CHAPTER 27 — Rolled Gun
The next morning began with a voice sharper than any alarm.
"Wake up. Good morning… I hope it's not your last."
The Accountant's words slithered through the air like a curse.
Mei's eyes fluttered open, confusion flickering across her face. "Wh-what… does that mean?" Her voice was fragile, as though speaking it aloud might shatter her.
Ren sat up with a crooked grin, forcing levity into his words. "Heh… I think it means this might be the last sunrise we'll ever see. Or maybe… maybe we'll never see one again. East, west—hell, I can't even remember which way the sun rises anymore." He chuckled, but his eyes betrayed him, darting nervously, searching for an escape from dread.
Aoi pushed herself upright, fists clenched tight. "So what is this? Another game?" Her voice carried defiance, but the fear beneath it trembled like glass under strain.
Shun folded his arms, suspicion hardening his gaze. "Or is this finally over? Do we get to go home?"
The Accountant's lips curled into a thin smile. His tone was smooth, polished—glass that cut deeper than steel. "You misunderstand. A new game awaits."
Tatsuya raised his hand, calm and measured. "What game?"
"First," the Accountant said, "form teams of two."
The silence that followed weighed heavy, thick as chains.
Shun's eyes immediately locked onto Tatsuya. "Then you and I—"
But Tatsuya cut him off, steady and unflinching. "No. You should choose someone else."
Shun blinked, frozen. "What? Why?"
"Because I am weak, and you are strong," Tatsuya replied. "If we stand together, the balance tips too far. Better to spread strength evenly. We'll survive longer that way."
Shun's jaw tightened. For the first time, his expression wavered—caught between admiration for Tatsuya's logic and the sting of rejection.
Across the room, Ren turned to Aoi, flashing his trademark grin. "Aoi, team up with me."
Her eyes narrowed. "And why should I?"
Ren shrugged, smirk sharp. "Because if you don't, you'll just end up with someone boring. I may not be the strongest, but with me… maybe you'll feel stronger. You know, like in Angry Birds. You're the slingshot, and I'm the bird—flying straight at danger."
Aoi's glare could have split stone. "Say that again, and I'll make sure you're the one flying headfirst into a wall. But fine. I'll team up with you. Just don't call me Angry Bird again."
Ren chuckled, raising his hands in surrender.
Shun, still simmering, finally turned to Daichi. "You. Team with me."
Daichi hesitated, glancing briefly at Tatsuya, then nodded. "Alright."
That left Mei—small, trembling, trying to disappear into herself.
Tatsuya crossed the room with quiet resolve. He stopped in front of her. "Mei. Be my partner."
Her lips parted, her voice a whisper. "But I… I'm weak. I panic. I slow everyone down."
Tatsuya's reply was firm, unwavering. "Do you remember what I told you? I will protect you. That hasn't changed."
The words struck her heart like a bell. For the first time in days, she raised her head. Her eyes shimmered—not with fear, but with fragile trust.
"Then… okay," she said softly. "If you'll protect me… I'll stand by you. Until the very end."
The Accountant clapped his hands once. The sound cracked like a gunshot. "Excellent. Teams are made. Now… let the game begin."
A hiss filled the air. Sweet. Metallic. Poisonous. One by one, their bodies dropped into unconsciousness.
---
When their eyes opened again, the world was wrong.
They sat in a square room, dim and suffocating. Six chairs, arranged in pairs. Each pair faced another across a narrow table. At the center of each table lay a gun. Its polished steel gleamed beneath the harsh fluorescent lights, as if it had been waiting all along.
Behind them stood figures in black suits. Smooth white masks stretched into grotesque smiles hid their faces. Human in shape, but not in soul. Each carried a gun, silent, watching.
Breaths quickened. The weight of the room pressed down like stone.
The Accountant's voice slithered through the silence, cold and cruel.
"Sit. Face your chosen partner. The team you picked will determine your fate. Welcome… to Russian Roulette."
The words landed like a sentence of death.
Ren's smirk cracked. Daichi's breath stuttered. Aoi's fists shook, pale with strain. Mei pressed her hands against her chest, trembling so hard it seemed her bones might break.
Shun's eyes darted—gun, mask, Tatsuya. Searching for answers in a place where none existed.
And Tatsuya… sat. Calm. Composed. His expression unreadable, though his mind churned like fire. This isn't a game. It's an execution disguised as one. Only those who play smart will live.
The Accountant's voice lingered, mocking.
"Now… let us see who among you wishes to live… and who is ready to die."
---
⚡ END OF CHAPTER 27 — Rolled Gun ⚡
The dice are no longer dice.
The game is no longer chance.
Every pull of the trigger is a choice,
and every choice is a confession.
Next in Chapter 28:Trigger Of Destiny