Chapter 36

Dante's Inferno

Takamasa glanced up in surprise as the speaker system suddenly crackled into life. The unhidden speaker was silent momentarily, before Arai's voice suddenly boomed out across the island.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen! Quite a few of you got quite involved in action earlier, but now I'm here to inform you of the recently deceased. Following from the death of Kaori, the following people have all proven they aren't the possible champions you are! Quite a few here, so I'll run off a list: Chika, Megumi, Shun Dai, Emi, Megu, Fuji, Erika, Kondo and Takuya Iga. But not necessarily in that order!" said Arai.

Aya glanced across at Takamasa.

"Nine more people dead."

Takamasa tightly gripped the note in his pocket. Would anyone be left? He was sure he had a way to get the rest of his friends off of this island. He'd been given a way- he was certain he could trust the message left to him. But with every passing hour he couldn't help thinking there would be very few people to rescue when the time came. He slowly began to think that there would be a good chance only one person would be leaving this island alive.

He just prayed it wasn't Miller…

…………….And if the victor had to kill to get off the island…

He hoped he wasn't the one to escape either.

How could he live with himself knowing forty one innocent people had died? Jun, Miller, Megumi. No one in his class had deserved it. Very few in the world did. He slowly let go of the note and joined the two girls.

"Who is left?" he asked lifelessly. "Who else can we trust?"

"Yu and Aki are out there! Ryo and Yohei are still alive" said Kasumi. "Miki and Akiko- there are still people out there we can help."

"And Yusuke" said Aya, "I heard the announcement! He isn't dead!"

Takamasa nodded. One more ally somewhere on the island.

"Lets get going" he said. "Yusuke will be heading to the building too. And I'd prefer not to put up with his boasting if he got there first, on his own."

Aya nodded.

---

Dante wearily trod across the depressing dusty path. He rubbed his hand through his now slightly greasy hair. He felt the shirt, felt the dried sweat. He shuddered. He hated going without a shower. He groaned, resting one hand against his forehead as he slowly trudged forwards. He needed some proper sleep. How long had he been on this damn island anyway?

He turned suddenly as an unexpected loud screech came from somewhere in front of him. He held the shotgun tightly. Tired, depressed and defeated the weapon felt like a great weight in his hands. But one good shot, one true shot could give the others a chance. Help the people who weren't killers. Help the good ones.

Dante soon found the cause of the unnerving sound. As his blistered feet led him forward, a small wooden hut slowly came into view. He paused as he saw it. Perhaps someone was hiding inside. He looked at the weak looking structure. Be a bit stupid to try and hide in that- if someone had a gun, the only thing it'd probably do would be to add splinters of wood to the danger.

He held up the loaded shotgun. Wouldn't make the same mistake as Kaori. But he wouldn't kill a harmless class mate either…again. Slowly he began to walk alongside the thin wooden walls, the wood panels slowly rotting from the effect of seasons of rain. He reached the entrance and pressed the door shut with the shotgun. Nothing happened. He stepped inside swiftly, finding it empty. Save for a collection of useless crap.

He sighed in relief and left the hut. He glanced up and dropped the shotgun in shock.

"No…Erika please no" he said, rushing across to the hanged girl.

He reached up to help- before pulling back. He tearfully looked up at the girl. She was dead. No doubt about it. The dead weight of her body moved slightly in the gentle breeze. He slumped down onto his knees. Erika could have committed suicide- but he doubted it. And it seemed as though it had happened recently…she was still slightly warm. Someone had done this to her. He looked up, her bandaged hand pitifully hanging to one side. What had happened to her since they had left the briefing?

He glanced down. What had happened to the other forty students? Some had been killed by his own hands. Some he had watched die. He closed his eyes- Mehdi…Yuichi…Shoko, Hiromi…Kaori. Kensuke. He was sorry. So sorry, as the tears slowly began to be released. He opened his tear filled eyes. Something moved behind him.

He turned quickly as movement flashed in front of his eyes. He rolled away, before coming to a stop, pushing himself up with one hand. A sharp, stinging pain caught his attention. He looked down to see the little finger of his left hand hanging on by a thin piece of skin. He grunted as he ripped it off, burning pain passing through his skin as he tore his skin.

Akiko stood in front of him, Erika hanging behind her, a hellish backdrop. She held up a knife, waving it. Dante's blood slowly dripped to the ground below- but dried blood was also upon the blade, up to the hilt of the weapon. He stood up, looking down at his left hand which slowly oozed blood. He looked at her in surprise.

"Akiko? I'm not here to hurt you."

She looked at him and grinned. Now he knew.

"It was you wasn't it? You killed Erika. You hung her!"

"I fail to see the fuss. In the end only one person will be left- and if your best friend turns on you, where's the worry about killing a stranger?"

"She wasn't a stranger! You had known her for years!"

"My, looks who's talkative now. I preferred it when you were Kensuke's quiet little lackey. Poor shy misguided Dante."

Dante's hand tightened into a fist as fresh pain from the missing finger passed across his hand. He grimaced, and noticed the shotgun. He could get to it. Hopefully he would just have to threaten her…because he wasn't sure he could actually pull the trigger. He scowled as he looked up at Akiko.

"Kensuke is dead."

"I know, I heard the announcement."

"I slit his throat, I watched him die." Hopefully he might be able to scare her away.

She looked at him in surprise, the knife lowering slightly. That was all he needed…

He quickly ran, diving to the ground as Akiko yelled. She rushed across to him, when he suddenly stood holding the shotgun. She stopped, looking at Dante. The shotgun wobbled slightly in his hands.

"So what now? Are you going to kill me?" she asked, walking towards him.

"Get back! Don't think I'll have any second thoughts about killing you!" he lied.

Slowly he began to back away. Akiko stood still- Dante did look stronger then her- and he had a loaded shotgun too. And he did seem to be telling the truth about Kensuke…something in his eyes.

"Y-you stay there" said Dante, his voice fading. "I'm leaving now- follow me and I shoot. Stay here and you live."

Akiko nodded. She always had more time to find him- when she had a gun of her own. Dante walked backwards quickly, before turning and sprinting away. Akiko watched the boy disappear before turning her attention to Erika's bag. She grinned in delight as she discovered Erika's weapon.

A loaded Uzi.

Dante stopped, resting. He wiped sweat from his forehead. So close…if she had been more stubborn he might even ended up having to pull the trigger. He shuddered. He couldn't do that. All the girls in his class…they'd all seemed so caring and friendly. Well except for…

---

Saki smashed the foliage out of the way. The floor suddenly gave way beneath her, and she found herself standing at the top of a cliff, overlooking a beach. She grinned with more then a hint of madness. Below her Aki was busy skipping across the beach, looking at the sea as it slowly brushed against the shoreline.

She backed away as someone else appeared. Mai, looking disorientated stepped out onto the beach below. Saki frowned. Mai better not be playing. She had spent a lot of time finding Aki- and she wasn't about to let that bitch Mai get the fun. She gripped the hockey stick tightly.

Now what should she do?