Chapter 49
Endgame
Miller marched across to Dante, holding up his weapon and firing, ripping apart Dante's hand as he reached for the shotgun. He finally stopped slightly in front of Dante, looking down at the boy. Miller laughed weary, wiping cold sweat from his forehead.
"So I guess this is it then huh Dante" said Miller.
"Looks like it" said Dante, staring at the dead Akiko. He just hoped the others had escaped, he hoped that they were quickly getting as far away as possible. But at this moment in time Takamasa was still here, a target for Miller. Why had that idiot stayed here? Damn it the boy should just have gone. Should have left him here. Sure it would have meant Miller winning, but at least three people would have been able to escape.
"Looks like you're probably going to win."
"Definitely" said Miller allowing himself to look up at the sky. "Unless your friend Takamasa has some kind of surprise it would seem as though I'm certain to win. Though by the sounds of it he killed those two bitches. Guess you had some misplaced faith there Dante."
"Yeah" said Dante grinning slightly. But at the same time- how did he know that the boy hadn't merely killed the girls and was waiting for an opportunity to kill whoever survived this fight? No, he knew he couldn't allow himself to think like that, Takamasa wouldn't do something like that, he was certain of it.
"Well, bye then" said Miller.
Dante nodded, and pushed himself out of the way as Miller fired, grimacing as he held up Akiko's body, feeling it judder as bullets ripped into the back. Pushing himself along with the stump of his destroyed hand he reached out and gripped the shotgun. He grunted as a bullet ripped into his shoulder, but pulled up the shotgun and fired. Miller yelled as his foot exploded in a mess of leather, blood muscle and bone. The ragged stump was placed back down on the floor, Miller trying to remain standing.
"Fuck!" called out Miller.
"Whoops" said Dante, "Looks like if you do survive you may find yourself a cripple. Hope you didn't have many plans."
"I'll kill you" said Miller, opening fire again. The last few bullets left the gun, striking Akiko and Dante as Miller struggled to aim, feeling dizzy from the pain in his foot. Dante grunted as he felt bullets pass into him, ripping through his stomach.
Miller was out of ammunition. Dante tried the shotgun, but only heard a faint click. He placed his hand and stump down on the floor and pushed himself up, swaying as he tried to stand, and feeling three burning wounds in his torso. The two boys stood staring at one another. Neither even past the age of twenty, both looked set to die. Over thirty young lives extinguished in three days. Almost an entire class brutally murdered by friends, bullies and classmates.
Both stood, shaking slightly as wounds began to overpower them, both knowing the end was now here. Miller allowed his gun to fall to the floor.
"So then" said Dante.
"I tell you this" said Miller laughing. "If I could do it all again, I wouldn't come on this fucking trip."
"Yeah" said Dante breathing heavily.
"Looks like my family is about to die out" laughed Miller. "I killed my father myself."
"Right" said Dante, holding his side. He stumbled forwards slightly.
"Who would have thought it?" said Miller. "Who'd have thought that bloody Takamasa would win this?"
"I guess life must be full of surprises" replied Dante.
"Yeah, you can say that again. So what now?" asked Miller.
Dante focused on Miller with his startling blue eyes, a look of pure concentration. "I hand Takamasa his win."
"Huh?"
Miller watched in shock surprise as Dante charged him, moving back slightly, almost fearfully as the boy rushed towards him. Dante uncharacteristically yelled out as he tried to ignore the burning pains as he rushed towards Miller. He struck with a punch, Miller then jabbing his hand into Dante's stomach, pain shooting across the gunshot wounds. Both tried to hit one another feebly, weakened by their wounds and the drain of the past three days.
Dante knew he didn't have enough to finish Miller and surprised the boy by merely pushing him back. Miller tried to force him back, but the pain of digging the remains of his foot into the ground meant it was futile. With only one leg to use, Dante easily pushed the boy back.
"Dante, think of what you are doing!" said Miller as both of their collars began beeping.
"I am" said Dante. "Goodbye."
With almost the last of his strength Dante pushed Miller away, the boy yelling out as he fell off of the cliff a short distance away from the buildings. Miller didn't fall for long, falling into a thick set of branches. Still the collar continued beeping as Dante crawled away.
Miller looked down at the ocean. If he landed down there, he'd be out of this danger zone area. He grinned as the branch fell away. He could land in the sea and have enough time to try and finish off the final two- one was dying anyway. With a faint yell he fell again as the branch snapped.
The collar continued beeping.
"Well shi-"
The collar exploded vaporising Miller's neck. The remains of his head, blown away from his lower jaw continued to fall into the sea as his mangled body smacked into the cliff side, bones snapping as it smashed along the rocks to the beach below.
Above Takamasa rushed across to Dante as he lay on the floor looking upwards.
"Dante?!" asked Takamasa. Dante slowly turned his head and looked at his companion.
"Miller is gone. Looks like you're the winner" he said weakly.
"Dante…"
He held out a small object. "This might come in handy" he said.
"A g-grenade?" asked Takamasa. Dante had pulled it away from Miller- ready for use.
"D-did you do it?" he asked. "Did the others escape?"
Takamasa nodded and Dante smiled. The smile remained as his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he died. Takamasa sat beside Dante, holding the boy as Arai's voice rang out.
"Congratulations boy number seven, Takamasa Adachi, you are the victor of this battle royale event!"
