《Colosseum 72》
Floor One: "Colosseum"
I had joined this party of three a few hours ago.
After being rescued by them just as I was about to get slaughtered by an ogre, the party leader offered me a spot on the team.
Why did he do that, you may ask.
Well, that is the only way to survive in this world.
Team up.
Get stronger.
Win at all costs...
Or die.
Those are the golden mottos of the Colosseum.
The Colosseum, no one knows when it first appeared, but for as long as I could recall, it had always been there.
What it was exactly, nobody can comprehend.
Some say it is a survival game.
Others say it is an alternative universe.
And the remainder even believes it is the test of God.
But, undecided as they are, there is only one thing they know for sure.
To the people that know of its existence, the only way to get there is at night.
It begins with a message that shows up out of nowhere on their electronic devices during the day, and at night they are mysteriously transported to the Colosseum.
There is no escape.
Once you click accept, you will automatically wake up there.
Even if you tried your best to stay awake, it was no use.
The strange powers of the Colosseum will always find its way.
No one knows the exact consequence of declining the invitation, but it is rumored that those who did disappeared
And were found a few days later, dead.
Those who deleted the message, brushing it off as merely a chain mail prank, shared the same fate. So did the ones that dared to speak of this game in real life.
Accept, or die.
Those were the only options open.
You never knew when you could be summoned, so you can never let your guard down.
It is not a dream.
It is a waiting game, the waiting game of Death.
--------------
The Colosseum isnt picky about its victims.
You can be any age, gender...it doesnt really matter.
You begin on Floor One, where you set your avatar. Namely, your Colosseum profile.
There are three rules to obey during the creation.
One, you must use your real name.
Two, you must keep your current appearance.
Three, you must pick one from the five classes available. Warrior, archer, mage, cleric, or rogue.
It seems very game-like to most, but one must keep something in mind.
Failure to obey the rules of the Colosseum mean automatic disqualification.
What that implies, no one knows.
But no one wants to find out first-hand either.
From there on, you would advance up a floor each time you are summoned.
That is, if you pass the trials.
Sometimes, it is a straight-out fight between two players.
Other times, it is a fight across a wide terrain between multiple teams. Even all-out wars are possible.
You dont really have to be fighting all the time though, because on some floors, the trials take the form of exploration or elimination games.
They could be anything from a team relay-race to a game of Capture the Flag, but nevertheless, are just as difficult as the fights.
And finally, the most dreaded type. The Player versus Boss type.
You could be fighting anything, so you must be alert at all times.
Victory is essential, because in these trials, failure to complete your objective...
Means you will meet your end in real life, in gruesome ways.
Then, you may wonder why some people continue to climb higher and higher, knowing that losing a trial is the same as declining the invitation?
Why dont they just surrender to their fates from the very beginning?
Well, the answer is simple.
At the very top of the Colosseum, on Floor 72, there lies a prize that no amount of money or fame can get.
One wish.
Anything.
Endless wealth, eternal life, powers beyond your imagination...
Yes, they say you can even become God.
------------
The floor that I am currently on, Floor 14, takes the form of a large forest.
Each floor is unique.
On some floors, the trial takes place over many locations. Players can explore many territories, the boundaries are limitless.
On other floors, the setting can be as small as a simple, grassy field.
Each floor has a time limit.
On my floor, the time limit is five hours.
On other floors, it may be minutes, days, months or even years.
Real life time has no effect in the Colosseum.
No matter how long you spend here, in real life you will always wake up on the morning after your arrival.
Pass within the time limit, and you can move on to the next floor.
Failure to do so means the same thing as a defeat in trial.
--------------
In my case, the trial is to defeat the floor Boss situated deep within the forest.
My new teammates and I have been wandering around for hours now, finding no clues lying about.
The situation seems pretty dire, but...
I am really not that worried.
Eh...newcomer...Kurose Mikage-kun I believe your name was...how long have you been receiving these invitations?
The one who asked the question was Yanagi Takuto, the leader of the team.
Two months. I replied.
I see...
He tried his best not to look at me as he spoke, but I could feel his gaze on my shabby battle gear.
Compared to me, who was wearing cheap armor that looked unable to withstand even the slightest of hits, he and the other members of the team were way better off.
Takuto, the warrior and tank of the team, had on a set of sturdy silver armor, paired with a flowing red cape over his shoulders. At his side, rested a heavy-looking sword.
The others, Nagayama Shizuka, the mage, and Inoue Mika, the cleric, were also wearing presentable outfits fitting of their class.
I guess they all had pretty decent luck with the draw.
Each time someone passes a trial, they receive a randomized bonus in items, skills, stats, or other forms of a reward.
There is also the player and NPC-run markets, but that is a story for another time.
Kurose-kun, you are a warrior too right? What kinds of skills can you use?
Takuto asked me again, while we continued our journey through the forest.
Just the basic ones so far. Block, parry, single-handed strike and double-play.
...
He was silent for a while, most likely unsure of what to say.
I guess I can sympathize with him there. If someone else showed up wearing newbie gear and said that they only knew the basic starter skills, I would be shocked too.
I looked up at the sky.
The numbers, 15:04, were displayed above.
15 minutes and four seconds.
That is what was left of the time limit.
15 minutes to find and defeat the Boss.
I dont think they will make it.
And that is why...
Kyaaaa!!!
Out of nowhere, came a gigantic, three-headed beast.
Shizuka barely had any time to react before she was swept off her feet, and slammed onto a nearby tree.
Quick, Mika-chan, heal!!!
Mika pointed her staff at Shizuka unsteadily, her face pale.
Medium-level healing! she chanted, as Takuto struggled to fend off the attack that was aimed at her.
The monster, indicated as the [Boss of Floor 14] by the title floating above its head, roared, letting loose a blast of flames at the warrior. This was countered by the recovered Shizuka.
Now back to a full force, the three turned to face the monster from all sides, their backs touching each others.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Kurose-kun! Quick, join us! Takuto shouted, turning his head toward me for a brief moment before refocusing on the monster.
I did not reply.
The monster roared again, this time releasing multiple shots of blazing flames at the three.
KUROSE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING OVER THERE? COME HELP US!
Takuto shouted at me once more, as they struggled against the burning nightmare.
I did not move from my spot.
I merely continued to watch.
Their Health Points bar began to dip into the red zone.
With a thunderous cry, the Boss raked his claws across Mikas body, sending her crashing into the ground.
Her fragile form twitched once, before lying still.
Inoue Mika: HP 0.
Status: Deceased.
K-URO-SE!!!!!!!!!! Takuto bellowed, his voice filled with rage, I DONT CARE IF NONE OF YOUR SKILLS WILL HELP, BUT DONT JUST STAND THERE, DO WHAT YOU CAN!
I watched as Shizuka fell too.
Takuto, now at only 10% of his HP, was the last person standing in this fight.
With tears flowing down his face, he let out a furious cry before charging at the monster one last time.
Then, he too was swept to the side, where he laid still.
Yanagi Takuto: HP 10.
Status: Grave Danger.
I finally stepped in.
Thats enough, Unit #0013989.
I walked up to the Boss slowly, ignoring the surprised look on Takutos face.
The monster blinked once, before lowering its huge head, bowing before me.
I placed a hand on its muzzle.
Ku-kurose...you...
I turned my head toward Takuto, who was lying on his back nearby, his face full of confusion.
...Im sorry.
As I spoke, the outfit I was wearing slowly became replaced by a military-styled trench coat of the purest black.
My worn-out headgear became a snow-white headpiece, adorned with blood-red rubies.
And, on my back, rested a pair of dazzling, silver wings.
The title [God of the Colosseum] rested serenely above my head.
...Hahahahah...HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Takuto began to laugh uncontrollably, before coughing up mouthfuls of blood.
...You should not make such movements. It will only increase the pain.
At that, he turned his near-crazed eyes toward me once again, his mouth open in a bloody grin.
Stop with the fake sympathy, you monster. Didnt you plan all this from the start?
...I-
He coughed again, the ground beside him now tainted with red.
Mustering up all the strength he had left, he turned to me one last time, with a chilling look on his face.
You will not succeed forever. Remember this, you vile monster in human-skin. One day, you and this damn place will suffer for your actions. At that time it wont matter if you are God or the Demon King...the wraith of all those you have killed will drown you for eternity.
And with that, he took one last breath.
And was silent forever.
Yanagi Takuto: HP 0.
Status: Deceased.
Remaining players on the floor: 0.
Team status: Eliminated.
Time remaining: 00:04.
-------------
Kurose-kun, it looks like you have completed the task for tonight.
I was sitting alone on my throne on Floor 72, when a familiar voice entered the silent darkness.
...Yes, Ame. I said, my expression unchanged.
You were with the challengers again, werent you?
His words sent a shiver down my spine.
But, I replied with a steady voice.
I was.
A few moments of silence passed before he continued on.
You werent by any chance, aiding them, were you?
That question again.
It was against the rules to help players, no matter what.
Do not intervene, or else a heavy penalty awaits.
And that penalty is something Ill never forget.
...No, I prefer to do the luring myself. That is all.
This was the excuse I use all the time.
Even if I was indeed trying to save them, Ame must not know, or else...
Ahaha, what a twisted hobby you have! Well, anyway, I asked because they were not supposed to find the Boss within the time limit. But, it suddenly appeared, just like that. Interesting, huh?
Yes. I will look into that.
Good. Now, I shall leave you for tonight. You still have lots of work to do, dont you?
He did not wait for a reply before leaving, his presence fading from the chamber.
And I began to prepare for the next night.
--------------
Wake up, Mikage-kun! Today is another peaceful day! Wake up, Mikage-kun! Today is-
I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock.
Reaching over to the side of my bed, I shut it off before it could repeat itself.
Had it not been a gift from my older brother, I would have gotten rid of it a long time ago.
After quickly washing up and getting dressed, I headed downstairs to the dining room.
Oh, Mikage, you are up early again. my father noted, poking his face out from behind the newspaper.
Good morning, Otou-san. I greeted, as I took a seat across from him.
Across the room, the television was on. In it, a man was hanging from a tree, his body burnt to the point that it no longer resembled a human being.
Another one of those horrible murders? my mother commented, as she placed a cup of freshly-brewed coffee and a plate of toast in front of me.
Yes...and it seems like the victim this time is Yanagi Takuto, a 17-year-old high school student from Osaka. my father said, folding away his newspaper and turning his attention to the screen.
Oh my...he is Mikages age! There is just so many of these scary things recently, I fear for our familys safety.
The culprits will eventually be brought to justice, dont worry too much. Have some faith in the Japanese police force. After all, one of our own is in there.
Thats right! Our eldest son is a distinguished detective, we are all proud of him...say, will Sai be late again tonight? He is always working overtime, it is not good for his body...
I left my parents to their discussion as I quickly finished my breakfast, washing the empty dishes in the sink before heading toward the front door.
The television screen changed, and I paused for a brief moment.
Underneath the pictures of two high-school girls, there laid a huge red Missing caption.
Missing: Inoue Mika (16) and Nagayama Shizuka (16). Both last seen at...
I am going, Otou-san, Okaa-san.
Take care, Mikage!
I shut the door firmly behind me.
And, at the same time, across Japan and around the world, messages were beginning to appear on peoples phones and computers.
A message from the [Colosseum]:
Greetings, honored [Challenger]! You have been selected to participate in tonights [Colosseum Trial]. Please [Accept] this invitation to ensure a bright and peaceful tomorrow!
-From your dutiful Moderator, [KURO].
Prologue- End.
Floor Two: "Ame"
In the very beginning, there was only me and the existence known as Ame.
I was only six years old when I visited the Colosseum for the first time.
But, back then, it wasnt called the Colosseum.
I dont even know what it was called.
All I could remember was that every night, Ame would come and take me to his castle, in the midst of a magical fantasy world that every child dreamed of.
I would explore the many floors of his mighty residence, all the way from the bottom to the top.
Ame, Ame! I would say with excitement every single time, Why dont we invite more people to play?
Ame would laugh, and ask me who I had in mind.
My Nii-san, my parents, my best friend Tomo-kun, the nice lady from the ice-cream shop...Lets invite everyone!
There Ame would laugh once more, as if in agreement.
But, he never invited anyone. I alone, enjoyed the nightly amusement.
That is, until the summer of my fourth year in elementary school.
My friends no longer believed in my stories of Ame.
Arent you getting too old for things like an imaginary friend?
I remember getting into a fight because of those words.
Ame isnt just an imaginary friend. Ame has never once left my side. Only Ame...
Ame never visited me that night.
Not the next night either.
And the next...
Slowly, I began to forget about Ame and that strange place.
Life was normal and peaceful.
But, back then I would have never known...
That the place I loved so much when I was young, would become a living nightmare I could never escape from.
A message from the [Colosseum]:
Greetings, honored [Challenger]! You have been selected to participate in tonights [Colosseum Trial]. Please [Accept] this invitation to ensure a bright and peaceful tomorrow!
-From your dutiful Moderator, [AME].
--------------
The ruins of an ancient temple.
Two people.
A game of life and death.
I watched in silence on my throne.
Coldly.
Calmly.
Apathetically.
Observing the movements of the two, who had most likely never met each other in real life before, as they attempted to kill each other.
All in order to save their own lives.
Yes, the human heart is cruel.
I, myself, know that fact very well.
The challengers were both hiding.
Neither of them knows the others location.
Only I do.
But, I take no ones side.
I only watched.
And watched.
And watched. Behind the safety of a screen.
Just like what the perpetrator usually does.
Challenger A is making his way toward his opponent, hidden by the remains of the uneven walls.
