Day 1

Elapsed Time: 0:02:02

It took about four seconds for (Girl #10) Chisa Tokimura to register the fact that Rei Hagane (Girl #12) was pointing a nailgun at her heart. Rei Hagane, the quiet girl who seemed so passive she would never hurt a fly.

Like usual, Rei's face was completely devoid of emotion. It was as if sitting in class staring into space and pointing a weapon at a classmate were equally interesting things to her.

"R-Rei…" Chisa's voice was barely audible. "You're… you're playing?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Rei didn't blink, her blue eyes piercing through Chisa's body. "It's the logical thing to do."

"So Rei… your mind operates on logic? Is that what's been going on in your head this entire time?" Chisa stared up at her classmate, wondering about all of the times she had seen Rei staring at the teacher with a look of total apathy on her face. Thanks to this almost-glazed look, there had been multiple instances of rumors about her being a drug addict of some kind.

"Somewhat," murmured Rei. "I felt that it would detract from my personal intellectual gains to interact with anyone else in the class, so I didn't talk to anyone. That's why I rejected your multiple attempts to create a friendship between us."

"You're… you're like a robot, then?" muttered Chisa under her breath. She was deliberately trying to stall Rei, or at least trying to find some way to shock her to her senses..

"No." Rei shook her head in an almost melancholy way. "Not at all… I'm only human. I still have wishes, dreams, and fears, like everyone else. I wished to move to Europe and begin studying abroad in college, and the logical way to do that now would be to win the Program."

"Rei…" Chisa could only stare as her classmate began to explain herself. The enigma that was Rei Hagane was unfolding in front of her eyes… she would've been overjoyed, had Rei not been pointing a nailgun at her. "Please explain this much to me. Why are you telling me this? Why not just kill me now?"

Rei fell silent for a moment before replying. "You… you were the only one who tried to get to know me better. You seemed to be the only one who cared… so I believe that you deserve to know about me… and that you deserve a fast, painless death."

"Rei, please stop and think about this!" Panic flooded through Chisa's body, and she cursed herself for being caught off guard. "We can get through this together-"

"Together?" For the first time since she had came to the school, Rei Hagane's face flared up with true emotions. Her eyes were ignited with a fiery bitterness that threatened to consume her whole. "That's what he said. That's what they all said, before…"

"Who? Who said that? Rei, please talk to me." At this point, Chisa was just stalling for time. It was clear to her that Rei was serious and out to kill; she needed time to come up with a way to get around that nailgun and away from her. She didn't want to kill Rei, of course…

"My brother… he was a police officer." Rei's calm voice wavered for a moment, sending a chill through Chisa's entire body. "He went to investigate gang activities a couple years ago… he said that tomorrow we'd go shopping together… and then I came home and found his blood… his body smeared in front of my house…"

"Rei, I'm so sorry-"

"Ever since then, the very sight of blood has made my body freeze up," mutters Rei. "But I can't let that stop me now. I need to live on for his sake, to study in Europe and work in the government. I need to live on… and now you've become an obstacle in my way."

Rei's hands trembled with every word. Chisa stared down at the nailgun's trigger, noticing that her finger was twitching sporadically.

"Chisa, thank you." Rei's voice was almost inaudible. "And I'm sorry."

"Rei, no-"

Rei's finger slammed down on the trigger. Chisa froze in place, waiting for the nail to rip through her skin. The nail surged forwards in the gun at a lightning-fast pace before-

TIC.

It took about three seconds for Chisa to realize that she had not been shot. In fact, the nail was still nestled in the muzzle of the nailgun; however, it was just sticking out a little bit farther out. Rei stared down in confusion at her weapon, completely befuddled by what had just happened.

"Rei, please calm dow-"

BANG!

The gunshot snapped through the air, leaving silence in its wake. Chisa could only stare in shock as the class loner toppled off of the rooftop and fell lifelessly onto the sidewalk below.

•••

In the modern era, most guns have "safety" mechanisms that prevent an accidental discharge. Nailguns are no exception; most nailguns have a "catch" feature that obstructs the muzzle and prevents the nail from leaving the gun. Because of this, many people simply hold the trigger down and use the safety "catch" as a conventional trigger.

Unfortunately for Rei Hagane, she had never used a nailgun before in her life. She had absolutely no way of knowing this beforehand, and it led to her demise.

Chisa stared down at her lifeless body, her gaze fixated on the blood pouring out of the side of her head. Her entire body was trembling; her mind was racing about and all logical thought had disappeared.

