Coping Mechanism (End)

There are 14 players in total, and the game mode is Free For All. This means, we are going to "kill" each other, until only one of us remained. I can see these men eyeing Asako and Julia already.

I'm glad they have enough sanity to not differentiate gender in Airsoft. Too bad, they are wrong. Just look at Asako's way of handling her gun. She knows how to use it well.

The game will be fun, for sure.

"There will be five minutes to hide yourself." The referee looks at us seriously. "When five minutes passed, the game will be officially started. Therefore..." The referee raises his hand, and shouts, "Scatter!"

The other players quickly move their feet, and delve deeper into the forest. Then, I wear the fullface mask I am holding in my left hand. When I am about to leave, Asako holds me back.

"Good luck in keeping your life."

I shrug. "You will never know what will happen in the battlefield."

"Smart." Asako snickers, before moving into the forest.

Julia glares at me sharply, before harrumphing coldly. Then, she too disappeared into the forest. Now, I am left alone in the middle of the field. Well, there is the referee, but he is not a player. So, he doesn't count.

"Are you not going to hide yourself?" The referee asked.

I turn to him, and say, "Well, I'm hiding right now. What do you think?"

His face contorted weirdly. "You are not allowed hiding here." At that, I give him the kindest response I can think of.

Yes, that is right. A middle finger.

Who does he think I am? An idiot? Why do people like asking useless questions nowadays?

I turn my body toward the forest, and leave the bewildered bitch alone. The field is large enough for 50 people playing together. Therefore, I don't have to be afraid the field runs out of place to hide.

But really, I don't need to hide. I'm here to hunt, to become the predator; not to be hunted. So, I'm just venturing this forest to get familiar with the field, and find some unlucky bitches who will eat my BB in advance.

Unknowingly, five minutes have passed.

Honk!

The sound of the horn is heard clearly, and the game has finally started.

I heave a faint sigh. My heart beats faster for some reason, right after hearing the horn earlier. Grasping the DDM4 Dagger RISII-7 in my right hand tightly, it became somehow familiar: the scene, the weapon, and the way my heart beats faster.

I raise my DDM4, and grasp the vertical forward grip with my left hand. Then, magically, everything changed.

My DDM4 became an M4 Carbine with the silencer set on the barrel. Although I am still wearing black; I am no longer in my Airsoft Warrior Mode, but Ethan Hunt Mode.

I am no longer in the forest, but somewhere else. It is a hall with white floor and cells in each of its sides. Some of the cells are opened, and dead bodies littered the floor nearby.

I remember this place; it is etched vividly in my memory. It is the place where my life changing action began. It is the place where I satisfied my thirst of chaos. It is the place that made me a legend.

It is the prison, where I hunted down hundreds of people.

I know it is only in my head. But, my head can't help but replaying the memory.

***

{Chris Sasaki's Recollection}

I looked to the person I had just shot. It was a man with big stature and a protruding beer belly. His head was bleeding, and there was a hole in it. His fingers were still faintly twitching, so I am sure he mustn't have died yet at this point.

But, I wasn't interested in the dying man. There were still many inmates I had yet to kill. So, I resumed my walk.

While some of the inmates were scared shitless inside their cells, some of them were glaring at me from behind the bars. This kind of the people were the one who fell victim first to my baby.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Criminals are sinners. Sinners are unholy: they aren't allowed in heaven. It is the reason why prisons invite priests to "rehabilitate" the criminals. They hope those priests can make the sinners holy again.

But, the method I used at that time to make the criminals holy once again is much more simple!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

I shot them, putting holes in their body; turning them holy, as they were full of holes. What a great man I was, wasn't I?

"You crazy bastard! What are you doing killing everyone indiscriminately?!" One of the inmates asked me.

I shrugged, and said, "Rather than asking why, you should rejoice! I am here to make you holy once again!"

"What the fuck are you—"

Bang!

"There comes the head! What a perfect headshot, indeed." I caressed my imaginary beard, while admiring the masterpiece I had just made.

Suddenly, a bright idea popped in my head. I notified the scaredy bitch Pathologist, and told him to open all of the cells. I was fully intending to have a more stimulating game.

By the time the cells were opened, the inmates were ready to leave their cells. However, the singing voice of my baby was enough to stop them.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Come out in an orderly manner, and tell me your life story! If it managed to amuse me, I will let you go. But if it doesn't, not even god can save your sorry ass."

I have thought the bitches wouldn't follow my instruction. However, they followed it obediently. Although I was slightly disappointed I didn't have to continue my indiscriminate shooting, I was also interested in their story.

I stood in front of the lining up people, and put my baby on my shoulder. Pointing my hand to the bald dude whose body was full of tattoos, I motioned him to step forward.

"Here is the rule. I will also give you my pistol, and you have a chance to kill me while telling me your life story. But, if you fail, you will die."

The stupid bitch was trying his best to hide his smile. He must be thinking he would be able to kill me at that time. Too bad, the pistol I gave him had its magazine empty. So, by the time bitch tried to kill me, my baby was faster in putting holes in his body.