Challenger B is standing in the middle of the temple, in plain sight of any surprise attacks.
Challenger A has reached the end of the wreckage. He will no longer be hidden and protected from any counterattacks...
So, he waits.
And observes the movements of his enemy.
The timer in the sky flashes without a sound
00:59.
He stepped forward.
00:30.
He began to run.
00:15.
He is directly behind his opponent.
00:05.
He raises his sword and...
Brings it down on empty air.
His opponent was no longer there.
It only took him a few moments to realize that he had been fooled by an illusion spell, so he turns around...
And is pierced by countless, giant ice poles.
00:01.
The match has ended.
Challenger B has won.
I closed my eyes.
Then, I turned off the screen.
It was useless to continue thinking about this.
Because even though his fate had been altered by a simple mistake, to both his opponent and I...
He was just another nameless person that was eliminated tonight.
-------------
Many gamers like PvP-style matches.
I absolutely hate it.
I used to like it, long time ago, but it is now my most dreaded type of combat.
In the Colosseum, there is no such thing as a draw.
One person always dies.
You either kill your opponent, and survive.
Or be killed by your opponent.
Game over.
The end.
Worst case scenario, you both run out of time...
And you both pay the price, with your lives.
I have seen that happen just one too many times.
ERROR: A DISTURBANCE HAS BEEN FOUND IN THE SYSTEM.
That message popped out of nowhere, displayed in red across the empty space in front of me.
I narrowed my eyes.
Waving my hand across the air in one swift movement, I opened the screens for all the floors.
Floor one, normal.
Floor two, normal.
Floor three, floor four, floor five...
I scanned the images of each floor, hunting for the possible source for the error.
Floor 27, 28, 29...
I stopped.
Floor 29.
Something is off.
System, identify the settings for Floor 29.
As you wish, Master.
The tiny screen in front of me merged into one large screen, displaying the activity on Floor 29.
Beside it, details of the settings were listed.
Floor #: 29
Floor type: Labyrinth
Number of paths: 132
Number of dead-ends: 54
Number of exits: 1
I grimaced, but continued on.
Number of monsters: 39
Number of Bosses: 1
This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
This was followed by the profiles of the NPC monsters.
Monster name: Three-headed Snake
Monster type: Minion
Level: 100
HP: 10, 000
MP: 1, 000
This isnt right.
A level 100 minion like this should not be at a floor as low as 29.
My eyes fell to the profile below that.
Monster name: Medusa
Monster type: Boss
Level: 200
HP: 100, 000
MP: 15, 000
Medusa?
Isnt she one of the final bosses of the Colosseum, found only in the highest floors?
She should not be there.
This is horribly dangerous.
A team of a five level 90 players would have a lot of trouble even getting her down to half HP, never mind the concept of defeating her.
It took me double the levels to do that.
And, there is no way someone on Floor 29 could be level 180.
...
I continued down the settings, straight to the challenger profiles.
Player name: Akimori Yuri
Gender: Female
Class: Warrior
Level: 46
HP: 1, 700
MP: 400
The list of challengers end there.
She was the only player on this floor.
...
She wont even last a minute against her enemies.
System, locate and track player [Akimori Yuri].
Locating player [Akimori Yuri]. Please wait a moment.
I watched as the system did a quick scan of the floor.
Player [Akimori Yuri] has been located. Coordinates, X: 1780, Y: 221.
The tracking system has been activated.
The screen zoomed in to show the figure of the person in question.
A girl that seemed to be my age.
Long, flowing midnight black hair.
A matching form-fitting black dress that ends just above her knees, with long lace-up boots of the same color.
Fiery red jewels adorned her outfit, dancing like miniature flames in the flickering lights.
And, to top it all off, a pair of honey-golden eyes. Just as bright and dazzling as the morning sun.
She was without a doubt, a beauty.
I caught myself staring at her.
Then, I shook my head to clear my thoughts.
Now is not the time to be admiring someone.
System, identify the locations of all the monsters on this map.
Understood, Master.
A series of red flags began to appear across the screen, pinpointing the whereabouts of the NPCs.
The Boss was a long distance ahead of Yuri.
I dont have to worry about it for now.
The closest minion is five turns ahead.
Meaning that at her current pace, Yuri will reach it in approximately two minutes.
...
That is just enough time to decode and recode the minion.
System, access Moderator panel.
A set of options appeared in front of me.
I selected the options to view and modify the NPC coding.
Without a single pause in my movements, I narrowed down on the specific minion.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
My fingers swept across the screen so fast they were like a blur.
Do you wish to [Replace] this NPC?
Yes.
Please enter the [Code] of the NPC you wish to replace it with.
002140...
I saw Yuri make a right turn out of the corner of my eye.
Four more turns.
Faster.
...A0X283...
She made another right turn.
...1029V32...
A left turn. A right turn after that.
No.
Stop.
Dont go there.
Not yet, just a little more...
...89AP40K 527 WX834!!!
I slammed my hand down on the Confirm button.
Then, there was silence.
Did I...make it?
ERROR: SYSTEM HAS FAILED TO LOAD THE CODE. PLEASE TRY AGAIN.
No.
This joke is not funny. Not funny at all.
Now was the worst time for the code to fail.
Six steps.
I need to think of something. Fast.
Fix steps.
Should I try the code again? No, there is not enough time.
Four steps.
Another code? No, that was the shortest one I could remember. Searching for another one will take even more time.
Three steps.
This girl. She will die just because of a system malfunction? Something that should have never happened in the first place?
...
Something that I have the power to prevent?
Two steps.
No, she will not die.
I wont let her die.
Time seemed to advance in slow motion for me in the next few seconds.
Yuri lifted one foot, slowly bringing it down onto the path in front of her.
She was now at the corner, about to make the final left turn.
Right into the embrace of the horrifying monster that was to seal her fate...
One step.
...
Clang.
The sound of something hitting metal echoed in the labyrinth.
Yuris eyes widened in surprise.
Because in front of her, there stood a single person, dressed in a pure black trenchcoat.
And in his hands, he held a blazing, azure-blue sword...
Blocking off the claws of the monster that were originally aimed at her.
Me.
Monsters remaining: 40
Time remaining: 1:13:08
Number of players on the floor: 2
Im sorry, Ame. I hope you can forgive me for breaking the rules...this time.
Floor Two- End.
Floor Three: “Yuri”
When I first received an invitation from the Colosseum, I of course, like many others, treated it as simple spam mail.
So, I deleted it.
That is an exception made to all the newcomers. You were allowed to delete or ignore the invitation.
Until the day you decide to Accept.
But, no matter how many times I deleted and ignored that message, it always came back.
Again and again.
It came back on my way to school every morning.
In the restrooms.
On my way to cram school, and on my way home after that.
And finally, it was there too, just when I was about to head to bed each night.
It only showed up when I was alone.
Somehow, it just knew.
The cycle repeated itself for more than two months.
I was finally beginning to get agitated.
Whenever I tried to show somebody, it was never there.
Disappeared into nothingness, almost as if it had never existed.
Indirect methods like taking a photo failed as well.
For some strange reason, it never shows up on film.
Searching the internet for clues, I found nothing useful.
At that point, I was getting slightly angry.
If I cant get it to stop through ordinary means, then I will get to the bottom of it directly.
That was what I thought back then.
I accepted the invitation.
Looking back, I should have never done that.
I should have just let it continue.
Ignore. Delete. Repeat.
Had I done that instead, things would be different.
And.
I wouldnt have ended up as the mastermind behind that mass-murdering operation, six months later.
--------------
A huge Labyrinth.
A party of two.
And it just so happens that your only teammate is a pretty, highschool girl.
Sounds like every mans dream, doesnt it?
But, add in the fact that there is a time limit. And if you cant find the exit before the timer reaches zero, both you and your beautiful companion dies...
Then it becomes a nightmare.
I know I, the Moderator, wont die.
But Yuri most definitely will.
That is why I need to lead her to the exit, fast.
But right now, that is not the main focus.
First, I need to get rid of the level 100 minion in front of me.
And make up a story about how I suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
...You are...
Yuri began to ask, but was interrupted by me.
Questions later. I will explain everything after I get rid of this creature.
I refocused my attention on the monster.
One of the monsters heads attempted to bite me, but I dodged just in time.
I have to be careful now, since I have temporarily disabled my Moderator status.
I can only use the skills I have obtained as a player.
Turbulence: First Wave.
A level 50 skill. Although Yuri cant see my stats, she can still see the damage I do.
Thats why it is better to use a low level skill, and do multiple hits, rather than blast the monster away with a single strike.
I need to keep as much of a low profile as possible.
The monster received the hit head-on. Its HP bar decreased.
[Three-headed Snake]
HP: 3.
Shoot.
I forgot how much damage I could do with my old stats.
This isnt good.
Yuri can see the level and HP bar of the monster. A normal player on this floor cant possibly do this much damage in one hit.
She will-
I blocked off the next attack that the monster aimed at me with my sword. At the same time, I tilted it at an angle so that I could see what was reflected behind me.
Yuri wasnt looking at the monster. Her attention was still on me.
...
Good.
I secretly healed the monster.
[Three-headed Snake]
HP: 9, 100.
Howl: Twin Crescent.
I swung my sword at the snake, and missed.
And missed again.
To Yuri, this would be a simple indication of the superiority of the monster.
But little does she know that the skill I used was an agility boost.
For the monster, that is.
The snake released a cloud of poisonous vapor at me.
I pretend to be unable to dodge it in time, dropping to my knees as if it had immobilized me.
But in reality, my HP only decreased by one.
Urg...
In a flash, Yuri was standing in front of me, her sword positioned in a defensive formation.
Take some time to recover. I will hold it off.
I nodded while resting one hand on the wall beside me, steadying myself.
Then, I narrowed my eyes.
Regis: Fury of the Seven Sins.
I uttered the cursed skill silently, directly at the monster.
A top-tier debuff. One that lowers the enemys stats by nearly 90%.
Yuri, of course, still had her back turned toward me, so she didnt notice.
She raced toward her enemy, dodging the attacks of the monster.
Using the lower base of the wall as a stepping stone, she leaped into the air, bringing her sword down on one of the snakes head.
Resonance: Triple Strike. she said, as she landed three consecutive blows to each of the heads.
The monster roared in pain, its heads swinging madly in all directions.
The debuff was working.
[Three-headed Snake]
HP: 8, 500.
Fall back! I shouted, as I dashed forward, charging at the monster.
Yuri leaped backwards, away from the monster.
I took her position.
Blaze: Super Play. I said, activating my skill.
At the same time, I performed another skill on the monster.
Purge: Last Light. The ultimate buff.
The monster was now at 300% its original stats.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
My first attack hit its mark. But now, the damage will be drastically lower.
[Three-headed Snake]
HP: 7, 200.
Switch. Yuri said, as we swapped positions.
I triggered Regis again.
She dealt one hit after the other, dancing out of the way just as the monster retaliated, taking little damage along the way.
[Three-headed Snake]
HP: 6, 000.
Switch! I said, as we alternated again.
I activated Purge.
[Three-headed Snake]
HP: 3, 750.
Switch.
We took turns attacking, leaving no gaps within our formation.
Debuff.
HP: 2, 800.
Buff.
HP: 1, 600.
Debuff and buff again. All the way until the monster hissed for one last time, and laid in a crumpled heap.
[Three-headed Snake]
HP: 0.
Status: Defeated.
Remaining monsters on the floor: 39.
Time remaining: 59:36
We both let out a sigh of relief at the same time, for different reasons.
The first obstacle has been eliminated, but, it was only the beginning-
So, are you going to explain what just happened?
Yuri asked, interrupting my thoughts.
She wants an explanation. Of how I suddenly appeared in front of her, and possibly, of the link between my appearance and the insanely high-level monster.
But, what should I tell her?
Teleportation magic?
No, that doesnt explain why I was here in the first place.
From the start, she knew she was the only one on this floor. No one was there with her at the entrance.
Arrival from another entry point?
No, that is highly unlikely. If I say that, she will just doubt me more.
Then, the best answer here would be...
I dont belong on this floor.
The truth. With a twist to it, that is.
Then, why are you here?
I returned my sword to its sheath. Then, I calmly walked up to the corpse of the monster.
This monster...what level is it?
100.
Thats right. Level 100. Have you wondered why and how something of that level is on a lower level floor like this?
She redirected her gaze to the defeated creature. I continued.
Honestly, I dont know either. But, I feel it is related to the cause of my sudden transfer to this floor.
Yuri looked unsure of where I was going with this, but listened to me nevertheless.
Five minutes ago, I was on Floor 32.
Floor 32...so you are saying that you have been here before?
Yes. But, back then, the highest level monster I encountered was only level 60.
In essence, this Labyrinth is no longer the same. And you, at the same time, ended up here again.
...
She wasnt falling for anything Ive said.
Well, that was expected.
I "sighed".
I dont think you believe anything Ive told you at this point. But, I cant offer any other explanation. Whether the appearance of the high-level monster is linked to my sudden shift in location or not, it is your choice what to believe.
...
There is no way I can prove what Ive said, but, I will let you decide. Will you trust my words, and find the exit together with me?
There, I extended one hand, offering her my support.
I could tell what she was thinking.
After all, she only had two options here.
Option one, she accepts my invitation, and team up with me to increase her own chances of survival.
Option two, she declines my invitation, and faces whatever she finds on her way, alone.
Thats right.
She never had to believe my story.
All she had to know was that she was in a dangerous situation.
And, I made sure to remind her of that.
The rest, as unbelieve as it may seem, will then become the truth.
At least for Yuri, that is.
