**Blades materialized around the witch — handleless, neither swords nor daggers.** They weren't made for battle. No. They were crafted for murder.
As if she already knew her target.
As if this was never a game at all. Just an execution — with theatrical flair.
*"I see now. She's planned this all along. Of course."*
— Begin, — I said. — I'll dismantle your arguments without blinking. Assuming my eyes remain intact.
— How serious you are! I *like* that! — Her voice dripped with childlike glee. — But a sheep can't defeat a wolf!
The world twisted. Space erupted into a bubble — a sphere freezing a moment from the past. A projection? Illusion? No, a *memory*. Like someone had pressed rewind and play simultaneously, turning reality into filmstrip.
— My first move, — she declared.
— On the first night, you split into three groups — *supposedly* for safety. A trap. The first group had already decided to lure out the killer.
— Then, secretly, Kamiki and Tiamut joined them. Their plan? To test if Enua was dangerous — via the telephone.
— The line stayed open the entire call. Their alibis are confirmed. Irrefutable.
— And you? You were *asleep*. In your room. While Enua, by your claim, stood guard. The murder happened *then*.
— In short: you can't prove his alibi. Because you were... sleeping. Zero witnesses. You're *helpless*!
*"...Predictable. I knew this would be her opener. The others conspired behind our backs. Naturally, they assumed Enua was the killer. Easier that way."*
— You've no proof. Thus, the first move is *mine*! — Her voice crescendoed into a screech. — Pathetic, *pathetic* little man! Agh-hah-hyh!
— Wrong, — I countered. — Did you really think I'd lose to a witch? The bet was never about Enua killing Gerudo.
— Then who, pray tell, did?
— Simple. *You* did.
— ...Ahah-ghah-hah! — Her laugh crackled like static.
— And how will you *prove* that?
— Easily, — I said. — The game's rules never stated the killer had to be a player.
— You're not just an observer. You're... something more.
— You've been watching us. But also *interfering*. That's your advantage. You can kill without leaving traces.
— The others couldn't fathom it. Fear blinded them. They never imagined the witch was the culprit.
My first move ended. My wager? The mansion's mistress herself.
— Kheh... — She fake-coughed a laugh. — Not bad. I thought this'd be a one-sided match. *Mine*.
— The axe. — I pressed on. — It was used to dismember. Yet when others checked the second floor, it was gone.
— Enua didn't know it was there. *Couldn't* have known. Meaning he couldn't have used it.
— Ha! — she interrupted. — Bluffing! He just couldn't *prove* he didn't touch it! Just like his innocence. That 'harmless' act? A facade.
*"...Damn it. She'll counter everything. But I won't retreat. I *know* it's her. I won't let her hide behind theatrics."*
— Magic. — My next move.
Sweat beaded on her brow. Not fear — caution. She'd anticipated this. Still, she tensed.
— We've been magicless since arriving. All of us. *Except you*.
— You can use it *within* the game.
— Meaning you could've killed Gerudo from your hideout. Made it look like... someone else's work.
— The axe display case was bulletproof glass. Yet it was *shattered*.
— Enua couldn't break it barehanded. Even if he could — his hands would show marks. But there were none.
*"Her expression shifted. She's rattled. But this isn't over."*
Yet...
— Ah, but there's a *witness*, — she crooned. One who saw Enua leave his room *that very moment*.
*"...What?"*
Impossible.
Everyone was accounted for. After 9 PM — Cheryl, Morgana — they'd left. The murder happened *after*. Who—?
— The witness is *Gerudo*. — She flicked her wrist, and—
Gerudo's corpse *stood* from the shadows. Literally.
— This is... — I choked.
— Indeed. The witness to his own death — is the dead man himself.
— Confirm: did you witness your murder?
— Yes, — Gerudo droned, toneless.
— Name the killer.
— His name... is Enua. He approached from behind as I cleaned the kitchen. Struck my head with the axe.
*"...How? How was I to know? She's... using the dead as evidence. As *witnesses*. This isn't a game. It's a *power play*."*
— Checkmate, Aragi-i-i!
One of the floating blades *lunged* — piercing my chest faster than light. Faster than thought.
Pain. *Real* pain. I couldn't even twitch.
*So this... is pain.*
I'd forgotten. No — I hadn't *felt* it since that day the vampire drained my blood. Since I ceased being alive. Or dead. Or *anything* defined.
Since then, I couldn't die. Even if I wanted to.
And now—
I lost this round. I don't know how to defeat her. How to counter every word. *Is it even possible?*
What should I have done? What words could've stopped her?
No answer came.
My heart stopped.
Brain shut down.
Thoughts evaporated.
Consciousness dissolved into ash.
My body *ignited*.
It burned faster than I could feel it burning. Not even embers remained. As if it never existed at all.