No way… people are actually playing the game… no… this can't be…

She was very lucky. Had the sniper really been playing the game, she would've been the Program's second kill.

•••

Yuusuke Shimizu (Boy #9) had received some kind of bolt action rifle in his pack. It was large and a bit unwieldy, but it had an adjustable-zoom scope and a suppressor as well. Yuusuke had practically no knowledge about firearms besides what he had seen in video games, so he assumed that it was some kind of long-range rifle.

He had not been planning to go along with the Program. His initial motivations were simple: to find Daisuke Matsushita (Boy #19) and Tobei Yamashita (Boy #20).

Daisuke was Yuusuke's role model; he was everything Yuusuke wanted to be, and everything Yuusuke was not. As such, Yuusuke viewed him as a sort of hero, though not to the level of religious worship. Yuusuke also knew that Daisuke already had a job in the video game industry, despite just being in school; as such, he naturally assumed that Daisuke was a talented programmer as well, and he himself had tried programming as well. Naturally, since he had just started, he was absolutely terrible.

Tobei was Daisuke's best friend, and one of his coworkers. While he was not as skilled as Daisuke, his cool attitude and relaxed aura always put Yuusuke at ease, removing all of the natural stress that comes when you're talking to someone you idolize. He had quirky speech patterns, often addressing others with a calm and easygoing "Hey". Yuusuke liked Tobei a lot, and he didn't want to see him die in something as unjust as the Program.

Yuusuke didn't want to risk waiting near the entrance for them; after all, anyone and everyone could be playing, and he didn't know who was a threat and who wasn't. The only thing he knew for certain was that Daisuke and Tobei could be trusted. So he decided that his best course of action would be to find an elevated spot in the city and search for Daisuke or Tobei with his bolt-action rifle's scope.

When he first exited the building, he spotted a skyscraper that towered over the entire city. It took about forty minutes to run over there, dash into the elevator and go to the roof. There, he set up his sniper rifle on the railing and and began to quietly search for Daisuke and Tobei with the scope.

The skyscraper was in zone C-2. Yuusuke noted to himself that he'd seriously kill himself if he forgot that he was in C-2 when it turned into a danger zone. Lightly chuckling, he thanked fate that his sense of humor was still intact, even if the joke was terribly morbid.

He was able to quickly locate the school, just as Yukina Yanagi (Girl #20) stepped out into the open. Silently cursing himself for missing both Daisuke and Tobei's exits from the school, he sighed and began to scan the surveying city.

About an hour into the Program, he spotted a scene in a faraway street; two figures were talking. He could identify one of them as Shan Kobayashi (Boy #6), the spoiled child of the corporate executive. As he observed the scene, he saw Shan lunge at the other figure with some kind of thin object. Soon after, the other person collapsed onto the ground.

Yuusuke was tempted to shoot Shan there and then. But it was still early in the game; his moral compass was still mostly stable, and he realized very well that shooting would mean ending someone's life. He'd have to live with that for the rest of his life - no matter how short it would be.

Knowing Shan, he'd probably get himself killed soon anyway. Yuusuke suspected that most people were only playing in self-defense, and an idiot like Shan would probably charge blindly at someone and then get shot. He was pretty sure that most of the class were mentally stable… but then again, this is Battle Royale, and anything can happen.

Within the twenty minutes that passed after the scene with Shan, Yuusuke turned around from the ledge and began to contemplate his choices. Should he be shooting people or not? How much will it affect his own psychological state? Would he still be stable enough for Daisuke and Tobei to trust him?

What if he accidentally shot Daisuke or Tobei?

However, as time passed, Yuusuke began to regret not shooting Shan more and more. Eventually, he came to one conclusion: he would only shoot if he could clearly identify the target and they were clearly playing the game. That way, he would be able to eliminate dangerous opponents that could harm Daisuke or Tobei, and nobody more.

As he began to look through his scope again, he noticed another encounter. Conveniently enough, this one was more close by; he could identify both of the two girls as Chisa Tokimura and Rei Hagane. Judging by the nailgun in Rei's hands and how she was pointing it at Chisa, Yuusuke was able to deduce that yes, Rei was playing.

Rei Hagane was an enigma in Yuusuke's head. There were so many unknowns that made her impossible to predict, impossible to analyze. Yuusuke, being human, decided to assume the very worst possible scenario: Rei was one of the biggest threats in the game, and she had held up her antisocial attitude in case of a Program. She probably knew that emotional attachment could be the worst type of anchor in this scenario.

