*The "knight" finally goes against the fortress. You know, who I am talking about? :) *
Chapter 15
About fifteen minutes had passed since it was pouring with rain. At first the grey clouds just gathered but soon, large, warm drops started to fall from above. The soft soil turned into a mess, a sea of mud. Because of the heavy rain and the strong wind, leaves in the woods could not guarantee shelter. Woe unto them, who dared going under this umbrella of nature.
Nana Bunya (girls #2) tried to keep step with Fuyumi Morimoto (girls #7) with few success, so the girl became quite nervous. Not enough, that the mud rolled away under their feet like rivers of lava, almost every part of their body was covered by those disgusting dollop - even the shoes. Chinese production, not a winner. Not that, if Fuyumi's Adidas foot-wear would be better. The two girls headed down the line of a gulch, they followed a small brook, which was the mixture of rainwater and mud.
'Gosh, just go away!'
Nana's last argument with Fuyumi ended up in the second one's leaving so Nana wanted to take her back onto their hiding place - not an easy task, they got off very far from that location. In top of that, someone, probably a student from 3/e was after them. The anonymous didn't want to show itself and appeared to be invasive. Many signs showed its presence: rustling bushes and rattling dry sticks in the litter. This third one might idled until this nightmare finally ends or bore some kind of melee weapon and first wanted to be sure about the girl's stand.
Fuyumi's early eager about showing out their protest against killing faded away quickly, she became tense and finally agreed to turn back - what Nana was repeating like a parrot all along the way. They were both afraid that Fuyuki may returned and wanted revenge (wherefore Nana knocked him down in the warehouse and they just let him there unconscious) - what if the boy had already killed someone else after Shoda. What if he seized the victim's stuff? If it was precisely so, they get into a pickle. Even more - as previously said - they left their weapons (UZI and Revolver damn it!) at the hiding place, namely in a rot of an extremely old oak tree. That was the story of the two students' turnaround.
Suddenly Nana stopped Fuyumi, asked for a short rest.
"Please, let's have a rest. I can't take this race." she panted like someone after a long running match. She held herself with the arms on her knees to gather some strength.
"Okay, but not for long. Someone is after us." Fuyumi made her hurry and pretended not to notice that so called 'I told, we will come to this'-face on Nana.
Then she whispered.
"If Fuyuki is that, we have a good reason to hurry!"
Nana nodded and then continued running. It was still raining cats and dogs, so no wonder when the partners had a slide often on the mud and almost fell into it. Here, deeply among the trees, this awful weather seemed more grim than usual. After a long walk, they have finally found some light in the distance - that was the end of the forest. The place, where the eye-catching old oak tree stood and which tree hid all the "precious treasure" in itself. Nana and Fuyumi didn't stop until they reached it, and then Fuyumi rushed at its rot like a hungry scavenger. Her right arm disappeared 'till elbow there. The groping didn't last long as her face became more and more pale.
"What the... It's empty!"
"Whoa?" asked Nana back "what do you mean? The weapons aren't there? Let me see."
She took over Fuyumi's place but could not find anything in the rot, just emptiness. The sudden came fright as a reaction was understandable. They both knew what should have happened: someone, maybe their follower spied on them and got their goods, while they were away. And if not the follower, then someone else. But why did someone checked exactly THAT tree? It's old and looks special, but did not have an inscription in its skin: hidden gun here! Nana wished, she took but only one of the firearms away before going after Fuyumi. Was not a wise decision to go right after her.
'Bad girl, very irresponsible!'
How stupid thing to think, they could simply left these self-defense subjects for others! When they are weaponless, might showed out that they deny playing - but would their classmates got the message? More were in the game and just wanted to save their own life. Didn't care if somebody intends to kill itself instead of fighting for the way home.
'And what if we have gun? We don't need to use them, jut have them in case of danger. Only a fool would attack us if saw a Revolver or a UZI in our hands!'
"Well? Was I right or was I right?" after her speculation she said out loudly. Here you are... The result of going after another person...
"Who is after us... Owns our weapon. That person might wants to see if we have more." Fuyumi immediately shared her concerns and did not want to hide anymore, who her suspect was.
"Fuyuki wants to kill us! To play before doing it!" she felt herself like an animal, which was deceived into trap. Features showed only fear on her face.
