UPDATE TERBARU

4. Setting Sun (The 82.5th Time)

(0/9)

"Phantom Thief" was over.

It ended at 10:00 PM—meaning it concluded before even half of the allotted time had passed. Because all players on the Phantom Thief side had either died or been eliminated, the game was brought to an early close.

According to the rules, it was strictly an individual competition, but if a winner had to be declared, one could say it was a victory for the Security side. Out of the twenty exhibits, nineteen were successfully protected. While the death toll for the Phantom Thief side was nineteen, the Security side suffered only seven casualties.

—At least, that was the story at that point in time.

(1/9)

Inside a speeding car, Airi opened her eyes with a blink.

(2/9)

Light was streaming in through the car window.

It was morning sunlight. It had been night when she finished the game and got into the car. It seemed she had slept for exactly one night.

"Good morning, Airi-san," came a voice from the driver's seat. It was Airi's agent.

"And also, congratulations. Your 85th clear."

"Thank you," Airi said.

The 85th game—"Highland Hill"—was, well, a standard escape-type game. She hadn't sustained any notable injuries and was heading straight home without needing a hospital checkup.

Lately, it had been like this. She was on a streak of safe clears. Having been a player for many years now, she had become completely accustomed to it.

"You're in great form. At this rate, why not go all the way to a hundred?"

"I wonder..."

Airi gave a noncommittal reply. The agent offered a polite smile.

The atmosphere was a bit stiff. It hadn't been long since this agent took charge of Airi. The predecessor had apparently been transferred to the department that manages and executes the games. Airi didn't know much about the organization's corporate culture, but she wondered if that department was considered the "star" track.

The car was driving through a forest. They weren't heading to Airi's home, but to the mansion of a prosthetic artisan. She remembered it was about time for maintenance. Back during her 30th game, Airi had lost her toes and had them replaced with prosthetics; she made it a point to visit the artisan once every few months for an inspection.

After driving for a while as if weaving through the trees, the car stopped in a sudden clearing. When Airi stepped out, an old Western-style mansion stood grandly right beside her. This was the prosthetic artisan's residence. Airi stood at the entrance, gave a knock that felt like a mere formality, and gripped the doorknob. Because of the location where one didn't need to worry about thieves, the door was usually left unlocked, and visitors were allowed to enter as they pleased.

Today, however, the knob wouldn't turn, and the door didn't open.

It was locked. As Airi wondered what was going on—

"Ah—sorry!"

A voice drifted down from above.

A girl about the same age as Airi was looking out from a second-story window.

"I locked it by mistake. I'll come down and open it..."

While she was speaking, the girl's expression changed.

At the same time, Airi's expression changed as well. She recognized the girl.

"Oh, isn't it Airi-san? What a coincidence," she said.

"...Busutake-san?" Airi said.

There was no mistake. It was Busutake. A harmless-looking girl she had met in a game a little while back.

"Are you visiting the artisan too, Busutake-san?"

"No, it's not like that for me... I've been left in charge of the house. My father is out right now..."

"Your father? You're the artisan's daughter?"

"That's right—"

After answering, Busutake disappeared back inside.

About ten seconds later, footsteps approached, and the door opened.

"So you were one of my father's clients, Airi-san. ...From the look of it, it doesn't seem like you're missing anything..."

Busutake said this while looking Airi over from head to toe.

"I assume you're here for an inspection? I can handle that much. Shall I take the order?"

(3/9)

Airi was shown inside the mansion. She climbed the stairs with Busutake and was led into a workshop cluttered with machinery, where she sat in a chair as invited.

Then, Airi bared her feet. All ten toes on both feet were artificial. To be more precise, it wasn't just the toes; several centimeters of her instep were also prosthetic. It was a type where the whole unit slipped over the end of the foot.

Busutake removed several small fixing screws and took off the prosthetics. She attached different ones, presumably for testing. Wires were attached to each individual toe, and all of them stretched out onto the desk. Some were connected to an oscilloscope.

"Okay, now try moving your left big toe."

Following Busutake's instructions, Airi sent a command to the tip of her foot. The testing prosthetic moved, and a wave rose on the oscilloscope screen.