Because in this situation where her fate lingers on the bridge between life and death...
Her human nature will force her to seek for a safety zone.
Her mind will want to believe in me.
She took my hand.
My name is Akimori Yuri. Level 46 Warrior. Nice to meet you.
I smiled.
My name is Kurose Mikage. Level 61 Warrior. Lets try our best to find the exit, together.
Yuri nodded. Then, she tapped the empty space in front of her, opening her system menu.
System Notice: Player [Akimori Yuri] has sent you a request to join her party.
[Accept] or [Decline].
Accept. I said, as the system acknowledged my choice.
I had predicted that this was going to happen.
So, I was already prepared for it.
System Notice: Player [Kurose Mikage] has joined the party.
Current number of players in the party: 2.
[1] Akimori Yuri- Level 46, Warrior.
[2] Kurose Mikage- Level 61, Warrior.
Yuri turned her golden gaze toward me.
Shall we go, she asked wordlessly.
Yes, we should. But, not just yet.
Before we go, why dont we quickly establish a strategy?...If you dont mind, would you like to hear what I had in mind?
She nodded for me to go on.
I smiled again.
Well, first, I need to confirm something. And that is...
Floor Three- End.
Floor Four: "Strategy"
A message from Hikaru:
Hey readers! Sorry about this random interruption, but I just wanted to give you guys a heads up about whats coming up in this chapter.
WARNING: This chapter contains content that may be highly confusing to some. Please ignore aspects that do not make sense, and do not think too much about Mikages strategy. Please take it for its face value, and enjoy the tactical ride.
AKA: Sir Hikaru tried and failed. Much apologies. Please do not blame Mikage, blame Sir Hikaru instead.
AKA #2: Boring content may be coming for this chapter. Please try your best to hold tight, I promise the action and more exciting parts will be coming up. You are free to skim the strategy if you would like, just dont over think it. PROMISE THAT THE ACTION IS COMING, YES! HOLD ON TIGHT!
Now, back to my hiding place in the corner.
Best regards,
Hikaru Seishin
Time passes by in a flash for most people.
Waking up.
Going to school.
Going home.
Heading to bed.
That was my normal routine.
But on that day, the day I accepted the invitation to the Colosseum, time seemed to drag on endlessly.
I couldnt focus on anything.
Or maybe, I was simply too focused on what was going to happen, that night.
I tried to stay awake.
I tried, but of course, that never happened.
When I opened my eyes, I was standing in the middle of a large, chilly room.
Dimly lit, with spotless marble floors...ceilings and walls too distant to be seen.
And, directly in front of me, sitting in a chair suspended in mid air, was a man dressed in a black tuxedo.
Welcome, Kurose Mikage, to the Colosseum.
Even though he didnt actually say anything, I could hear his voice echo in my mind.
I knew that voice.
My name is Ame, the Moderator of the Trials. I will be the one to guide you tonight.
Ame. It was really Ame. There was no doubt about that.
But, what was he doing there in the first place?
Back then, that was something I couldnt figure out.
I still havent gotten closer to the truth since then.
Now, before I send you off to your task for tonight, allow me to explain things a little
He then raised one hand, and-
GAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
I screamed until my throat was sore, for the very first time in my whole life.
All the rules and information a challenger should know, were forcefully installed into my memory.
I fell to the ground, hands clutching my head, trying to relieve the pain.
...
Oh. Right.
I remember now.
Back then, was the first time that that thought had crossed my mind.
The first time that I realized I didnt really know much about Ame.
Because after all...
In my childhood, then, and even now
I have never once, seen Ames face.
If this were a dungeon in a RPG game, how would you normally find the exit?
I asked my teammate as we hid behind a wall, observing the split path in front of us.
Marking the way you came from, and avoiding those routes later.
Thats right. That is what people decide to do normally. It wont work in this case though.
I gestured to the timer above our heads.
The numbers 00:51:03 were displayed in bright red.
A Labyrinth like this probably has a lot of paths and dead-ends. We will definitely run out of time before we even explore half of them.
Yuri nodded, signaling for me to continue on.
Well, in that case, we can start by stating what we know. Four things.
One, that there is no map for this dungeon.
Two, we are heavily limited in time.
Three, there are 40 monsters on this floor.
And four, we will not be able to use the Right-left hand rule to find a way out.
I listed each of the preliminary conditions slowly, so that Yuri and I were both aware of our situation.
She tilted her head slightly at the last fact.
The Right-left hand rule? she questioned, unsure of what I meant.
I nodded, and then gave her a concise explanation.
It is a rule of maze navigation, simply implying that if you place one hand, either left or right, on a wall of a maze, you will eventually find the exit if you continue down the same wall without removing the hand.
She thought about that for a moment, before continuing.
What about sections not connected to the main paths? Wouldnt you just be following the same wall back to the beginning?
And that is exactly why this method wont work here.
I paused, signaling to the series of walls in front of us.
This block right here is called an island. In terms of maze designing, if such things exist then the map is disjointed, meaning that we may be following the same wall for ages and going nowhere. That is the reason why using the Right-left hand rule may not be wise in our case.
Then, what do you suggest we do? Yuri asked calmly.
I placed one hand on the hilt of my sword.
I will have to test a few things out first.
Without warning, I leaped forward, stepping onto the left path.
The monster patrolling that area hissed, throwing itself at me almost immediately after.
I dodged as it bared its fangs at me.
I swung my sword across its chest, watching as its HP decreased.
A normal attack, with Purge of course.
Then, I calmly took a step back, returning to my position beside Yuri.
The snake was mere centimeters away from me.
...
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds
The monster slithered away, back to its post, as if I was never there in the first place.
...
Yuri made no comment, but I could sense her confusion.
I turned my steady gaze toward her.
It seems like my strategy may work after all. And, to not waste any more time, Ill try to explain it as simply and quickly as I can.
Yuri nodded, giving her approval for me to begin.
I took a deep breath and then proceeded with what I had in mind.
Apart from the four conditions weve already mentioned, there are six more that can be established using the test I did moments ago, and through a bit of thinking.
First up, condition five: Monsters will not enter the range of another monster.
There, I lowered my voice slightly.
Have you ever heard of the term NPC Patrol Range?
Yuri shook her head.
It is the radius within which the NPC monster can move around in. In essence, the target NPC is only allowed to track players within that range.
So you are suggesting that each monster in this dungeon can only appear at specific points?
Yes. But, most importantly, they cannot cross into the range of another monster.
I gestured toward the three-headed snake that we had defeated earlier. It was still lying on the floor, waiting to be cleared by the system.
That was what I learned from the small test Ive done a few minutes ago. The snake that was chasing me did not continue the pursuit, even as I was standing right next to it.
I paused, letting my words sink in before continuing.
In other words, think of this Labyrinth as segmented pieces of a puzzle. Each piece of the puzzle is represented by a monster, and each monster leads to the next monster.
...And, assuming no piece of the puzzle is missing, the correct way to find the exit is to head toward the routes that the monster will not track you to?
She understood perfectly.
That saves me from a lot of explaining, so I need to thank her for that.
That is the gist of the strategy, but theres more to it.
She waited for me to go on.
Condition six: The HP of the monsters will not regenerate after an encounter.
I gestured toward the snake that was patrolling the path near us.
Did you see me attack the snake?
Yes.
Did you see how much HP he had left after the attack?
8, 900, if Im not wrong.
I nodded.
What is the set HP regeneration time for players and monsters?
A certain amount of HP per second, according to my experiences.
Yes, that is correct. And, take a look at the snake. His current HP should still be 8, 900.
Yuri confirmed my predictions, but I could tell that she was getting uncertain about what I was trying to imply.
But, I had to mention the rest of the conditions first, before I could tie it all in with a final conjecture.
Condition seven: Monsters appear quickly upon a players entrance into their territory. The snake over there appeared in less than five seconds.
Condition eight: Monsters do not respawn after they are defeated, a finite number of enemies. That is also simple to conclude, both based on the fact that the snake weve defeated earlier is still there and that the number of monsters displayed decreased by one.
I lifted my head toward the darkness above, where a number was displayed beside the time limit.
Remaining monsters: 39
I wasted no time in giving her the last two conditions.
Condition nine: It is possible to clear any and all trials. A colosseum rule, if you can recall.
And, condition ten: The dungeon is not one that can be cleared quickly and with ease.
The support for that notion would be the four conditions we listed first: No map, time limit, number of monsters, and the increase in difficulty as a result of the disjointed map. These four conditions were well-executed, so well-done that one can conclude that the creator did not intend for us to find the exit anytime soon.
I took a moment to let her absorb all the material, before starting on the real strategy.
The conditions Ive told her about were vital in supporting the theory I had in mind.
The plan is to avoid fighting as much as we can, while doing what you have mentioned earlier. Take the paths that the monsters will not follow you to. Only attack the monsters once.
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
How will we know which paths they will not take without splitting up and backtracking?
The rules of the intersection. At any intersection, we will use these five steps: Split, bait, wait, attack, and exit.
First, we will split up, one person on each path. In cases of more than two paths, we will select the paths randomly. Secondly, we will bait the monster that is chasing us on to our paths. Then, we will wait.
Following condition five and seven, a new monster will likely appear on at least one of the paths, and the original snake will likely chase after the person on the other path.
One person will attack the new monster once, and then the other member will join him or her on that path. We will run without pause until the next intersection, since stamina isnt a problem here.
The disregard for the depletion of stamina was the only thing that was truly game-like about this scenario. The rest seemed to have come out of a horror film.
What about the likelihood of having more than one new monster appear? How would we choose which path to take then?
I nodded. This was what I was about to address next.
Let''s explain the types of paths found at an intersection first. There are four types: New, Back to Beginning, Dead-end, and Exit paths.
Assuming the New path isn''t also the Exit path, it will eventually turn into a Beginning or Dead-end path.
Now, using logic on the Beginning pathsSince there''s a finite number of monsters, and assuming condition ten holds true, the creator of this dungeon will most likely not use a new monster to lead us back to the beginning. An unnecessarily waste, I would say.
Therefore, the monster there is either the same monster that chased us into the intersection, or the first monster we''ve already defeated, since it would be the guardian of the entrance path.
Now, if it was the same monster, we can just eliminate picking this path from the beginning. On the other hand, if it is the first monster, we can run a simple test.
Split up. One person waits on the other path that the monster didn''t chase us onto, one person waits on this path. According to condition seven, a new monster should be coming for one of us.
And, if a monster appears on one path but not the other, it means the latter is going back straight to the beginning. No respawns, remember? The first monster will not re-appear. So avoid this path.
I saw Yuri follow along through the written text in the chat box. Indeed, it was hard to keep track of everything through memory.
A complicated answer to a complicated problem. I needed to hurry.
I continued on.
For dead-ends, we assume condition ten holds true again, and that the creator realizes there''s a finite number of monsters he can place.
Therefore, we will follow the same mindset as the strategy for Beginning paths, except that this time, only one type of monster could be there: The same monster that was chasing you.
Right away, we will eliminate this path.
Again, we will employ condition ten, and take in the fact that theres a finite number of monsters. Therefore, the creator is not going to make a new monster guard a dead-end or a path back to the beginning, and leave a gap open at the exit where placing monsters are more beneficial.
I paused.
The last type of path found, the Exit path, will be easy to identify after locating the previous types of paths.
Yuri looked up from the dialogue.
The New paths. Wouldnt it be possible for it to be completely separate from the other types mentioned? A true new path, that is.
I met her eyes silently, acknowledging her point.
It is possible, but unlikely. I mentioned earlier that New paths will eventually lead us back to the beginning or to a dead-end. We can logic that out.
First, we have already found support for the notion that the creator does not want us to find the exit quickly. Therefore, it can be safe to assume that he will not be putting more than one exit in this dungeon. In other words, there will be only one path to the exit.
Thus, provided that the New path isn''t also the Exit path, the New path will always lead us back to the beginning, to a dead-end, or to another new path. In that case, the new path will always make us return to a point that we have already been to before. Circling around the maze, that is.
Here, we can use the strategies Ive mentioned already to find out whether the New paths become paths back to the beginning or to dead-ends. If the New path leads to another New path, then the attacks weve made to each monster along the way will serve as indicators that weve been there before. Encountering damaged monsters is a sign to turn back.
I stopped talking. It seemed like Yuri was about to make a comment about something.
Have you considered the case of following a new path after a new path, endlessly until the time runs out?
I nodded.
That can be a big issue. But, do you remember condition nine?
Yuri paused for a brief moment to check, before answering.
Condition nine: It is possible to clear any and all trials. A rule of the Colosseum.
Yes. Therefore, although the creator may not want us to find the exit in time, it must be possible to find the exit in time. Wrong paths we take will not continue on forever, the rules dictate that we will be able to find the exit, with some sort of a strategy of course.
She nodded in approval. I was free to finish the last bits of my plan.
The last case is where the New path is the exit path. But, if that is true, there wouldn''t be another exit path in that intersection. Remember, the one exit notion.
Meaning, no new paths can be exit paths, since we already listed exit paths as fourth type of the paths found at an intersection. New paths that are also exit paths are just exit paths in general.
And, before I conclude, I will make an exception for the creator. Cast doubts on condition ten for a second here. What if he did not employ the mindset I have described, and decided to waste new monsters on path leading back to the beginning or to a dead-end? Something that will put this whole plan in danger?
Well, we can use this strategy: Pick any path. Attack the monster once and run."
If we hit a dead-end, just backtrack.
If the monster stops chasing us suddenly, wait a few seconds for the new monster to appear. If nothing appears, it means we are going back to the beginning again. Remember the defeated monster at the start. Turn back.
