Chapter VIII: Determined, Yukihara Mikoto Makes a Decision (1/3)

So many events are overlapping in such a short period that I can barely stop to think clearly.

The victim being Takashi, a murder in broad daylight, and the most concerning detail of all... he was nowhere near stabbed.

I look at the chest of the corpse and the shattered glass of the window.

I don't need to be an expert to see this: a firearm was used.

I approach the body and confirm that he is no longer breathing. Upon closer inspection, I realize I don't even need to check his pulse—his heart was hit directly.

"Were you able to witness what happened here in detail? If so, could you inform us about the incident?" Mikoto asks the girl.

The terrified girl shakes her head and replies.

"I—I was in the corridor next door. I heard the noise and came here," she averts her eyes downward. "But he was already d-dead," she stammers as she explains.

"I understand," Mikoto sighs. "You may leave him with us."

I could detect a hint of emotion in her voice. Deep down, despite her rude actions suggesting otherwise, she certainly cared for her loyal subordinate.

The girl, still wide-eyed, nods, takes a few steps back and finally leaves the scene.

This makes everything far more problematic. With the killer so well-armed, we are in an endless predicament.

5:26 PM

The same day that started so peacefully compared to the last three has become an exhausting ordeal. If only I could go back and prevent all of this...

"So the rumors are true, Jocchi?" Manabu asks.

The rumors about the incident have spread quickly throughout the school, but there was no way to conceal this death. At most, we could delay the flow of information by reprimanding the witness, but that would be a futile effort.

Even with a silencer on the weapon, the sound of breaking glass was enough to attract students to the block, and from there, the information spread uncontrollably.

"Yes, the killer has a firearm with a silencer," I reply.

"My God, what a terrifying situation," Miyu says, nervously tearing at her hair.

As I predicted, the news would instill a certain panic among the students. The question remains whether the anomaly will offset this going forward... perhaps we can take advantage of this behavioral deviation.

"Don't worry, Miyu-chan. I'm here to protect you," Shou comments.

We managed to identify the projectile's trajectory and, consequently, the shooting location—in this case, the block next door. However, the shooter was careful not to leave any traces. I feel like we are dealing with someone who knows exactly what they are doing, as if they have a lot of experience—in other words, a professional. This is not something one would expect from a mere high school student.

And now we are again in the main hall, and the responsibility falls on Mikoto-senpai.

The probability of the killer being among the council's top ranks remains, so we cannot fully trust Haruki, while Natsuki has been shattered since the first day.

"I know everyone is scared, but please, calm down. In this difficult moment, we need to stay united," Haruki tries to soothe the desperate crowd in front of him.

Mikoto remains silent, looking down. I think that even she doesn't know what to do under these circumstances. Well, who could have imagined that a student would have a firearm? Especially in Japan, where such tools are challenging for civilians to access. However, even under so much pressure, it is impressive how she manages to stay calm and strategize.

"Hey, admit it! He has a gun!" a student shouts.

"We're all doomed!" another exclaims.

"We could be killed at any moment!"

Quickly, shouts and murmurs take over the room, making it impossible for Haruki to maintain control.

Mikoto takes a few steps forward, and the revolt partially subsides to hear what she has to say.

"Yes, it is true. The killer possesses a firearm, and at no point have we denied or tried to conceal this incident. Moreover, as you may already know, the victim was a longtime friend of mine, Vice President Tanaka Takashi. Therefore, I can fully understand how you all feel," the beautiful president responds serenely.

The intrinsic charisma of her speech was enough to calm part of the audience, but some more enraged individuals continue to clash.

"I already know where this is going. It'll be the same spiel about trying to resolve everything. You said that last time, and here we are again. I don't see why it would be any different now. The council failed! What will we do about it?! Or rather, what will you do about it?! Be objective!" a female student exclaims.

This voice is familiar to me. Do I know her from somewhere? It can't be... could it be her?

"No one could have predicted such a calamity. The presence of a firearm changed the entire scope of the game, so I do not believe it can be considered a failure on our part for not foreseeing the unforeseeable. Now, regarding future events, we have no choice but to search everyone's belongings and confine all students in a closed environment until the stipulated time is over," Mikoto replies.

In truth, this should have been done from the beginning. I am surprised that neither she nor Takashi implemented this approach earlier.

She seems to want to continue her speech, but she is again interrupted by the girl who confronted her earlier.

"And why should we trust you? Give you even more power?" the girl directs her question to the crowd. "Has it never crossed anyone's mind that the killer could be within the student council itself?!"

This time, I manage to get an angle to distinguish who is speaking, and I discover the instigator of this revolt.

Ailiss?! I knew I had heard that voice before. What the hell are you trying to do? Cause chaos?

Her comment seems effective, and more murmurs emerge from the crowd. She struck a nerve we didn't want to be exposed—it was a direct hit.

