteps or rustling sounds like a ghost, she couldn't know the position without looking directly. She would be shooting mostly on intuition. But Kagura figured there was a reasonable probability of hitting. Firearms are line attacks. Even if she didn't know the exact position, it would be fine as long as she covered the line of fire.
Based on such thoughts, she secretly pulled the trigger—and Kagura grasped further luck.
While vigorously stripping off the dress, getting up, and turning her body backward, she saw Yuuki clutching her abdomen in pain. It hit.
Kagura pointed the muzzle at such Yuuki.
Yuuki, too, pointed her gun at Kagura.
Not just their arms, but their legs were moving too. Both advanced their feet forward, approaching the opponent. Despite holding guns, they attempted to close the distance—both probably felt that was advantageous. Kagura didn't know what Yuuki's intention was, but for her part, she could explain the reason clearly.
Kagura grabbed the dress she had flung away earlier, which was still fluttering in the air.
She threw it forward.
She established a partition between the two.
Covered by the cloth, Yuuki's face became invisible, but she must be surprised. She should hesitate to shoot this. Why was there no follow-up attack when Kagura fell earlier? Because she was covered by the dress. One shot might be safe, but she probably thinks multiple shots are bad.
However, Kagura thrust her gun at the dress—at Yuuki who was beyond it. She judged that one more shot should be okay. Even if that ruined the exhibit, if she could finish off Yuuki, it was cheap. If she got killed, there would be no clearing or anything.
Kagura fired.
Now, where did it hit? Kagura watched the dress falling freely, but—
When it fell to the floor with a thud.
There was no one over there.
Kagura instantly turned her gaze to the right.
Why right instead of left? Intuition. No basis. But anyway, there was the figure of Yuuki moving while keeping a low posture—the gun in her right hand was already aiming here.
She issued an emergency command to all the muscles in her body. Fast. Move.
Shift position—! Whether she tilted her body just before the gunshot rang out, or whether her legs gave out upon hearing the gunshot, Kagura dodged the bullet with timing so barely-there that from the side, one couldn't tell which it was.
While regaining her posture, Kagura couldn't suppress her surprise. Ugh—Utsusemi (Cast-off shell technique)?! First time seeing it. Does it really exist?
Looking at her, no bullet holes were recognized on Yuuki except for the one in her abdomen. She dodged it—she should probably consider it good that she wasn't counterattacked.
Kagura pointed her gun at Yuuki.
However, before she could squeeze the trigger fully, Yuuki took a defensive action—she struck the gun barrel with her left hand formed into a knife-hand strike, shifting the direction of the muzzle. An instant later, a bullet was fired—but it flew in a completely wrong direction.
This time, Yuuki thrust her handgun at Kagura's face and fired.
Then, Kagura dodged by moving her head dexterously, and while doing so, she re-aimed her handgun and targeted Yuuki again—.
This kind of close-quarters gunfight was probably peculiar to players. Because of the effect of "anti-decay treatment," gunshot wounds were not necessarily fatal injuries. Indeed, both Kagura and Yuuki were moving energetically despite receiving one bullet each. For players, a gun was by no means a one-hit-kill weapon, and unless driven into a vital point from point-blank range where no excuses could be made, it wouldn't be a decisive blow.
The two fought fiercely. Aiming, being dodged, aiming, being avoided. If put into numbers, it was only about ten or twenty seconds, but for Kagura, it was a dense time where she couldn't relax for even a moment. And the time of decision arrived. While holding down Yuuki's right wrist and neutralizing her handgun, Kagura tried to aim at her with the gun gripped in her other hand.
However—.
At that moment, Yuuki smiled faintly.
She dropped the handgun gripped in her right hand as if letting it slide.
It was caught by Yuuki's left hand, which was waiting directly below. Quite dexterously, not just catching it, it was gripped in a state where it could be fired immediately.
The muzzle was pointed at Kagura's heart.
Damn it—Kagura thought. Kagura's gun still hadn't fully taken aim accurately. The other side was faster by just an instant. It's my loss. She realized that.
She saw the index finger on the trigger of Yuuki's handgun move.
