[Player 10, please give your final words.]
Unlike the first-year students watching from the theater, the twelve players in the game couldn't see the real identity of the eliminated player. To them, the avatar for Player 10 was still blank. All they could hear was his somewhat bitter farewell message:
"The Witch didn't use the potion on the first night?"
"Not sure if it's because you were chosen to be a Lover, or if the Witch card was buried by the Thief. Of course, if you just thought it wasn't necessary to save someone on Night One and wanted to gamble that the Werewolves wouldn't randomly hit a Lover... well, no matter how you look at it, the Witch is a bit problematic this game. I hope the Good faction pays attention if anyone claims Witch later."
Player 10 clearly wasn't happy about being eliminated. After venting about the Witch, he finally got around to commenting on the game:
"Player 5 mentioned it earlier, but Players 7 and 9 both opposed me. Especially Player 9. I just used positional logic to suspect her, and everyone saw how aggressively she reacted."
"Her excuse was something about an overreaction, but honestly, her response is a perfect textbook example. If she were really a Good player, she should have just criticized my judgment or said my logic was flimsy, and that'd be it."
"Keep a close eye on Players 7 and 9. There has to be at least one wolf between them—maybe even both. From my perspective, Player 9 is basically confirmed to be a wolf."
"Player 8 is probably a Good role too. She had a broad view when calling out wolf positions, likely has a special identity."
"I recommend voting out Player 9 today, and investigating either Player 3 or 8 tonight."
"My identity was just an ordinary Villager."
"That's all. I hope the Good faction wins."
After he finished, Player 10's avatar dimmed completely, signaling that he was the first to be eliminated from the game.
[Sheriff , please select the speaking order for this round.]
[Player 2, please speak.]
To everyone's surprise, Sheriff Player 12 chose to start with Player 2, who had remained silent since the beginning.
"Um, I don't really get why everyone wants to push me out. I'm just a single Good player."
"Is it just because I didn't run for Sheriff ?"
"That kind of logic doesn't make sense. What if all three Werewolves decided to run for Sheriff this game? That could happen, right?"
"I've even seen games where four wolves ran for Sheriff , and we still won... Sorry, I'm rambling."
Player 2's statement was long-winded and lacked coherence. Even the eliminated Player 10 had made more solid points. While Villager isn't a role with much power, you should at least contribute something useful.
"Player 10 already said Player 9 is suspicious. I agree."
"We can assume Player 10 was Good, so anyone opposing him is potentially a wolf."
"Let's go with his idea and vote out Player 9 today."
"I'm definitely a Good player, and I'm super valuable! If you vote me out, we won't win!"
Perhaps trying to sound more convincing—or simply desperate not to be eliminated—Player 2 emphatically repeated his role claim. But it only made him seem less confident.
"That was dumb."
"He sounds like he's not even on the same level as the others."
"Can anyone figure out who this guy actually is?"
On the cruise ship, the first-year students grimaced and joked. Some even pulled out the player list and started speculating.
"Probably Ayanokouji Kiyotaka from Class D? I heard even Class D didn't know he secretly signed up."
"What? Really? That kind of overconfidence does feel like something a defective Class D student would do."
"He's so nervous he can't even speak properly, lol."
As they laughed and guessed Player 2's identity, Player 3's turn came and quickly shocked the room.
[Player 2 has finished speaking.]
[Player 3, please speak.]
"Hahahahahahaha!"
"I can't believe there are so many idiots doubting me, just because I guessed the Seer might be fake."
"Of course I knew saying that would make you suspicious of me, but—"
"What does your suspicion have to do with someone as beautiful as me? I'm a Good player! A Good player! A GOOD PLAYER!"
"Player 12, self-proclaimed Seer, you hate me? Then hurry up and investigate me tonight!"
"The wolves wouldn't dare leave the Seer alive tonight... right?"
"Tomorrow morning, Player 12 will have no choice but to give me the badge!"
