I saw it.
It was just a tiny glimpse, but I certainly saw it. A massive cherry blossom was standing atop a flowery hill which was surrounded by countless seasonal trees. I can tell... Despite its beauty, it was one which was filled of hypocrisy, as if it was trying to cover up something that had once existed.
For some reason, such a beautiful view reminded me of my long lost hometown.
...I do not understand why it reminded me of such a desolate memory, nonetheless, I most likely won't ever forget this memorable scene.
[Welcome, players, to a simple game of deception!]
[The game rules are as follows:]
[1.) The players are now designated as 'students'.]
[2.) There are two factions within the game: 'innocent' and 'guilty'.]
[3.) The game will start with three random students chosen as the 'criminals', the traitors, and a player chosen as the 'detective', the judge. The remaining students are all designated as 'bystanders'.]
[4.) The fifteen students will be deposited into their own room. Every room has a diameter of 6 meters.]
[5.) The students are capable of communicating with each other during 'break time', which happens every hour for the duration of fifteen minutes.]
[6.) During break time, the students are allowed to leave their room and meet up at the lounge located at the center of the fifteen rooms. No one else can enter a student's room during break time without audible permission.]
[7.) The option 'chat' and 'group chat' will be open to the students at all time. However, one is limited to 1 message every minute.]
[8.) The detective has the ability to reveal a single player's occupation every three hours. The detective has the ability to erect a expendable protective shield that banishes criminals from a student's room every hour.]
[9.) The criminals has the ability to invade a student's room without notifying the others every two hours.]
[10.) The detective and bystanders must discover the criminals and vote them off during the trial with over 50% majority to win.]
[11.) The criminals must eliminate the detective and the bystanders to prevent themselves from being voted off. Excluding during a trial, a maximum of 3 students can be killed off per hour.]
[12.) A trial occurs every hour or every time a student dies. When the trial announcement occurs, all conflicts will be forcefully ended and the students are free to investigate the deceased's room for ten minutes. The hourly countdown for trials resets every time a student dies.]
[13.) The usage of force in the break lounge, with the exception of self-defense, is not allowed for non-criminals.]
[14.) Due to game balance, the criminals are given a boost to their power to be equivalent to the overall students' average strength.]
[15.) The game will end in 15 hours. The sole remaining faction attains victory. Every innocent student will be executed if there is a criminal alive.]
[16.) The game automatically ends when there are no players alive.]
A sound went off within my head. I have no idea where it came from. All I can remember at the moment was how I landed on Zevil Island alongside Gon and Leorio, and the bloody sight near the river stream.
"Where am I...?"
There are walls surrounding me... Yes, the best way to describe this place is that it resembles one of those rentable mini apartment I once visited on my way to the Hunter Exam.
The walls are blank, painted in the color of grey, white, and black. There is a chair, a bathroom, a fridge filled with compressed food and bottled water, a poster with the image of a smiling bear of contrasting colors, and a tiny laptop sitting on top of a wooden table. That was all there is to it... but how did I get here? And those words that rang out in my mind... Ugh.
[You are a bystander.]
The same sound went off in my mind once more. What does 'bystander' mean? Hang on... I can somehow perfectly recall the words, the 'rules', which appeared earlier. Bystander... Bystander... It means that I am neutral? No, it shouldn't be. There's only two factions, the innocent and the guilty, so I must be on the innocents' side.
[You are of the innocent faction. Please survive well.]
The voice had confirmed my suspicions... but what should I do now? There are food and water so I do not have to worry for the next fifteen hours but I can't stay still either. I must win this game in order to survive... Hang on.
How did this happen in the first place? Was I knocked out while being distracted by the bloody corpse and transported to this room? If I really was taken out, the culprit must be really skillful since I did not sense his presence nor feel any pain.
No. I deny that. From the stated 'rules', I can easily conclude that I am not the only person who was kidnapped and transported. There are at least fifteen people designated. Knocking fifteen Hunter examinees unconscious and moving them away in a short time? That shouldn't be possible unless the Association moves its force. There is no reason for them to waste resources and money for that.