Kagura could no longer even watch, and closed her eyes.
God, please—!
Only one gunshot rang out.
(27/39)
It was the third day at the amusement park. Kagura and Sana had played to their hearts' content, and closing time was approaching. The sun had set, the number of guests decreased, and it was visually apparent that the time for parting was near.
In an area with a port town motif, Sana broached the subject.
"Have you ever thought about what happens after you die?"
While slightly taken aback by the unsettling question, Kagura answered.
"No, not really. Doesn't it not matter? About after death."
Just as she was indifferent to her own life, she had no interest in after death either. She didn't mind if discovery was delayed and her body rotted at home, and she didn't care if her sexual preferences were exposed from the books on her shelf. Whatever is fine, was her honest feeling.
"I want to return to the sea, you know."
Leaning against the fence and looking at the imitation port town, Sana said.
"I want my ashes scattered in the sea. Then, I'll become food for marine life and travel around the world."
"Hmm... You want to be eaten by fish? Strange fetish."
"Don't call it a fetish."
Sana glared at her. Since it was the third day, they were close enough to exchange this level of banter.
"—Well, if Sana dies, I'll do it for you."
So, this too, was a word released without deep thought.
"At that time, I might be dead too though..."
Come to think of it, I made a promise like that, Kagura remembered.
Maybe that was why. That she wanted to retrieve the body.
(28/39)
A slight light shone into Yuuki's vision.
(29/39)
She could hardly see.
No, it might be better to say she couldn't see at all. There was not a single piece of meaningful information. Just that ceiling light was shining in from somewhat the left side of her vision.
Her head was throbbing. Her face was hot. What happened. How did it turn out? Don't tell me—I fainted? When was the last time that happened in the middle of a game?
Moaning "...Hurts...", Yuuki sat up.
When she peeled off the white fluffy stuff stuck around her left eye, her vision recovered somewhat. However, she still couldn't see well. It seemed she was injured around her left eye—originally, Yuuki's right eye had lost its vision, so if she damaged this one too, she would become totally blind.
Yuuki remembered that she was shot by that phantom thief. Yuuki had burned into her eyes the moment the muzzle of the opponent's gun spat fire just a dozen or so centimeters in front of her face. Taking that, Yuuki fainted. —She had lost.
Judging from the state of the injury, it seemed the destruction had licked her left cheekbone. If the angle had been off by just a little more, she would have died. Since she was shot in the face, getting off with fainting could be called fortunate. Because it was a situation where timing was quite severe, the phantom thief's aim might have been insufficient. Or perhaps Yuuki moved her head unconsciously? Both could be considered.
With her slightly insufficient vision, Yuuki looked around. There was no figure of the phantom thief. No dress either. It seemed she had already fled.
"She got me..."
Saying that, she looked at her left hand.
Speaking only of timing, Yuuki should have been superior for just an instant. However, with this numb left hand, she couldn't generate enough force necessary to pull the trigger. Of course, Yuuki knew that well too, and in the battle up to this point, she handled the gun with only her right hand from start to finish. In that situation, she thought there was no other way and tried it as a gamble, but—she lost the bet, was what it meant.
Yuuki looked at her terminal. While they had exchanged fire, numerous new posts had been made in the chat room. The latest one was not from another player, but a notification from the Management.
It read:
<[Notification] Due to an exhibit being stolen, a penalty was executed on Nogami-san.>
It seemed that phantom thief had already escaped. With this, the chance for a perfect game was gone.
That said, there was no time to be depressed. The game was still continuing. In this state, she probably couldn't do any more jumping and bounding action, but she could contribute enough to give instructions from the monitor room.
Yuuki moved her feet toward there.
(30/39)
At this time.
To tell the truth, Yuuki was relieved a little.
The moment she saw Kagura, her heart jumped. Because she had a premonition that maybe this was it. The fact that the irregularity of a misfire happened just before also weakened her heart.
But, as a result, it didn't turn out that way. Although she was injured, something like this is a minor injury for a player. Anything that doesn't leave aftereffects doesn't count. The penalty execution, fortunately, didn't target Yuuki either. In reality, she lost and almost died, but Yuuki perceived it rather as having survived a dangerous spot.