"What now?" she asked in quivering voice.
"We have to find shelter until we figure out something! That bastard won't get away with all he did!"
They almost left the gulch through the line of a thick bush-line, when another group of bushes rustled and a kid appeared behind them. That person moved slowly, not looked like a head-hunter. And was obviously not Fuyuki. Nana and her friend had no time to run away so they turned around, before the third one could give them some surprise. Even though the surprise remained, because the follower was Chisato Ozawa (girls #10) in school uniform.
Chisato belonged to the tallest girls of the class. Her hair reached shoulders and was black with crimson bangs. On the whole she looked plumpish - round face, big boobs and belly - but her legs looked like she walked in drumsticks. The member of the duo relieved at her sight, but not for long - sith this girl in front of them was "THE" Chisato herself.
"Girls..." Chisato took a step toward the classmates.
Nana and Fuyumi had no idea how to welcome her - so she was the spy: stole their gun and now came to kill them! Or Chisato had nothing to do with this affair, was only here to get some protection? She was one the people from 3/e, who Nana didn't like, even if they shared room in the student hostel for two years now. Nana could not stand Chisato's straggling nature, slothfulness and unending puppyism - because of that had been the name - "THE" Chisato - a single conception. If the girl needed something, everyone had to stand at attention, while she - saying out dirty - did not give a shit for others in a case of asking favors. Thinking about extensively, Nana had no doubts, who stole their weapons. She cast suspicion on Chisato without any guilt.
At the next second the black haired girl found herself between Nana's fingers, and seconds later she fell into the ground. Nana pushed her over. Great, now Chisato's relatively white shirt was covered in mud. In every part.
"Are you out of your mind, Nana?! Do you wanna kill me?! It's obviously that you hate me, but it is not the right time for fighting! I don't want to hurt anyone!"
Hearing her voice, Nana felt like getting an electric shock. Chisato wrung the orange scarf anxiously with her fingers.
"Um... Chisato... I'm sorry... I thought... I was mad... Our gun's been stolen. I thought it was you." Nana muttered confusedly. Fuyumi set the affronted one on her legs again, meanwhile the second said.
"Do you see something in my hands? Do you see a bag or something?!"
After looking her uniform up and down and saw, that it could not be helped, grumbled again.
"Seesh, what does she thinking about me... I'm not those women from Candide... Hide the jewels into 'there'*..."
Fuyumi groaned - it was not the time of making jokes. Anyway... Not only Nana, she also did not seem to like Chisato. Like many people in school. Only the good-girls, Yaeka Sugiyama and her closest friends ran around with her.
'Okay, so it's not Fuyuki. But can we trust her?'
"All right, all right. I believe you. You don't have the guns." for all the thoughts, Nana said out something else. Deeply in heart she wanted to find a reason to mire Chisato. This chick simply could not be liked.
"We aren't out of danger then. If Chisato is blameless, the real offender is still here somewhere." Fuyumi warned the others.
"Ah, were we safe here at all?" asked Chisato.
"That person is roaming around here with our gun!"
"Exactly! Let's go!" Nana nodded and told Fuyumi to start on their way. Chisato remained closely in the near and followed them, wherever they went to.
"Do you mind if I join?" asked later. No answer came at first. Then... Some unwilling comments, but the duo agreed. 'Never mind.' thought Chisato 'I am the black sheep of the school, currently it is enough that I am not alone.'
Finally the rain stopped falling. Many minutes later the girls were still wandering in a forest. They walked carefully and watched every movement of the nature, every sign of another creature's (or worse, Fuyuki's) presence. The vegetation, the trees rarefied with every single step - now another clearing came next. A silhouette of a building could be seen shortly at the border of the clearing, the light yellow walls varied starkly from the all-out green.
They have found an old, ruinous villa. No one lived here for ages, it was obvious. The former, definitely rich owners might wanted to escape from the war or the grey everyday and have a rest here; remains of a once big, beautiful garden could be seen around the house. Right, the villa in zone I6, the 'fort' of Kirika's band. As Norito, Nichie and even Kinji experienced before, these girls let only the former hostel room-members in and if somebody was a boy or they just did not like the passing-by-person - those had to expect some nice drift of bullets.
