Kiriyama figured the message hadn't only been sent to him but to the other leaders as well. He gathered a few people and spoke with the other leaders—his guess was correct. He presented his offer: each leader would send one person, Rei's location would be tracked, and a raid would be carried out. It was in everyone's interest, so they agreed. Kiriyama, the twins, Akari, and the arrogant woman each selected one man. Four athletic males.
Rei's location was purchased, and the raid team set out.
I had been anticipating an attack. I found a cave with an entrance, made preparations, and sat down in front of it to wait.
The four members spotted me and approached. As they debated whether to attack, one said, "He might have planted mines around here—that's why he's sitting so comfortably." They agreed. They stepped out in front of me. I pretended to be scared and backed into the cave. One of them tried to chase after me, but the others grabbed his arm and told him there could still be mines. They threw rocks onto the path, and a mine detonated. Another one said there might be traps inside the cave, so they held back.
I climbed through a hole in the ceiling, got outside, and threw a rock at the mine I had placed on the left side from above. It exploded. The domino effect began—I had arranged it so their only escape route would lead them straight into the cave. The members panicked and ran inside, failing to notice the hole in the ceiling. I climbed down, placed mines at the entrance, and waited with my spear.
"All of you, throw your phones to me one by one. Otherwise, you're staying here."
They cursed and shouted for help. They couldn't get past the entrance—even if they jumped over the mines, the spear would get them.
I pulled out my phone and showed them the red zone feature. "I can make the entire cave a red zone. If you stay, you'll be eliminated. If you try to leave, you'll face the mines or the spear. One of you, throw your phone."
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They grumbled. No one wanted to sacrifice themselves. Then one of them mustered some courage, stepped forward with emotion, and threw his phone. I grabbed it and sprinted away.
I checked the phone. The button app. It could be protected. This was the member Akari had sent—she had planted him as a button trap. If I pressed it, I could die. For now, I wouldn't press it. I planned to use this person instead.
The members returned to their respective groups. Kiriyama's man got beaten. The twins and the arrogant woman were understanding. Akari told her member, "If he asks you to do something, do the opposite." She was planning to provoke me into pressing the button.
Late at night, a masked figure approached Kiriyama's group. They argued briefly, then the masked one laid out his plan: they would plant mines along the outer perimeter of the island to drive everyone toward the center—where even more mines were waiting. Kiriyama accepted. It was in his interest. The masked one disguised his voice to conceal his identity.
A few hours later, I was searching for a place to sleep. Explosions echoed from all around the island's perimeter. I figured out the pattern within seconds: from the outside inward, driving people toward the center.
They're doing something similar to what I had planned. Blowing up the outer edges to force everyone into the center. The center is packed with mines. At least fifty people will die.
I climbed a tree, pulled out my phone. Even though it wasn't in my interest, I activated the red zone over the center. No one would enter a red zone—they'd stay where they were and climb trees instead.
"Twenty players eliminated. Sixty remaining."
Twenty people had died from the outer mines alone. But the red zone saved dozens of lives.
The masked figure gritted his teeth. Who the hell is this? Why did he protect people? Fifty of them were supposed to be gone.
I roamed the outer edges. I spotted a masked figure standing at the base of a tree. I sprinted toward him, and the moment he noticed me, he fled. The chase was brief—he put distance between us fast.
He's fast. He's probably furious that I disrupted part of his plan. Still, twenty people died. That's a lot of mines on the outer edges.
It's probably the same person who carried out the night attack. Who is this?