No, there was even a feeling beyond that. After all, it had been a long time since she lost. She fought with all her might and was defeated. It was a refreshing state of mind like the 'no side' after a sports match—
Up to here.
Bloodlust pregnant with hatred touched Yuuki's skin.
Involuntarily, her body moved.
(31/39)
She jumped forward with all her might.
It wasn't that there was a basis. She just intuitively felt she must jump.
Immediately after, a gunshot was heard. Although she couldn't see the bullet's trajectory, it probably passed through the coordinates where Yuuki was until a fraction of a second ago.
She landed and rolled on the floor. She couldn't stop even for an instant—she didn't know who it was, but she must not give this attacker time to aim. With a smooth movement, Yuuki raised her body and ran. Bang, bang, intermittent gunshots of pursuit followed.
After the umpteenth gunshot, a burning pain ran through Yuuki's left leg. She lost her balance and fell flat. Regarding this time, Yuuki didn't have the composed consciousness to try and keep moving constantly, and she simply put her hands on the floor and stopped. That opening was exploited. Gunshots rang out continuously many times, and parts like her shoulder, chest, and left arm raised damage reports one after another.
By the time the hand of attack stopped, Yuuki was no longer able to move properly. Squirming was the best she could do, and she couldn't stand or run. A more overwhelming nuance than simply can't move because it hurts was felt. It felt like gears were pulled out here and there. Did one of the many bullets she took damage a vital organ?
Yuuki turned her body wigglingly like a caterpillar and looked toward the attacker.
There was one person walking towards her while performing the task of reloading revolver bullets.
Guessing from the attire, it was a person from the Phantom Thief faction. The characteristic feature was her closed right eye—like Yuuki, she seemed to have lost vision in her right eye. She had one pistol in her hand and another in a chest holster, but not only that, she wore a sword at her waist. The scabbard was decorated, shining glaringly and nastily. One of the exhibits, a ceremonial sword.
Her face was filled with hatred. It was truly a face of having found a sworn enemy. Why? Yuuki had an idea. Because she recognized that face.
A creepy chill ran down her spine.
This is bad.
(32/39)
While walking briskly toward Yuuki—.
Mononobe was recalling the exchange at the hospital.
(33/39)
After barely clearing "Gimmickry Mansion," Mononobe headed to the hospital. In this show business, medical support is fully equipped. Injuries caused by the game can all be cured—so she thought, but.
"Blindness?"
With a face wrapped in bandages on her right eye, Mononobe asked.
It was an examination room. The doctor sitting opposite Mononobe nodded deeply.
"The eyeball is a surprisingly resilient organ, you know... In this case, the way it was damaged wasn't good. If you say it was gouged open by a dull blade, well, it's tough."
It was a dispassionate tone. It didn't seem at all like a description of an injury leaving aftereffects. Surely, he encounters cases like this frequently, and his emotions probably don't even move anymore, but even so, for Mononobe, it was her one and only body. She wanted him to stop being expressionless.
"If I recall, you got done in by Yuuki, right?" the doctor said. "They come sometimes, girls like that... Well, think of it as a tuition fee. From next time, you better choose your opponents before picking a fight."
What the hell is that? Mononobe thought. Phrasing it as if I was in the wrong. Unbelievable.
I will definitely take revenge. She swore so. Whether it was the result of a fair fight, or common sense in the player world, she didn't care about such things. Since she damaged me, I'll make her eat a fitting retribution. Even in my life until now, I've always done so.
Since then, Mononobe dove deep into the industry and began searching for Yuuki. She participated in invited games as much as possible, and before she knew it, she was on her fifteenth time, and had become a decent expert herself.
And, on that fifteenth time, she finally ran into her.
When she received the report through the dedicated app that Yuuki was on the Security side, a gear switched in Mononobe's brain. Ignoring game clearance, she walked around inside the building. Thinking come to think of it, I need a tool, she procured an exhibit sword on the way, but didn't leave the building and searched for Yuuki.
When she found her walking down the corridor spilling white fluffy stuff, Mononobe snapped. Slamming all the bullets of two pistols into her, she first took away her freedom of movement.