Everything seemed moveless around the villa, the forest was too wet for a hunt and the consistent fog ensured poor visibilities. Nana and the others walked in the clearing unartfully. They were watching only at eye-level so unwittingly missed the sight of another girl. Who cowered in the balcony and suddenly shouted at the newcomers.
"Stop! Who are you?!"
The girls outside the building looked up to the balcony petrified from fear, unlike Fuyumi Morimoto - she relieved at the sight of that "somebody".
"Erina!"
Yes, Erina Sasaki (girls #12) stood up there.
"I'm sooo glad to see you! Is it your hiding place? Nice... I... Can we go in? I have a plenty of information, important information!"
While she was speaking, Erina went inside the villa - so became out of sight - and a few minutes later was already back.
"I told Katsumi about your coming. The door is in the other side, quick my friends!"
Katsumi Wakai (girls #15) - last person on the name list, but almost the first in line on PE lessons (the second to be specific) - did not have to wait too long. After removing some objects out of the way, Fuyumi, Nana and Chisato have been standing already at the entrance.
"Come quick!" hastened the trio.
First Fuyumi stepped in. Nana followed her, then Chisato - unfortunately, an arm rose in front of her nose like a barrier. Katsumi stood in her way.
"We've already told you, that you can't come in." she said in kind of a grumpy voice "only the members of our room."
Chisato was ready with an answer.
"And Nana? She's not from your room, is she?"
"You know what? She's cool." Katsumi tired of waiting until the other finished the sentence. But Chisato did not want to go away.
"You haven't earned out trust so far. Never will do." Katsumi - OMG - had a gun in her hand and pulled at Chisato. "Capiche?"
They looked deeply into each other's eyes, any witness could say: Katsumi was not joking. Her grey eyes moved without a blink. To be honest, Chisato was not expected much, she felt more likely resentfulness. What a naive though to hope, that Fuyumi or Nana will perhaps stand up for her. Last but not least Nana was a roommate in school...
'Bah, I can wait till the cows come home...'
The two girls remained silent behind Katsumi's back. Not for long and the door closed in front of Chisato's face, after that some rubbing noise showed, that the heavy objects returned to its former place.
'How can they let me down so easily in such a serious situation?! They would really kill me if all comes to that?'
Chisato could hardly imagine herself as a cold blooded killer, could never hurt anyone. But no... She was just ditched by these... These sluts without batting an eyelid. Typical...
'We are classmates, damn it! A community!'
Yes, classmates and nothing more. Not friends, only classmates. Chisato had to realize, she was always a loner - could nobody to expect in need.
'Enough! All of you!'
Before leaving, she wiped the eyes and let her anger into the air:
"Can someone tell me, what the hell have I done to you?! Why do you hate me so much?! Because I am Chisato Ozawa? The black sheep? I wish you're not going to survive this fuckin' game and became rotten in the middle of this goddamn nowhere!" that was the point, her voice quivered at. Quivered, because she was on the very edge of crying.
'I won't weep in their presence!'
So Chisato broke into a run. How loud noises she raised, no wonder if she would be next on the dead list.
"Stupid bitch." Katsumi said inside the villa, for an answer of the Ozawa girl's curse. All the occupiers came together in the living room. Well, almost everyone. The last occupant, the wide-mouthed girl of 3/e, Kirika Kido was in the bedroom leftwards.
"She wanted to come in again?' asked Erina, meanwhile she went back to the balcony to continue the watch "I don think she was with Fuyumi and Nana."
"What? Chisato was here before?" Fuyumi asked immediately.
"Yup. But we vote her down." Benika Hoshino (girls #3) said that. "Kirika has just come back from a scouting. She wanted to check, who is in the near. Or we can say: is HE in the near." by the last sentence she made an eye roll.
"Who is that 'he'?" Nana inquired.
"And has she found him?" Fuyumi asked at the same time. Katsumi gave the answer mysteriously.
"She's in the bedroom over there." pointed at the door involved "she found Michio Otomo barely for half an hour. They were partners at the beginning and... Well... Spoiler alert... I think they have a secret affair. Kirika can't let him down."