Now, we can expand this to include another extreme scenario, the case of the creator using the new monster to patrol yet another path to a dead-end or path to the beginning. A good use of resources in this case.
Then, all we need to do is mark the creature with an attack, turn back and take another path. If it truly did patrol another region, we will eventually meet it again, and at that point we will take the other path available. That will be the path leading to the exit.
I paused a bit.
This was too much talking and explaining for my liking.
But, I went on, this is an extreme situation, and based on a lot of things we''ve established here, I really don''t think it is going to happen.
If it does though, there will be time to turn back and choose again. Condition nine holds true.
Yuri waited for me to finish my long explanation.
I did not continue.
So, she made her own final conclusions.
To pick out the golden rules of the strategy, we will just need to follow the five steps mentioned at an intersection, correct?
Correct. And the rest, I will take care of.
Yuri thought about everything for a moment, and then gave me a nod.
Are you alright with attempting this plan? I said, noticing the tinge of hesitation reflected within her eyes.
Uncertainty.
No surprise here of course.
Because we are a team, I will leave the decision to you.
There, I extended a hand toward her.
Are you willing to take the risk with me, or are you willing to leave it all to luck?
Confusion.
Reluctance.
Hope.
And determination.
I could see all those emotions flash by in her eyes.
My plan was definitely not one that guaranteed success.
But
It was the only plan that offered a chance for success.
I knew that.
She knew that.
We both knew that.
So
She took my hand.
And then
Floor Four- end.
BONUS: A day with Correspondent S
Well, I''m seriously just a noob when it comes to tactics and such, so the main reason for the lateness of the chapter was because of the amount of (flawed) thinking I had to do.
And, of course, the amount of time I spent arguing with my correspondent about the strategies:
Me: So what is so flawed about Mikage''s strategy? I think it makes enough sense for me to believe it, what else can you do in this situation?
Correspondent S: That man can basically do circles around the maze, yolo, and get out in less than five minutes. What was all that strategy bs for?
Me: The girl, you think she''ll be alright with whatever a random stranger says without some support for his thoughts?
S: Yeah, it only makes sense because we are dealing with a FREAKING GOD HACKER here.
Me: Eh...correction. Mikage is a Moderator. A mod. Not a hacker. Please.
S: Same freaking thing.
Well, then we went around in circles and modified some things, but you know, the setting was pretty bad from the start. Let''s just say they are less screwed with his strategy, but screwed anyway. Had Mikage not been a "God hacker" that is. -coughs-
S: By the way, my vocabulary only consists of: Mod, Ame, Grill, and BS.
Me: What does a grill have to do with this story?
S: The grill, you know. Honey-eyes grill.
Me: ...She has a name you know. And it''s "girl".
S: Yeah, "Grill".
And of course, there went my days of arguing with my troll of an advisor.
Fun times.
Floor Four Bonus- End
Floor Five: "Omen"
Please tell me your name.
That was the first thing I heard when I recovered from the intense pain.
Didnt Ame already know my name?
What were his motives?
I believe you already know my name. I said, resting my gaze on the shadowy figure in front of me.
Indeed. But, that is not the answer Im looking for. I would like you to tell me your name.
Suspicious.
I needed to be careful of what I say to him.
But, for now, there was no point in lying about something he already knew.
Kurose Mikage. I answered, without any uncertainty in my voice.
The chamber was silent for a brief moment.
Now, Kurose-kun, I would like you to close your eyes. Create an image of what you look like.
My name.
My looks.
Those were things that Ame already knew about.
Then, for what purposes did he ask those questions?
It was almost as if he was seeking confirmation for something.
Unless
No no, that wont do. I will need you to imagine yourself as you are.
I cleared the image of my cram-school teacher that I had in mind.
Yes, Ame knew.
Both how I looked and what I was thinking about.
I erased all the lingering thoughts I had.
This is quite a long process. Quiteredundant if I could say, dont you think?
Ame laughed, sending chills down my spine.
Oh, do not worry, Kurose-kun. Nothing is redundant here.
I narrowed my eyes as he spoke, but then gave him a smile.
In that case, I shall do as instructed.
I closed my eyes, and created a small image of what I looked like.
Now, take a look at the selections in front of you.
I opened my eyes, and then stepped back slightly in shock.
In front of me now, were five projections of people wearing fantasy-like gear.
Five pairs of icy, silver eyes.
Dark, navy-blue hair.
Five images of me.
Midnight black robe. Flaming rubies as decorations. Staff that pulsated with an eerie-red light.
The Mage.
Ivy-green, hooded hunting outfit. Long scarf that trailed behind his mighty form. Deadly-looking bow that seemed to have been created by the roots of the Earth.
The Archer.
Blood red keikogi*. A face hidden in the shadows. Twin daggers that radiated with bloodlust.
The Rogue.
Snow-white gown. A crown of crystal-like feathers. Scepter that captured the brilliance of the sunlit skies.
The Cleric.
And, the last.
The main character of any fantasy story.
Golden armor. Pure red cape. Giant winged sword.
The Warrior.
It is your turn now, Kurose-kun, to make a choice.
Which one will you choose
-
Over here.
Yuri waved one hand in the air, signaling for me to join her.
I dashed in front of her, swinging my sword at the snake that was targeting her as I passed by.
Purge. I whispered, as the blade sliced across the monsters neck.
The HP of the monster decreased.
Lets go!
I did not pause to wait for her, but I could hear her footsteps echoing a short distance behind.
We had to keep going, no breaks allowed.
We dashed down the path in front of us, ignoring the angry hisses of the monster.
One right turn.
Two right turns.
A left.
And then, we found ourselves at the next intersection.
I will take the path furthest to the right. Yuri said, as she passed by me, heading toward that path.
Understood.
I wasted no time in getting myself on to the path directly ahead.
Baiting complete.
Splitting complete.
Commencing step three
We waited.
sssss
A new monster appeared seconds after I stepped on to my path.
Nearby, Yuri was confronting the monster that was chasing us before.
Akimori-san, take path three!
Upon hearing my voice, she swung once at the monster, before dashing back to my side.
Remaining time: 00:25:03
We continued on.
One intersection.
Bait. Split. Wait. Attack. Exit.
Two intersections.
Yuri used triple-play to execute one of the snakes heads.
Three intersections.
I secretly healed her.
Four intersections.
I drank a large HP potion to make it seem as if I was taking some damage.
Five intersections. Six intersections. Seven intersections
We kept going, and never once looked back.
Remaining time: 00:13:57
Almost there.
Almost
Then, we hit a dead-end.
Click.
The front door of the Kurose residence opened, revealing the form of a young man in his mid twenties.
Sai? a female voice called, as the young man bent down to remove his shoes.
Im home, Okaa-san. he answered, as he set his briefcase to the side.
Welcome home, Sai. You must be tired from all the late nights youve had recentlyhere, I will make you some midnight snacks.
Mrs. Kurose hurried him toward the dinning room.
Is Mikage already asleep? Sai asked, as they passed by the staircase.
I think he just got into bed a few minutes ago. It will be exam time soonHe said he wanted to go to Todai, just like you, but Im worried that hes pushing himself too hard.
Haha, he still has a few years left to prepare himself. But, with his capabilities, I dont think that will matter much either way.
His mother gave him a light slap on the shoulder.
Shush. Mikages still a child, he cant possibly compare to you.
Sai chuckled slightly.
Well, that was not what I meanteither way, I want to say goodnight to him first, since I will be gone early in the morning again.
Heavens, they are working you to the bone! You need to rest a little tooyour father and I are both worried about your health. Mrs. Kurose complained, watching her eldest son walk up the stairs.
Yes, I understand. he replied, as he slowly disappeared from her sight.
Sai walked silently toward his younger brothers room, stopping in front of the door.
Raising his hand, he gave it three light knocks.
Mikage, are you still awake? he said quietly, but loud enough so that the person inside could hear.
Nii-san?
Yes. I just wanted to say goodnight. I will be out early this week, so I wont be seeing you tomorrow again.
Is there still no progress on the case?
Unfortunately so. But, my team and I will be getting to the bottom of it soon. I promise that Ill protect you and this family.
Haha, but before that, you should take care of your own health.
Sai let out a soft chuckle.
Roger, Mikage Okaa-san. he joked, as leaned with his back against the door.
Of course. Ive always got your best interests in mind, Son.
Sai smiled.
A few moments of silence passed by.
Then, he turned toward the door one last time.
Good night, Mikage.
Good night, Nii-san.
And with that, he headed downstairs for the night.
Sound track has been fully played. Please reverse the sound track to play it again.
Oblivious to the members of the Kurose household, the CD player in Mikages room proceeded to come to a complete stop.
Click.
The night continued on.
A dead-end?
Yuri shifted her grip on her sword, surveying her surroundings.
I shook my head.
No. Not a dead-end.
I walked up to the walls in front of us, tracing each block with my hands.
Yuri observed my movements calmly.
It doesnt happen to be one of those hidden door-types, right.
My fingers found their mark.
It is exactly that.
Placing both hands around the block, I paused.
You should step back a little. It will get a bit messy here, based on my experiences last time.
Yuri nodded, retreating to a spot a good distance away from the walls.
I refocused my attention on the task in front of me. With a swift tug of my hands, the block became disconnected from the rest of the wall, leaving a gaping hole right in the middle.
Watch out!
I shouted at Yuri as I ran for cover, just as the grey surfaces around us crumpled into a pile of ruin, shaking the whole dungeon as the blocks fell.
Lifting one side of my trench coat, I made a shield around me and Yuri, fending off the numerous flying debris.
The timer in the sky ticked by.
Remaining time: 00:09:18
The dust settled, revealing the path laid out ahead.
Huge, blood-red spikes hung from the unseen ceiling.
Fiery red stones decorated the walls, blinking in and out like rhythmic heartbeats.
Lava spanned the entirely of the ground beneath, bubbling as if it was beckoning us into its depths.
And, in the midst of it all, was a single suspension bridge.
One that seemed to stretch on endlessly, into the distance.
Lets go.
I brushed the dust off my trench coat composedly.
Then, we began to head toward the bridge.
First step.
Woah.
I caught Yuri by the waist as she swayed to the side lightly, the planks beneath her feet creaking as if they were about to collapse.
Our eyes met unintentionally.
I looked away.
Be careful. I said simply, releasing my hold on her slowly so that she could regain her balance.
I could feel her gaze on my back.
Thank you. she said, as I began to lead the way across the planks.
You are wel-
I did not get to finish my sentence.
Foolish mortals, how dare you enter my realm during my days of slumber.
We both looked toward the voice.
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
In front of us, a good distance away, stood a beautiful woman in a flowing purple robe.
Answer me, humans, what bring you here, uninvited, to my domain?
One strand of her hair rose above her headhissing at us.
Ivy-green snakes for hair.
Beauty beyond comprehension.
Medusa. The last boss of this maze.
We are here to find the exit of this labyrinth. I answered calmly, as Yuri slowly placed one hand on her sword.
Medusa narrowed her eyes, the snakes on her head hissing loudly.
Exit? There is no exit.
She laughed as she answered, mocking my objective.
Oh. In that case, we will just have to make one ourselves.
As I said that, I gave her my most charming smile in reply.
Right away, Medusa stopped laughing. Staring at us with ice-cold eyes, she raised one hand to the sky.
Arrogant male human, I will give you one last chance to turn back. Return to where you have come from.
I continued to smile.
I refuse.
Then, begone!
The spikes from the ceiling began to descend on to us, smashing into the bridge and taking the planks along.
The bridge gave one last creak before it began to crumble, the planks behind us dropping thousands of feet below into the boiling lava.
Akimori-san! I shouted, as I withdrew my sword, struggling to remain upright.
Understood. she replied, as she withdrew her own weapon.
We began to dash toward Medusa, away from the falling planks.
Helios: Blight.
The fiery flames below us exploded into the air, reaching for us like millions of little hands.
Shield: Elemental Blade.
I sliced through the flames, now able to do physical damage to the magic with my immunity skill.
Yuri too, was able to fend off the attacks.
Cage: Chains of Hell.
Medusa launched another attack at us.
As we dashed toward her, the planks below our feet turned into thousands of dark, twisted vines, trapping us in our spots.
Yuri narrowed her eyes.
Dance: Unforgiving Winds.
As soon as she spoke, the vines ensnarling us broke into tiny pieces.
An intermediate endurance and agility buff.
Amazing for someone of her level.
Medusa shrieked, as she watched two of her attack fail.
She raised her hand once more, but
Fury: Sengoku Delusion.
I activated my skill first.
It was one that would make me her primary target.
Switch.
Yuri followed up on my attack, aiming for Medusas neck.
I quickly activated purge and regis. A buff for her and a debuff for me.
Her attack hit its mark.
[Medusa]
HP: 99, 100.
As expected of a boss monster. Even with a 300% stat boost, a low level player still cant do much.
But, that doesnt really matter.
I never planned to fight this monster, after all.
Fall back!
I took over, letting Yuri jump to the rear as I swung my sword at the monster.
Decay: Eventual Demise.
Hades: Book of Ashes III.
My opponent and I activated our skills at the same time.
The snakes on top of her head expanded in size, until they detached themselves from her head, crashing heavily onto the planks.
Tch.
I picked up Yuri with my arms, leaping over the giant heads, landing on the other side of Medusa.
You cannot run away from me!!! Medusa screamed, as she and the snakes raced after us, hissing in rage.
Yes I can. Im just slowing down so that Yuri wont get suspicious of me.
The bridge was now half-gone, and about to be completely demolished.
Yuri leap down onto the spot next to me lightly, and we continued on without a pause.