Now, the fun starts from here. She pulled the sword from its scabbard.
(34/39)
Like the scabbard, the blade also had decorations. It didn't look very practical.
However, she had confirmed that the edge hadn't been dulled. At the very least, it could be used as a sword. Rather, in this case, it would be better if it were moderately blunt. Because the purpose was to torment her rather than kill her.
Mononobe raised the sword and first struck Yuuki's left leg. Something exactly between "severing" and "crushing" happened. Flesh tore and white fluffy stuff sprayed out, but it didn't go so far as to cut it off. A result very much to Mononobe's liking, looking incredibly painful. Ignoring Yuuki raising a scream of agony, she swung down twice, three times on the same spot, and when she had cut quite deeply, Mononobe grabbed the leg and tore it off from the body as if plucking it.
Since it might heal with just that, she stomped on it as if rubbing it against the floor, destroying tissues of blood, fat, and muscle, squeezing them out from the cut surface. When the left leg became battered like a chewed-up straw, Mononobe pushed it aside and returned her gaze to Yuuki's main body. Next, the right leg.
When she performed the same procedure on all four limbs leaving only the torso, Mononobe mounted Yuuki. She wasn't dead yet. She didn't seem to be unconscious either. With hollow eyes, she was looking at Mononobe. She thrust her index and middle fingers into her right eye, stirred it around grindingly, and dug out the eyeball. It was a strange sensation, hard yet soft. She slammed it onto the ground and stepped on it with her shoe. She thought about gouging out the left eye too, but apparently she had damaged her left cheekbone, and the destruction seemed to have reached the eye socket above it. If she thrust her finger in poorly, she might get injured. Let's do this later.
Mononobe held the sword in her hand again and stabbed it into Yuuki's stomach. No scream rose. By that time, she seemed to have already lost consciousness. Taking advantage of that, she moved the blade back and forth, left and right, grindingly. She injured it carefully so that by any chance it wouldn't heal completely. Finishing that, she next ran the blade over the chest, tearing the flesh left and right, exposing the ribs.
In an instant, there was a memory that revived in Mononobe's mind. During elementary school camp, an unpleasant memory of being made to dismantle a raw fish relying only on the explanation of a local old man whose voice was so hoarse it was hard to hear. Even that old man isn't here. There is no guidance on how to filet. Anyway, she had no choice but to cut the bones at random and remove them one by one.
Peeling off the obstructive barrier and advancing further into the depths—
It appeared.
The heart. Without knowing at all what was happening to its own body, it was beating energetically.
She had decided the killing method would be this. Crush the heart and kill. she had been thinking about it all the time. How to do it would clear her feelings the most. She had dreamed of this time often. Mononobe thrust her hand into Yuuki's body and grabbed the heart. She felt a body temperature slightly higher than the surface temperature and a rhythmic beat.
Gradually, she applied force to her hand. Yuuki's heart pulsed strongly and quickly as if disliking it. Something welled up deep inside Mononobe's body. Ah. Ah. Ah. She had to admit she was excited. It was unintentional. Even though I don't like this kind of thing at all. That guy was the same. I intended to end it with just a "warning" of a single slap on the cheek. Because that guy made a face like that. So, it just escalated inadvertently. It's not my fault. I was framed.
When she realized, her vision was dyed white. Both eyes flickered, and the inside of her head became fuzzy. I'm a little significantly excited, Mononobe thought at first, but noticing that strength was gradually leaving her hand, she realized the abnormality. What is it, strange, while floating such questions, the abnormality increased in voltage. She felt pressurization and decompression alternately as if an air pump was connected to her brain, heat and chills coexisted as if a cold had gotten worse, and her vision flashed black and white as if her body was wavering between fainting and passing out.
Having her consciousness unraveled into pieces, Mononobe collapsed onto the floor.
(35/39)
Phew, Busutake blew on the muzzle.
(36/39)
Walking down the corridor with light steps, she approached Yuuki.
The corpse of the phantom thief, who had been shot in the head and had fallen overlapping Yuuki, was in the way, so she kicked it to the corner of the corridor. Then, Busutake looked at Yuuki again.