Michio Otomo's true partner held down a moan. Why do the band thinks, that Otomo and she were mates? Kirika said that? Why? And on top it all: Kirika left with Michio, away from the gate on that night-clearing - earlier than them - Fuyumi stayed there at Shoda's side to held the gate against the wolves - what was the reason, why Fuyumi's company arrived to the warehouse first? Strange... After Shoda's death Kirika was still alive. Is it possible? She was that lucky to be in the side of the 'fifty percents'? Moskvin said, if a member of a duo dies, the other is going to die too. With fifty percent chance.
"And do you think this guy is okay? He's got a face I can kick all day." Nana said. She always said out, what in her mouth was. Now she drew all the others' attention.
"He's really kinda hangdog. Loving a boy like that... I don't understand what is wrong with Kirika." Erina said, too "we didn't want her to bring the boy inside, but she found this house, she organized this team, so she's in charge..."
"Jeah. No need for more arguments, when we're set against one another." Benika looked around "we stay here as long as we can. Waiting for wonder... After all, only one winner..."
Everyone passed over in silence. How hard to think, that only a matter of time and some of them here - still breathing, but sooner or later will be dead somehow. Katsumi broke the wordless moments.
"Thanks to Kirika's scouting, we all have guns now. Imagine..." She said that to the new ones "Kirika found a few at the border of this zone."
Nana and Fuyumi changed look.
"Where exactly?" one of them asked, while seeing that each of the other girls had a gun in their hands. They could start a small war with that many.
"In a rot of an old oak tree. If I remember right." came the answer.
"Err.." Fuyumi could not stand to say out "that was ours. We had hidden into there."
Nana fleetly nodded.
"Yep."
Now the girls looked at one another, but only Erina gave word for the mistake.
"Oops." in a typical 'erinaish' way. Katsumi bent her brows.
"How could you discard so many useful things? Have you maybe more? Or...?"
"No, we haven't killed anyone!" Fuyumi toned immediately, her featured hardened. The bare supposal was an insult.
"Yeah." Nana agreed. "Fuyumi just wanted to hide it away from the others' eyes!"
Time to tell Baku Shoda's story. So the blonde girl told everything about the events in the warehouse, when Fuyuki betrayed them and shot Shoda down. And the case of changing partners - only Fuyumi and Kirika knew about.
"So Fuyuki is Shoda's murderer."
"Poor Baku..."
The girls did not want to speak much about this topic, best tactic to remain in the presence - being lovers of the bright side, they were especially frightened. Fuyumi's ex-boyfriend and Anri Kimura, Erina's best friend were among them, too (constant grief could be seen in Erina's eyes as a sign of long hours crying). Someone came up with the topic of danger zones, but none of these were in the near (I6) - namely (from 7 AM: A9, from 9 AM: F5 and from 11 AM: H2) - that is why the girls preferred to listen Nana's reviewal, how they met Chisato. She also told, that they believed: one of the classmates spied on them and later stole the guns out of the tree. During the chat Benika was next on the watch, Erina - the previous - could return to the living room. After that, Katsumi gave a guide tour to Nana and Fuyumi 'round the house.
Some information people should know about this double-storied villa: the two levels are separated; the ground-floor used to be a vault or something with a door on the front. A stairway made of concrete led up to the next floor, the entrance was at the rear. That level consisted of four rooms (from the balcony to the entrance): first the biggest one, the living room with some decrepit furniture - three doors were in its walls into three directions. One over the way led to the entrance-forefront, the other on the left to the kitchen and the third on the right was the bedroom-door. Going inside that door, Michio Otomo's (boys #13) place could be found there. This villa had not any large windows, only small apertures - like in the kitchen - under an aperture like that Nana noticed a few metal boxes filled with sweet, glancing bread.
"That's all we could collect from the plane-packs." Katsumi pointed at the boxes.
"Food! Give me something I can eat! I'm so hungry, I could eat everything!" Nana almost fell on the girls' food, it was enough to watch her face. As against Nana, Fuyumi stood confusedly.
"What planes? We haven't heard anything."
"Uh... When?" Katsumi checked the time on the watch "at about six, plane came and started to drop down boxes like these in parachutes. I guess the soviets doesn't want us to starve to death. Not so interesting, you know." she said the last sentence with strong irony.
"Wow, how kind of them." they heard Benika's sarcastic voice coming from the balcony.
"Did you got the solo-message at all?"