Everyone instinctively lowered their volume. The emotions in Player 3's voice were overwhelming, with no pretense or strategy.
"Beautiful as I am, I'm just a humble Villager. But the Sheriff title? Suits me just fine."
He suddenly lowered his voice:
"Let me lead you all to victory."
[Player 3 has finished speaking.]
[Player 4, please speak.]
"The Witch not using the potion on Night One probably means they were chosen as a Lover."
"In this setup, the Good side officially has four special roles: Seer, Witch, Fool, and Hunter. But if the Thief stole one, that leaves only three."
"With only three specials, the Witch should definitely use the potion Night One. If the wolves blindly target a special, it'll be hard for the Good team."
"I agree with Player 10: the Witch was likely chosen as a Lover and wants to save their partner."
"Tonight, the wolves will probably attack Player 12, the Seer. Witch should use the potion. If the Seer dies tomorrow, the Witch is likely a third-party role. Or, the card was buried."
"Now for wolf suspects: Player 10 was Good, so today we must eliminate a wolf. Otherwise, we fall behind in turns. The Thief hasn't revealed themselves either, so we don't even know how many specials are on our side."
"We have to vote carefully or risk losing control."
"As for Player 1 claiming 'I'm a Lover'—well, I could say the same to you. Maybe Player 1 is actually Cupid, trying to confuse the Good faction."
"Who knows?"
"I believe in Player 12 and Player 11's gold-check. With Player 10 eliminated, Player 9 is super suspicious now. But Player 2's statement was awful."
"This round, vote out either Player 2 or 9. Let the Seer decide."
"Over."
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Sakayanagi Arisu had always liked the scene from the first time she met Kitagawa Ryo. The boy, resting against a white hospital bed, was as cold and quiet as his name suggested. The freshest morning sunlight streamed through the window as the girl opened the door to the hospital room and locked eyes with the boy.
His flawless appearance made even the nurses doubt that he could be the perpetrator of a violent assault. Arisu sat gracefully on the chair beside the bed, elegantly scrutinizing him.
"Your name?"
Perhaps he'd been asked that question many times already. The boy answered in a rather formulaic tone, giving a slight nod:
"Kitagawa Ryo. Just call me Kitagawa."
But Arisu never used that name from the start. Her instincts told her that those characters had nothing to do with the person in front of her.
"Hello, Ryo."
"My name is Sakayanagi Arisu."
With an unreasonably assertive attitude, Arisu chose to address him by his given name.
After exchanging names, the two of them observed each other cautiously, both trying to read the other's mind.
Sakayanagi Arisu was undoubtedly a girl worthy of being called "cute," but her beauty came paired with a dangerous aura.
In nature, many vividly colored creatures are poisonous—the more beautiful, the more dangerous.
By that rule, they were the same kind of people.
"Play a game of chess with me."
Arisu tilted her chin slightly. On the desk in the corner of the room, a chessboard lay in disarray.
She had heard from the nurses that Kitagawa often played chess against himself to pass the time. That alone piqued her interest a bit.
Kitagawa didn't refuse. Perhaps he realized the girl sitting in front of him could influence the outcome of his trial—or maybe he just wanted to kill time.
Arisu's calm expression began to falter twenty minutes later.
The hand holding the black pieces was long and fair, delicate enough to make one imagine how gently it might hold another's. But now, that same hand was systematically dismantling the white pieces' defenses, leading to an inevitable checkmate.
However, he didn't declare "Checkmate." He simply withdrew his hand and stared at Arisu as if he had grown bored.
Years later, Arisu realized her obsession with Kitagawa Ryo as an opponent began from that single gaze and gesture—as if some long-dormant sense had suddenly awakened.
Arisu didn't care about Kitagawa Ryo's past, nor did she care how he had acquired such a level of chess skill. In truth, with the Sakayanagi family's resources, she could easily uncover everything about him, if she wanted to.
