I don't have much to say on these things at the minute heh other than enjoy the chapter!
Takaoka laughed as he surveyed the scene on his cameras, a large field set in the middle of an arena with 27 podiums standing a metre off the ground, each hosting a trembling previous member of class E. The podiums surrounded this huge, metal tent which held dozens of weapons and supply bags.
He watched more, in pure bliss as the students began to look around frantically, shouting across the field to each other. He raised an eyebrow at what Terasaka was doing, drawing attention to himself as he shouted as loud as he could to his 'squad' telling them it was going to be okay.
Takaoka laughed, deciding this was the right time to turn on his microphone. A crackle filled the arena, making the students jump, followed by his deep, sadistic voice.
"My dear class, welcome to the game." He laughed, watching the students go silent in fear. "Now, you know my rules and if you haven't guessed, this is the bit where you grab what you can and run, no alliances for an hour remember!" He chuckled more as he saw the students eyes go to the person they treasured the most. A valuable asset to the sadist watching.
"Here's another thing for you kids, when you hear a cannon sound it means someone is dead, hey, why don't we play two for your teachers? Means you know what it sounds like!" He presses the button twice and two cannon shots sounded through the arena, making the class flinch.
"Also, at the end of every day your beautiful little A.I will display the list of the dead, helps you lot to keep track of who's left, am I right?" Takaoka's face turned smug as he projected Ritsu onto the cornucopia of weapons. "This little sweetheart will also be your timer until you can leave! You have a minute, and remember no going early."
He laughed again, more sickening as he leant closer to the microphone, "Have fun."
The class began to get worried as Ritsu started ticking down, despite not being human, her eyes showed so many emotions. Clearly she had no control over anything. Hestitantly, the class prepared themselves to go, tears and heavy breaths escaping all of them, when their temporary focus was interrupted by a frustrated shout.
"Fuck this!" Okajima screamed, tears streaming down his face as his whole body shook. Ritsu's fearful eyes looked on as she reached 54, whilst the class glanced at each other- worried what would happen.
"Okajima, calm down." Kataoka's voice wobbled as she tried to reach out to him. Failing from the distance, she tried to whisper soothing words before being cut off.
"How can I calm down? Our last two teachers are dead and now we're being forced to kill each other?" He began to panic, his breathing almost erratic as his hands started to spasm. It seemed like he almost wanted to pace but there was limited space on his podium.
"Who says this is real?" His breaths turning to gasps, "Maybe he's just trying to make us scared and run from nothing." He began getting jumpy as he shifted from foot to foot, whilst Ritsu reaching 30.
"Okajima!" Sugaya shouted from across the field, his voice clearly strained but desperately trying to reach his friend. "Stop it, you're going to fall and we're not allowed to leave the podium! Remember?" He worried for whatever the surprise that Takaoka mentioned was.
Sudden realisation dawned on the rest of the class; they weren't allowed to leave the podium prematurely. Panicked screams and shouts were thrown at Okajima, telling him to calm down- that anything could happen if he fell.
22
"Fuck!" He ran his sweaty palms through his hair as he began to pace fully.
21
The screams became distant to Okajima as his tears clouded his vision.
20
Pulling at his slightly longer hair, he bit his lip, swiftly turning after a single step to take another.
19
Whilst turning he placed his foot down at an odd angle, making his ankle give way. His hands rapidly left his head to try and claw the air as he began to fall from his podium.
17
How matter how slow Ritsu ticked down, Okajima's fall seemed slower. All eyes on the field, including the falling boy's, widened as his second foot parted from from the podium.
Time seemed to stop as Okajima let out a fearful scream, his onyx eyes becoming pinpricks as they locked onto his podium- cracks forming as it began to expand.
15
Before he could even reach the floor or finish his scream, his small podium created a giant explosion, creating a mass of destruction. Shrapnel flew everywhere, shredding Okajima like a blender, one piece instantly going to his throat, cutting off his scream.
Terrified screams from the rest of the class only just managed to drown out the explosion, Kataoka and Nakamura's above the rest, their arms and torsos receiving the shrapnel that was cast to either side.
11
A cannon shot solemnly sounded throughout the entire arena, signifying he had already gone. His battered, sliced red body contrasting with the luscious green field. His chapped lips slightly parted, blood dripping from them. The rest of his face and body were indistinguishable; it was a horrific sight. Everyone, including the girls that he had perved on, began to cry. Okajima; the first one dead.
Yes, dead. Takaoka wasn't bluffing, not was this a dream. Yet, and under the worst circumstances, they now had their clarification they had to follow his rules, no matter what, and that included no alliances in the first hour.
Hearts broke and hands quivered, wondering if after that hour whether they'd see their friends ever again.
