(LILLY'S POV)

'T-there! The lighthouse!' Hanako yells out happily next to me 'Just a l-little further!'

I smile and nod, still holding on to her arm. After all this walking, I am glad that we have finally reached our destination. The thought that we might finally escape the island almost seems too good to be true. I try not to keep my hopes up. The odds of this plan working at all are against us. After all, even if the lighthouse itself isn't a forbidden zone and we manage to make it work, we still don't know if somebody will actually come to our aid. And even if they come, will they be on time? Raiden said that the game only lasts for two days. After that, all of our collars will explode. And, even without my sight, I can still tell that our time is almost up.

'Keep your eyes on the tracker, Hanako!' Miki says firmly. 'We don't want any more surprises!'

I'm not sure if it's just me, but I feel certain... discomfort in Miki's voice, which is not unnatural considering that she is badly wounded.

'How are you feeling, Ms. Miura?' I ask politely as we keep walking towards the lighthouse. She is, more or less, our only chance of staying alive and escaping the island. If she succumbs to her injuries, then Hanako and I will most certainly follow suit.

'Not too good' she responds honestly. 'My right eye's busted, no doubt about it. I thought it was just temporary and it'll pass, but no such luck. Guess I should get used to wearing sunglasses or something'

Miki chuckles at her own joke. I don't find it even remotely funny.

'W-what about your w-wound?' Hanako asks carefully.

'It's not bleeding, at least. Other than that, I have no clue. Maybe a cast will fix it. Or maybe the injury's permanent. Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that, right now, I can barely move my shoulder. The only way I'll be firing my gun is from the hip, like a cowboy or something. However, don't count on me using my pickaxe any time soon, at least not to actually kill someone'

'And... d-do your feet h-hurt?'

Hmm, I wonder why Hanako would ask that.

'Is there a problem with your feet, Ms. Miura?'

'Not really a problem... I was just stupid enough to leave my shoes back at the house...'

Ah, that makes sense. It explains why Suzu and I couldn't hear her when she sneaked up on us. The firefight happened immediately afterward, so Miki probably didn't have time to run back and put her shoes on.

'Are you alright? Do you need to rest?'

'I'm fine, really. My feet hurt like hell... but then again, that's not something new for a sports enthusiast such as myself!' she laughs softly. 'The only thing I need right now is a hot bath and an even hotter cup of tea, and I'm not getting either of those unless we get off this rock'

Ah, a cup of tea truly sounds wonderful right now... I close my eyes and sigh. I can almost taste the steaming hot, freshly-made green tea in my mouth.

'Tell you what – when this is all over, I'm taking both of you to an onsen! We'll get that clumsy girl from the Shanghai to serve us tea while we're in the water!'

'Ah! R-really? I've n-never tried d-drinking tea while b-bathing...'

'Trust me, it's just as good as it sounds!' Miki chuckles.

'In that case, I wouldn't mind taking you up on your offer' I smile.

'So it's settled! As soon as we get back, we're hitting the nearest onsen!'

'I t-think that, as soon as we g-get back, you s-should see a doctor...' Hanako speaks quietly.

My little Hanako... I almost feel sorry for her. She actually believes that these arrangements are something more than very wishful thinking... I do not have the heart to tell her that we will most likely never leave the island alive.

'Okay, okay!' Miki says, not skipping a beat. 'I'll go see a doctor if you insist so much, but after that, you're getting in that onsen even if I have to undress you and throw you in myself!'

Hanako giggles. My lips curve into a faint smile as well. Well, perhaps it's not a bad idea to pretend like everything will turn out okay in the end.

'Any forbidden zones around?' Miki asks, abruptly changing the subject. I am guessing that we are have almost reached the lighthouse. I hear my friend reach into her skirt pocket and take out the small device that I acquired earlier.

'Y-yeah' Hanako stutters. 'To t-the North and S-South...'

'What about the one right in front of us?'

'It's s-safe' she says quietly, with relief in her voice.

'So, the lighthouse wasn't turned into a forbidden zone after all... That's weird, considering the fact that it's the only way we can send a signal... Could Raiden be setting us a trap?'

'I d-don't think so...'

'Do you have an idea, Hanako?' I turn to her and ask.

'Y-yeah... Remember "B-Battle Royale"?'

'Oh, right, that book Raiden was ranting about when we were in the classroom, when all that started!' Miki reminds us. 'You had read it, right?'

'Uh-huh... In it, the l-lighthouse is... important...'

'Important?' I turn to her once more.

'Y-yeah... A lot of students d-die there...'

A few moments of uncomfortable silence follow. If Hanako's theory is true, then Raiden is deliberately leading us into the lighthouse so we can kill each other there.

'Well, guess we're rewriting the book, then!' Miki says cheerfully. 'The game is almost over. Since Harway didn't come after us, chances are he's dead. Which means we're most likely the only people left on the island'

'There is no way for us to know that' I turn to her. 'We shouldn't let our guard down'

'That's not what I'm saying. I just mean that the chance of someone actually finding us here are very, very slim! Come on, let's go in. We don't have much time' Miki responds confidently.