Crescendo: A Spectacle of Deduction and the Maestro unveiled (Part 1)

Minutes before, when Noel and Marshal were walking toward the A building

(Before the new game of two minutes)

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"W-What can we do to b-buy time?" Though Noel had heard the question clearly, he found himself repeating it, taken aback. After a moment, he began to think of an answer. "I c-can't think of a-anything."

"I see." Marshal just kept walking toward the gateway.

"H-however…" Noel said, Marshal paused.

Marshal halted abruptly, his frown deepening as he struggled to comprehend Noel's words. "What are you trying to say?"

"I-I…"

"Noel. You can speak clearly. So, just speak. Unless you have some disease, you're the only one causing yourself to shutter."

"…" Noel fell silent for several seconds, then he laughed. "Y-You're right… I need your help… with something. Let me share my thoughts with you, and perhaps you can help fill in the gaps. We need a complete picture before we can even begin to formulate a plan."

Noel's entire posture changed, as if he had become someone else, and although he still struggled with his speech, it was clear that the problem was gradually resolving itself, like puzzle pieces falling into place of their own accord.

'What the… I was just saying that so he'd hurry up. This isn't something a few words can magically fix! Anyway, I may be wrong, I'm not a psychologist.' Marshal was surprised but quickly brushed it off. "What do you mean by needing my help?"

"You'll understand as I explain." Noel began, "To begin with, let's call the culprit This Person!"

Marshal raised an eyebrow, "Why not 'The Puppeteer' or 'The Manipulator'? And why that strange intonation?" He couldn't help but sweat slightly, thinking to himself, 'Am I really wasting my time listening to him?'

"Honestly? It just came to me, and I'm not really sure whether or not the culprit deserves any of these cool names. Now, on a serious note, can we—"

"And what is there to understand? It's just some supernatural psychopath who should have recently awakened their supernatural powers, I guess," Marshal cut him off. "If anything, countless people just follow the laws not because it's the right thing to do but because they know they will suffer the consequences if they're caught. So, what happens when they're sure they won't get caught? They don't need a-"

"Reason, because being able to do it is enough of a reason for them. I get it," Noel interrupted. "But there are clear contradictions that show that it isn't just a mindless case, at least not entirely."

The bulky man paused, then crossed his arms. "Fine, I'll humor you. You have my attention."

"Then, let's begin." As Noel's mind raced, a torrent of memories assailed him, each one linking to the next with relentless precision.

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Present

Solaris Plaza — Building A

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Under the bright lights of Solaris Plaza, an eerie silence reigned. Bodies of all ages, shapes, and conditions were sprawled across the floor like salt spilled on a dish, not to mention the many injured. The air was heavy with the scent of death and blood. The survivors were scattered, yet their attention was focused on one person — Noel holding a megaphone near his mouth.

"My name is Noel Leonel. I have no job, and I rarely leave my house." With these words, Noel captured the undivided attention of his audience. He knew time was of the essence, and so he began, speaking quickly yet with purpose. "I also have no friends, no lover, and recently lost my parents, my only family. Today, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and reconnect with the world, to breathe in the fresh air of change. But you know what unfolded next."

In less than fifteen seconds, Noel had shared a snapshot of his life, making himself relatable to his audience. He recalled his previous encounter with the man who had stabbed him; none present had chosen to participate in this deadly game. Everyone had their own simple, yet human stories, which if acknowledged, could transform them from potential enemies into something akin to circumstantial comrades.

"I won't pretend to understand everything that's happening," he continued, his voice echoing, "but I ask that you listen to what I have to say and help me shed light on the darkness surrounding our situation."

Nobody moved to either make a bomb, kill themselves or begin to make indescribable act. They were wondering.

"Participate to what?" Someone asked warily with a frown. At the end, listening to the strange beggar seemed a better alternative to continuing the chaos.

Dropping the megaphone on the ground, Noel continued to speak, his voice carrying across the plaza. "You will see."

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Logical Reasoning

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Introduction point — We will either perish or face a grim end.