After fiddling with the wiring, Busutake said, "Index toe, please." Airi did as told. They checked the middle, ring, and pinky toes, then did the same for the five toes on the right.

"The signals seem to be fine."

This time, Busutake began examining the removed prosthetics. As she handled the tools with practiced hands, Airi spoke to her.

"So you really are the artisan's family..."

"Did you not think he'd have a daughter?"

"No... well, yes. Come to think of it, it makes sense," Airi replied. "I heard once that this profession is hereditary."

The artisan was a man who didn't like to talk much about his personal life, but she had heard that much. Apparently, the family itself was a lineage of prosthetic artisans, having done this work for generations. Since that artisan was clearly middle-aged, it wasn't strange at all for him to have a child Busutake's age. However, she had never given it deep thought.

"That's how it is. I've been trained in various things since before I can remember."

"Then why become a player?"

"The older child was chosen to inherit the business. They said I was unfit. So, I figured I might as well become a player."

"Is that... okay?"

"Isn't it? I've never really been told otherwise. There are people who transition from being players to the surrounding industries, so I think it's fine if the reverse happens too."

Busutake placed the left prosthetic on the desk, indicating she was finished with that side. She began inspecting the right foot.

"So, how is it?" she asked.

"You met Shirou-san, right? Have you thought about it? About the 'Secret Meeting'..."

"...Yes," Airi replied.

A while ago, Airi had received a visit from Shirou. It wasn't their first meeting as players. She had seen Shirou two or three times in past games. They must have exchanged a few words back then.

Shirou's story had been shocking. The origin of the "Games." The secret surrounding the 99th clear. The "Achiever's Perk." And the invitation to the "Secret Meeting," a team aiming for that perk. There was so much information that she had withheld her answer and sent Shirou away for the time being. Since then, she had been dragging her feet on a reply until now.

"Is it true? That story. I tried asking my agent, but they just said they 'didn't know.'"

"My agent said they didn't know either," Busutake replied. "It's probably only shared with a very limited layer even within the management. Most likely."

"You trust them, don't you, Busutake-san?"

"Well, I don't think they're lying. At the very least, Shirou-san believes it to be the truth... Even if it's a total lie, I don't really mind. I'm not that interested in the 'Perk' anyway."

"Then why join the 'Secret Meeting'?"

"Well... I wonder why."

Busutake laughed self-deprecatingly.

"Maybe I was just charmed by Shirou-san. They praised my skills without being creeped out by them. That person is quite the charmer, despite looking like the 'I'm-the-boss' type."

Airi had felt that too. When she met Shirou the other day, she remembered being showered with praise for her track record of over eighty clears—almost to the point of "death by praise." Of course, Airi didn't let it go to her head; if anything, it made her wary.

"Well, that's how it is for me... and I think the others are similar. Besides me, there are members named Takami-san and Maya-san, but both of them seem more interested in Shirou-san than in the 'Perk' itself. Since that's the vibe, you don't have to worry about the 'Perk,' Airi-san. The 'Secret Meeting' also functions as a mutual aid organization, so there are benefits to that alone."

"I see," Airi did not say. She didn't want to be perceived as being positive about it. She settled for an ambiguous nod.

To be perfectly honest, she felt a considerable sense of sketchiness from the person named Shirou. There was an ill-omened aura about them, much like a wolf. The "Secret Meeting" sounded like a good deal at first glance, but she felt that if she followed along blindly, she would be devoured. Her intuition was sounding an alarm.

However, despite thinking that, she had kept her answer on hold. She hadn't clearly refused. The reason wasn't clear even to Airi herself.

"When we met before, you had 82 clears, right, Airi-san?" Busutake said. "How many is it now? Around 85?"

"Exactly. 85."

"That's amazing. Why do you keep doing this?"

"...I wonder why..."

This time, it was Airi's turn to give a strange laugh.

She didn't have a solid reason she could pull out of her bag at a moment's notice. She wasn't aiming for 99 clears like Yuuki, nor did she want to become the king of management like Shirou. In the beginning, when she first started as a player, there were desperate circumstances regarding her family's finances, but by the time she passed 30 clears, those problems had vanished completely. By now, she had enough savings for her whole family to live in leisure for the rest of their lives.