They had 6 seconds to compose themselves before they had to run into the centre and take whatever they could. Bags, weapons, health kits gleaming like treasure chests, yet still unappealing to the distraught class.
6
Maehara glanced at Isogai, his cheeks wet from tears as he watched Isogai wipe his own face and stare forward. Being brave, Maehara did the same, taking in a deep breath.
5
Yada caught Kurahashi glimpse at her, her beautiful green eyes laced with fear. She smiled softly with encouragement but they both knew it was forced.
4
Okuda and Kayano locked eyes, both terrified for their lives, their small bodies trembling almost in sync.
3
The Terasaka squad glanced worriedly at each other, yet determination was hidden somewhere beneath. They knew each member wouldn't let this defeat them, even if their fiddling showed otherwise.
2
Sugaya and Mimura gasped with broken sobs as their eyes lingered upon the dead body of their friend; an art trio, now a duo.
1
Nagisa and Karma glanced across the arena to each other, for once, not in competition but in worry for the other's life.
0
A loud siren screeched indicating the students could leave the podiums. Many of them were reluctant to do anything but remembered the rules and the three abrupt deaths of their teachers and classmate, so with their own and other's lives in mind, they desperately ran towards a bag and weapon of some sort.
With very subtle eye contact, learned from their time as assassins, they managed to point out spare bags to each other, hoping to make it appear that they went in for their own bag and everything else was spare.
Mimura has only just stepped off his podium, clearly broken from his best friend's death. Beginning to feel panicked, he sprinted into the trees, trying to escape the mess he was trapped in. Subconsciously he knew it was stupid to leave with nothing, but he was praying he could find something to snack on in the woods.
The class were out of there almost as quick as they were in, each going in slightly different directions to avoid any violation of the rules, yet trying to keep a note of the direction of their closest friends.
Within a matter of 20 seconds, the field was clear of students, aside from Okajima's disfigured body and Ritsu's solemn image on the top of the Cornucopia of weapons. She shed a tear as she faded, watching the last handful of students disappear into the trees.
•••
The twenty-six remaining students dashed through the trees, tears falling as fast as their legs were running as they tried to escape the disturbing mental image of Okajima being ripped to shreds in front of them. The only other thing that their mind could conceive was where their friends were, what was going to happen to them, and when? They had all been told only one can win, it was just the waiting game of who. None of them wanted to be next, why would they? But every one of them knew it was inevitable.
•••
Kimura ran as fast as his legs could possibly carry him. A successfully stolen rucksack frantically knocking against his back. Flashes of green and brown rushing by him as he used his running skills to get him away. Tears still leaking from the quick-fire events and the death of a classmate, he just wanted to get as far as he possibly could. He continued to run, narrowly dodging each branch, jumping over tree roots and rocks.
Despite his speed and sense of direction, he missed a smaller rock behind a larger one when he flicked his head to duck under a branch. Whilst trying to leap over it, his foot managed to get lodged between the rocks and he fell forward, his leg striking into the other rock.
An ear piercing scream escaped his lips as he hit the ground, a burning pain shot through his leg as blood began to trickle down his shin.
Justice was hesitant to look down, but when he did he instantly regretted it. He almost threw up at the sight, the bone in his leg sticking out, fully snapped and shattered, and his ankle stuck between the rocks, trapped and twisted. He began to cry, screaming as he did. Birds began to fly out of trees at the horrendous sound. Suddenly, he remembered the bag he snatched. With a pained expression from twisting, he took it off his back and tipped all the contents out. Food, fishing lines and a pair of scissors fell out, but no medical supplies. He screamed again, his adrenaline wearing off and the pain becoming more intense. He knew there was nothing he could possibly do, not only could he never run again, but the thought of death scared him senseless.
He let out another cry, pure pain and anguish filled the air around him, alarming a certain redhead in the trees.
Hayami's head whipped to the ear piercing scream, her eyes twitching at the noise. She lowered herself from the branch cautiously before hesitating. Silently praying it wasn't Chiba, she sprinted to the origin.
She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Kimura screaming and crying at his leg; the horrible mess now turning unnatural colours from the loss of blood. Hayami's face paled, but not to the point of Kimura; his face almost pure white from shock with dark streams down his tears from crying- he looked like death himself.
Taking a breath, Hayami ran over to him, startling him slightly at the sudden presence. She slowly kneeled in front of him on the blood-soaked ground, avoiding his leg at all costs, and placed her hand on his face.
"Justice." She stroked his tears from his cheek, "Look at me."
He tried desperately to pry his eyes away from his leg to look at her but needed the extra help from her turning his face. Tears kept streaming down his face as he looked at Hayami, his obsidian eyes begging her to do something.