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"Everyone present is stuck here by some supernatural means, with no way to contact the outside world since the network is blocked," Noel stated confidently. "Everything that happened, is happening, and will happen here is a black box to those on the outside. It's not a stretch to assume that even the top ten won't have a good end after the game. That's why I would rather die trying. So ignore any silly promises of freedom or immortality."

Logical axiom 1 : None of us will have a good end.

Logical axiom 2 : We are in a black box.

"I've been thinking along similar lines, but hearing it put this way makes me even more certain." Someone nodded in agreement. "But what is—"

"I'm not finished yet," Noel interjected.

"Okay, but watch your tone. Watch your tone. And what do you mean by axiom?" The individual raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms.

"Think of an axiom as the fundamental premise of logical reasoning. We must accept it as truth, no matter what. It's important to make logical assumptions, avoiding simplistic or naive suppositions. While some of our axioms may ultimately prove incorrect due to limited information, they still serve as crucial stepping stones in our reasoning process." Noel remained unwavering despite the skeptical looks exchanged among the group.

Addressing everyone, he continued. "But do you see anything wrong with these first two axioms?"

Everyone glanced at each other, unsure.

"Is this even a legitimate way to reach a conclusion?" someone asked.

"It doesn't seem far-fetched to me," another replied.

Although they didn't fully grasp Noel's intention, they remained engaged, if only because none were actually keen on continuing the deadly chaos.

'However, I need to capture their interest quickly.' Sweat dropped from Noel's face. "Let's proceed."

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First Point — Poorly Executed Game

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"For now, let's focus on the mindset of This Person!" Noel began, pausing as he noticed puzzled expressions on the faces of nearly everyone except Marshal, who palmed his face in frustration. "Oh, let me clarify. When I say This Person!, I'm referring to the culprit. So, let's concentrate on their mindset."

"His mindset?" came a reply. "We know he is annoying and doesn't give a damn about human life." The speed indicating the speaker's eagerness for a satisfying explanation that would convince him to keep listening to Noel.

"I was thinking more about the coherence of his actions, especially regarding the game," Noel elaborated. "Don't you feel that everything feels… poorly executed? The games only functions because we're trapped here and due to This Person's ability. Perhaps the panels are the only exception."

Someone interrupted Noel as he was about to continue.

"The panels aren't an exception, self-appointed detective," said the overweight man who had been trying to kill himself. "A basic display software included with this kind of device is being used; whoever utilized this didn't even bother to change the interface to make it less obvious. The configuration can easily be done with it; even an amateur could do it, whether or not they use AI to help."

He continued.

"As for the ranking changes, they can only be edited manually. Even if we are being filmed, AI video recognition cannot be easily programmed, especially in real-time; one needs more than simple trained data to recognize someone killing or dying with a camera lens. I even doubt it's possible… no, it's impossible! Manual editing is the only possibility… Manual?" He paused, then began to tremble.

As the realization of his words sank in, nearly half of the survivors fell into a stunned silence, their bodies rigid, eyes wide. The very air seemed to tremble with the weight of their collective understanding.

'I already had this hypothesis, but even with Marshal's help, I couldn't prove it in a satisfactory way.' Noel trembled; despite being filled with fear, a new emotion emerged. 'This is getting exciting!'

He then said theatrically, "Let's combine this fact with Logical Axiom 1 (We are in a black box). We can conclude that all the changes are being made from an internal server within this black box we find ourselves in!"

Logical axiom 3 : The culprit is hiding in Solaris Plaza.

"This is the only answer!" The answer was a cataclysm, an unforgiving storm of revelation that tore the curtain of ignorance shrouding many.

…

As he said this, Noel could see that the faces of most of them changed, some were frightened, some fell unconscious, strangely more had a hateful expression on their faces, perhaps because the culprit was no longer an unreachable being in their mind.

"WHERE?!" Someone didn't even bother to construct a sentence. The blood on her lower face alone was enough to tell that she had more than enough reason to be frenzied.

Noel remained calm. "I was getting to the point. But the priority should be to survive in order to see another day." He didn't appease anyone, but at least he prevented them from going off in a frenzy to organize a witch hunt.

"Is this person a supernatural?" Someone asked.