STOPPPPPPP!!!!
As Medusa screamed in fury, she launched another set of spells at us.
Yuri was hit with a side-blow.
I stayed behind so I could secretly heal her.
The path is ending soon. she said, as she dodged along the way.
I moved into the course of one of the attacks.
My HP decreased by almost nothing. But, with the skill I activated earlier, Decay, it continued to go down.
It would seem like I was taking damage as well.
I wasnt joking when I said that we are going to create our own exit.
We were less than five steps away from the end of the path.
The only condition for me last time, was getting past the boss monster. And then
I raised my sword high into the air.
I smashed my own way out.
I brought my sword down on the wall in front of me, watching as it perished into blinding light.
Ring. Ring.
Sorry, Okaa-san. Ill need to step out for a moment to answer a call.
Dont stay out for too long!
Sai nodded in agreement, as he quickly grabbed his cellphone and headed outside.
Looking down at the screen, a caller ID was displayed.
Baka Shiro
xxx-xxx-xxxx
He sighed.
What is it, Kyoushiro?
The caller on the other end took a deep breath, his voice fractured by the noises surrounding him.
Chief Kurose, we have a serious problem. his subordinate shouted, his voice shaking in fright.
Sai shifted the phone slightly away from his ear, a little put off by the chaos on his subordinates end.
Calm down, and report your current situation. he directed steadily.
Yessir! Kyoushiro puffed, getting everything he wanted to say out at once, Im with the Fifth Division and the SIF at the Shibuya scrambled crossing. We are now stationed in front of a medium-height building calledlet me checkthe Shokugun. It seems to be some sort of a night club. And, right at this moment, we are looping off the area. The First Division is-
What exactly is the emergency, Kyoushiro?
Kyoushiro stopped talking, and cleared his throat.
My deepest apologies, Chief KuroseAre you by any chance, close to a television?
Which channel.
Channel 72. We are on air right now.
Sai returned to the house swiftly, turning on the television in the living room without a pause in his movements.
Breaking news: Tonight, we are currently in front of the famous night club, Shokugun, located in the Shibuya scrambled crossing. The police have currently began to create a safety zone near the premises, blocking off the curious onlookers that are gathered here
Sai? Why is the television on
Mrs. Kurose stopped in the middle of her sentence, as she watched the scene on the screen unfold.
The Serial Investigations Force has commenced a shouting match with an anonymous individual on the rooftop of the building. Lets zoom in on the person in question
The camera shifted upwards, revealing the blurry figure of a simply-dressed man standing on the railings of the rooftop.
SIR, WE NEED YOU TO COOPERATE WITH US, AND TAKE THE STAIRS BACK DOWN TO THE GROUND FLOOR. the SIF officers shouted, as the camera zoomed in on them.
STOP!!! I CANT TAKE THIS ANYMORE! the unknown person shouted back, at nobody in particular.
SIR, DO NOT PANIC. WE WILL BE GETTING YOU DOWN TO SAFETY SOON. WE WANT YOU TO CALM DOWN, AND THINK RATIONALLY
STOP, DONT COME NEAR ME! DONT BOTHER ME ANYMORE! IM NEXT, I KNOW IT.
Just what is going on!? the reporter cut in, as the camera crew swung back and forth between the two parties, trying to keep up.
SIR, WE WANT YOU TO REMAIN IN YOUR SPOT. WE CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR TROUBLES, JUST WAI-
DONTCOMENEARMEDONTCOMENEARMEDONTCOMENEARME!!!
He took a step closer to the edge of the rooftop, standing half in empty air.
Sir, please step back. We will not harm you, please-
My wife is dead. My daughter is dead. My one-year old son is dead. My parents, my best friendeveryone I loved is dead.
His words earned a wave of silence from below.
With a pained smile, he continued.
I thought I could forget about all this. Live on. For them. ButI cant take it anymore. I cant go to that place every night, and take part in that damned survival game. Killing someone else to live. I cant watch another family member cry because of me anymore. Its over. I am done.
Division Six, report your status. Over.
This is Division Six. We are preparing to engage the target in approximately one minute. Over.
This is Division Four. We are prepared to provide backup in case the target is sporting lethal weapons. Over.
Roger. This is Division Five. We have created a safety zone around this area. Ready for commencement. Over.
Division Five, where are the nets? Why havent they arrived yet? Over.
The reinforcements that were bringing the nets are not replying to our calls. We do not know what happened to them. Headquarters not responding either. Over.
Mother f***
Division One here. We are taking the balcony paths up toward the target. The target has not noticed yet so far. Over.
Division Two and Three reporting for duty. We are both currently on crowd control and standby. Ready for action at the command. Over.
The camera crew picked up on the exchange between the forces, as the SIF attempted to gather the motives of the target.
I wont let them get me. I will end this myself before they get me. But, I want the whole world to hear my words
The Sixth Division stationed themselves outside the door to the rooftop silently.
At the same time, the First Division had hidden themselves a short distance below the targets location.
This is Division Six. We are breaking through in fivefourthreetwo
But, before they could finish their countdown, the man began to fall forward, screaming, into the gasping crowd below.
GAAAHHHHH!!!
GET SOME SORT OF CUSHION UP, QUICKLY!!!
The sixth division dashed onto the rooftop, followed by the fourth division, a second too late.
PREPARE TO CATCH HIM IF WE MUST, HURRY!!! WE-
THE COLOSSEUM! FIND HIMFIND KUROOOO!!!!
The police and the onlookers could only look on in horror as the man fell helplessly into the concrete surface below.
Splat.
The last thing that was broadcasted before everything went to chaos, was the silvery-tint of the expanding pool of wine-red blood, illuminated by the eerie glow of the moon.
And
It was then, that everyone knew.
Things were beginning to change.
The death of the unknown man, and his last words
Had become an omen of the beginning of the end.
To be continued
Floor Five- End.
-----------
Keikogi: A uniform used in martial arts.
Floor Six: “Greeting”
A friendly, and slightly annoying, message from Hikaru:
Hello readers! It''s been a long time since I''ve last greeted you guys. Well, to cut to the chase, I apologize for taking so long to post this chapter. Classes did get extremely busy recently, and I haven''t had the time to do much else. With that said though, I hope you will enjoy this chapter, though I do admit that this chapter may be slightly slow compared to the previous one.
Correspondant S: I thought Sai was supposed to be smart. After this, he seems just as dumb as the Mod and the Grill.
Hikaru: T.T Gomenasai. Blame the author for being stupid, those three are innocent!
Either way, enjoy the (very slow) ride up the Colosseum roller coaster, and see you in the next chapter!
Mikage: ...(I didn''t even get to make an appearance for the bulk of this chapter).
Don''t worry, Mikage! You will appear plenty of times in the next chapter, along with a mysterious addition to the story.
???: How long are you going to continue talking, Hikaru?
Geh. Right. Well, see you all next time, in Colosseum 72!
-Hikaru Seishin,
November 12, 2015.-
------------------------
Classes.
Now, this situation had completely gone down the RPG-route.
Was I expected to play some sort of a game after that?
I read the description of each of the classes:
The Mage, specialized in offensive magic.
Able to do significant damage to numerous targets over a wide area, or heavy damage to a single target close-range.
Although highest in INT (intellect), they are considerably weaker in SPD (speed), making them members of the mid-line in battle.
The Archer, specialized in ranged, physical attacks.
Proficient in the art of sniping and guerrilla wars, they are good for both defensive and offensive purposes.
Even with the highest SPD stats out of all classes, archers can be lacking in terms of STR (strength) and physical damage compared to the Warrior or Rogue classes.
The Rogue, specialized in multi-strike combats.
Undefeated in the games of stealth and deception, they are experts in disguise and traps, as well as decent handlers of small ranged weapons.
The only flaw, despite having the highest stats in STR (strength), is their incredibly low stats in CON (constitution), making them reliant on the hit and run strategy.
The Cleric, specialized in healing and defensive magic.
An important part of any teams backline, they know a variety of self, single-person, and team heals, as well as both buffs and debuffs.
As invincible as they may seem, Clerics make up for their superiority in WIS (wisdom) through their average capabilities in the rest of the stats.
Lastly, the Warrior. Specialized in close-hand, melee exchanges.
Usually considered the tank of the team, they are essential in the front lines and vital in terms of team survival.
But, other than their unbelievably high stats in CON (constitution), their STR and damage is on a lower ranking than the Rogues.
Since I didnt know what was going to happen next, I had to be careful of what I select.
What were my priorities?
Well, I would consider survival my top.
In order to get to the bottom of this phenomena, I would need to stay alive.
What would I be fighting?
Anything goes.
Humans? Monsters? The mastermind behind this operation?
I didnt know yet.
Damage is often the first choice for most gamers, but I had to pick something that would withstand the test of time.
I swept my eyes across my choices once again.
The most optimal choice I had, given the conditions, was the Warrior class.
A class that had the balance I looked for between offensive and defensive tactics.
I thought you were more interesting than that.
I looked up at the owner of the voice.
Ame was shaking his head in disappointment.
Im sorry to disappoint you. But, it looks like I will be going along with the Warrior class after all. I stated calmly.
Tsk tsk. How boring.
As he spoke, the scene around him changed.
The darkness began to melt, drizzling down to the nothingness below like the falling rain on a window.
Desks.
A chalkboard.
An empty classroom.
Was I in some sort of a school?
Now, Kurose-kun, do your best to survive the next 30 minutes.
Survive the next 30 minutes?
Against what?
Exactly who or what am I going against? I shouted at the floating figure of Ame, suspended in mid-air outside of the windows.
Ame smiled.
You will find out in 321
The walls behind me exploded into roaring inferno, sending me crashing into the chalkboard.
------------------------
Nii-san is gone again. I commented, as I sat down at the breakfast table.
My mother paused in her egg-frying, turning to look at me as I sat down.
He got a phone call from work as soon as he got back, left in a hurry, and hasnt been back since. she replied, sounding none too happy.
I took a slip of the coffee she placed in front of me.
Well, looks like he is sorting out the incident at the Shokugun. my father said, skimming over the article in the newspaper, Earlier this morning, at around 3:28 AM, an anonymous man had jumped off the roof of the night club, Shokugun, shouting incomprehensible phrases about a Colosseum and a Kuro. The police had identified the man as Kagawasa Matsuru, age 34, a freelance journalist and the father of two
I took another slip of the coffee.
Shush, dear. Mikage has enough to worry about. How is your studying going, Mikage? my mother asked.
Its going well so far, Okaa-san.
She smiled at me.
My father gave me a nod of approval before adding on.
This is nothing to worry about anyway. Seems like to me that this Kagawasa fellow may be slightly questionable in the head. And plus, this Colosseum and Kuro thinghe may have just been on the run from the Yakuza for owing too much money, and committed suicide over that? This sort of things happens a lot
My mother placed a plate of eggs and toast in front of both me and my father, perhaps a little too forcefully.
My father jumped a little in his seat, slightly startled.
I put my coffee mug down lightly.
Either way, Im not too happy that they are making our Sai handle everything that comes their way. I mean, hes only 25 years old! I
There, there, Kagome. my father comforted her, giving her pats on the back, Im sure things will settle down soon.
I set my fork down beside my plate.
Ill be going now, Okaa-san, Otou-san.
See you later, Mikage. my father answered, as I picked up my bag and left the house.
I leaned my back against the closed front door.
A murder masked as a suicide.
Whispers of the names of Colosseum and Kuro.
The two beginning pieces of the puzzle has now been laid, and perhaps many more to come.
Yetwas this chance discovery surprising to me?
No, I have always known from the start.
It was inevitable.
Narrowing my eyes, I looked up at the cloudy skies above.
Soit has finally begun.
------------------------
Are you sure you want to do this?
Of course.
And you know that if this plan fails, your life will be forsaken?
Of course. But, I dont wager on battles I cannot win.
When and where will this be?
Tonight, in a place surrounded by people and the lights of the night
The Colosseum will give the worlda warm greeting.
------------------------
Chief Kurose, another phone call for you.
We are not answering any questions about the case. Please tell that to whichever publishing company is calling.
Chief Kurose, a call from Akatsuki Enter-
He already said we are not answering any questions, just brush them off.
Kyoushiro sighed, placing a warm cup of coffee in front of Sai.
Any updates on the location of the messages? Sai asked, as he typed away on his laptop.
His colleague took a seat beside him, resting his forehand in his hands in fatigue.
None so far. The system kept on failing just as they are about to pinpoint the location, as if something was preventing the access.
Sai stopped typing, staring at the screen in front of him in silence.
Then, he narrowed his eyes.
Its strange.
Kyoushiro raised his head, looking at him.
What is?
That we were able to find these messages in Kagawasa Matsurus phone.
Sai shifted his laptop over, so that Kyoushiro could see what he was referring to.
A message from the [Colosseum]:
Greetings, honored [Challenger]! You have been selected to participate in tonights [Colosseum Trial]. Please [Accept] this invitation to ensure a bright and peaceful tomorrow!
-From your dutiful Moderator, [Kuro].
Kyoushiro read the content before frowning, deep in thought.
I can see why it may be strange, he said, trailing off as he re-read the message, I mean, we know nothing about this Colosseum thing and this Kuro guy. Judging by what was said though, it seems like some kind of eventa competition of some sort?
Sai took a slip of his coffee.
That may be true, but that was not what I meant.
At Kyoushiros confused look, he continued.
How many unsolved cases have we encountered these two months?
Approximately 120, Chief.
And what do these cases all have in common?
Wellall of the victims seem to be found in horrendous conditions. Some burned, some decapitated, some torn beyond recognition
Sai shook his head.
