(LEO'S POV)
After liberating myself of the collar around my neck, navigating the island became insultingly easy. I had no problem going back to the village and finding my bag, which, miraculously, had remained untouched during my absence. I suspect that the zone in which it was located had become restricted sometime during my involuntary confinement in one of the houses. I didn't take it – it would have only slowed me down, which was something I couldn't afford.
The game is almost over. Within only a few short hours, all collars on the island will blow up, killing my opponents automatically. I can not allow that to happen. Strangely, I did not encounter any of the soldiers patrolling the island ever since I escaped, but if I had, there is no doubt in my mind that I would have been shot dead instantly. After all, removal of the explosive collar prior to the game's official end was strictly against the rules. The fact that I am no longer restricted by it gave me the ability to move around freely, but nothing more. In order to truly win the game, I had to eliminate all the remaining contestants myself.
And besides... Maybe their death would allow me to finally feel an emotion. I need to experience this, no matter what.
I quickly make a mental list of all the victims in the game. First was Hisao Nakai, killed by Raiden in the very beginning of the game to prove that the game of death he had organized was legitimate. Next were Shizune Hakamichi and Shiina Mikado, which I killed after turning Hakamichi's plan for easy kills against her. Emi Ibarazaki was also present, so I went after her. On the way, I encountered Akio Hayashi, whom I also killed. When I finally caught up with Ibarazaki, she was already dead, alongside Kenji Setou. I do not know who killed them, but it matters little.
I did not encounter anyone for hours after that. My first contact on the second day of the game was with Lilly Satou, Hanako Ikezawa, Miki Miura and Suzu Suzuki, who had formed an alliance. I managed to kill Suzuki, but just then I was captured by Saki Enomoto, whom I manipulated into removing my collar. Following that, I killed her and moved towards the east side of the island.
From what I gathered, the placement of the forbidden zones and their activation was not random at all. The entire west half of the island was already prohibited when we arrived, limiting our activities only to the east half. The only explanation that seems likely to me is that the available area was cut in two due to the small number of the contestants. Following that, various areas, starting from the West and moving East, began turning into forbidden zones. If my theory is right, then Raiden, or whoever is in charge of their placement, is trying to push the remaining contestants towards the east shore. Which is where I left.
On the beach, I encountered the bodies of Rika Katayama and Takashi Maeda, who had seemingly killed each other. That leaves only four people unaccounted for – Satou, Ikezawa, Miura and Rin Tezuka. I am guessing that the first three are still together, which makes them an easy target. Tezuka, on the other hand, is most likely already dead. Her lack of arms would prove a fatal disadvantage in a game where you have to kill or be killed. If I had to guess, I would say that she was either killed in one of the houses, or committed suicide by throwing herself off the edge of the island, which is why I have been unable to find her body.
I look around, wondering where I might be able to locate the last three. I am very sure that they must be somewhere on the east side of the island, but where? They wouldn't risk being exposed out in the open, and there are no buildings or houses nearby, except for the old lighthouse by the cliffs. Wait a second... A lighthouse... Could it be that they would try to send a signal to the mainland? Of course, this plan is doomed to fail – even if they somehow manage to get the lighthouse to function, despite its age and their lack of any knowledge on the matter, chances are Raiden and his soldiers have already thought of that and would not allow any ships to actually head towards the island. Even if a private vessel does leave, it will quickly be stopped and neutralized by Raiden's forces before it even approaches. And if that, by some incredible miracle, does not happen, then there is no way a simple boat, no matter how fast it is, would be able to get here in time. The only vehicle I can think of that can possibly make it here prior to the end of the game is a helicopter. And in the extremely unlikely event that the three manage to send a signal, a private helicopter pilot notices this, realizes what is going on, departs immediately, somehow evades Raiden's anti-air forces and lands on the island before the end of the game, then he would most certainly be unable to remove the girls' collars in time. And, since anything beyond the island is a huge forbidden zone, taking them away with their collars on would kill them.
Indeed, this plan of theirs has no chance of success, but... What if they do not realize that?
The human mind is an interesting thing. It is able to find hope in places where there is none. And it is able to hold on to that hope, no matter the circumstances. We are not so different in that regard. Just as they hope that someone will wake them up from this nightmare, I hope that I will eventually be able to feel an emotion, even though I know that I am incapable of doing that. Yes, there is very little doubt in my mind right now – they must be at the lighthouse.
I quickly head back inland and try to navigate through the woods in an attempt to remain hidden. The lighthouse isn't very tall – it has the advantage of being located on a relatively high cliff, so the building itself is only about two stories tall. It looks really old. I would say that it has not been in use for at least thirty years, most likely more. The white paint has been mostly chipped away, revealing the bricks underneath. The salty air has chipped away entire chunks of the concrete, which would make scaling the building a child's play. Once I'm close enough, I pick up the rifle hanging over my shoulder and use it to carefully examine the lighthouse.
I can not see any details, as the scope of my weapon is not exactly of military quality, but I can most certainly detect movement from the chamber at the top. Even though making out anything in particular is so difficult that I even have trouble counting the number of people inside, I am sure that there is at least one person inside. And even if it really is only one of them, she can easily lead me to the others.
I leave the rifle aside. I did not pick up any ammunition for it. Since it only fires non-lethal rounds, I determined that it was not worth the wasted time. I still have my MAC-10, with several magazines of ammunition, as well as my army knife. I can easily take down the three remaining participants with just those. Not to mention, I also have the element of surprise on my side. I quickly check if my submachine gun is loaded and ready, then carefully approach the lighthouse, hoping that no one inside would notice me.
It takes me no more than ten minutes to reach the building. I look at it carefully to determine the best route to the top, then place my hands on the bricks and pull myself up. I was never particularly skilled at climbing when practicing this sport at home. Then again, I was never really skilled at firing weapons before either, but I seem to be handling my MAC-10 quite well. My hand slips a few times on my way up, but I am always able to regain my balance and keep going up. The relatively short size of the building works to my advantage, and before long, I am able to reach the top. One more step, and I shall be able to clearly see past the windows at the top and into the room. But the people inside would also notice me, which might prove to be a fatal mistake considering that two of the three remaining contestants are armed. And I can not allow myself to be careless again.
No matter what I do, I will lose the benefit of surprise. The smartest plan would be to take full advantage of it and deal as much damage as I can before that happens. I wish I had a grenade or something similar. That would allow me to eliminate everyone in the room quickly and efficiently. But since I lack one, I will need to settle for the next best thing. While using my left hand and my feet to support myself against the wall, I reach for my MAC-10 and place it comfortably in my right hand. I take a deep breath to prepare myself. I will only have one chance of getting this right, so I will need to be really careful and make sure everything goes according to plan.
When I feel ready, I point the submachine gun up and empty the magazine at the glass, then thrust myself up and jump through the window, shattering it to pieces and landing amongst all three of my opponents. I quickly look around to assess the damage – two of them are completely shaken up by my sudden appearance. The third one is lying on the floor beside me, covered in blood and most likely dead. I point the gun at the others, hoping that they would not realize the magazine is empty.