"Do not be ridiculous. We maintain as much vigilance among ourselves as with other students. If there were any suspicious activity within the council, due to our internal protocol, it would have been exposed instantly."

"That may be true. But if the killer is indeed infiltrated within the council, don't you think it would be very convenient for them if you restricted our freedom to defend ourselves? It's not a risk we're willing to take, as it would mean certain death. For our own safety, we cannot centralize even more power in your hands."

The president's bluff doesn't seem to be getting us out of this mess. Ailiss continues to fan the flames. Why is she doing this? She had hinted that she would remain passive. Unless my subconscious suspicions were correct...

"Yeah! I think she is right!" a student declares.

"I agree with her, too! We can defend ourselves!"

Ailiss has achieved what she wanted—she turned this assembly for clarifications into complete chaos. Groups of students begin organizing and arguing with each other.

Mikoto doesn't even have the conditions to respond with so much disorder in the room. This has become a wholly lost battle; all that's left is to retreat and lament the defeat.

"Guys, don't be so hasty. We're all upset. Let's sit down and talk," Haruki tries to calm the crowd before him, but he achieves no results.

Ultimately, the protest leaned in Ailiss's favor, and nothing could be done. If anyone could shake Mikoto's leadership spirit, it would undoubtedly be her.

7:34 PM

The sun, like the council's sovereignty, has set. In an utterly anarchic scenario, the school has been divided into small tribes, which may eventually conflict with one another. Now, in addition to being cautious of the killer, we need to avoid appearing to be the killer and risk being impulsively attacked by one of these tribes.

Even though I have no idea where to start, my thoughts should be focused on how to reverse this problem. Yet all I can focus on is the intriguing scene I observe in the night's dim light.

The queen, who ended up being dethroned, presents a distant gaze toward the starry sky. It is an image I could never have conceived. Deep down, even the most exceptional individuals are fragile in some way. Like a falcon with tired wings, she lands in melancholy on this earth.

Finally, after a few minutes of this enigmatic scene, she decides to break the silence.

"I have no idea how our information was leaked. However, I am certain that the killer is not Hasegawa-kun, nor are they infiltrated within the student council."

It seems that's it. We were "wrong" all along.

"So, what do you want to do? Abandon ship and hope everything resolves itself within the time limit, or do you want to pursue your second suspect?" I ask as I sit next to her.

"If our lives were not at stake, I believe neutrality would be the best way out. However, as players, we will never cease to be targets for the killer and the third player. You must have connected the dots and know exactly who I am referring to. It is her, is it not?"

Yes, Japan has strict gun control policies. It would not be easy for a high school student to gain access to a firearm. I had entered a state of denial, unwilling to believe it at all. Perhaps it is part of the behavioral anomaly, or maybe I just didn't want to confront the involvement of one of the few people I sympathized with after our first conversation. But Ailiss's involvement in this game is an undeniable fact.

"When did you realize?" I ask, also looking up at the sky.

"From the very beginning. She was undeniably the most suspicious figure of all. This was self-evident. However, I cannot quite understand why I hesitated so much to accuse her. So, I clung to the information leaks in a desperate attempt to shift focus away from her to another possible suspect—in this case, Hasegawa-kun," she sighs. "Why did I make such mental gymnastics unconsciously? I still do not fully comprehend. It has never been my habit to act so irrationally, and I cannot describe what happened to me."

I can say the same. I also do not know why I denied so vehemently that she might be the culprit. A brief conversation should not have influenced me this much.

A cold breeze gently ruffles her long black hair, holding my gaze for a few seconds.

Watching her like this, I can clearly understand why everyone is so captivated by her charm. I can't tell if she acts so enchantingly on purpose or if it is just her nature. Before you know it, you are completely under her spell. The same must have happened to Takashi and everyone else who devoted themselves to the student council president.

"Mikoto, let us go inside. You'll catch a cold if we stay out here late in the middle of winter."

She nods, smiles serenely, and continues staring at me silently.

"What's it?" I ask awkwardly.

"It is nothing," she looks back at the sky. "I was just surprised by a show of concern coming from you. That is not usually your style."

"You and the others have such a poor impression of me, right?"

"And are we wrong?" she laughs.

"No. Unfortunately, you're right," I smile.

"Still, do not feel bad. I chose you as my ally regardless."

"There's no audience to witness your performance. You can stop trying to embarrass me."

"Oh, I am speaking the truth," she closes her eyes. "Now, as you suggested, let us head inside."

We stand and make our way toward the main building. However, during our walk from the courtyard to the building, another event unfolds.

"Johann-kun!" a shout grabs our attention.

I turn and see Miyu and Manabu running toward us at full speed.

"What's it this time?" I ask.

"Another student... another student has been shot!" Manabu exclaims, out of breath.