Nana gave the answer, because she was awake at that time.
"Sure, in dawn time."
"Strange, some didn't find the warehouse until morning? If I hadn't seen Chisato right now, I would have bet, that she was that fool."
Nana wanted to eat finally.
"Dunno, but girls, could we eat?" her stomach agreed with a loud growl.
"Okay. I go and make some sandwiches." Erina stayed in the kitchen, while Katsumi and the two 'guests' went back to the living room. Only the bedroom was left on the guide tour, but they did not go in to check the boy - Kirika was with him. Katsumi battered at the door.
"Kirika if you're hungry, come out soon!"
A 'Just a minute!' came from an answer and the trio returned the kitchen to help Erina. Fuyumi was disappointed, why she could not speak Kirika about her problems. It seemed, that she had to wait a bit, because Kirika Kido had no mood to go out. Last time she had eaten only on the plane, but she was not hungry at all. This whole unbelievable captivity in a place like that, far away from civilization...
'Who wants to eat in such situation? Michio is hurt, I can't let him die, at least until I'm alive. If we... If we have to... die... do it together.'
You know, like in movies. Lovers always manage to die in each other's arms - truly - this kind of 'true love' had nothing to do with their relationship. Kirika had another boyfriend in Zentsuji, as a few in school, with Otomo among them.
'It's a good thing if I have always somebody around me, I am never bored... I have company if I want to go somewhere and don't have to take mom's yelling.'
Oh and the best part when the boys want to indulge her, that means she is a hot chick.
'Five is my record. At the same time of course.'
Currently Kirika had only one. What a fallback! General world crisis now has an affection to people's private life, great.
Inside the room, Michio Otomo suddenly opened his got up from bed with a sudden movement and looked at Kirika - she was sitting next to the bed on a small chair.
"Where... where am I?" Michio looked around in the small room. Not only the bed and the chair, another furniture stood there: a wardrobe. Kirika pulled her chair closer to the bed and said.
"I found you in the woods injured, so brought you into this house. To safety." she was speaking slowly and obviously avoided the boy's look. Some seconds passed...
"Look, I didn't want to leave you behind, when the message had come about single play... I... I was afraid, you know..." She saw on Otomo's face, that he did not exactly get the words. Michio was never like this before.
"What's wrong? Are you angry with me?" she asked diffidently.
"Nothing and not at all." Michio shrugged the shoulders "or have you forgotten that we weren't truly partners? Morimoto was my mate as yours Shoda."
"I know. And we both saw his body in the warehouse. I just realized, should I have died because of the soviets' fucking rule?" icy fear grabbed into her heart as saying out loudly.
"Why had you left me then? I could kill you until that message whenever I wanted." Otomo did not care about Kirika's problem.
Kirika hesitated.
"I was afraid, I've already said! I don't know!" at first she flared up but noticed her behavior, so calmed down. Then put her hands gently into Michio's shoulders.
"As I was afraid at the moment I found you."
"I'm okay!" Michio threw off this hand."I can remember, Ryusaki attacked me. Riki. I was there with Fukuda, I wanted to..."
"To save him?"
"Yeah, yeah..." He waved hand impatiently "but I don't wanna speak about it right now."
Michio asked instead.
"What kind of house is this actually? You mentioned something... Is here anybody else or only you? I think I can hear noises..."
Kirika didn't discern the changing in Michio's behavior, she assigned for her positive mojo. She told the boy, how they ended up here in this villa with Erina, Benika and Katsumi - quite a fort, impossible to make way into without being spotted (the only opened entrance was through the balcony) - and the invitation was only for roommates. Michio whistled approvingly.
"Feel honored, that you could come in." Kirika smiled widely and touched Michio's shoulder. "Such a shame... I mean this game... We could be together otherwise..." People didn't used to say out straight, but it was an exceptional case. Maybe hours and they could never speak about anything again. Michio's eyes seemed empty with a faraway look on the face.
"Jeah." he said just contemplatively.
"Don't you want a last..." Kirika's question brought him back to present.
"What?" he asked back with rounded eyes. "How can you think of having sex in a situation like this?" against the words he almost smiled.
"Huh?!" Kirika softly pushed the boy's shoulder "I wanted to say 'last dinner' you idiot! Don't think we can last too long, that's why I said..."