Not that. There was a piece of evidence that was always missing from the victims.
Sai leaned forward slightly, his dark blue eyes gleaming from the light of the monitor.
The phones. The computers. Every electronic device in the victims possession was wiped clean of all its data.
Kyoushiro thought about this for a moment, before looking up at Sai.
But how do we know that this case has anything to do with the previous ones? This was a suicide after all, not a murder.
Sai nodded, reaching over to type something into the database.
Then, he redirected Kyoushiros attention to the screen.
This was the first unsolved murder in our ongoing investigation. June 30th, 2024. Exactly two months ago.
Kyoushiro narrowed his eyes, unsure of where this was going.
Now, the subsequent killings occurred three days after. Five on July 3rd. Fourteen on July 4th, and four on July 5th.
Andhow does this all relate to Kagawasa-san?
Sai sighed a little, before continuing.
Have you looked at the dates that the messages in his phone were sent on?
WaitJune 30th, July 3rd, July 4th, July 5thitmatches up!?
The same message is sent at exactly 7:00 AM, for a total of 24 days. On all of these 24 days, a corpse of a victim would be found, with the perpetrator still at large.
He paused, opening a file.
There are a few things to conclude with the information we have so far.
One, that the perpetrator of the crimes does not have set qualifications for the potential targets.
Male, female. Young, old. Single, married, wealthy, not wealthythere is no pattern to the list.
Pictures appeared on the screen, displaying the profiles of the victims.
Two, that the crimes all occurred during the night and before dawn. Reports of acquaintances state that no abnormal behavior was sighted in the victims during the day prior to their deaths, yet they would be missing the next morning. Our forensics team can justify this conclusion with specific time periods, you are free to dig into the records if you wish.
The third point is that the exchange between the perpetrator and the victims happened through emails sent to the targets electronic devices, with the most common medium of communication being their cellphones. To cover up ones crime, is the proper protocol for a criminal. Yet, to wipe out all traces of contact makes the methodology alarmingly apparent.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
I can see where your conclusions are coming from. But, are you saying that the victims received the notifications from the perpetrator, and willingly followed the instructions to their deaths?
Sai tried to take another slip of his coffee, but the cup was empty.
He set the cup down, and turned to face Kyoushiro.
A penalty. There was most likely a penalty for denying the invitation.
And what kind of penalty would that be?
Who knows. Deterrences differ from person to person.
But, why is it that nobody has ever come forth with these emails? Do they not trust that the police force will provide them with safety from the perpetrator?
I dont think it has anything to do with trusting the police force or not. This bring us to my fourth point. It was most likely not that the victims are unwilling to speak up about these emails, but rather that they cannot speak up about these emails.
How so?
Two potential reasons. First, that the victim will suffer a penalty for revealing the contents of the operation. Again, I do not know what the penalty is, but I would not be surprised at how far the perpetrator will go. Second, that the victims do not have the means to prove what they are saying. The penalty may not be enough to stop the victims from seeking help in the end, unless they too do not have the actual evidence in question.
By that, you mean the actual emails from the perpetrator?
That would be it exactly. Are you familiar with the Auto-delete system for emails?
The system that restricts the reading of emails only to the receiver, and auto-destructs after a certain period of time?
Yes. But, that system is not foolproof. It may be able to destroy traces of the message through timed countdowns, but it is not able predict when exactly the victim will decide to approach a third party. And of course, there is no way to completely remove all traces of the message, so it should still be trackable.
Kyoushiro remained silent, waiting for Sai to continue on.
Yet, the mastermind behind this operation is no ordinary man. This is the perpetrator who has avoided any and all forms of detection for the past two months, one who has killed not just a handful of people, but an amount in the hundreds. It would not surprise me if this perpetrator is able to interfere with the cellular devices system at any given moment, as needed. Through what means, we are still unsure of. No form of altering devices were found in the phones, though the possibility that the perpetrator removed it after the crime stands.
Could the criminal have gotten rid of the original phones of the victims, and replaced them with new ones?
Possibly. But, a brand new phone would be pretty noticeable. It would be a strange occurrence indeed, if all the victims were to possess phones with no signs of wear. Yet, it is easy to forge antiquity in this age, so that idea may still be probable. But if it were just a simple replacement, the perpetrator may have lacked the techniques to prevent victims from consulting a third party. In this case, he or she would have been tracked, a long time ago.
So we have a genius hacker of a serial killer at hand. That seems a bit far-stretched, doesnt it?
Sai chuckled slightly.
Who knows? But again, the case we are dealing with right now is plenty abnormal by itself. Two whole months. Over 120 deaths. And no leads whatsoever. This calls for an awfully experienced criminalor an awfully inexperienced police force.
Kyoushiro puffed out his cheeks, as if he was about to defend the integrity of the team.
Then, he decided against it, turning his attention back to the case.
So far, we have four observations. One, that the victims share no noticeable characteristics. Two, that the crimes happen during the night. Three, that victims are contacted by the killer through their electronic devices, most commonly through their cellphones. And four, that mentioning of the contact is strictly prohibited. he summarized.
Correct.
And what if the conduct of Kagawasa-san was completely off the predictions of the perpetrator? What if his actions last night were not expected?
Sai smiled.
For someone who miraculously wiped all traces of contact from the victims cellular devices, and one who miraculously prevented the victim from ever bringing the contents of the emails to lightthat would be one amazing slip-up, wouldnt it?
At that, Kyoushiro grinned.
That is it exactly. What if the perpetrator is the current victim? Have you ever considered the fact that Kagawasa-san may have been the actual perpetrator all along?
It has never crossed my mind, no.
Think about itisnt it awfully suspicious that his phone wasnt cleaned up? And that phone being the only phone weve found containing dated messages from the perpetrator?
Your point is?
Kyoushiro gave Sai a victorious look.
He sent the emails to himself in order to pin the blame on some other person. To present the world to a phantom criminal that have never existed in the first place.
Sai gazed at his colleague in silence, before releasing a deep sigh.
You have been reading too much manga.
Have not! And plus, why else would the data remain intact? If not that Kagawasa-san was the original perpetrator, then it was because the perpetrator did not expect him to commit suicide in front of national television, and thus the reason why the perpetrator didnt have time to clear everything.
Oiwere you even listening to my explanations earlier? For a person who is competent enough with technology to prevent the investigation team from retrieving any data from the victims phones for the past two months, is it really any trouble for that person to get rid of the evidence on spot, especially since it was broadcasted live on national television?
That is
Sai folded his hands, looking directly into Kyoushiros eyes.
And, do you honestly think that this was a suicide?
Well, yesKagawasa-sans statements did seem like the last statements of a man whos about to commit suicide. Also, when the Sixth Division entered the rooftop mere seconds after Kagawasa-san jumped, there was nobody there. If it was a murder, the perpetrator would still be at the scene. The Fifth Division has all the alleyways secured too, not to mention that the ground patrols had the area beneath secluded. Unless the perpetrator grew wings and flew away, escape would be impossibleand even then, escape by flight is hardly an unnoticeable endeavor.
Indeed. This would make a convincing story. A man driven to the point of no return commits suicide and tells the world his story on national television. Then, evidence of contact between him and the potential factor behind his decision to die is found. The police rejoices at this chance discovery, and founds out that it shreds light on the series of unsolved cases from the past two months.
But that would be the truth, wouldnt it?
Sai smiled.
The fabricated truth, perhaps. This was never as simple as it seems. Not exactly a suicide. Not exactly a murder. But rather, a collateral exchange.
Anexchange?
Indeed. I did some research on Kagawasa-san earlier. It turns out that he has a younger sister, who is currently hospitalized due to a longterm illness since childhood. Kagawasa-san has been shouldering the cost of the treatment for over 20 years, but could no longer after he lost his old job as an accountant.
Andthe link between this and our case?
Two days ago, an anonymous benefactor repaid all the withstanding dues to the hospital, with a provision large enough to cover the sisters expenses for the rest of her life.
Chief Kuroseisnt this theory too groundless to be made? A deal between a murderer and his victim? That anonymous benefactor could be anyone. I mean, knowing that his sister would be well provided for, Kagawasa-san may have decided to finally let go of the last lingering thread that kept him struggling through life.
And, he chose to end his life earlier this morning, after receiving one last email from the Colosseum, right?
Right. He most likely decided to escape from it all. Although most of what he said remains ambiguous, the resignation toward life was clear.
Escape, huh? Now, do you truly believe that the culprit will let him live long enough, to attract such a huge crowd in front of the most well-known night club in Shibuya, and for him to stand on that roof for a whole 30 minutes, telling the world his ills? All the while being filmed and broadcasted across the nation?
Maybe the perpetrator was caught off guard this time
One time, many times. If it was so easy to run from the perpetrator, Kagawasa-san would have done that a long time ago. An email was sent from the Colosseum at 7:00 AM the previous day, asking him to accept the nightly invitation. But, instead of going where he was supposed to be going, he was found on top of the Shokugun, the owner of the club confused as to how he got into that restricted location in the first place.
What if Kagawasa-san wanted to bring this whole case to light? Tell Japan what was really happening?
And this man who wants to save the world chose to tell his story in such a extravagant way, knowing that he would be most likely treated as a lunatic with no evidence backing him up, had the perpetrator not planned for this in the first place and wiped the data from his cell phone?
Sai paused, lowering his voice.
He was waiting, Kyoushiro. Waiting for the media to arrive. The reporters arrived mere five minutes before his death. Those 25 minutes he spent waiting for them, neither him nor the culprit can afford to give under normal circumstances.
Soyou are suggesting that last nights events were entirely premeditated by the perpetrator of this series of killings these past two months? For what reasons?
This is the strange part to me. Why would the perpetrator, after two months of hiding in the shadows, emerge on to the stage of existence in such a showy manner? Almost as if he had been waiting, waiting for this moment all along. What does the cleared data tell us about the case then? And of course, the very method of contacting the victims? Who is the fishermen here, the perpetrator or us?
Sai narrowed his eyes as he spoke.
Ultimately, we may have, in the process of climbing up the stairs to the solution, fell down ever so close to ground zero.
Kyoushiro was silent for a brief moment before he spoke up.
Could there be more than one culprit? Copy-cat crimes within the crime?
Possible. If you believe that different people could mimic the methods of the original perpetrator so well, that even the perpetrator himself may not be able to tell the difference.
Kyoushiro sighed.
So thats a no, huh.
That would be a no to your no. I did say that the chances of copy-cat crimes in this case were low, but I never said that there couldnt be more than one culprit.
And by that you are referring to the sheer volume of killings that happened over these two months?
Not exactly that, but rather the timing of the killings. Lets just say that if you can figure out a way to make it from Hokkaido to Gifu, and then to Okinawa in the span of 30 minutes, tonights dinner is on me. Oh, dont forget you have to find your targets, and get rid of them too. Dont forget to clean up after yourself as well.
So we got multiple perpetrators in this case? Tens, hundredsThousands?
Sai smiled, closing the lid of his laptop.
For now, we just have one suspect. The fellow named Kuro. We know nothing yet about the Colosseum and its so-called Moderator, but that is a question only time can answer.
Kyoushiro stared at him for a long moment, before rubbing his chin in suspicion.
You knowthat Kuro sounds really familiar. Are you sure that you are not the real culprit, Chief K-u-r-o-se?
Sai rubbed his temples in mock resignation.
Not just manga, but now grade-school level detective stories too?
Hey, I was trying to lighten up the mood here! Not everyone can be as smart as you, you know. And-
CHIEF KUROSE, PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THE NEWS RIGHT NOW!
A member of the police force burst into Sais office, pointing at the small crowd gathered in front of the television screen in the corner of the room.
Sai got up promptly, following the other detective into the main office.
The crowd parted to let him through.
Then, he stopped in front of the television, gazing at the screen in silence.
Hey, whats going on? Did something-
Kyoushiro squeezed through, stumbling a bit as he reached the front of the crowd.
He looked up, and gasped.
On the screen, a man was seen tied to the water fountain in the middle of the Shibuya Time Square, with a plain white piece of cardboard hanging from his neck.
Did you like my greeting earlier this morning, Chief K-u-r-o-se?
Floor Six- End.
Floor Seven: “Transfer”
Pass through, pass through
Where does this narrow path lead?
It is the path to Tenjin Shrine
Please let us pass through
People with no business are usually not allowed through
This child is now seven years old
Weve come to make our offering
Going is safe, but not returning
If you are prepared, go through, go through
I was chasing someone in the darkness.
Although I could barely see beyond the faint outline of his figure, I knew that he was important.
Wait.
The thought passed through my mind, yet I was unable to express it in words.
A silent emptiness, where I could not speak nor foresee the path ahead.
Yet, I continued running.
Wait.
I ran as fast as I could.
The distance between us remained the same.
Panic.
Desperation.
Anda burst of hope with a tinge of sadness.
I reached forward with all my might.
Wait, dont-
Young man, wake updont die on me!
Who?
Hey, can you hear me? Hello?
My eyes opened slightly.
The blurry face of the speaker came into my line of vision.
Hey, you- Ah, thank God. You have finally come to. I was really worried for a moment there, I thought
My eyes focused.
The speaker, a middle-aged man with brown hair and brown eyes, gazed down at me with a worried expression.
I raised my hand to my temple, trying to steady myself against the wave of nausea that suddenly crashed into me.
Wherewas I?
Ah, thats right.
I was in the Colosseum.
anyway, Im glad that you are fine now. How are you feeling-
As he was speaking, I tried to sit up.
Woah woah, calm down there. You shouldnt try to get up so fasttake your time to recover a bit first.