Yet, Airi still played the games whenever her agent invited her. She had no intention of quitting. Why was that? Airi finally turned her thoughts toward something she probably should have considered much earlier—and squeezed out an answer.

"I think I'm interested. In this world."

"Does that mean you're doing it because the 'Games' are fun?"

"No... it's not that they're fun; it's interest. I wonder why they're doing this," Airi replied slowly. "I mean, it's a killing game, right? People die. To be obsessed with something like this is absolutely bizarre."

"...And you're the one saying that, Airi-san?"

"The management people are the same. To seriously manage and coordinate this, and to operate for hundreds of years while blending into the shadows—it's extremely strange. The 'Spectators' too. I can't understand the mindset of people who find amusement in a cruelty show."

"That's a total rejection, isn't it?"

"That's exactly why I'm interested. I think I stay here because I want to understand that sensation..."

It was an answer she had improvised on the spot, but it felt surprisingly right to Airi's heart. She wanted to touch the madness. That was what she thought. Because it was something she utterly lacked.

This world is insane.

And, without a doubt, so is Shirou—.

Maintenance ended, and the prosthetics were reattached. Moving her toes from big to pinky in order, Airi said, "Busutake-san."

"Could you give a message to Shirou-san? I have the contact information... but since I've kept it on hold for nearly two months, it's a bit awkward."

"Sure," Busutake said. "And what's the message?"

"Tell them I would very much like to cooperate."

(4/9)

One evening—.

Kagura came rushing into an old bookstore.

(5/9)

Dust danced and sparkled in the evening sun. Kagura ran through it, leaning over the counter with both hands and shouting:

"Kotono-san!"

"Guh... ow..."

Immediately after, she clutched her chest with a pained expression.

Kotono, on the other side of the counter, said coldly, "What are you doing?"

"The injury to your chest hasn't fully healed yet, right? Stop moving so violently."

"Y-yeah, you're right..."

"What's the rush?"

"Please lend me a computer."

While holding her chest with one hand, Kagura pointed toward the back of the store with the other.

"You have one, right? A computer. In the back."

"I do, but..."

"It's today. The auction. I have to participate through a website, so I need a computer."

Ah, I see, Kotono thought. Since Kotono hadn't been involved in Sana's case, she didn't know the date.

"But why here? Do it at your own house."

"I don't have a computer at my place," Kagura replied. "Apparently, a smartphone won't work... I talked to my agent, but they said something about device compatibility..."

Kids these days, Kotono thought. To think they don't even own a computer.

"Is mine okay? It's a cheap, used one. And the internet connection is weak."

"They said Windows is fine. I have to install a dedicated browser, so I just need to be allowed to do that."

The site was likely in the so-called Dark Web. Buying and selling corpses wasn't something you could do openly. Kotono lacked knowledge in that area, but she had vaguely heard about accessing things through a special browser—and that such actions came with risks like malware infection.

"Good grief... Don't go putting any weird viruses on it."

Despite her words, Kotono let Kagura into the back.

She turned on the power and let Kagura take over. Kagura pulled out her phone, opened a messaging app, and performed the browser setup while glancing at what looked like a manual from her agent.

While waiting for it to finish, Kotono asked:

"When does the auction start?"

"In fifteen minutes."

"You idiot! Why did you wait until the last second!"

"Because I didn't know..." Kagura hunched her shoulders. "I thought I was giving myself plenty of time. I tried connecting on my phone early to get access, but it didn't work. That's why I dashed here."

"You should have tested it by yesterday..."

What a half-baked person, Kotono thought. Even though she had staked her life for this day.

Still, fifteen minutes. It was enough time to finish setting up the browser, type in the URL with clumsy keyboard skills, and access the site. First, only two text boxes appeared. It was an authentication screen. It seemed the ID and password had been given to her in advance, and Kagura successfully logged in.

What finally appeared was, apparently, a video streaming site. A large window was set in the center of the screen, and footage was playing.