---
Already many of the soldiers had left. The evacuation had begun shortly after five competitors remained. Many had families to go to, or simply had had enough of being stuck on this island for three days. A few technicians, Arai and Kobayashi were all that remained. The teacher slowly approached the soldier.
"Mr Arai."
"Mr Kobayashi."
"Do you think it would be a good idea for you to leave?" asked the teacher. "Takamasa might be a bit paranoid, and the presence of soldiers might unnerve him."
"I guess there wouldn't be any harm, but…"
"Don't worry Mr Arai, I can take care of myself."
"Good luck Kobayashi. And don't forget you have media deals to fulfil- the teacher of a battle royale class. Of course, you will be paid well for it."
"Thank you Mr Arai" said Kobayashi as the soldier and technicians left. He sat in silence for a moment before grabbing an AK-47 from a weapons cabinet and slowly began to walk out of the room.
---
"There's no way off of this island" whispered Kasumi. "What are we supposed to do now?" she asked.
Aya was silent. The tunnel had led directly underneath the main building. There had been two routes- one lower down which merely stopped just above the sea, the sewage slowly trickling into the sea below. The other led underneath the building. They stood waiting by a large access panel.
"I guess we wait until the others leave and then try to swim."
"Can we make that distance?" asked Kasumi.
"I don't know" replied Aya. She just didn't know what to do next. They'd escaped the game, were no longer at risk from it- but now they were trapped beneath the very headquarters of the game. Any number of soldiers could be walking above them, ready to rip them to shreds if the opportunity arose.
Both turned in shock as a grinding sound came from the left of them. They stood and watched in horror as the access panel opened, and was pulled away. They backed away as Kobayashi stood before them holding a gun, the man blocking the only exit.
"So then, three students still remain" said Kobayashi, "Not one."
"Mr Kobayashi please!" said Kasumi holding up her hands. "Just…"
"Quiet girl" replied Kobayashi. "I must say I didn't think Takamasa would just turn against you like that. All seemed a bit too much, a bit like acting. However I guess it is my job to ensure we only have one winner."
Aya closed her eyes as Kobayashi pulled down on the trigger. She stood waiting as nothing happened. Finally she looked up to see Kobayashi standing in front of her.
"I guess I forgot to load it" he commented.
…
…"Don't worry Mr Kobayashi, you were too good for your wife" said Jun as Kasumi offered him some flowers…
… "I'll try and do my best Mr Kobayashi" said Ryo, "I'll do you proud out there…"
… "Thank you for all your help" said Taeung…
… "Well we figured your family wouldn't throw you a birthday party, so we decided to" said Takamasa.
"It isn't a problem is it sir?" asked Kasumi.
"No no, of course not" said Kobayashi hiding the tears…
"You all treated me like a human being. I loved all of you…I tried to think of some way to get you out of this. But if I warned you I'd be killed and you'd be tracked down…if I tried to interfere I'd be killed and you'd still have to take part. All I could do was give you a way to get away from that place." He bowed his head. "Three, only three made it though. The soldiers have left. Wait in the cellar until I come for you. All of us are leaving this forsaken island."
---
"So how does it feel to be a victor?" asked Kobayashi, "A true winner."
"Yeah, great" muttered Takamasa.
"Yes surviving as almost all of your class was wiped out. Surviving where thirty nine others failed."
"Huh?" asked Takamasa.
Kobayashi pretended to ignore Takamasa. "Winning while helping two girls to escape, wanting to have saved more."
"Sir?" asked Takamasa cautiously.
"I found two of your friends. Both are safe, both are waiting for you Takamasa. Oh don't look so shocked, who did you think left you the message?" asked Kobayashi.
"Well…" Takamasa paused in shock as a gunshot rang out. Kobayashi fell back in surprise, gripping his chest. Arai stepped forwards holding a pistol.
"If there's one thing I hate, it's cheaters" said Arai coolly. "Cheaters of the system."
"But I…"
"Quiet boy. Only one person is to leave here. Since I don't feel like having a failure I offer you a choice- you can go free and I kill your friends."
Takamasa paused. Kobayashi his teacher was dying. His best friend was dead, almost all of his other friends dead. But he still had the chance to rebuild his life…
"I'll take you to them" said Takamasa.
"Very good boy" replied Arai.
…A chance to rebuild his life with Aya the girl he loved, and Kasumi who had saved his life.
"Mr Arai?"
"Hmm?"
"There's something I don't like either."
"And that is…?"
"Bastards."
Ignoring the tiredness Takamasa pulled out the grenade. Not expecting Arai to react so quickly he was at a loss as to what to do. Surprising himself he gripped hold of Arai's belt, pulled the trousers away and dropped the live grenade down. He kicked the man away and ducked behind a leather chair.
Arai reached down trying to grip the grenade. He paused as he realized he had no chance.
"So this is it?"
He screamed as the grenade exploded, vaporising his crotch and digging shards of shrapnel deep into his lower body, ripping through flesh and muscle, digging into bone. He coughed, spluttering up blood, before falling to the floor.
Takamasa slowly stood up, legs trembling beneath him. He looked across at Arai, making sure the man was dead.
"F-fucker" said the boy.
He then ran across to Kobayashi, crouching down.
"G-go get Kasumi and Aya" said the man.
"What about…"
"I'm dead. Just one more thing to do" he said.
"Thank you" said Takamasa standing up. "I won't let them down. We'll all live, for our friends" said the boy. Kobayashi nodded and stood up as Takamasa ran to find his friends.
The game was over.