But she chose not to. At the start, she didn't even care about Karuizawa Kei as a person. That girl was just a name in a courtroom statement. Whatever had happened between her and Kitagawa Ryo didn't matter to Arisu. She didn't care whether the assault had been committed to protect that girl or not.
It was like a child spotting a beloved doll in a store window—Arisu had chosen Kitagawa Ryo as her prized toy.
And children never care about the doll's materials, manufacturing date, or past on the production line.
"How about we make a deal?"
Arisu was ready to offer her compensation.
"Karuizawa Kei's medical expenses and future transfer—those, I can take care of."
Though she didn't fully understand Kitagawa Ryo, Arisu could infer his intentions from his actions.
"But you need to stay by my side—until you reach a level I'm satisfied with."
Kitagawa spoke for the first time:
"What do you mean?"
His voice was pleasant, like stepping on a stone path on an autumn morning.
"Hm?"
Arisu reached out and tousled his hair rather roughly.
"Simply put, you've been personally hired by me."
As if she had already taken his agreement for granted, Arisu opened the window. The breeze stirred the silver strands of her hair near her ears, and she gently tucked them back behind them.
"Karuizawa Kei—what exactly does she mean to you?"
"Who knows?"
Kitagawa Ryo replied from behind her.
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When Shiina Hiyori saw Kitagawa Ryo again, more than a year had passed since that incident. It was on a certain morning, just as she was spitting out a mouthful of foamy toothpaste in front of the mirror, that she received a call from Kitagawa Ryo.
But no matter what questions Shiina Hiyori asked, the answer Kitagawa Ryo gave most often was a vague, almost evasive: "Who knows?" He spoke to her like coaxing a child in kindergarten.
Just like before, those two words shut Shiina Hiyori out behind a closed door. She still had no idea about his past.
Yet Shiina Hiyori continued to tread carefully, avoiding those topics. Since that incident, she never asked again. The two of them chatted freely as they always had, about life and the mystery novels they'd recently read.
Shiina Hiyori had once considered investigating the truth herself, like a real detective.
But she gave up on that idea rather quickly. Just the scattered words from Kitagawa Ryo or the fragments of news articles she dug up were like sharp blades cutting across her hands. It felt like she was reopening her friend's old wounds.
Merely imagining the pain he might have felt was enough to make Shiina Hiyori abandon all her doubts, dissatisfaction, and grievances. Every negative emotion vanished.
So when she first found out that Karuizawa Kei had entered Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, Shiina Hiyori didn't have any strong feelings about it. It wasn't just because Karuizawa had completely forgotten the incident. It was more that Kitagawa Ryo hadn't said anything about it, so she didn't feel the need to intervene.
However, by the end of this semester, Shiina Hiyori suddenly realized that Kitagawa Ryo and Karuizawa Kei's relationship was beginning to improve again.
Especially after hearing from Ryuuen Kakeru that the two had gone to the pool together.
"Someone who can't swim going to save someone who can swim."
"All they'll do is cause more trouble."
"Who knows?"
A familiar phrase suddenly rang in her ears, the tone and inflection etched into her memory.
Shiina Hiyori turned her eyes to the avatar of Player 4.
She finally smiled.
At that exact moment, Sakayanagi Arisu, on campus, came to the same realization.
"Found you."
"Found you."
In an instant, the same yet slightly different thoughts crossed their minds:
"The werewolf teammate in slot 4... is Ryo."
"The lover teammate in slot 4... is Ryo."
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Currently revealed information:
Player 3: Kouenji Rokusuke
Player 4: Kitagawa Ryo – Werewolf, Lover with Player 8
Player 5: Shiina Hiyori – Werewolf
Player 6: Ayanokouji Kiyotaka
Player 8: Sakayanagi Arisu – Hunter, Lover with Player 4
Player 9: Ichinose Honami – Werewolf
Player 10: Kanzaki Ryuji (Eliminated)
Player 11: Horikita Suzune – Good Side (specific role unknown)
Player 12: Ryuuen Kakeru – Seer
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