Yuusuke had no emotional attachment to Rei whatsoever. At this point, had no qualms about killing someone he didn't know anything about besides her name, at least if it was to protect Daisuke and Tobei.

So he acted.

Despite being suppressed, the gun was still fairly loud from nearby. Yuusuke didn't expect any of the knockback, either; it blew him backwards and off of his sniping ledge. Nonetheless, once he recovered, he used his scope to zoom in on his shot.

Before, Rei was standing on the roof of another building; now, she was lying face-down on the sidewalk. Yuusuke could immediately tell that she was gone for good. He felt a bit remorseful for ending her life, but pushed the thought away with reassuring statements that justified his actions, at least in his eyes.

I did this for their sakes. It was for Daisuke and Tobei. Otherwise, Rei might have killed either or both of them. I had to.

And I'm more than willing to eliminate anyone else who could threaten either of their lives.

Daisuke… Tobei… They would understand. Of course they would understand. They would see that I was just trying to protect them.

As Yuusuke piled justification after justification over the regret, his moral compass began to twist and mangle itself out of shape until it was no longer recognizable. Within thirty minutes, he found himself ready to do anything to protect Daisuke and Tobei.

•••

As luck would have it, Shunpei Furuya (Boy #18) and Masaharu Akamine (Boy #1) had been nearby when Yuusuke Shimizu fired his gun.

"Was that a gunshot?" Masaharu froze in place. "Is there some kind of gunfight going-"

Shunpei cut him off, pulling him into the building nearby - a convenience store.

"Quiet down, Masaharu," he hissed. "It could be a sniper."

"Or it could just be a stray shot from a pistol." Masaharu lifted his textbook in the air. "Or it could be a warning shot. You never know."

"That's why you need to plan for the worst-case scenario." Tomahawk at the ready, Shunpei warily scanned the empty store. Most of its contents were still in place; stacks of chip bags, onigiri, and other assorted goodies were still neatly organized on the shelves. "Masaharu, let's check to see if anyone else is here."

"Good idea." Masaharu glanced around. "What if I find someone?"

"If they're playing, give me a shout and try and whack 'em with that doorstopper of yours," said Shunpei apathetically. "Otherwise, try and negotiate. Don't kill unless your own life is threatened-"

"You don't need to worry. This building was clear, at least until you arrived." A voice interrupted both of their conversations.

Masaharu swiveled around. "Wha-"

Shunpei didn't give him a chance to finish. He pulled the boy down into the aisle, hoping to find at least some cover in the shelves.

"Calm down, calm down! I'm not playing." A head popped out from behind the counter, followed by the muzzle of a revolver.

"That'd be a lot more convincing if you weren't POINTING A GUN AT MY HEART!" retorted Shunpei sharply.

A moment passed before the figure tossed the revolver onto the ground and stepped into the light with their arms up. It was Toshimi Mitoratsu (Girl #17). Shunpei saw Toshimi as one of the "overly friendly" types who tried too hard to befriend everyone. Masaharu, on the other hand, saw Toshimi as one of the most welcoming and kind people in the class. He couldn't imagine her hurting a fly, not to mention killing a classmate.

Almost immediately, Masaharu relaxed. "It's just Toshimi! We're safe here, for now at least."

"What are you talking about?" Shunpei glared at him. "The Program changes people, you know that! She might be-"

"Shunpei, you're such a worrier," interrupted Toshimi. "First of all, I already threw my weapon down. Second of all, if I really was playing, I could've shot the both of you the minute you got into the building. Convincing enough for you?"

Shunpei shut up abruptly. Toshimi did have a point… though since he was never that close to her, he didn't feel like she could be completely trusted.

On the other hand, she DID have a gun, and the two of them didn't.

"So, what brings you here?" she asked. "Besides, you know, the Program and all?"

"Oh, I don't know." Shunpei muttered with a touch of hostility. "Maybe, you know, running for our lives before someone loses it psychologically?"

"Shun-kun, be nice!" Masaharu whacked him on the shoulder with his textbook. "She's a friend!"

Shunpei sighed. "Fine then. So, Toshimi, was there anyone else here?"

Toshimi shook her head. "I haven't seen anyone since I left the school. When I saw this place, I realized that grabbing some food for the road couldn't hurt. I was just checking to see if there was anything else I could scavenge before you two came in."

"Interesting," muttered Shunpei.

