*In a world where even today there is a war between three superpowers…
Yomiuri Shimbun, 2008.05.04.
A student group goes into England onto a class excursion
The English specialized class of the 4. No. Zentsuji high school of the small town Zentsuji set Great Britain as an excursion aim in spite of these heavy times. Vainly, that there is a hostile relation between our bright homeland and there have been lesser or grater clashes among our realms, but thanks to our evolving diplomatic contacts, it seems, that we can put away our dissidence.
Although, the Soviet Union stands against the peace talks, Emperor Yoshiro favours this excursion, with which one we have the chance to correct on the poisoned states between the Empire of the Rising Sun and the Allies. If the Allies will ready to sign peace, the Soviet Union initiates negotiations as well, so there will be no need the alliance among this two superpower against our empire anymore. - the governance hopes so.
The class 3/e started on their journey on 03/05/2008, and hopefully, arrived today in London. The 36 -students and the four accompanying teachers will be accommodated by guest-families in a town, named Barnstaple (population: 34,000) in North Devon, where not only learn the language but also learn about the culture of its people, history and customs. According to the Emperor, this is an extremely important factor building up a friendly relationship, an essential factor to understand, accept each other's habits, and have mutual trust with our fellow-beings. The government of the Allies also guaranteed the safety of the group for the entire duration of their stay and promised, if everything takes place smoothly, the peace talks can be immediately begin in Geneva.
*In a world where you can never know what lies behind the scenes…
Moskvin stopped laughing, the sudden coming silence was embarrassing. Soon after he cleared his throat, put his medals straight in his coat, and finally looked around with a sly smile . He stand alone, as a priest ahead of his blessed followings. He enjoyed conspicuously looking at the distressed students.
„We should be on a school trip, shouldn't we? What the fu ... hell we are doing here?" Dan broke the silence. His voice sounded as determined and smart as always."
He sprawled in his seat as usual, idly as Riki and as calm as possible and stared at Moskvin without a wink of the eyelid. The way Dan spoke was equally phlegmatic, like Amika, he told in any situation what was in his mind, he has never minced matters. But even more roughly than Amika, he has not ignore the dirty speech in the presence of teachers either. Therefore, Dan earned all of the teachers dislike in the high school, even though, that sometimes he was right in some cases. A few other of his mates immediately acclaimed his pretentious question..
The next surprise seemed weird to the kids. Moskvin, although not responded to them in Japanese, but seemed to understand the language.
Suddenly everyone started to speak at the same time, they all were talking excited. Most of the people rose a ton of questions, but there were boys and girls who kept quiet. For example, the twins. Riki and Kinji were staring at the commander with poker-face all along, in a bland way, what makes people easily nervous. It seemed they have no interest in this whole mystery at all.
Sonoko took back her eyes, and saw that Rumiko was looking at her again, as she might could get her a good answer.
Moskvin suddenly said:
„ In reply to your friend's question, I tell you, why are you here and not in your class trip." then had a short pause here to increase the excitement „ so we brought you here because you are our hostages."
...
„I'm sure you ask to yourselves, wasn't ceasefire between our folk? I mean it, yeah, but there is a little TROUBLE!" he raised his voice by the last word and snap loudly at Kirika and Fuyumi, who were chatting parallel with him. The two girls were so scared then, they creamed like a soprano choir.
"NO! SPEECH! UNTIL I ALLOW IT!" he shouted strong. From the mimicry, the accent and other movements he took, the weak-minded ones (who can't speak English well) understood, too the the main point: shut up!
Moskvin said:
„Alas, but there will be no peace negotiations" said with a talent of an actor „Emperor Yoshiro was very kind and take us for an idiot! What did he think we won't notice, that there was a large-effective ranged bomb integrated into your bus? You tried to blow up our dock, exactly where the vehicle was transported." he hissed more like a snake, his eyes filled with sparks of anger „but the bomb failed and exploded earlier. The explosion managed to set the entire fleet in the port to fire! Your journey was only an excuse, you don't want any peace, you just wanted to weaken our forces!" in the end he totally bend out of shape to itself.
„Yes, they played with you." thereafter he spoke in his smarmy voice again, and scanned his audience with thinly narrowed eyes „your own state considered you like a toy! Then we will do not treat you differently ..."
…
„And how do you want to play with us anyway? Let us kill each other?" sounded Dan's sarcastic question.
„Don't give him ideas, okay?" Rena put her hand frightened up his mouth.
Sonoko knew the answer.
