Everyone scattered in panic. Wakamura raised his voice.
"Calm down, or we won't find anything."
He shined his phone light on the body. The others did the same.
"The crosses look like they've been driven into his body."
"Is he dead?"
"He's not breathing."
"It looks like his arms and legs were cut first, then the crosses were driven in. But the knife wounds look more like scratches meant to cause pain."
Wakamura checked my pockets. "His phone isn't with him. It's been taken."
"The killer took it?"
"Probably."
"Let's discuss this in the main hall."
"Are we just leaving the body here?"
"We're not going to carry it. Get a blanket and cover him."
They covered me up. They closed the door and moved to the main hall. Wakamura stood in the center.
"I'll be honest. The last person to speak with Rei was the old man. Everyone else was in groups. I'm suspicious of the old man."
"Me? I didn't do it!"
"But I doubt the old man could inflict this kind of damage on Rei. Plus, he knows he was the last one seen talking to him. Killing him would be illogical."
He turned to the old man. "Do you know any martial arts?"
"Can't you see my gut?"
"Besides, I've already been confirmed as a Light."
"True..."
The lights came back on. Everyone looked at each other.
"What's going on?"
Shouya stepped in. "Let's check it out."
They went down to the basement. The backup generator was running.
"I see. We couldn't see the backup in the dark."
Wakamura was thoughtful. "Whoever cut the cables knew there was a backup. They cut them specifically for the murder. There's no other purpose."
They returned to the main hall.
"The old man is a Light." Wakamura turned to Shouya. "Will you use the scanner tomorrow?"
"Why me?"
"Just asking."
"If it's just asking, why don't you do it?"
"It's obvious I'm a Light. I put the most effort into examining the body."
"It could be a bluff."
"What bluff!"
The Leader stepped in. "How would we know for sure?"
"Fine. I'll do it tomorrow. My being a Light will be confirmed."
Wakamura grew tense. He turned to Akari. "Let's go."
"Okay."
I watched from behind the wall. Bandages covered my wounds.
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Now let's see, Shouya. What good is your numbers advantage now?
Everyone dispersed. Shortly after, someone initiated a vote. Wakamura ran into the hall, shouting.
"Who started a vote? We don't even have a clear suspect! Now we have to hang someone!"
Everyone gathered.
The Leader: "What happened?"
"Someone started a meeting!"
"Who?"
Silence.
The man beside the Leader spoke up. "One of us couldn't hold back and pressed it. That means someone here is lying."
The Leader turned to the man beside him. "You didn't do it, right?"
"What would I do, boss?"
Something clicked in the Leader's mind. "Shouya, didn't those three go to the bathroom?"
Shouya remembered. "That's right."
"All three of them had time to kill Rei."
The three protested at once. "What were we supposed to do? We were taking a shit, boss!"
"The old man is a Light. One of you three did it. Those two were together, and the three of us were together. If Wakamura turns out to be a Light tomorrow and he's been with the girl, then she's innocent too. So it's one of you three."
The three looked at each other. One of them spoke up timidly: "But you're also a group of three. What if one of you did it?"
The Leader grabbed him by the collar. "Are you calling us killers?"
Shouya stepped in. "Calm down. He has a point, but we never left the room. We wouldn't have let one of us slip out alone. All three of us would have to be Darkness, and that's nearly impossible. Besides, even the Darkness players don't know each other at the start."
"We have to hang someone. One of those three is the best choice." He looked at Wakamura. "There are three of us. You should join in."
The three protested. Wakamura sighed.
"The old man is a confirmed Light. We have to hang someone. The logical pick is one of those three. But which one?"
Shouya: "While they were in the bathroom, one of them could have slipped out, cut the cables, and gone after Rei."
"But who exactly?"
"They probably relied on the uncertainty. We need to hang one of them."
The Leader: "Let's hang the one who just spoke up. He was nervous."
The man shouted. "Of course I'm nervous, you idiot! I've been dealing with you ever since we killed our brother! The others aren't nervous because they know they didn't do it! The truth always comes out! Hang this kid!"
Akari: "Are you sure?"
Wakamura placed a hand on her shoulder. "We have to."
"Okay..."
"NO! WAIT!"
The votes were cast. With eight votes, the man was condemned.
Robotic voice: "Someone has been hanged."
A laser descended from the ceiling. The man collapsed to the floor.
I locked the chapel door from the outside. I vanished.
Everyone stared at the body. "There's nothing we can do. Let's keep going."
Wakamura called to the old man. "Join us. We'll move as three."
The old man went with them. They left.
Shouya turned to the two remaining members. "It's unclear what you are. We're splitting up."
"But—"
"No buts."
Shouya, the Leader, and the other man left. The two remaining looked at each other.
"What do we do?"
"I don't know. Are you a Darkness?"
"Are you stupid? If I were a Darkness, I'd attack you."
"You have a twelve-hour cooldown."
"Ugh."
They couldn't trust each other. They parted ways under the stress.
Shouya and his group locked themselves in a room.
"If all three of us are Darkness, then who's doing the killing?"
The Leader: "Could Rei have gotten scared and killed himself?"
"Idiot. Why would he kill himself? And in that way?"
"Could it be faked?"
"How? The crosses were driven into his body. Wakamura checked him. He wasn't breathing."
"Then who killed him? We didn't do it."
"Like I said in the vote. One of the innocents did it."
"How?"
"Violence isn't completely prohibited for innocents, except for the Bright. There's no penalty for killing the wrong person. That's what makes this game dark."
"So one of the innocents did it?"
"Yes. I suspect those two kids in our group. They might be holding a grudge."
"Then what do we do?"
"We don't know who the Bright is. Making a move is dangerous. Let's check Rei's body. Maybe we'll find something."
They went to the chapel room. They tried to open the door.
"It won't open."
"Can't we break it?"
"It's an iron door. We probably can't."
"Who locked it?"
"The killer. So it couldn't be examined again."
"It's already two in the morning. Let's head back."
"Fine."
I continued completing tasks in secret.
Five hours passed. Eight in the morning.
I entered the room where Wakamura, Akari, and the old man were staying. I turned on the light. They rubbed their eyes and woke up. I stood before them, bandages wrapped over my wounds.
"REI! YOU'RE ALIVE?"
Akari was about to scream, but I silenced her.
"Keep your voices down. Calm down."
"How—"
"Stay quiet, or they'll hear. We need to win this game. No one in this room is a traitor."
The old man: "First explain how you're not dead."
"My death was faked. I staged it myself. The reason is simple: six people here are my enemies. If they targeted me, I wouldn't survive. So I made myself appear gone."
Akari looked at my wounds. "But your injuries—"
"They're for realism. It's a long story, forget it for now. To earn your trust, I'll use the scanner tomorrow. Also, I have an idea."
"What idea?"
"In this game... there is no Bright."