She stopped finishing the sentence; thinking deeply into things, sooner or later they all had to say goodbye to their lives.
"We have food, you know." loudly said another than she had in mind. Michio was not that 'mommie's little, innocent baby', but kept quiet. He wanted to let Kirika know, that a worldling like she was, can never forget sex - even in the most extreme situation. Suddenly he felt great hunger.
"Kirika, I wanna eat. I think I'm hungry."
"Sure." Kirika nodded and immediately left the bedroom.
The injured one was left to himself. As long as he had to wait, went back to bed and started to stare at Kirika's empty seat. At the chair.
Or rather to that direction.
On the other side of the chair, there was the previously mentioned wardrobe and a gun on top. Michio caught sight of that handgun.
'Oh, there's the electric shock device, too. These two were mine.'
Within reach at the moment. Away with these thoughts! Michio prefer detracted his attention (with sour grimace), so while waiting he looked up to the ceiling. Or anywhere else but not to the handgun and the electric shock device. But an unexplainable afflation forced him back to the wardrobe again and again. Could not tell the reason... He simply got bad forefeeling at each gaze. Very bad feeling. Some kind of calm before storm. Like rats sense when a ship is sinking (some said, Michio had some common features with rats though). The boy couldn't lay in bed helplessly, he decided fast.
'I won't wait for my death here, won't hide like a dirty dog. Such fools gonna die the soonest.'
Time has come to take the reins. Then Kirika entered his mind. And? You can find thousands of other girls! She was one bitch among many, who were used as a toy, a chance for Michio to have fun. After having another think, the boy did not have any concerns. We can not say his wounds were so serious anyway...
'Little scratch, nothing more. Doesn't hurt much, what can I say? I am a good actor.'
Michio Otomo finally got up and was going after the weapons, that was the time Kirika stepped in.
"What are you doing?" she got scared and almost dropped the bread she brought on a plate. Then quickly ran to the boy, grabbed his arms and Michio was seated down again.
"Don't move, Mich. You are not ready yet. I've already said: if you're thirsty, jut let me know!"
At first Michio had no idea, what was Kirika talking about. A few seconds later realized: on the wardrobe, there was a glass of water and Kirika thought, Michio needed that.
'How lucky, that the glass of water is there. What if she suspected my plan...'
"I've brought you a fork. Just... I thought you might need it." Kirika explained, while she was up to make some room for the plate on the wardrobe surface. In this position she showed her back for Michio - unarmed.
"Katsumi got this fork as a weapon anyway. Awkward, isn't it?" the girl laughed.
"Darling!" all of a sudden Otomo started speaking. What did he say? Kirika ran chill from surprise. She turned around but was only staring at the other, maybe a little wistfully.
"That's right! I called you darling." the other spoke with a smile from ear to ear. "You know what? I wanna do 'that'. The thing beginning with 's'. Come on...For The last time."
No answer came. Then Kirika smirked, which had one meaning: all right!
In the living room, the girls had exactly their lunch - heartless game or not, they needed something to eat until the smallest sign of life was in their bones. Only Benika Hoshino was sitting on the balcony, as the current watch. Much speaking could not be heard, all of them were eating. About ten minutes later the watch rushed into the room breathlessly and...
"Ryusaki... Kinji... He's here again..." Benika panted.
At the moment the girls comprehended her words, everybody stood up and waited. What will happen? Katsumi hurried outside to help Benika, now with a Browning in her hands. Two heads are better than one, right?
"That jerk is here again." Erina breathed a sigh, said mainly to Nana and Fuyumi. "He's rambling in the near since six o'clock. We are sure, he's up to something."
"By the way, what is the time?" one of the girls barely asked, an agonized scream sounded right from the bedroom.
Like someone would be tortured. The girls stood transfixed with horror, because they knew, the sound came from Kirika. Almost a minute later the door slowly opened and that girl above stepped into the living room. Soon it turned out, why tears brimmed her eyes and why was an unfeatured grimace on her face. Her neck was held by an arm in black uniform - Michio Otomo's arm. Like in movies, when terrorists catch hostages; these girls saw a lot of situation like that on TV - many Japanese made movies were on the market, whilst other nationality products were banned. Although if someone was at home in the world of internet, could easily download Hollywood movies - against strict regulations.