„Seriously ..." someone said behind her.
„No kid" came the reply with the speed of an E-Mail.
How did she guess? Do you know Sonoko Kuroki fortune-teller? She will tell in advance, what will happen to you. See? Now you are looking puzzled, she knew that. By the way, she discovered her vision skills so, that she predicted the battle of the 3/e by their journey in England. Haven't you know?
Baku Shoda's question returned her back to reality:
„What the heck is that?"
Sonoko was shocked realizing the book in Moskvin hands called Takami Koushun: Battle Royale. One and the same, which she got through her uncle.
'He's got mine. Its rim is also torn. How could he have it?'
The soviet leader waved the black and white coloured book once or twice (the title showed up with garish red letters) then began to read aloud its backboard:
"Battle Royale, there's worse than school... in a dictatorial Far Eastern country the state leaders devise a cruel experiment: 42 high school students were forcing to fight a battle against each other on a deserted island ... they can use all kind of weapons without limits... it will be only one survivor: THE WINNER ... "
„Sounds exciting, huh?" he changed his voice to jovial tone „I have found it by luck on the checking of your belongings and kept myself, because you don't need to have your stuffs anymore. I had read the back cover, and liked the idea. Why not? You could also fight each other! Splendid idea, yes? So you won't be bored, and we'll have great fun as well! But I can tell you something more funnier: your own fellow will cause your downfall with his egregious ideas. He imagined, we are going to carry it into execution, haha!"
„And how the hell should we know the laws of the game? We haven't read that damn thing!" a boy said immediately, not a little scorn in his voice. Sonoko would easily stake on that more than the half of the class were staring at her at the moment. But she didn't know exactly, the scorn was meant whether for her or Moskvin.
Moskvin didn't returned to English speech in the future, the death of the two students keyed up his mind - and this rate the group can better understand what to do in the game.
„That's what I want to explain all of you if you would kindly and shut the f*ck up!" he sounded smarmy again, that's why the bad feelings of the students returned back.
„There's no need to know about the book, because the rules will not going to be like that. Of course, the main task is the same: you-have-to-kill-each other ..." he emphasized with upraised trigger-finger to underline his words „but not only play in solo, because it can be very boring sometimes, so there will be a team-work at the beginning, each girl gets a boy partner. As I can see, there are more girls than boys, for this reason someone will get a partner from her same sex or fight alone. Capisce?"
*Where allies become enemies in a second…
The uniform of their mate was totally covered in blood. Nothing else could he have named, only a "figure". It was terrifying to see him.
Sonoko ran quickly to the other side of the room into the next zone through the opened doors. Meanwhile, she could think about only one thing: if Baku is dead, how is it possible that his mate is still alive? What's with the "partners live or die together"- rule? Perhaps... it was never such a ban, the whole thing just a hoax?
All these things started to become more confusing like before. Is it worth to pore over all of this? Can they anywise change the situation? 'And will the bread cheaper?' as her younger brother used to say by unalterable chases.
Suddenly she heard that short beep which was familiar from the flight from the wolves at night. They both were standing on the second zone, the doors have been already closed.
They were looking at their watch almost at the same time, on the screen there could be seen the tumbling envelope again. The message from Moskvin, said so:
'Great, finally the last ones arrived to the next zone! It took a bit long, but was successful. And only four person have been killed since your arrival. Come on soldiers, you can be harder than that! I hope you will fight to the bitter end this time! The weapons are at your hands now, your only task is to eliminate all the others who gets in your way. That's right, you can calmly face your partners, we have suspended the team-work, it's time to play in solo! It is allowed to go anywhere in the zone, electric fences are the borders. And some good news for today: in this area there aren't any mobile and stationary traps ... or stationary are still there? I do not remember exactly: P But never mind, don'tcha think? You'll see! Or preferably keep your eyes open! The names of the dead and the danger zones will be available in your watches at 6 am. Yes, to remain in afoot, we decided - very wisely, you see - that the danger zone-method comes into force here from Battle Royale. We had shared the second zone into smaller zones from A to J and numbered them from 1 to 10. The system sends you the new danger zones at every 6 hours (new danger zone will appear by every two hours). I do not recommend to fall into one... I think you've already guessed why. For lightheaded dorks: BOOM! My advice until the next contact: What is not forbidden, it is permitted! Good hunting!: D'
Sonoko reads fast since she were a little girl. This time, she also finished reading first.