She took a deep breath before looking at his mutilated leg, trying to find any way to get it free or to fix it. To no avail, she wondered if she could stop the bleeding somehow but was cut short when Justice slipped from her hand. Her reflexes managed to catch the faltering boy and hold him up but she was losing time.
"Justice, I don't know what I can do." Her voice broke as she began to cry, unable to help her friend, "I don't have the stuff to fix it."
Kimura's face melted in defeat, silence filled the air as he stared into nothing- black dots fluttering behind his eyes. Hayami's gentle touch soothing him as he let more tears flow. Justice was set on living his whole life, and here he was, sat on a patch of grass that oozed his own blood. Unexpectedly, his face hardened, if he couldn't live his life fully then at least he can help the redhead in front of him. He reached for his supplies bag and weakly forced it into her hands.
"There's food and stuff in there, take it." He let go of the bag when Hayami had a grip on it. Before either of them could say more, he threw up, swaying slightly as he brought his head back up, looking even paler than humanly possible.
"But you need-" She attempted to protest but was cut off by Justice reaching shaky hands to her gun. She soon realised what he was trying to do and with a swift movement of her gun, she shook her head. "No."
"Hayami, please." He swayed more as he began to sob. "It hurts, Rinka. Please, as a friend, help me."
Hayami was still in shock, her green eyes unknowingly locking onto Justice's before she realised he was tugging at her gun. She made a weak effort to get it back, letting it slip off her arm. The boy below her let out another cry as he reached to grab it. Hayami stopped him moving anymore, choking out a sob as she picked up the gun and lined it between his eyes.
"Please." He sobbed, the cold metal of the barrel pressing on the bridge of his nose being a somewhat relief to the burning pain in his leg.
Hayami's heart pounded out of her chest, she couldn't kill one of her friends, she couldn't. But leaving him here to suffer and die, that was much worse. With a shaky breath, she placed her unsteady hand on the trigger. She only time she had used a real gun was on the island, this was much worse. The redhead closed her eyes briefly to steady herself, restoring herself with a hardened expression.
"Masayoshi Kimura, you have my utmost respect." She bravely stated, clutching the trigger.
He smiled softly as he closed his eyes for a final time, "Thank you, Rinka."
She turned her head as she pulled the trigger, the ringing sound of her gunshot was followed by the intense sound of a cannon shot, telling the arena another one had gone. She physically winced when she heard his limp body thump on the floor.
Hayami turned back slowly, gasping for breath as her tears started up again. She looked at his closed eyes and the slight smile on his face, ignoring the gaping hole she had just created. With a heavy guilt weighing on her shoulders her face hardened again, knowing if she stayed too long, Takaoka had the power to do anything to her. With more tears, she ran back into the trees, whispering "I'm sorry."
Takaoka grinned as Hayami ran back into the trees, pleased that his plan was working to kill each other. He looked at the clock, seeing it had been an hour, he spoke again into the microphone.
"Go on then kids, find your friends." He said it in such a way that it was pleasant yet eerily creepy.
Takaoka leaned back in his chair, with a smug grin plastered on his face as he watched the cameras, his eyes instantly flicking to the sudden sprints of Sugino and Terasaka. He knew exactly who they were going for, he had done his research; stalking the school before he devised his game plan, gaining information, plotting.
He also knew exactly how to keep them apart, and that's exactly what he was hoping to do. Keep them apart from the ones they needed most. Break them. Create such a blind rage in them, so that he could relax on his input and let them take care of it.
He was genuinely shocked at the outcomes of Okajima and Kimura. Happy they were dead, yes. But not the ones he wanted. He wanted the loved ones, the ones who if they died would really take effect on others and send the game into anarchy.
Whilst in his thoughts, his sight wavered over Takebayashi walking increasingly close to the edge of the arena. Takaoka twitched; he definitely didn't want them to know they were enclosed in a dome as opposed to actually in the forests.
Forgetting exactly what he wanted to do, he flipped a switch with a heavy sigh. Suddenly, flames sprung out of the ground and threw themselves at trees, creating a gigantic forest fire.
He leaned back with an irritated growl, "I don't want to kill the irrelevant yet, I want to see you break!" He slapped his hands to his head before seeing another thing between his fingers.
Not too far from Takebayashi and the flames stood Yada. Her hair blowing gently as she wandered up the path, completely unaware of anything.
Takaoka smirked. His vision quickly flicked to Kurahashi, who was walking alone through trees. He remembered how close the girls were from his "research" and with that in mind, he flicked the switch again...
•••
Thankyou all for reading! And as always leave likes and comments, I love reading them!