There were five beds lined up horizontally, and a young girl was lying on each one. Every one of them was dressed in some kind of cosplay—a kunoichi, gothic lolita, a racing girl, and so on. They were likely the outfits they had worn in the games where they died.

And—one of them.

"She's there," Kagura said softly. "It's Sana."

The girl in the kunoichi outfit lying on the middle bed—it was unmistakably Sana.

One could tell just by looking at her face, and the descriptive text next to the video player confirmed it was indeed Sana. Profiles for all five—player names, real names, height, weight, three sizes, and so on—were recorded in detail. Among them were confusing terms that sounded like technical jargon, such as "No Replacements" or "OK for Main Use." Kotono didn't even want to think about what they meant.

"How ghastly," Kotono muttered.

She realized once again that this world preyed upon young girls. She didn't feel it as much when she was a player or a broker, but standing from the perspective of a spectator, it looked truly hideous.

At any rate, it seemed these five were the ones being put up for auction today.

"...Can everyone hear me?..."

A man's voice came through the monitor speakers.

"My name is Haba, and I will be serving as your facilitator today. Thank you for joining us..."

The auction began in a tone that sounded like a corporate briefing or something similar.

The facilitator, apparently named Haba, explained the bidding process. That said, there was nothing particularly unusual. The person who placed the highest bid would win. The facilitator would decide when it ended. There was no upper limit on the amount. Bidding seemed to be done via a button on the site. It wasn't a very complex system. Even an idiot like Kagura could handle it without issue.

Once the explanations were finished, the camera zoomed in on the girl lying in the bed on the far left. It seemed they would start with her.

"Now, starting from the minimum bid of one million..."

As the man spoke, a counter appeared next to the screen. The display of one million yen was only there for a split second before the numbers began to move rapidly. Bids were coming in.

"All right, number 32, three million. Three million. ...Three fifty. Number 9, three fifty. Four hundred. Four fifty. ...Four point five million to number 12. Now, any more bids?..."

Both Kotono and Kagura stared intently at the moving numbers. While they had no intention of bidding on anyone other than Sana, it was useful to gauge the atmosphere.

"I'm realizing this now, but it's an auction," Kotono said.

"Yeah."

"So, there's no absolute guarantee you can buy her back."

"That's how it is. I've prepared an amount that should be more than enough based on the market price, but I've heard the prices can vary wildly. It'll be bad if the price goes too high."

"Sana-san is cute, after all. Fair-skinned and slender—she really feels like a fairy. She's top-tier."

"Right... I wish she had been a bit plainer."

While they were having this tension-free conversation, the bidding for the first person ended. Kotono had no idea if the winning bid was high or low; she had no concept of the market price for corpses. However, seeing as Kagura's face showed no sign of agitation, she guessed it was lower than the amount Kagura had on hand.

The second person was handled smoothly in the same way, and finally, it was Sana's turn. Kagura poised her hand over the mouse.

"Now, from the minimum amount... Oh! Five million right out of the gate!"

The facilitator shouted.

Just as he said, the amount counter already pointed to five million. It moved briskly to seven million, then nine million, and despite being immediately after the start, it hit the ten-million-yen mark in no time. The momentum was incomparable to the previous two. As expected, she was popular. There were many others besides Kagura aiming for her with intense focus.

Kotono looked at Kagura. Her complexion had turned visibly pale. She stared at the screen as if trying to crawl into it, clicking the mouse to place several bids, but someone else would immediately cut in and take the lead. With every single instance, Kagura's face grew paler, the sweat on her skin increased, and she leaned further and further forward toward the screen. She was so overtly panicked it almost felt comical. If the situation weren't so dire, Kotono might have laughed at her.

Within just a few minutes of the bidding starting, that moment arrived.

Kagura struck the mouse particularly hard to place a bid.

It was an amount that could easily build a new home.

But it didn't even hold for five seconds before being overwritten by an even higher offer.

After that, Kagura's hand stopped. She let go of the mouse and leaned her back against the folding chair. Her eyes stared powerlessly at the screen.

The rise in price had already slowed down. It was moving in increments of a hundred thousand yen. If left alone, it would be decided shortly—by the victory of someone who was not Kagura. But Kagura didn't move. She couldn't. Not anymore.