"Of course, stupid. How else could all this be happening?" came the reply from another survivor.

"I… I don't know. Sorry."

Only news pertaining to the supernatural was heavily suppressed in Nanome, not their existence. Official sources acknowledged the supernatural as a matter of fact, yet many remained skeptical.

Marshal pondered Noel's logic, finding it less far-fetched than before. 'I don't know if this is utter bullsh*t or genius, but his conclusion isn't without logic. We could assume that the supernatural entity might have supernatural means to operate outside the black box, but that supposition contradicts the logical system Noel has established, becoming a stretch since we have no proof of such capabilities. I wonder if, with the help of others, he can reach more conclusions… Wait… This is supposed to be a speech, not a deduction spectacle!' He wiped the sweat from his brow. 'Nevermind, everyone's still listening but we are wasting time.'

Someone interjected.

"But how could the supernatural observe…?" The chemist teacher paused as she noticed Noel pointing upwards.

"The camera!" Of course, a giant shopping center in a technological country would possess cameras.

"Yes, the cameras. Since the culprit manually edits the panels, it's reasonable to assume they use the cameras to monitor us instead of some supernatural means. This brings us to a new axiom!"

Logical axiom 4 : "The culprit was in a surveillance room."

The chemist wasn't fully convinced. "That's a huge leap. But to edit the scores manually, that's the only solution."

Now the survivors could pinpoint… Wait, what?!

Everyone paused, realizing that one of the words used by Noel was odd.

Marshal exclaimed, "Why the 'was'?!"

"Just like that. I can't confirm whether they moved or not. Probably not, I think. But I would rather put only the things I can see as irrefutable truth in an axiom." Noel said. '…But, what do I feel that there is a slight contradiction about the cameras? Never mind.'

He continued, "Step by step, we are paving the road to a conclusion." Noel pointed toward a panel showcasing the map of Solaris Plaza. "Look!" The restricted areas were specified, though, of course, no public map would explicitly show the purposes of each private area. "There are some restricted areas on Building A."

"I work here! This is the only area that has a security camera room!" Someone pointed at a location.

"...The culprit could be in another building." The overweight man said, "Even if you are the perpetrator, keeping your distance from a killing game is safer."

Noel shrugged. "It is irrelevant if the supernatural is in another building or in a restricted area of this building, as long as it is one of those possibilities."

"What?"

Noel ignored him. "...We're starting to lose time. For now, let's make this assumption."

Assumption 1 : This Person! is either hiding in this area or another building.

"So…?"

"For both this building and the restricted area, there is currently only one entry point for each!"

Everyone paused.

"Are you saying that we...? No, that's not possible. Whatever's keeping us here shouldn't be affecting the demon lord, detective. They should be able to use the other entrances of this building."

Noel shook his head. "It might be slightly far-fetched, but let's take axiom 1 again (we are in a black box) and…"

Noel ran toward the gateway leading to Building B. The door swung open easily. "As I guessed, the door can still be used. Since the beginning, only the paths to the exits were sealed! If the one behind this wants us to stay in this building, why not make sure that we can't leave for their sick games?! It isn't much of a stretch to add the following."

Logical axiom 2 — addition 1 : The culprit can't or won't manipulate the black box.

"So, we need to take these following actions:

> Action 1: Destroy all the cameras of Building A

> Action 2: We barricade the entrance of the restricted area of the building A.

> Action 3: We barricade the gateway.

> Action 4: We all take a sleeping pill."

"Sleeping pill?" Everyone asked, puzzled, Marshal included.

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Logical reasoning

Status : Interrupted

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"We're running out of time, and the culprit can still manipulate us. I suspect they severed their control over the unregistered due to fatigue in addition to… never mind. Let's waste their time and wait for the authorities to rescue us. We need to act fast! Yes, it may seem shady, but do you honestly think this isn't the best solution?" Noel thundered. 'We don't have the time… I wanted to say more, but it's pointless and it won't help.'

Nobody answered, however, a silent yes filled the building.

The entrance seemed indestructible. At this point, no one said it out loud, but it was clear that breaking it was unlikely.