Wait... What's the current time? How long has it been? My internal clock is all messed up. No, I need to check my own state. Let's see... there should be a mirror in the bathroom and I... Huh? Why do I look so... fine? Not haggard or rested... It's as if only a few minutes have passed since we were transported... No way.
...Haha, I am still unconsciously wielding my wooden swords... are you kidding me...? Were we actually drugged and forcefully moved to this place without knowing anything? What occurred in the island, which felt like hours, seemed to have only happened in less than ten minutes...
This isn't human.
I should have realized it. That unusual fog was never related to the Hunter Association. It was done by a third party... Someone who wishes to interfere with the Hunter Exam? Can someone like that exist?
Yes... That's entirely possible. Out of over six hundred Professional Hunters, many of them have made enemies... many enemies. The mafia, the triad, gangs, thugs, psychopaths, rapists, arsonists, mass murderers, death row inmates... it's endless when you start talking about it. Lippo, the current phase's examiner, is even a Blacklist Hunter who has thrown countless criminals in jail.
So their objective is revenge? Do 'they' have something against Lippo or the Hunter Association as a whole? Terrorism... in an exam... But why threaten examinees? Why won't they just make an example out of someone else? Wouldn't it be better to assassinate a famous Pro Hunter instead of going for possible rookie candidates? I truly cannot fathom the purpose of killing applicants. The death of a famed Hunter would have worked so much better.
Now we're back square one.
An unknown enemy who may hold a grudge against the third phase's examiner or the Hunter Association. A kidnapping assisted by a ruthless mutilation. A mysterious supernatural power or technological device that could generate an island-wide fog in a short duration and transport at least fifteen people almost instantaneously. A building created to 'confine' the kidnapped examinees. And the mutilated corpse that belonged to an examinee. There were sixteen of us so there should be fifteen of us left, which is the exact number of 'students' here. That's all that I can think of right now.
There is no point chasing after something unknown. Let's review the game's rules first. From the kidnapper's message, I can deduce that the location where we were transported to is modeled after a school. The room I am in should be a kind of student dorm.
'Detectives and criminals', 'good and evil', 'right and wrong', 'liar's game', 'game of deception', 'innocent and guilty'... these few keywords tells me that the kidnapper wants us to play a game for certain reasons unknown.
I am a 'student', my chosen role is of a 'bystander', and I belong to the 'innocent' faction. The sole detective is my 'ally'. I am safe in my room unless a criminal invades and I can give anyone permission to enter my room during break time. I can communicate with others through the laptop at any time but I can only do so physically once every hour for the duration of fifteen minutes. Lastly, I must discover the powered-up criminals and vote them off to win this game.
...Powered-up criminals... that is a major problem. The mention of fifteen examinees meant that everyone is here. That includes that insane clown, Hisoka. If the three criminals were all as strong as Hisoka, the game would be over in an instant. Fortunately, they are merely 'powered-up'... Wait, I do not know the true ability of Hisoka...
This is bad.
He easily took care of tens of examinees during the swamp phase and beaten Gon and Leorio to the ground at the same time. I personally know how powerful Gon is with his animalistic instincts. Leorio is not weak either. In fact, he's a lot stronger than the majorities seeing how he became one of the final sixteen.
In any case, I need to contact Gon, Leorio, Killua, and Fenric right this instant. We need to group up to win. The laptop should be the means to─
──But what if one of them is chosen as a criminal? What will you do at that time? Will you try your best to help them survive the 'game of deception'? Or will you heartlessly trample over their lifeless bodies to achieve your long-desired vengeance? Hey... tell me... what are you going to do?
...What am I─
[Ding!]
A sound came from the laptop. Did one of them message me? Should I reply...? No, let's check it out first. I can make the decision later. Hm? This model reminds me of one of the recently introduced models except that there's a fatal difference on the screen's size. Weird... Why have I never seen this model before? I'm pretty sure I am caught up with the latest techs when I was searching for a new phone for this Hunter Exam...
[You have 1 unread message(s).]