He caught me as I swerved to side.
Thanks. I said, as I raised one hand to the throbbing spot on my head.
My hand came off with smudges of a dark red liquid.
Blood.
Thatwhen I heard the explosion, I came as fast as I could. I found you lying on the ground, unconscious. It seems like you have been knocked into the chalk board
I glanced at my surroundings.
Bits of debris lay scattered around the classroom, the wall separating the room from the next completely decimated.
Yet, the windows and the rooms across the hall seemed unharmed.
A very precise attack.
oh right, I havent introduced myself. My name is Tanaka Michiro. What is your name?
I fixed my gaze on his smiling face.
I smiled back.
Kurose Mikage.
He nodded, before holding one hand out to me.
I would love to explain the situation to you, but for now, we must get goingbefore they get here.
They?
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
Ill tell you more as we walk. Can you stand?
I nodded.
He grabbed on to my hand, and hoisted me up.
Then, lets hurry.
He turned his back to me, heading toward the rooms exit.
They huh.
I waited for a fraction of a second more before following.
A hushed silence greeted the department, as the officers stared at the message displayed on the screen in front of them.
Sai narrowed his eyes slightly, before turning away from the crowd, making his way toward the exit.
Signaling the Chief out, huh
Hey, dont you think that message is a littleyou knowtoo familiar-sounding? It cant be that the perpetrator and the Chief has some sort of a connection, right
Haha, impossible. Youre overthinking ittheres no way
The members of the investigation force whispered amongst themselves, sneaking glances at Sai as he headed toward the door, out of the department.
Wait, Chief Kurosewhere are you going? Kyoushiro called out, forcing his way out of the crowd after him.
Shibuya Time Square. Sai replied simply, without looking back.
Kyoushiro raced after him, watching as he walked toward the elevators.
Waitjust wait for a secondSai!!!
Sai stopped walking, pausing with one finger on the elevator button.
Kyoushiro walked toward him, stopping a short distance away.
You knowhow do I say thisthat message earlier. I know it makes me look really bad but, it wasnt me who wrote it
He looked nervously at Sai, whose expression did not change at all.
Is that all you wanted to say? Sai asked, turning his calm blue gaze toward him.
I mean, I know that is evidence against me, since I said the same thing moments before it was announcedbut please believe me, I-
Sai held his gaze for a fraction of a second more, before sighing.
You are really a baka, arent you.
Yes, Im a bakawait, huh?
The elevator opened, and Sai stepped in.
Kyoushiro followed, keeping his eyes on his superior as the latter pressed the button for the ground floor.
Ehwhat exactly do you mean he continued.
How many people pass by that fountain in the Shibuya Time Square on a regular day? Sai asked, keeping his eyes on the floor indicator lights ahead.
Well, it is one of the busiest areas in ShibuyaI say lots of people, it always seems crowded no matter what time of the day it is. Kyoushiro replied, after a moment of consideration.
Sai nodded.
How long do you think itll take for someone to notice a person dangling from the fountain?
Almost immediatelyI mean, that is a pretty uncommon sight after all.
Right. And how close do you think the nearest news station is?
ehConsidering that the Square is a commercial center around here, probably a few blocks away?
Correct. The closest one, Akatsuki Productions, is just around the corner. Maximum of ten minutes on foot with the morning traffic in consideration. And, not so coincidentally, Akatsuki Productions happens to own Channel 22, the one which was on air a few minutes ago.
Kyoushiro thought about what he said for a bit, before turning to Sai once again with a confused look.
And whats all this supposed to say about me?
The door opened, and Sai stepped out.
Why dont you think about it? A person notices the man hanging from the fountain at most, a few second after the latter is left there. Then, a period of panic, while the crowd gathers around the discovery. Lets give that a five minute delay. Akatsuki Production is notified of the commotion shortly after; we will give the timeline a ten minute duration starting from when the man was found to when the station first sends out its camera crew. We will give the station another ten minutes to arrive, and another five to set up. That puts us at 25 minutes from the start of the event to its broadcast.
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Meaning?
Meaning that the culprit was at the scene, 25 minutes ago.
???
And where exactly where you, 25 minutes ago?
I wasin the office with youah!
Realization suddenly dawned on Kyoushiro, who stopped walking and gave a tiny shout of surprise.
Butthe message
Sai got into his car, starting up the engines.
Kyoushiro got in after him, still deep in thought.
It doesnt take a genius to find out who is in charge of the operations. We already held a press conference about it a month ago. All it did was confirm my hypothesis from earlier, and also that this Kuro is one for mind games.
Sai pulled out of the parking lot, entering the traffic nearby.
Butwhat if this was set up way before? I may not have an alibi then
Kyoushiro, I didnt know that you were a magician.
Kyoushiro looked at him, once again confused.
The timeline applies to the culprit too. If you could appear, tie someone to the fountain in the middle of the busiest intersection in Shibuya, and disappear this fast, then maybe you should consider becoming a magician instead. You would be quite famous, you know.
What about last night? When less people are around?
And someone finally noticed him, after one day of hanging from the fountain? You were with me since yesterday morning. Stop trying to talk yourself into a crime, Kyoushiro.
Then he committed suicide-
The traffic lights turned red. The car stopped.
Now, hold it there. Not only have you elevated yourself to the status of a grand magician, now the victim too? When did they ever say he is dead anyway?
Kyoushiro stayed silent for a while, before he realized something.
Wait, you said something about Kuro. Arent you jumping to conclusions just a bit?
At that, Sai smiled.
We shall see in a bit.
M-i-k-a-g-e-Chan~ a voice called out behind me.
Before I could turn around, a pair of arms wrapped around me, making me lean toward my desk from the weight.
Good morning, Tomo-kun. I said, tilting my head back, giving him a light smile.
Morning! You didnt reply to my text message last night, I was lonely, you know.
He sighed dramatically.
Then, he was lifted off my back by someone.
You dont have to stick so close to him every morning, Tomoharu. You are making Mikage look bad. See, all the girls are whispering about you two.
He gestured toward the crowd of girls nearby, who promptly looked away, giggling amongst themselves.
EhhWhy? We are best friends though, right, Mikage?
I nodded.
Tomos face brightened, as he reached for me once more.
Stop that, you Mikage-crazed baka. And you, Mikage, you should stop spoiling him, its only going to worsen his idiocy.
I gazed at him for a moment, before smiling.
Good morning, Yuu-kun.
A crack appeared in his glasses.
Dont good morning me, Mikage! You two-
Settle down, class. I have an announcement to make.
He stopped talking as the teacher stepped in.
Returning to his desk with a sigh, he glared at Tomo, who beamed at him as if nothing had happened.
Class, it may be sudden since we are approaching the end of the year but, we have a transfer student from Yokohama that will be joining us starting today.
Transfer student, huh.
I looked outside of the window, uninterested.
Come on in and introduce yourself.
The transfer student stepped in.
The class was silent for a moment, before excited whispers began to fly across the room.
Due to my fathers job transfer, my family moved here last week. My name is Akimori Yuri, nice to meet you all.
My eyes widened.
I turned my eyes to the front of the room, toward the figure of Akimori Yuri standing near the chalkboard.
Oi oi, isnt the transfer student an absolute beauty? I mean really really good looking?
Damn, I wasnt even looking at her face. Look at that curvy bodyhers is huge.
Oppai-power!
All hail the oppai!
Im more of a face type of guy-
Shut up, bakayaro. Its always about the oppai.
My male classmates whispered amongst each other, sneaking glances at Yuri.
On the other hand, all the female classmates looked ready to burst, from a mixture of anger and envy.
I looked away, turning my gaze down to the notebook on my desk, lowering my head slightly to maintain a minimal presence.
Well, please take care of her, Class. Akimori-san, there is an empty desk beside Kurose-san over by the windows. That will be your new seat for now.
Yuri nodded.
I kept my head lowered, focusing on the blank page in front of me, as if I was deep in thought.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Her footsteps neared.
Then, it stopped. Right beside my desk.
Slowly, I lifted my head, meeting her honey-like gaze reluctantly.
We gazed at each other for a moment more, before I smiled.
My name is Kurose Mikage. Nice to meet you, Akimori-san.
...
Silence.
Yet, her gaze did not waver.
Then, she opened her mouth to speak.
Nice to meet you too, Kurose-kun.
Floor 7- End.
----------------------
A quick message from Hikaru:
Long time no see everyone! Exams are finally over (yatta!), and so I will have more time to write my fictions until classes resume in a few weeks. With that said though, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I do think it is lacking in action (once again), but soon, the main game shall begin!
PS: I know I promised that there will be more Mikage this time, yet it seems like Sai stole the spotlight again? Even though he isn''t the main character-
Sai: It''s not good to be biased, Hikaru.
Mikage: ...
Anyway...
PS 2: I know I also promised that I will introduce a new character in this chapter...but of course, that didn''t happen either.
???: Nothing ever gets done with you, Hikaru.
Be quiet, ???-san. You will get your turn next chapter! Promise!
Ame: You just wanted to comment on the oppai, didn''t you. Haha.
Oi, Ame. You are still alive!? We haven''t heard from you since chapter one! Well, we shall be hearing from you again in the next chapter. Busy busy.
Either way, please look forward to the next chapter of Colosseum 72, and thank you always for the support!
-Hikaru
Floor Eight: “Thanks”
Once upon a time, there lived a scorpion and a frog.
One day, the scorpion said to the frog,
Mr. Frog, I want to cross the river, so would you please give me a ride on your back?
The frog refused.
How would I know that you wouldnt try to sting me, Mr. Scorpion?
The hesitant frog asked.
To that, the scorpion laughed.
Of course I will not,
He said with a smile,
Because then, I shall drown as well!
The frog was not convinced.
What about when we reach the other side, wouldnt you kill me then?
The scorpion shook his head.
No, good old Mr. Frog. I wouldnt do that! I would be much in debt to you, that death shall hardly be the proper thanks!
The frog thought about it for a moment, and then agreed.
Very well, he said, hop on.
The frog swam and swam, but half way there he felt a sharp sting in his back.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the scorpions malicious grin.
You fool!
The drowning frog said,
Now you shall be dead too!
The scorpion shrugged.
The two slowly sank into the murky depths.
Why? Because self destructiontis in my nature.
So, the enemy we are fighting against is a Boss-type. I concluded, as Tanaka finished his summary of what happened to him earlier.
He nodded.
We neared a corner, and he held up his hand, signaling for us to stop.
Silence.
He held up a finger.
One.
The second finger went up.
Two.
And finally, the third.
Three.
He let out a sigh of relief.
Alright, we can proceed.
We walked in silence for a bit, before he turned to me once more.
SayKurose-kun. How much do you know about RPGs in general?
I kept my gaze on the path ahead.
Just the basics. System-wise.
I see
Tanaka seemed to be deep in thought for a fraction of a second, a cloud of indecipherable emotions flickering by in his eyes.
I observed him out of the corner of my eye.
Wellbased on my experiences, I think that the boss we are facing is the stationary-type. The type that only appears at certain areas, and automatically targets anything foreign that enters its range. he eventually said.
You are well-versed with the types, Tanaka-san.
Heh, only slightly more than the average person. he chuckled, giving me a sheepish grin, Want to know my secret?
I smiled.
Only if you are willing to share.
At that, his grin got broader.
Leaning closer, he whispered his next words, as if they were classified material.
You seeIm actually a mangaka. The type of story I draw usually involves gaming elements, its most popular with my shounen audience nowadays.
My expression remained the same.
A mangaka, huh. That would explain why you seem more excited than scared right now.
Tanakas eyes brightened at my words.
Thats right! I think anyone would be scared, waking up in this strange place all of a suddenyet, for me, this is the best plot material! I am scared, but I am hundreds of times more excited! Its a weird feeling, anticipation yet fear for what is about to happen. Its the chance of a lifetime, to experience for myself what my characters feel likeI-
He paused, as if suddenly aware that I was beside him.
Sorry, Kurose-kun. I have this bad habit of rambling on whenever something interesting happens. Please forgive this old man for acting so childishly.
Forgivenesshuh.
I gave him another smile.
There is no need to ask for forgiveness, Tanaka-san. I dont mind.
He smiled back lightly.
Kurose-kun, you are surprisingly calm too? Since this is the second floor, I assume that this is the first time you have been summoned by the Colosseum as well?
I nodded.
He tilted his head slightly in curiosity.
Ehis that so? You seem to be taking things quite well too. You dont look worried at all.
I turned my unwavering gaze toward him.
People say that about me a lot.
He held my gaze for a short while, before releasing a hearty laugh.
I see, I see! You know, Kurose-kun. You remind me of Makoto, the protagonist of my manga.
Ah, then I must definitely put your manga on my reading list. It will be interesting to see what kind of character Makoto-kun is.
He chuckled.
You wont be disappointed. Once we beat this boss, I will definitely tell you more about- Kurose-kun, watch out!!!
Before he managed to finish what he was saying, he leaped toward me, sending the two of us tumbling into the middle of the hallway.
Mere seconds later, the spot where we were standing moments ago exploded into a chaos of flames and smoke, the walls and floors surrounding it no longer existent.
Kurose-kun, are you okay!?
He gave me a frantic look, as I sat up, eyes narrowed at the scene of carnage in front of me.
Im fine. What about you?
His face relaxed.
Im fine as well. Thank God.
He turned his head around to survey the scene, his eyes filled with dread.
Looks like we have entered the range for the boss. Lets relocate first, and then think about what to do.
I did not respond.
Then, I nodded.
This way!
We dashed around the corner, and around a few more before he finally stopped, opening the door to a classroom.