"Shun-kun and I met up early in the game, and we just started kind of wandering around," said Masaharu. "We heard the sound of a gun firing, and Shun-kun here got paranoid and thought that it was a sniper."

"It probably was a sniper!" retorted Shunpei harshly.

"It was probably just a warning shot from a pistol," replied Masaharu.

"Either way, I don't think we need to worry about that now," said Toshimi. "We're inside a building, after all. There's only one entrance we need to worry about."

"So, Toshimi, what do you suggest we do now?" Shunpei raised an eyebrow.

"If possible, we wait until sunrise," she replied. "While darkness can provide cover, it also makes it very easy to stage an ambush. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if one of our classmates had already been ambushed by someone else in the dark."

"Good idea!" Masaharu grinned and picked up a rice ball. "Might as well stock up on food, too…"

"You sure?" Shunpei glanced over at his ally. "You never know when you need space in your pack, and that doorstopper is going to take up a lot of space."

"It'll be fine!" reassured Masaharu. "Right, Toshimi?"

Toshimi shrugged. "Yeah, I think so. Don't worry about it. Besides, more food can never hurt."

Unless Masaharu, being the idiot that he is, gets himself killed, and the killer takes all of his food.

Shunpei sighed. Not like those two would listen to him anyways…

"It'll be quite a while before sunrise…" Masaharu scanned the shop again. "Is there a deck of cards or something around here?"

"Dunno, but we can look in the employees' room," replied Toshimi.

As the two casually chatted away, Shunpei found himself staring off into the street. While it was completely devoid of others, he couldn't help but stare at the miniature skyscraper in the distance, and the teeny muzzle that was poking out from the top.

•••

Elapsed Time: 0:02:08

There were two transfer students in Class 3-B. One of them was Shan Kobayashi, the spoiled son of the Chinese corporate executive. Then there was the second one; the Taiwanese boy Johnson Hsiung (Boy #7).

Johnson had obtained one of the most unusual "weapons" in this year's Program. When he received his bag, he had been shocked to see that it was warm and wriggling about. Immediately after he had left the school, he opened up his bag to see a cream-colored mass of fur.

Sitting inside his bag was his Shiba Inu, Cookie. Johnson had taken Cookie to Japan with him as a travelling companion, and the dog had been his best friend since they were toddlers.

The Shiba Inu is not an easy breed to train. But Johnson and Cookie had a special bond; it was like they were soulmates. Cookie always seemed to know what Johnson was thinking, and what he needed. He would obey Johnson's every order, like an obsequious servant. Johnson was the same; he would do anything for the Shiba Inu.

Cookie was loyal, devoted, and quite possessive of his partner. Anything that seemed like a threat to Johnson was immediately chased off. Like a vigilant ninja protecting his prey, he was swift, nimble, alert, and quiet. Hopefully, he'd be quite the asset… though Johnson felt terribly guilty for dragging him into the bloodbath. Though it wasn't his choice to bring Cookie into the Battle Royale, he knew that had he not participated, Cookie would still be safe at home sleeping in his warm bed.

If anything, Cookie deserved to live even more than he did. But that's a story for another time.

•••

"Hey. Hsiung, wasn't it?"

A voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He had been skulking in the dark for quite a while; he had run into someone about an hour before, but was unable to identify his pursuer. Panicking, he had grabbed Cookie and raced off as fast as he could.

"Yeah, you. Hey."

Johnson glanced over at the apartment building next to him. Checking his map, he deduced that he should be in sector A-7, next to the apartment complex.

"Calm down, Hsiung. I'm not playing, and it looks like you're not either."

Johnson looked up at the apartment's second floor window, where a familiar face waved at him. It was Tobei Yamashita (Boy #20).

"Are you alone?" asked Johnson.

"No, I've got a couple others with me. Hayate, Tai, and Kyon," said Tobei. "Hang on, I'll open the door for you."

He disappeared from the window, leaving Johnson alone in the cold for a moment. At first, he suspected that Tobei would take whatever weapon he had and attack him; however, he pushed the thought aside. Tobei was cool and calm, but he wasn't a liar.

The door swung open, and Tobei extended an arm out. "Hey. Come on in."

Nodding hesitantly, Johnson warily stepped into the apartment complex. As he followed Tobei up the stairs, he wondered once again if he was walking into a trap.

In the Program, people can change drastically fast. The real challenge is knowing when someone you considered a friend warps into a cold-blooded murderer waiting for an opportunity to stab you in the back.

Girl # 12 Rei Hagane - Dead

41 Students Remaining