The interface is quite simple. There's only three options available on the menu: chat, group chat, and student list. There is a alert with the number '1' on the top right corner of the chat option. It must be the unread message.
[LEORIO: Kurapika, join the group chat!]
[You have been invited to a group chat.]
So it's Leorio.
[KURAPIKA has joined the group chat.]
[GON: hey kurapica!]
[KILLUA: wassup blondie]
[FENRIC: Welcome to the group chat, Kurapika. Leorio shouldn't be able to send another message in a minute so I'll also welcome you in his stead. Anyway, I'll keep this short. The four of us should be in the same situation as you, having no idea of what had happened. I do not know when we can meet physically because the break time's schedule was never announced. Right now, we are trying to figure out what to do and how to escape this location.]
In the same situation as me... Well, there's nothing to hide.
[KURAPIKA: I see. Thanks for the short conclusion. I won't waste words as well. I believe that there is a possible chance of terrorism, either against this phase's examiner or against the Hunter Association. I don't know the reason behind their action but I know that they are at least powerful enough to generate fog and kidnap us under the eyes of the examiners, who are Professional Hunters.]
No response... Ah, the message limit. One minute per message is quite harsh when we have to communicate and share as much information with each other as possible. Whoever conspired this must have taken this into account to restrain our mobility.
[LEORIO: Terrorism? We got caught up in something like that? Fuck, whoever did this to us will definitely pay for it! I will personally find that fucker and stab him between the eyes! Between the eyes, I say!]
[GON: sorry I got your name wrong kurapika]
[KILLUA: jeez your so clumsy. dammmn I want out of this room so badly :( lol look i made a bear
ㅤ╭━━╮ㅤㅤㅤ╭━━╮
ㅤ┃▔▏┗━━━┛▕▔┃
ㅤ╰╱╭━╮ㅤ╭━╮╲╯
ㅤㅤ▏┃▊┃ㅤ┃▊┃▕
ㅤㅤ▏╰╱▔▇▔╲╯▕
╱╲╲ㅤ╲╰┻╯╱ㅤ╱╱╲
╲ㅤ╲╲ㅤ▔▔▔ㅤ╱╱ㅤ╱
ㅤ╲ㅤ▔ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ▔ㅤ╱
ㅤㅤ╲ㅤ╭━━━╮ㅤ╱
ㅤㅤㅤ▏┃ㅤㅤㅤ┃▕ heh look how cute it is]
[FENRIC: For now, let's just wait till we can meet in the break room. Please limit the content of your message and CAPITALIZE any vital information so that we won't miss anything. Here's the example and the things I have gained so far: THE WALL IN MY ROOM IS PAINTED IN THREE COLORS: GREY, WHITE, BLACK. THERE'S A WOODEN CHAIR, A WOODEN TABLE, A FRIDGE, A POSTER OF A WEIRD BEAR, A LAPTOP, AND A BATHROOM IN MY ROOM. THE FOOD AND WATER IN THE FRIDGE CAN LAST US FIVE DAYS TO A WHOLE WEEK DEPENDING ON CONSUMPTION.]
[KURAPIKA: What are you doing at this time, Killua? Please take this seriously. In any case, thanks for the information, Fenric. MY ROOM HAS A SIMILAR LAYOUT TO YOURS AND THE FURNITURE ARE IDENTICAL AS WELL. ALL THE GEAR I HAD WITH ME ON ZEVIL ISLAND ARE WITH ME.]
~ Ephemeral Dream ~
"They are all avoiding topics regarding their role and faction, huh?"
A lone figure smiled. He was in a room with the exact same layout as the trapped examinees. Yes, he was a student just like them, but at the same time, he was also a 'traitor'.
[?: Hello. Let us have a great cooperation.]
[?: Reporting in. I will kill one person every two hours. I'll leave the rest to you two.]
[?: Oh, it's you? How nice~ I can't wait for all the killings~]
Depending on the situation, it will be a massacre.
[?: Well then. I'll see you two later.]
[?: Don't talk to me in the lounge. We'll seem suspicious.]
[?: Copy that~]
'How cold.'
[Ding!]
"Hm?"