She didn't believe her eyes! She did not know what will be Riki's reaction, and her instincts didn't suggest too much good. She was tensely looking up to her ex-partner. Riki was still reading. Sonoko started to retreat very slowly to run away if it must.
Riki noticed her in this pose as he finished reading. He looked deeply into her eyes with calm and grave. He kept a straight face without any emotions as usual.
„Err ... what next? Do you ... wanna kill me?" Sonoko said still in stern foremost, her voice trembled.
After thinking for a while he replied:
„I have no other choice..."
*All is lost. How can friendship survive that nightmare?
*Friendship and fate:
Sonoko set back aside Rumiko and took their mind off another thing:
„I am rarely scared in real, but now I think I am."
Rumiko didn't get straight answer about her point of view, just said quietly:
„Don't forget, we are not alone."
Sonoko should have expected this answer, but she was too embarrassed to use her brain. However, she knew exactly who was Rumiko talking about.
Their guardian angels, Lyx and Iku.
*True love:
Rena sounded again after a shorter period of time:
„I don't want to hurt anyone. Not but that I could ... This is not fair! ... I'm surely not going into this sh*tty game!"
„Same as me." Dan replied.
Rena was relieved to hear her boyfriend speaking like that. Dan used to have an aggressive temperament, she was afraid to hear another answer.
„But if anybody attack me, I won't moderate myself" he added „I will protect you at any cost! And I will not retreat."
Rena felt right better, but it didn't took so long. If they do not want to win and nobody to hurt how on earth could they get out of here alive? And if Dan fights back by an attack to defend themselves, he had to kill until all the "participants" will slowly gone. It's a vicious circle, no matter, how hard they try to escape, more and more will fall into this whole race and the helplessness, the despair will take control over everyone's mind.
*The hope:
„But who are you and what are you doing there?" asked Naomi Shirada with confident, strong voice.
„I ... I ..." at first she could only stammering, it had no sense, what she was saying.
Sonoko gathered her strength eventually and replied:
„My name is Sonoko Kuroki from the Empire of the Rising Sun, my class were in the were to have gone to Barnstaple, but at the airport in London got caught and kidnapped by soviets..." she sputtered as fast as she could.
She breathed hardly, so much wanted to tell Naomi about this nightmare. First we were forced to kill each other and the teachers were gone at the very start, we were locked in like animals, and now must flee from the living hell!
Naomi gasped, don't know she was so shocked or rather furious.
„Wa-wait a minute." raised both hands to her side, indicated to the girl to slow down a bit „do you mean, that you had never arrived to the Allies guest-families?"
„Yes indeed, we were at the airport as I've said previously." replicated Sonoko with mild anger, wherefore they are f*ck around such little details. They will have plenty of time at home, in safety.
„I don't know where we are and how to got here, but I know that it is not under the control of the Allies." she added while she was forcing patience to her voice.
Nevertheless, she ran her eyes behind her back again and again, constantly felt someone is watching them in secret.
„But we don't know about this neither a word! People are kidnapped in order to ask for a ransom in return! No one makes such without any reason!" Naomi touched her shaggy, brown hair with great disbelief.
Sonoko retraced for an earlier memory:
„If I remember right, the soviets said something like, there was a bomb in the bus and Emperor Yoshiro was who gave the order. With that trick the Shogunate wanted to let the port destroy, but it exploded before time, so the plan was revealed."
Long silence escorted Sonoko's words. Seemed like which will be never over.
The commander winced her face, her features became even more hardened.
„This is ... this is a scam!" stuttered in big fury, her lips thrilled. Then shouted imperiously (unwittingly of course) at the other person „this is an evil plot! Mean manipulation! There was nothing in that coach, I swear on it!... It ... it ... DAMN COMMIES, YOU WILL REGRET IT!" while she was shaking her fist, totally forgot, actually why are they in there.
Selfishness or not, Sonoko could wait with swearing until the rescue, she expressed that by interrupting the officer:
„The fact is that I am not the only survivor.„ said loudly, her tune filled out the assembly room. It has the danger, that it piques someone's attention, perhaps Natasha Volkova returns, so she looked around carefully once again before she come to the point.
*Contest:
Anri Souma left the cave with self-satisfied smile and Yurisa Akera's remains at 6 hours 37 minutes.
'It is not so difficult to kill. I thought it would be even so much worse' she thought 'that hot villain also said that in my favourite action series. Perhaps Nichie Shiomi decided wisely not to trust me.'
36 students in unknown, only ONE winner
Can you be on a right pass 'till the end?