"Wow... You got done in flashily."
Busutake stated her impression.
To begin with, it was difficult to point out how much constituted Yuuki. It seemed her four limbs and left eye were torn off, but was only the remaining torso and head part Yuuki? Or should these horribly destroyed limbs, which seemed to have no prospect of being reattached at all, be provisionally included in her?
Anyway, she was done in flashily. But she had kept her life—she didn't seem conscious, but her chest was rising and falling. It could be visually confirmed that the heart was moving. It seemed vital organs hadn't been touched. It would be bad if left as is, but she wouldn't die in an hour or two.
Judging from the state of the injury, that phantom thief probably intended to torment Yuuki. Hence, ironically, she failed to kill her. Did she incur a grudge in a past game? If it's the eighty-second time, there seem to be mountains of such circumstances.
After moving Yuuki's torso and limbs to the corner of the corridor so as not to hinder passage, Busutake took off her costume jacket and covered Yuuki with it. At a glance, she would appear dead. Even if someone passed here, they shouldn't try to mess with her.
Currently, this was about all Busutake could do. The rest would be for her sake to end the game early. The set end time is dawn tonight, but if all phantom thieves are killed and the possibility of the situation moving disappears, they should take measures for early termination. End it quickly, and have Yuuki transported to the hospital as soon as possible. That is best.
Technically they were "hostile," but it would be better for her to stay alive.
It's not like there's no prospect of making up in the future. Humans with hope for ninety-nine times are very few, and it's a pity to lose one. Besides, depending on the course of events, she might become my test subject—
"Please hang in there, Yuuki-san."
While wrapping the belt with the scabbard around her waist, Busutake said.
"If you make it back alive, say hello to your father..."
(37/39)
Dragging her aching body, Kagura went outside the mansion.
(38/39)
There was an escape route in the corridor on the second floor. One of the floor panels was a hidden door, and a passage leading to the outside of the building was laid. While the moonlight illuminated Kagura and the night wind cut her skin, a notification entered her terminal. It was from the Management.
<[Notification] Kagura-san has stolen an exhibit (dress).>
Was the text.
Then, confetti danced on the screen, and a cheap fanfare rang. Game clear confirmed—Thank goodness, Kagura stroked down her chest in relief. Even if it was a dress with holes, it seemed they treated it as a clear.
"Good work, Kagura-san."
She was called out to.
A woman in a black suit. A Management Agent.
Moreover, there were two. One was a familiar face, Kagura's assigned Agent. Who is the other one—just as Kagura thought that, she bowed lightly.
"Nice to meet you. I am Sana's Agent," she said.
Ah, I see, thinking that, Kagura returned the bow. Since they had spoken on the phone several times, she remembered the voice, but it was the first time meeting in person.
Beside the two, there was a stretcher with wheels and a stand. Stretcher, as it's called. The thing used when transporting injured people to an ambulance.
"Now, please get on," Kagura's Agent indicated it with her hand.
"It must be painful. We'll transport you."
Indeed, she was shot in the chest and the pain was severe. I'll take you up on that offer. Lying down on the stretcher, Kagura relaxed her whole body.
One Agent attached to the front and one to the back, carrying Kagura with heave-ho sounds. Sana's Agent, who was in the front and in a posture looking down at Kagura, said,
"Good grief, you gave me chills..."
"Regarding the auction, participation procedures have been completed without delay. Please receive treatment with peace of mind."
Thank you—it was painful to release words, so Kagura responded with her face. Did it convey?
"You're quitting with this time, right, Kagura-san," Kagura's Agent said.
"I'll be lonely. It's a waste since you have talent."
"It's better to quit quickly, a job like this," Sana's Agent answered.
"Oh my, a controversial statement."
"It's a fact, right? How is it controversial?"
While the Agents were having such a conversation, they arrived at a corner where ambulances were gathered. In the midst of the stretcher being folded and carried into the vehicle, Kagura glanced to the side and saw the figure of an Agent exchanging heated words with a paramedic.
It was a woman with an impression like a snow woman (Yuki-onna).
(39/39)
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