Quick, lets hide in here.
He hurried me into the room before him.
I stood near the entrance, observing the layout of the classroom.
He entered the room shortly after.
Click.
The door closed quietly.
I did not turn around.
We are safe for now he said, his voice lower than before.
Is that so?
I could feel his gaze on my back.
Butwe wont be safe forever.
Footsteps sounded behind me.
I could feel his presence just inches away.
So, lets stop playing this game, alright?
Rustle.
The sound of something being taken out of his pocket.
You knowin the end, only one of us could survive.
He began to laugh quietly.
Then, I felt a sharp pain spread across my back.
The pain of something sharp being driven into my side.
Wine red blood began to flow from the wound, dripping on to the merciless, shining blade, and finally on to the ground below.
He smiled.
So, this is goodbyeMakoto-kun.
I was walking down the hall toward lunch when all of a sudden, I was grabbed and pulled behind a corner.
I sighed.
What is it now, Tomo-kun?
He released his hold on me.
Mikageyou traitor!
He sniffed, looking at me with the eyes of an abandoned puppy.
Oiyou need to calm down a little, Tomoharu. Stop jumping to conclusions.
Yuu appeared from behind him, pushing up his glasses as he spoke.
But but but- I always thought that Mikage-chan will tell me first if he ever got a girlfriend! Traitor! Betrayer! Baka baka baka!!!
He ran down the hall sobbing, ignoring the weird glances that people directed at him.
And off he goes. Yuu commented, watching beside me as Tomo disappeared around a corner.
Yuu waited for a moment, before turning to me, his glasses reflecting the sunlight.
Well, is it true?
What is?
He re-adjusted his glasses, smiling.
Theres no point in speaking in circles with me. You know exactly what I am talking about.
I gazed at him for a second, before looking away, smiling.
Its not.
Positive?
Absolutely.
At that, he nodded.
Well, I wont pry any further then. But, I have to say that it is strange for you to take notice of someone. You know, you are pretty good-looking, so lots of girls have their eyes on you. Yet, you are nice to all of them just the same.
Hmmthanks for the compliment?
He sighed.
You know, your personality really gives me a headache at timesbut either way, its lunchtime. Better hurry, they are serving the sacred salmon lunch today.
I chuckled.
Yuu really likes that lunch set. Just a little too much.
He frowned at my laughter.
What are you laughing at? Come on, lets go.
Before I could even reply, he began to drag me toward the cafeteria.
Fifteen minutes later, we sat down at an empty table.
I couldnt find Tomo-kun anywhere. I said, as Yuu parted his chopsticks.
Forget about that idiot. Itadakimasu.
I swept my gaze around the cafeteria once more before giving up.
Itadakimasu.
Before I could begin eating, I noticed Yuri standing on the other end, surrounded by a group of guys.
She was looking around the cafeteria, as if she was searching for someone.
I turned my attention back to my meal.
Look, Akimori-san is over there. Quite the popular one, huhwait, shes heading this way!?
Focus on the salmon. The sacred salmon lunch.
Oi, Mikage, shes making a beeline for our table.
Sacred salmon
Mikage?
Salmon
Is this seat empty?
I gave an inaudible sigh.
Please go ahead.
She sat down beside me, sliding her tray on to the table.
The guys behind her glared daggers at my back, settling down on to the table right next to ours.
Ehwell, Im sure you two have already met. My name is Saga Yuuto, also in the same class. Nice to meet you, Akimori-san.
Yuri nodded.
Nice to meet you, Saga-kun.
I continued eating calmly.
Is the salmon good.
I paused, glancing to the side where Yuri observed me silently.
Wellits better than most of the other things they serveWhy?
She remained expressionless as usual.
Because you seemed to enjoy it.
I smiled.
Then, would you like to try some for yourself?
Yuri gazed at me, and then at the salmon, then back at me.
She nodded.
I picked up a piece of the salmon.
Open your mouth
She opened her mouth, and closed her eyes at the same time.
Ah
AH~!
Before the food could reach Yuris mouth, it was snatched up by someone else.
Mastery, 5/10. Texture, 5/10. Flavor, 5/10. Overall, 5/10. It just barely passes!
Tomo chewed on the fish, voicing his opinions.
T-Tomoharu!? When did you get here??? And also, how dare you insult my sacred salmon
I sighed.
Hmph. Mikage-chan isnt allowed to feed anyone but me. Im his childhood friend, his best friend after all. He obviously likes me more than you!
At that, he gestured directly at Yuri, as if issuing a challenge.
I closed my eyes, trying to shut out the chaos.
Kurose-kun. she said, completely ignoring him.
I opened my eyes, beckoning her to continue on.
I have been wanting to ask you this.
Stop ignoring me-
I turned to face her directly.
What is it?
She fixed her tranquil gaze on me.
Will you go out with me?
EHHHHHH!?!?!?
The guys from the next table joined in the chorus.
So this is what you mean by going out.
Yuri and I sat across from each other in a cafe, waiting for our orders to arrive.
She nodded.
The cake here is really delicious.
I see.
She turned her gaze to me, her head tilted slightly in curiosity.
Kurose-kun, do you not like sweets?
Mikage is fine. And, its not that I dont like sweetsits because
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
I glanced at a table a short distance away.
The two people sitting there jumped in surprise, proceeding to cover their faces with newspapers.
Yuri leaned over to look as well.
Those two have been following us since we left the school. she said, maintaining her gaze on the two, making them shift uncomfortably in their seats.
I sighed.
Never mind those two. I said, as the waitress arrived with the orders.
Yuris face brightened, looking completely content as she picked up a spoonful of her cake.
Then, she paused.
I took a slip of my coffee.
Here.
The cake appeared in front of me.
Thank you, but its fine I said, politely refusing her offer.
The cake edged closer.
For the salmon earlier.
You dont have toand also, Tomoharu ended up eating it, so-
The cake shifted even closer, until it was directly in front of my mouth.
Thank you for the cake. I said finally, giving into her demands.
Hey, wait, what are you doing to-
SHHH! Be quiet, Tomoharu. They will hear us!
I can hear you two just fine.
You have interesting friendsMikage-kun. Yuri commented.
I took another slip of my coffee, trying to ignore the commotion behind us.
Then, I put the cup down lightly, fixing my gaze on her.
So, what is it that you wanted to discuss? You didnt just call me out to eat cake, right?
Her eyes met mine.
I did call you out to eat cake.
I picked up my coffee again.
And to thank you.
I paused.
Her eyes shone in the sunlight; emotionless, mysterious, yet intriguing.
Thank you, huh.
I guess it wasnt the salmon that she was referring to.
I smiled.
Youre welcome.
Nothing, nothingstill nothing.
Kyoushiro ruffled his hair in frustration, as he scanned the ground in front of him.
After hours and hours of searching, we have nothing that will tell us how the guy ended up hereIs this even possible?
He sighed, rubbing his temples.
He wouldnt be here if it were impossible. Sai said, still searching the area for potential clues.
Nows not the time to be sarcastic, Chief. You know I meant to ask if it was humanly possible.
Who knows.
Kyoushiro sighed again.
You know, I really dont want to say this but, if this really has anything to do with the Kuro guy, he must be an alien or something. Nothing he does makes sense. How are we supposed to catch someone like that!?
When he was complete ignored by Sai, he continued.
You should stop, Chief Kurose. The analysts left three hours ago. The professionals found nothing, what more could we find? Plus, I just sent home the last patrol, so we need to end this soon as well. We cant section off the area forever; the old evidence is non-existent, and the new wont be introduced any time soon.
He looked toward the figure of Sai, who was still deep in thought.
He sighed once more.
You know, that stubborn-streak of yours is both admirable and annoying at times. Im heading off to the restroom, lets go back after that, alright?
As he headed toward the direction of the public restrooms, something caught his eye.
A small, silver-tinted cellphone.
He walked toward it with a confused expression, curious as to how he had never seen it during the search of the grounds before.
Hey, Chief. Come take a look at this. he called out, picking the object up.
Sai looked up, his dark blue eyes narrowed.
He rushed over immediately, taking a position beside Kyoushiro, leaning over to see what he was holding.
It wasnt here beforemaybe one of the investigators lost their cellphone while searching? Kyoushiro said, flipping open the cover.
The cellphone buzzed suddenly, and he gave a startled jump, almost dropping it.
What the- Woah, twenty new messages!?
He pressed the mail icon.
A long list of messages appeared, all from different senders.
Ehhhwhy are there so many spam mails? Most of them dont even make any sense! Ki?a is Bosnian for Rain??? Unless- is a good way of thinking about things??? And whats with the smiley face at the end?
He stared at the contents for a bit more, before sighing.
I guess we can ask around the headquarters for the owner.
He began to close the lid of the phone.
Its not spam.
He paused, turning his gaze to Sai, who stood beside him with a surprised expression that he had never seen on the latter before.
??? What do you mean-
Before he could finish his sentence, he was pushed to the side.
Clang.
The sound of metal hitting bone sounded in the strangely empty field.
He sat there in the grass, shocked.
The still figure of Sai lay facedown in the grass beside him, the smell of sickly-sweet blood filling the evening air.
You-what are you-
Their aggressor smiled.
Clang.
The fading sunset stretched across the eerily-red skies.
Buzz.
The cellphone screen flashed once, before it went blank, as if nothing was ever found in its contents.
The true message, presented in its acrostic-form, disappeared without a trace.
KURO-
LOOK BEHIND YOU. ?
-
Kurose-kun, a little bird told me that you were on a date with a cute girl today?
Ame appeared beside my throne, as soon as I entered Floor 72.
Your little bird-san is correct, Ame.
I walked toward the other end, taking a seat on the throne without looking directly at him.
Ehhreally? Oh my, what a surprise! Kurose-kun is all grown up now, isnt he?
I could feel him lean closer.
But the little bird also told methat she was the same girl whom you rescued in the labyrinth that other day. Akimori Yuri-chan, right?
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
Thats correct.
I could hear him laugh softly in the darkness.
Dont be so tense, Kurose-kun. That wasnt entirely your fault, so I forgive you. But, dont commit the same mistake a second time, alright?
I tightened my grip on the armrest.
Then, I silently took a deep breath.
My hands relaxed.
I understand.
Good, good. Nowthat is quite a grand event you are planning tonight, Kurose-kun.
He gestured toward the central screen.
On it, a large group of people stood around a tall clock tower, as if waiting for something.
Floor 31, huh. Are you sure about this?
I nodded.
Wellthis isnt against the rules, so Im fine with it. But, anything beyond that is a no-no, okay?
He waved, preparing to leave.
Then, he stopped.
Ah, I just rememberedyou arent planning on going in your current outfit, right?
I shook my head.
I will be going in this.
As I spoke, trails of sparkling white crystals appeared in the air around me, engulfing my entire form.
My! What a magical transformation! I like that outfitwe match quite nicely, dont you think?
I placed one hand on my face, adjusting my new mask.
Glad to hear that.
-
So everyone is here tonight. a blond-haired young man said, counting off his group members with his steady brown eyes.
Ermactuallyits just you and me right now the silvery-white-haired girl beside him said quietly, her voice trailing off.
Huhwasnt that guy with us a few minutes ago?
Wellhes over there
The girl gestured toward their other teammate, who was sleeping with a book on his face, underneath a tree a small distance away.
That bastardwhat is he thinking, wandering off when the trial is about to begin!?
He stormed over to his teammate.
Get up already! I know you are awake. Its going to start soonhey, are you even listening to me!?
Just as he finished speaking, the crowd around them became dead silent.
In the middle of the forest clearing, on top of the sky-high clock tower, now stood a masked figure cloaked in the purest of black.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for waiting patiently for the commencement of tonights trial. Without further ado, I, moderator [Kuro], shall explain the upcoming event.
The group listened in silence.
The young man sleeping underneath the tree did not attempt to lift the book off his face.
Tonight, we have for you a very special Hide-and-Seek game! The rules are as follows: One, one person will be chosen at random at the beginning as the Oni. Two, the Oni can pass his role to anyone on this floor through physical contact. And three, the person who is the Oni when the hour is up, shall be, without faileliminated from the Colosseum.
The last statement drew a crowd of gasps from the audience.
The man quickly silence the group with a wave of his arm.
Now, I shall not stall you any longer. Time is ticking
He paused in mid-sentence, looking up as a timer appeared in the sky.
Time remaining: 1:00:00
Hey, you should get up. Right now. Hey-
The blond-haired young man stopped short, as he caught the sight of his friends face, now only partially hidden behind the book.
Hide-and-Seeking, huh.
The anonymous young mans bright red eyes gleamed in the shadows.
Let the gamebegin!
Floor Eight- End.
--------------------
Here comes the annoying important message from Hikaru:
As promised, both Ame and Mikage got more screen time this chapter! Well, Ame only had a few lines but, at least he''s still well and twisted as ever. Also as promised, a new character has been introduced!
Anonymous: ...
Oh yeah...he doesn''t have a name yet but, that will change in the next chapter!
At this point, the bulk of the main characters have been introduced. Some are still waiting for their chance to appear, but they will eventually when the timing is right.
Regarding the release dates and speed. Let''s just say that I pre-plan the chapters three of them at a time. So, sometimes there will be slower updates, since it is probably my planning day as well. But mostly, the speed depends on how fast I can go without losing the quality. Since this is a mystery fiction, details really matter here, and I prefer to make sure things will work out before I publish anything that I will regret (hopefully, none yet). So that is how it is, but to all the readers who have been patient with me so far, thank you very much! I hope you will continue to support me and Colosseum 72, and see you next time!
-Hikaru