Michio didn't just hold his hostage, but aimed a pistol (the handgun from the wardrobe!) at Kirika's head.
"I am sorry, but waiting for wonder or a never coming help is not my cup of tea." he appeared right behind the girl. The others immediately searched cover behind the table and a big, old sofa. Kirika whimpered from pain.
"I'm sorry for you, darling." said Michio without any sign of guilt, then acted if he has something on the brain.
"No, I lied. You aren't my type, never was and never will be. I made the offer for ahem... a 'ride' only to capture you."
"Capture to defend myself." at this point he had a look around in the room: each girl had a firearm and was aiming at him, ready in every minute to shot - they could not do for the time being, because the boy used Kirika as a shield.
So long as this monologue went off, the only boy reached the entrance with Kirika, but the furniture blocked the way so the escape seemed a bit problematic. The company in the living room waited. Fuyumi and Nana had nothing to defend themselves, they crouched side by side behind the sofa and listened carefully. Erina broke silence.
"Girls, I have to say that: we can't let this shithead to leave. We have to stop him at any cost."
Her fingers quivered on the trigger. Benika and Katsumi understood the message: to stop Michio, they first had to remove his 'shield' aka shoot Kirika down. Three guns was aiming at the Michio-Kirika duo at the same time. But all of them hesitated.
"I hate doing this."
"Do we really have to do?"
"Isn't there any solution?"
Understandably, Kirika didn't have the patience to wait the result.
"You vicious whores! I thought we are friends! All for one and one for all, no? We agreed not to hurt each other!" she wanted to escape out of Otomo's hands and kicked against the boy intensely. Unfortunately, without any success.
'I'm in great trouble, I have to do something.'
Otomo lost focus only for a second, but this made him more angrily. To show out, how furious he became and how serious his threatening was (namely sacrificing Kirika's life to save his own), he gave a single shot among the girls.
"SHUT UP DAMMIT!"
The enemies' yelling echoed in the villa for about a half minute long. During the gunfire Benika reacted too late, so Michio killed her successfully - the bullet got her in the forehead. Fuyumi Morimoto stared at the dead body with round eyes but crawled to the girl and queasily (from the view and the smell of blood) got the Czech made CZ75. From that moment hell broke loose, like throwing oil into fire. At least every student conceded that this game was not truly a game, no joke - who does not fight for their own lives, will fall even by the hands of a best friend. Ladies and gentlemen, that is death.
The girls shot back under a blindfold anger, just pulling the trigger as long as the bullets lasted. It resulted a tale of empty click-clacks few minutes later. For their vexation, Otomo survived the duel without a scratch. Not like Kirika, all the bullets were bedded themselves to her body - turning it into a mass of red, shapeless figure. Meanwhile, Michio jumped behind the smallest sofa near the exit.
The duel continued. Some had still bullets, they only had to reload. Michio shot back rarely, he mostly imitated the movement - a good tactic to wait until the girls fool away their resources. The blindfold anger made them to shot again without using their brain.
Didn't need to wait much. The sound of gunfire died away, excited whispering stepped into the place.
"So, you managed to shot all the bullets, congratulation ladies. I used only two, the rest had been imitated. Using the brain is not the habit of women. Well, maybe next time." he come out of cover and walked toward the table with severe steps.
'Feels good to have everything under control.'
He almost reached the girls, almost held his gun to shot, when a sudden BANG!
The cracking sound sounded louder than ever. Some plaster fell down from the ceiling, these pieces made quite a dust-storm. After the chaos settled down, Michio appeared with eyes on the ceiling. Not that if he would have seen or felt anything else, by that time he was dead thanks to a big hole on his stomach. The rest will not be described, the girls also was not able to watch the horrible sight. The killer, Otomo's murderer appeared right behind him and kicked the body into the ground before it could fall with a whop. Kinji Ryusaki had a shotgun and was ready to use it again - the survivors: Kirika, Erina, Fuyumi and Nana had nothing to fight back so Kinji had got time. That's why he did not hurry by gathering the weapons which were lying about - he kept those he could use later. He discarded the empty Browning, the CZ75, the UZI and the Revolver. And the shotgun used by himself became empty, too. No clips was left for these. He kept the Beretta, that was enough (Otomo took the electric shock device but Kinji had found none of these things).
