Chapter 28 – Trigger of Destiny
The air froze as the Accountant's words fell like blades:
"Three of you… will die."
The room erupted.
Mei shook her head violently, her voice breaking into a scream.
"No… NO! Why?! Why are you doing this to us?!"
Tears streamed down her face, her whole body trembling so hard she could barely sit upright.
Tatsuya's expression tightened. His calm tone cut through the panic.
"This game… it isn't a test. It's an excuse. They don't care about rules. They just want to hurt us."
Ren leaned back, forcing a smirk, though his hand shook.
"Relax. Relax, everyone. Don't lose it now. We'll figure this out."
But his voice cracked at the end, betraying his fear.
Shun slammed his fists on the table, fury spilling from him.
"We're nothing but toys to them! They're just playing with us like puppets!"
Aoi rose to her feet, fire blazing in her eyes.
"If you're so powerful, why hide behind masks? Cowards! If you have courage, face us yourself!"
Daichi's voice broke, desperate.
"Stop! Stop this! We won't play your sick game!"
A single gunshot ripped through the air.
A guard had fired into the ceiling. The echo thundered inside their chests, choking the words from their throats.
The Accountant's voice returned, icy and final.
"If you refuse to play… you die."
Shun glared back, defiance blazing in his voice.
"Then so be it! Better to die than kill our own friends!"
But the Accountant chuckled.
"Perhaps. But if you refuse… maybe we hurt your parents instead. If you play, we let them live."
Aoi's fists clenched.
"Don't believe them! It's a trick!"
But then—
"Shun!" a woman's voice cried out through the intercom. A man's voice followed.
Shun froze. His eyes widened in horror.
"…Mom? Dad?" His body shook.
"No… NO! Don't hurt them! Please—I'll play! I'll play! Just don't hurt them!" His voice cracked, raw and desperate.
The others stared, their blood running cold.
Then another voice came—a man's, groaning in pain.
Daichi's face drained of color.
"Dad…?! No, please! Don't hurt him! I'll do it! I'll play!"
His hands slammed against the table, tears brimming in his eyes.
The Accountant spoke again, smooth and cruel.
"If even one more of you agrees, we stop hurting your families."
Shun and Daichi turned to the others, pleading, their voices breaking.
Tatsuya closed his eyes. For the first time, his calm cracked. His voice was heavy, sorrowful.
"I can't… I can't watch anyone else cry. I can't watch people I care for be torn apart. If playing means protecting you… then I'll play."
The group stared at him in disbelief.
"You fool!" Ren shouted.
"Idiot!" Aoi slammed the table.
Mei gasped, her heart twisting.
Only Shun and Daichi looked at him with gratitude.
The Accountant's smile widened.
"Good. Very good. Now… sit with your partner."
The guards raised their guns, masks grinning.
"And remember—if you try to attack the guards, you will die instantly. And so will your parents. Do not be clever. Be obedient."
Reluctantly, they obeyed.
Tatsuya sat beside Mei, who could barely stop shaking. Shun sat with Daichi, both pale and hollow-eyed. Aoi sat with Ren, her glare burning holes through the Accountant.
The Accountant clapped his hands once, as though announcing a show.
"The rules are simple. Each pair has a gun on their table. First, you will play rock–paper–scissors. The winner takes the gun. Inside the chamber are six slots: one bullet, five empty.
"The winner has one minute to decide: fire at yourself… or fire at your partner. Each player has two chances.
"If no one dies after two shots, we flip a coin three times. Whoever loses… will be executed."
The words dripped like poison into their ears.
The Accountant's voice grew almost gleeful.
"Now then… let us begin the Trigger of Destiny."
Next in Chapter 29:Do Die Or Kill