"Now, how about it? Are there no more bids?..."

Seeing that the amount had stopped moving, the facilitator spoke.

Of course, Kagura did not respond. She didn't even move. If anything, Kagura looked far more despairing than when she was first told of Sana's death. It was only natural. She had worked so hard with this as her only hope.

Kotono placed a hand on Kagura's shoulder.

She was about to say, "It can't be helped," but—

Suddenly, light returned to Kagura's eyes.

And it wasn't a very pleasant kind of light. It was the light of reckless courage.

This idiot is going to do something crazy, Kotono sensed intuitively, and that's exactly what happened. Kagura leaned forward again and grabbed the mouse. As if her previous paralysis had been a lie, she clicked the button on the website labeled "+1.0M" to place a bid.

"...Yes, number 15! Adding another million! Are there any more bids!"

Kotono prayed for it to just end, but fate was thoroughly cruel.

"Number 27, another two million! The highest bidder is number 27!"

Kagura's response was swift. She clicked the same button twice: click, click.

"Number 15 again! It's number 15! Now, what will it be! ...No more? Are we done? ...Then, the winner is number 15!"

The moment she heard those words, Kagura went limp. She leaned her back against the folding chair even more deeply than before.

Kotono thought the backrest might break if she put that much weight on it, so she reached out from behind to support her while asking:

"Over budget?"

Kagura gave a short laugh. "Yeah..."

"This bid is pay-later, right?"

"Yes. I have to somehow get into one more game by the deadline..."

"How foolish," Kotono thought. Was she going to put her life in danger again?

She had heard the details of the last game. Apparently, she had run into Yuuki. The wound on her chest had been inflicted by her as well. Participating in a game in such an injured state was a suicidal act.

To be honest, Kotono didn't understand her feelings at all. Why go that far just to get a corpse back? It wasn't as if she would come back to life—

"............"

However, she also thought this:

She was the one who had drawn Kagura into the world of the games. She bore some responsibility for this situation.

"...Kagura."

"Yes."

"Can you promise you'll definitely pay me back?"

"Huh?"

Kotono pulled out a small safe she had hidden under a cabinet. She turned the dial the required number of times, inserted the key she always carried into the hole, and opened the door.

She dumped bundles of cash onto the desk with a thud.

"Pay with that. For the excess amount."

Kagura's eyes went wide. "What money is this?"

"Brokerage fees."

Kotono answered while running a hand through her hair.

"You know I'm an agent, right? This is the total amount I've squeezed out of management so far. I believe I've introduced nine people in total. Everyone except you died, though."

"I see..." Kagura picked up a bundle of cash.

"The agent comes by and hands over a lump sum. Apparently, there's no problem even if I take it to a bank... but it feels scary for some reason, so I just keep it as cold hard cash."

Kotono moved her face close to Kagura's.

"I'll say it one more time: this is a loan. You better pay me back."

(6/9)

From there, things proceeded rapidly.

Thanks to Kotono's help, Kagura didn't have to participate in a game. She paid the full auction amount through Sana's agent, and about a week later, Sana's body, contained in a massive paulownia box, arrived at Kagura's place. When she opened the box, Sana was lying there as if sleeping on a cushion; indeed, it wasn't just a corpse, but seemed to have been processed as a "doll."

Her skin had a hint of red and a certain suppleness. If it weren't for the chilling cold when she touched her, she would have thought she was alive.

They took Sana's body to a mortician. Of course, it wasn't just any business, but someone who understood the situation and specialized in handling bodies with "circumstances." Sana's agent and Kotono also attended the funeral, and after the three of them—including Kagura—finished a brief farewell, they headed to the crematorium and did what that facility exists for.

Then, to fulfill her promise to Sana, Kagura flew overseas—the travel expenses were essentially scrounged from Kotono. For that matter, Kotono had also paid for the funeral costs. Kagura had been so focused on the auction that she hadn't given any thought to those other expenses. In other words, she was indebted to her once again.

"If I'm paying, you're taking me with you," Kotono had demanded.

And so, Kotono ended up accompanying her on the trip. Since losing her legs and being confined to a wheelchair, she had been completely cut off from long-distance travel, and she seemed somewhat excited.