[GON: by the way, i am a bystander!]
"This is..."
[Ding!]
[KILLUA: ah dammit gon you cant go around telling everyone who you are! no one will trust you and your just going to be doubted. btw stop using capitalized letters, its annoying]
[LEORIO: It's you're, not your! And I too am a bystander. There is no use hiding it. Tell me all your secrets!]
...[Ding!]
[KURAPIKA: You guys shouldn't be telling other your role... Never mind. I am also a bystander. Are we all bystander? What about you, Fenric?]
[FENRIC: Guess we'll drop the capitalization, and... I am actually the detective.]
[Ding!]
[Ding!]
[Ding!]
[Ding!]
[GON: wow fenric is the detective!]
[KILLUA: really? lmao u got the only unique role, what a lucky bastard]
[KURAPIKA: That is good. One of us was chosen as the detective.]
[LEORIO: Yeah! Now we can go catch that fucking culprit and beat him the hell up!]
[FENRIC: This isn't a video game... Oh well, let's catch whoever the bad guys are.]
"Camaraderie? What a stupid thing." The lone figure murmured. "You should rejoice now. Sooner or later one of them will betray the team for greater benefits. When the game ends, will you all still remain the same?"
"...Nevertheless, I must congratulate them for being so carefree. I had imagined Kurapika to be more hesitant in conversing and revealing his own status but to think that he'll give in so fast..." The voice turned softer. "The power of friendship, eh? We'll see about that."
Now, let the game begin.
[INVADE! TARGET: SIPER!]
The scene before the figure changed. An alarm went off with the intrusion. 'He' appeared in the air and landed on the room's corner. Grey, white, black, the room was identical to the one he stayed in.
"You are...!" Siper, a woman wearing sunglasses, saw the figure's sudden appearance. 'He's hiding his face, definitely not friendly. Our distance's roughly two meters. I have no chance in close combat...' Despite knowing that she was now in a tough spot, she did not panic. Such a calm and collected mental state was expected from a master sniper like her.
'I need to arm myself!' Without paying any more attention to the intruder, she ran for the scoped hunting rifle that was leaning against the wall behind her. 'Two seconds to reach the rifle, one second to load the gun and turn around, and one more second to aim, I can do it...!'
"Where are you running to? There's no escape... Oh?"
'Got it!' She reached the rifle. "You're mine...!" It took less than a second for her to eject the used shell. Turning around, she lifted the gun and aimed. The intruder was right in front of her! "Now die─"
A gurgling sound rang out.
A body fell limply to the cold floor.
'...How? Isn't he too fast...?' Siper's eyes widened as tears tricked down her pale face. 'What is this... Ah-Ah, it's suffocating... and it hurts...' Something sharp, most likely a blade, has severed her jugular vein. 'I... I...' She would soon die, either by blood loss or by choking and drowning in her own blood. '...I don't want to die.'
"You mean 'please spare me?'" The invader crouched down and collected her number badge. "...Don't feel so bad. Nobody ever sees me coming when I don't want them to. Those who did... they're no longer in this world. After all, survivors tell tales. You must make sure that your target's dead every time you strike. As a master sniper, you should know that the best."
Her hand, her fingers which were clinging onto dear life paused. Gurgling sound continuously rang out. Her vision was filled with crimson. Strength was leaving her body. Lying in a pool of blood, she has already foresaw her doom.
"Let me accompany you on your journey to the afterlife. Do not worry. The cycle of life is also the cycle of death. Everything in this world perishes after enduring the passage of time. You are simply going sooner than the others. Whether it's Heaven, Hell, Elysium, Valhalla, the Netherworld, the Abyss, or the Paradise, I will pray for you, for an undisturbed journey."
'Light skin...?' That was the final glimpse she caught of her killer before dying.
Dead.
The 80th applicant of the 287th Hunter Exam, Siper, was dead.
Author's Note:
Happy Halloween! I'm kind of bad with foreshadowing but I promise there's a twist to the game C:
So many Halloween-related game events~ Ah, Fate/Grand Order is sucking my wallet's soul~