As he was ready, the classmates came next. Nana was among the first to save her life. She advisedly left the living room toward the balcony and jumped over its fence.
'No matter what will going to happen, I won't end like that double-hearted Michio Otomo.'
She was out of Kinji's field of view, so the boy went after the other three. Erina, Fuyumi and Katsumi were much better for a target. Kinji aimed precisely and pulled the trigger with the greatest self-confidence. Fuyumi fell into the ground behind the sofa.
One among the three - check. Now two more to go - these two fled to the kitchen and a loud 'click' - the door has been shut. Kinji met bigger problems in the criminal band at home, this time he tried to break through with the help of his shoulders.
Failure.
No matter, how hard he tried, the door seemed unbreakable. It was utterly shut, blocked with heavy furniture or something on the other side.
"There's no way out. Here's the end, my friend." in the kitchen, Erina sat down in a total shock. "What should we do? Tell me!"
Kinji was still trying. Erina felt tears in her eyes, Katsumi cried too. She didn't answer, just stared at the ground; wanted to accept the fact, that they are going to die soon. Erina would have wanted to say goodbye, at least to Katsumi, as if she could not do with the rest of the friends. She was not that sloppy type, but this was the right thing to do. Well, Kinji didn't let time for that. Katsumi and Erina's last memories ended with the loudest sound of explosion, then everything started moving; walls, ceiling, furniture - the students were buried under this mount of rubble. Impossible to survive such a weight.
Kinji waited a bit, after about five minutes went to check the girls' health status. Seeing two hands out of the rubble, which were unmoving, rigid and white - we can calmly say out:
'Mission completed.'
Or was it?
All unawares Fuyumi came to her senses. She found herself laying at the big sofa and thanks to the falling (Fuyumi fell over the old cables and leads around the living room), Kinji missed the shot without taking notice. What a luck! No injures and the enemy thought her dead. Maybe there was hope.
'To be honest, I don't want to live for long, I just wanna avenge Baku. The boy, who I loved for years, unconditionally, with all his mistakes.'
Fuyumi shook the head to gather some strength and got up as silent as possible. According to the noises coming from the kitchen, the murderer could be still there. Fuyumi looked around to search for the shortest way of escape: wondering, from which direction had Kinji come? Benika had watched on the balcony, so not from there.
'The main entrance! It should be opened!'
Fuyumi didn't know, whether it is a good idea, but was worth a try. She ran to the forefront - this short time was enough for Kinji to notice her presence - and for Fuyumi's fright: every furniture of the barrier was untouched. Neither of them seemed so, that it would have moved away.
'Kinji knows another way in? But where is it? The girls said there's no other. And why am I wondering about such things, I have to save my skin!'
She had no other choice, just to turn back and try to escape through the balcony. Her heart was beating in the throat, hoping that she was not going to meet Kinji. Luckily the Ryusaki boy was just coming out of the kitchen, by that time Fuyumi reached the balcony. Jumping over Benika was easy. Doing it with the balcony fence was also. Like Nana, the girl felt a short falling, but survived. This time, by the second time - Kinji missed the target. He didn't give up, went after the girl. Too late: when he was leaning over the fence, saw only moving leaves on the shrubs. To make sure, that Fuyumi has not made far, he shot after her, right into the moving leaves.
Those were the last shots in zone I6. After silence brooded over the scene,Kinji put away the handgun (stolen from Otomo) contentedly. The boy had nothing to do here anymore, everybody was dead in this place. With every victim he got nearer to the goal. Kinji had so much to do, this little success meant only the beginning of his great victory. At last he made a second scouting in the house - gathered some food and drink, which ones survived the explosion.
Kinji hesitated no longer. He walked back to the small forefront, where objects were in their place. Yes, because he came of a different way, not through the main entrance. The answer was a rug on the wall leftwards, under this musty texture that hidden secret-door could be found. Kinji Ryusaki left the crime scene happily whistled.
[Number of students: 21]
*Candide: or, Optimism - a French satire written by Voltaire
Benika Hoshino eliminated
Kirika Kido eliminated
Michio Otomo eliminated
Erina Sasaki eliminated
Katsumi Wakai eliminated