In addition, no one woke up ready to kill or kill themselves. They were fearful, but did they truly want to obey the voice when their survival wasn't even guaranteed by doing so?

Amidst their internal turmoil, their thoughts were muddled, and they struggled to stay calm. However, the harrowing prospect of losing control over their actions united them in a sense of urgency.

Within moments, the survivors, driven by primal fear, sprang into action. The cart Marshal had brought became the center of frenetic activity as trembling yet determined hands grabbed tin cans and hurled them at the cameras. Most throws missed, but the frenzied cadence made up for their lack of accuracy. The cart, once filled to the brim, quickly emptied.

People rushed everywhere, searching for anything they could throw at the cameras.

Shattering noises echoed through the building, at the same time, diverse pieces of furniture were brought from storage, sealing both entrances with unprecedented efficiency.

As Noel couldn't move much due to the knife planted in him, all he could do was stand and observe. He couldn't suppress a wave of disbelief at the rapid transformation of his surroundings.

Soon, he noticed something as he lifted his head. 'Why does she hang them? Ah, I see… But why only set one at the door of the restricted area?' He briefly pondered before dismissing the thought. 'Nevermind…' Shifting his gaze to the right, he noticed the chemist teacher with whom he had spoken earlier approaching with a cart which contained several boxes of sleeping pills.

He picked up the megaphone from the ground and holding it near his mouth. His amplified voice cut through the residual echoes of broken glass and moved furniture.

"Well done! But we're not done yet. One crucial step remains, and if we don't it, all our efforts will be for nothing." His tone turned urgent. "The fact that the culprit doesn't control us now is a miracle, yet miracles don't last forever! If we can't be controlled, the culprit won't be able to break the barricade since they won't have anyone to manipulate!"

Noel turned his head. The old chemistry teacher and the cart were next to him. "This lady can attest that the pills inside are sleeping pills with an almost immediate effect. …Of course, you can read the text on the boxes to see what the pills do."

Some approached, while others didn't move from their positions. A voice rang out.

"And what tells us that you didn't put poison in it?! So what if someone in the domain can attest to it?! And she is a chemist, not a pharmacist, retard! As far as we know, you are playing the current game, and your speech was made to make us drop our guard—" A fist slammed into his face. A small sound was heard as he dropped to the ground. Marshal walked toward the cart, took a red pill from a box, then walked back to the unconscious man, forcing him to take the pill.

'Another unrealistic plan, Noel. But with my help, it becomes realistic. Breaking the cameras and waiting near the entrance of a restricted area, hoping to stop the culprit when they come — if they even show up at one of the two entrances out of the five restricted areas — was foolish. Not that I could come up with something better. At least, you seem to have noticed that with this new plan.' He knew that Noel might surprise him. Handing over the megaphone was a calculated risk, but it paid off. Noel's mindset led to new possibilities and unexpected outcomes.

Marshal came out of his thoughts looking at everyone with a frown.

"WE CAN'T WASTE TIME! Does anyone have a better alternative?!" His roar echoed through the building, and the unconscious body near him served as a reminder of his physical strength.

While not everyone was afraid of him, the lack of alternatives and the ticking clock left them with no choice. They quickly made their way toward the chemist, their footsteps echoing in the building.

'However, now I do have a better alternative.' Marshal looked at everyone moving with an imperceptible frown. 'Killing everyone present, then kill myself.'

'I now understand exactly what the culprit wants. The answer was right in your hands, Noel. I will ensure that this madness isn't rewarded and that more of your cursed kind isn't created. The culprit won't be happy if, after all their efforts and risks they took, they gain nothing. HAHAHA! Not a bad way to die. At least better than going out to buy milk.' Marshal suppressed a laugh as he walked toward the chemist. He wouldn't even have to pretend to take a pill in front of her or Noel, since he was immune to most common poisons and anesthetics. All he had to do was wait for everyone to fall asleep, then kill them… as easy as setting a bomb on a train.

'STOP!' The silent command reverberated through their mind, freezing them instantly. 'Remove whatever is blocking the restricted area entrance.'

Despite the heated building, everyone felt as if the temperature had dropped several degrees.

It was too late.