14 The Obvious Plan

On the second day right after Kino died and I was tied up, Yukawa enters the room with a beaker filled with water. Our conversation continued smoothly not until we came to the point that he realized something about me.

"Someone will die, and it's inevitable. Probably, I'm the next target. They should be wary of those who are trying to clear the game as the greatest threat," Yukawa said.

"Then…"

"Saori, look at me in the eye," he said with a serious stare on my face. "Hirari noticed that hole in your story yesterday, and I replied to an answer just for a cover-up. But I already have the answer since the start."

"What… do you mean?" I asked with my dilated eyes, knowing what he'll ask next.

"Tell me the truth. You're one of the hunters, aren't you?" he asked with wrinkled brows. I can see his short breathing pattern well through his chest.

Even if we were the only ones in the room, the tension rose. Because he's too sure of his words coming up from his conclusions, I can't help it but reply with silence. He then gave me a room for diversion as I shake with fear. Truth or lie, black or white, I can't even be gray in this situation.

But his eyes can see through me even if I lie. It will make me look guiltier even if I didn't do anything like murdering Kino. I have no choice but to tell the truth. I hope he'd trust me with what I have to say.

"So, you really are. You didn't kill Kino, did you?" He asked while looking down at me as he carefully controls the tone of his voice.

"I… I promise… I didn't…" I stammered, rendering myself speechless. My shaking intensified because. Even if I did nothing, it will all depend on Yukawa's trust.

"I can't kill a person… I just can't… but…"

"It's self-defense, Saori. I understand," Yukawa replied. Somehow, I can feel the tension vanishing around him, but the air around me is still frozen.

"No, I didn't kill him! Believe me, Yukawa. The other one… It's too dark. I can't see… He nearly killed me but I… I said I was like him… a hunter…"

"Him? You mean he's a male?"

"His grunt… is a man's grunt. It's too deep."

"Then that means he already knows you? This is bad… Really, really bad," Yukawa gulped.

"What do you mean?"

"I believe you, Saori. You're not the one who killed Kino. But still, I have this question in mind. Why are all of us in the room? Don't mind this, Saori. I'm not suspicious of you. I think someone is lying about that information."

"But I might have to kill someone… even if I can't… I need to or else… I'll die."

"What do you mean!? The announcement didn't say anything like that!" Yukawa gasped while stumbling.

"'Kill up to two, else you'll die.' That's what is written in the paper together with the word 'hunter'."

"That seems suspicious. The rules of this anomaly were already stated from the start. Does that mean there are hidden rules of this game?"

"I… I don't know…"

"I'm sorry, Saori. I'm just speaking to myself. But I shall ask you, does the paper contain any methods of death when you didn't accomplish your goal?"

"None. It says 'death' as far as I can remember," I replied.

"I will investigate this matter more. Saori, the announcement says that we can't exchange our tags after the second day. Please swap with me," Yukawa requested with his eyebrows sliding from the middle top.

"What… are you saying? No… you can't! I can't see you die!" I exclaimed while shaking my head repeatedly.

"Don't mind me, Saori. I won't be killed nor kill anyone. In fact, I have a plan. Do you still have the tag on you?"

"I do, but promise me, that you'll harm no one."

"I promise. Because you narrowed down the suspects to three, it's easier to find who the culprit will be. Yes, just three… and I'll be the other one. With that, the game will finish with lesser casualties."

And after that, I slowly put out the paper from my pocket. My lips are still pressing with a slight grimace as I struggle to speak. I think that it's best if I will still be the hunter so that no one will be killed other than me. Yet, he quickly pulled the paper away from my hand because he can see my denial on it. He gives me his paper in return.

"So there really is a written note here. It's still suspicious about its effect," Yukawa said as he reads the paper. He pulls out a pen from his pocket and tried to write with it. "Figures, even an ink can't write here."

"What did you do?"

"Nothing, just the verification. I can't say if this is also written in the other hunter's paper, but for what can I tell, there's also a given urge for him to kill, else we can clear this game quickly just by waiting."

"Then… you said something about a plan."

"This is what it should be…" Yukawa continues explaining his plan to me. It's a plan not just to identify the other hunter, but to capture him. He elaborated it halfway until Hirari came into the room. The first step in his plan was clear.

"The hunter was me," Yukawa said with straight eyes in front of Ryo and Murata. I stayed at the door and lock it completely while I watch them.

Their first response was obvious. They gasped as both of them steps back from Yukawa while they shake. Their eyes dilated while they shake a simulated earthquake. They planned to run out and tell everyone about him, that's why I locked the door. They seem to infuriate me with violence, but I screamed before they got near to me.

"Please! Help us! I beg you!! We don't have much time to live!!"

The two suddenly stopped running. "What! What are you saying!?" Murata shouted while shaking.

Ryo felt the same and followed a continuation. "Yukawa, I trusted you. And now, you'll kill us in this corner!? What a coward move!"

"I should have done that if I'm the hunter," Yukawa said as he faces the two with his chin up. "But if we did, we would've been caught, right?"

"Then what's your point? And you, Saori, you're cooperating with him. That means you're the other hunter. I won't accept any more explanation than that!"

"Please, believe us! I'm not a hunter anymore. We don't intend to harm you," I replied. "We called you here for another reason."

"Whew, back to the start again," Yukawa sighed. "Are you willing to listen to this enemy's story? I'm sure we both have the same goal here."

"You're a hunter. How the hell we're supposed to believe you!?"

"Hirari already told you. We're going to find not the hunter, but the 'sole' killer. Among the remaining eight people, there's only one killer among us, and I'm sure it's not me.

"We're doing this for the whole group. I won't regret this plan because I know it'll work. We don't have time. Saori and I might die before eleven tomorrow, so you won't feel any more danger after we found out the last hunter in the group. Without me, no one will survive."

They suddenly became open ears. When the air goes lighter, Yukawa explained since the night Kino died. With my cooperation to help Yukawa narrate, they were completely convinced. It's not because of tricks or something, but it's the truth.

"It's the fourth day now. No murders are happening yet, and the last was Hirari who is yesterday," Ryo verified. "Then maybe he has time to kill someone until tomorrow, or else the hunter will die, isn't that right?"

"Yes, but that's what he only thought. When I exchanged my tag with Saori, I didn't die. It must be some kind of mind trick to get the game running. If I'm not focused enough, I should have believed this, but it isn't in the rules," Yukawa said.

"Then the murders that happened, was it all the sole hunter's doing? If he's this good then… AHEM! AHEM!!" Murata coughed loud just before he continues to talk. "Sorry… My throat is very dry."

"Reserve your strengths for later. We don't have any water source available."

"But your lips, they aren't that dry, and Saori's too. Wait… Don't tell me…" Ryo stuttered the moment he realized we drank the poisoned water.

"That's why we don't have much time. Any time, the effects might kick in. If there's nothing at all, not after 24 hours, we can conclude that the water is safe for everyone. We can still last for the other three days with it."

"Both of you, what you did is just too risky!"

"It's an accident, and I can't think straight at that time. I think if we can finish this, this game's administrators might give us an antidote. I think this isn't the only game that exists in this 'tower'."

"Then to finish this game, there's the only one we need to watch out for, the one that we need to be careful of? Is it the one that voted Saori only in the voting paper?"

Yukawa replied with strong eye contact. "Yes, it's the sole killer,

"Manabu."