In a beautiful coastal city, in the dead of night, Kagura and Kotono stood at the harbor. They took out the ashes wrapped in a drawstring bag and scattered them with all their might into the black sea. It might have been against local laws, but they didn't care.

"It's over," Kotono said.

"It sure is over..."

Kagura replied. She was washing her hands in the sea to rinse away every last grain of ash that had stuck to them.

"What are you going to do now? You're quitting as a player for good, right?"

"Yeah... so, you'll have to wait quite a while for the repayment."

"I don't mind. If you paid me back with prize money from a game, it would defeat the purpose of lending it to you."

"Well, for now, I guess I'll find a job... and just take it one step at a time."

In other words, she was back to where she was before she started as a player. Except now, she was burdened with debt. It was a rather lackluster ending—neither dying nor making a fortune and vanishing.

Kagura felt a strange sensation. Ever since she survived "Phantom Thief"—no, ever since she was told of Sana's death—it had been like this. A feeling as if she were in a fever dream, as if her heart were not truly there—a feeling that it was a miracle she was even alive.

And that was probably the truth. She had survived while someone like Sana had been cast aside. Even though she ran into a master like Yuuki, good luck had followed her, allowing her to escape certain death.

Why did a person like me survive?

What should I do from here?

Kagura stared at the drawstring bag. Of course, no answer came back.

(7/9)

One day.

Yuuki woke up on a bed.

(8/9)

"Waking up" might not be quite the right way to put it. It wasn't a refreshing phenomenon that suited such a word. It was something gradual and dull—like desperately struggling through a swamp and finally escaping while sticky water clung to you, or like pulling with all your might on a window whose frame had warped and whose rails had rusted until it finally gave way with a groan.

The first thing she saw was the ceiling. It was white with a squiggly pattern that looked like maggots. The kind you often see on hospital ceilings. It was likely a medical facility managed by the organization—as a player, she couldn't go to a normal hospital, so it couldn't be anything else. It seemed the game was over. "Phantom Thief"—uh, how exactly did things wrap up at the end—?

She tried to sit up while thinking that, but she couldn't. It didn't feel like she was being restrained. It was simply as if she didn't have enough strength. What is this? While wondering, Yuuki did the only movement she could manage—shifting her body in place.

"Yuuki-san," a voice said.

It was her agent's voice. A moment later, her face, which looked like a snow woman, entered her field of vision. She seemed to have been right nearby.

"You've woken up... thank goodness."

She said this and did something around the back of Yuuki's head. She probably pressed a nurse call button.

"I am truly, from the bottom of my heart, glad. That you have regained consciousness."

"Th-anks."

She intended to answer in one go, but it came out in a broken tone. Just as her body wouldn't move, her voice wouldn't come out right. Why? Adding one more question to the pile, Yuuki continued to shift her body.

Seeing this, the agent said:

"Please don't push yourself. You've been asleep for a week..."

Footsteps approached, and the sound of a sliding door opening was heard. Someone had entered the room. The agent moved away from Yuuki and began talking to that person. It was likely a nurse who had come in response to the call. Even during their conversation, Yuuki continued to squirm, and finally her efforts bore fruit—she succeeded in propping up her back.

Then—she immediately noticed the abnormality.

Her lower body was covered by a quilt, but the shape of her body visible through it was small. The parts where her legs should have been were completely missing.

She tried to reach out to check that area, but she didn't have hands either. On both the left and right, her arms were smoothly rounded off from the middle of the upper arm, and several terminal-like objects were embedded there. She recognized that mechanism. It was what was used to connect a prosthetic to a living body. The treatment had already been completed. That meant the flesh beyond that point was already gone.

Yuuki was gradually regaining her final memories. Yes, I lost. I was hit by a Phantom Thief, and while I was walking down the corridor, a second Phantom Thief appeared to add insult to injury.

And then—.

"............"

Even to herself, it was surprising that her emotions didn't stir much.

She had thought she would cry or scream more. Instead, there was only resignation. The thought that it has finally come to this.

Is it really this simple? The beginning of the end.

(9/9)