Picking up my Glock 19C Gen 4 the dead bitch had just dropped, I threw it to another dude. Even before I asked him to tell his story, the stupid bitch tried his luck on me. So, I shot him.

In the end, it took 27 dead stupid bitches for them to understand what was going on. Since then, they obediently told me their story.

"I killed a 70 year old man for his car."

"Meh, that's generic. Next!"

Bang!

"I caught my girlfriend cheating, and killed her."

"Woah, that's awesome! But, you should have killed the guy she had an affair too, idiot! Next!"

Bang!

"I—I molested a 12 year—"

Bang!

"Damn! That bitch had lost his mind, for sure. Molesting a child is intolerable, even in my 'Bad Things To Do' book. Next!"

The process continued, until ten people were left to tell their life story.

A particular man attracted my interest. It was an ordinary looking man with a kind face. He was looking at me nervously, while squirming in his place.

By the time I was about to call him, the other nine inmates shielded the man.

"No. You can kill us, but not this man." The other nine people nodded their head surely. "This man is not a sinner. He has done nothing wrong."

"Hoh? What is his story, then?" I motioned toward the man.

No one moved, and I was getting irked. However, the man in question quickly patted the shoulder of the man in front of him, and told him to move aside.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, don't worry." The man was as soft-spoken as he looked.

He gazed at me, then started retelling me his story. "My teenage daughter was raped by the guy my wife had an affair with—my co-worker. It had happened for two years straight, and I got to know it only after reading my daughter's suicide note."

The soft-spoken man put his hand on his chest. "I was terribly angered; not by the betrayal, but the horrible thing that had happened to my daughter. I thoughtlessly gathered the two, and killed them on the spot." He paused, then took a deep breath.

"Although I know what I did was wrong, I feel no remorse about it." He silently looked at me straight in the eyes.

"Move away," I said.

"Huh? What are you—"

"Move away."

"Oh, o—okay!"

When the soft-spoken man moved out of my way. I pointed my M4 Carbine at the other nine inmates. All of them looked at me unwaveringly.

"I keep my word. So, you guys should keep yours."

"We will."

"Then, die."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

I didn't pay that much attention to the soft-spoken man. But, I am pretty sure he was extremely shocked by the time I shot the nine inmates that had shielded him.

"T—this is! W—why did you kill them? They haven't told you their story yet!"

I turned to the man. "It doesn't matter. They havw sacrificed their life for you. You should have realized it by now, I have no intention to let go anyone of you since the beginning."

Pointing my thumb toward the pile of dead bodies, I said, "But, those guys' willingness managed to touch me. So, I will give you the opportunity to be alive."

I pointed my finger to the man's heart. "The truth hurts. My sister also underwent the same thing your daughter had undergone, but worse. Killing the guy who had made your daughter suffer is satisfying, isn't it?"

The man kept quiet.

"That is your coping mechanism. Killing all of the inmates here is mine. I know they are unrelated. But, I cherish my peace of mind more than their life."

The man silently stared at me, before extending his hand forward. "If that is your coping mechanism, I can't keep my life. I know how it feels to be filled with anger. Therefore, I am going to kill myself to quell that anger." The man smiled softly.

He was crazy, for sure. But, I didn't have any intention to convince him otherwise. So, I loaded my Glock, and handed it to him. The man took it, and put it against his head.

"Don't live in anger. You are still young. There are so many things for you to try; you shouldn't mind your anger too much." Like a sage, he smiled. Then, he pulled the trigger.

Bang!

His head exploded, and brain matters flew to the air. I don't know how I looked at him back then, because I was seriously contemplating his words.

I had tried many things in my last life. So, I honestly had nothing to try anymore. But then, his words reminded of something. I never had a meaningful relationship. So, I could try that.

But, I instantly realized it wouldn't be possible at that time.

{End of Recollection}

***

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Woah, dude! I'm dead already, so stop shooting!"

I look to the unlucky bitch that has fallen victim to my BB. I was too engrossed in my memory, my body just went autopilot. I don't even know how many people I have "killed".

That particular memory evokes something inside me: my coping mechanism.

"Are you alright? You are dazing." The deadman waved his hand in front of my mask.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I was just recalling my girlfriend's plump ass."

"O—okay?"

You must be feeling awkward, right? That's why you shall not be a busybody!

"How many people are left?"

"Oh, that. It should be around 7 people now."

After I nod my head, the guy leaves with his hand raised in the air. I sigh to myself, and look forward. I have been lied to in my past life, and I have done something I didn't need to do.

I have needlessly killed hundreds of people to cope with the "tragedy" that I have only figured has never happened.

Did I regret killing them? No. But, I feel stuffed by the betrayal. I need to do something to eliminate this feeling completely.

The soft-spoken man's word has made me think of the solution: trying things I haven't tried before. I already have a meaningful relationship with Shizuka. Then, I need to do one last thing to complete my coping mechanism.

I will enjoy myself; I will be having fun.

Therefore, I will let loose, summon the Ethan Hunt sleeping in myself, and "kill" these unlucky Airsoft players.

This is my coping mechanism.