What a load of bullshit.
The ultimate murder motive? An additional motive? A Past Theater?
"D-don't make me laugh! You call us out of nowhere just to spout this nonsense?!"
For Tsurudo to shout like that, it truly had to be utter nonsense.
"We'll let that go in one ear and out the other! It's just that, according to the script, we need to get things moving already... Now then, Monono! It's your turn!"
"Fuck, you're loud as hell! Anyway, even after we told you [Ultimate Black] and [Ultimate White] were hiding among you, you idiots haven't done a goddamn thing! So, specially!! We're graciously giving you one more motive!"
"Sonoconsigliere... I don't know what exactly you mean, but based solely on what you've just said, isn't that rather forced? How should I put it? You're like a child clinging to his mother's pant leg, begging her to buy him that thing."
When Akano pointed that out, their fur stood on end as though she had hit the nail right on the head.
"D-don't misunderstand us! It's true we were surprised to the point of boredom that you dragged this out for three whole days, but this is still part of the planned 'script'!"
"A planned schedule... Right. For a theater put together on the spot, it does seem like quite a lot of effort went into it..."
What Komada was looking at was the fourth floor of this main building itself.
Looking at it again through the lens of a theater, it perfectly recreated the layout of an ordinary cinema.
"Whoa! There are all kinds of posters on the walls too! Let's see, 'Konokuma and Konomi's Comedy Show'...? Ah, fuck, what was that from? Those names sound familiar somehow!!"
"...My head hurts. Be quiet."
When Niseato furrowed her brow, Rekida finally offered an awkward apology.
[Anyway, this is a theater. Are you planning to make us watch a movie or something? Don't tell me you're going to hypnotize us with it and make us kill each other? There's a limit to how forced this can get, you pieces of trash.]
"Ah, fuck, what was that from too...?"
"Rekida."
This time, Kitsui shot her a look, and only then did the Monotwins resume speaking.
"Ahem, ahem. To get straight to the point, that's wrong, you know? More precisely, it's half right?"
"Half right...? What exactly is half wrong?"
"You'll be watching a movie, sure, but there's no hypnosis or any of that shit, you thick-skulled morons!!"
"What? Then what are we watching?"
When Shu asked, Momono giggled.
"The past."
As though that were the most obvious answer in the world.
"The past...? Watching the past will make us kill someone? No, what past are we even supposed to be watching?"
"Calm down, Kadra. We'll explain it now."
With that, their two voices became one again.
"What this film will show is the 'adapted past' of [Ultimate Black] and [Ultimate White]!!"
And we were left speechless.
"W-what?! What do you mean, adapted?!"
It was Ubauchi who spoke again, surely voicing what everyone was thinking.
"Don't overthink it! It's popular these days, right? Woodyssey, or something like that? It's just like that—something that really happened but was vague, adapted according to the dick—no, according to the genitalia!"
"You call that filtering...? And you won't get sued for the first one, so just say it..."
"Wait a minute, Tsurudo. That isn't what matters right now, is it? If anything, this just got more interesting."
"What...? Akano, what do you mean, interesting...?"
Everyone's attention turned toward her.
"Think about it, everyone. This doesn't make sense, does it? Not at all."
She spoke with the corners of her mouth rising, as if in response.
"Fine, if they thought it was right to expose the existence of [Ultimate Black] and [Ultimate White], then so be it. But even if it's adapted... their 'past'? They're going to show everyone their past? Isn't that not merely crossing a line, but trampling all over it?"
"...That's true..."
If this was a killing game, I could understand the black mastermind and white mastermind, as its organizers, revealing their identities for entertainment.
But this went beyond a hint. It could become the very foundation that caused their entire plan to collapse...
"...Why take such a gamble? To begin with, even if we discover your identities, there's no guarantee we'll kill you..."
"Ah, don't worry about that, Detective. I'll guarantee it. Heh..."
"...Shut your mouth, Hiranui."
I shot him a veined glare as the veins stood out on the back of his hand.
"Ah... Doesn't it just mean they don't care if they show us their past? Like, they've got someone backing them up or something..."
"T-that's true... M-maybe Mayumi is right..."
"Backing? What's a backing? Is it a kind of pear? Then Tana wants to eat a front pear instead of a back pear! Sweet!"
[Ma'am...]
The students exchanged brief opinions like that, but—
"You bastards! I told you we don't have time, don't have time!! Enough already, we're starting now!! And just so you know, participation is mandatory, of course! Refuse, and you'll be summarily executed, so don't bother resisting!!"
At Monono's sharp rebuke, we had no choice but to look forward again.
Once they confirmed everyone's attention, the two raised their hands toward the black-and-white double doors behind them at once.
"Hyahhh!!"
With an oddly pathetic battle cry, they pulled them—no.
Whoosh—!
Contrary to expectation, they shoved them open.
The doors instantly revealed the inside, leaving only the line that had divided black from white.
"Hm? Hey, doesn't this split into two paths?"
When Kitsui asked, Momono nodded proudly.
"That's right! In fact, there are 'two' films for you all to watch!"
"To put it simply!! The left is the [Black Theater], containing [Ultimate Black]'s past!! And the right is the [White Theater], containing [Ultimate White]'s past!!"
"I see... So each person can only watch one of the two pasts?"
The Monotwins nodded at my words.
"Now then, everyone, cover both your eyes and ears!"
"What...? Why?!"
"Obviously, so no one can decide which movie they'll watch! And naturally, once you choose a theater, you can't leave it until the movie ends!"
"Oh...? Then let me ask you this. What if all sixteen of us conspire beforehand to enter the same theater?"
"Well, at least one person has to enter each theater, so that's impossible. But fifteen to one is fine! Come on, hurry up and get started!"
With that, we all closed our eyes and covered our ears.
"...!"
"...Shh."
But just before covering my ears, I drew an X on the back of Shu's hand beside me.
And so everyone surrendered their five senses to the darkness.
...Tap.
"...!"
Surprisingly, I was the first one selected.
When I slowly opened my eyes, Momono, who had tapped my forehead, motioned for me to walk forward.
"...!"
And what Momono silently held out were two tickets: one black and one white.
Without needing to be told, I understood that I was to go to the theater matching the color I chose.
[The Assassin Is Your Lie]
That was the title advertised for the [Black Theater]'s film.
[The Executioner Is My Lie]
And that was the title advertised for the [White Theater]'s film.
Neither title was anything but strange.
"..."
But my choice had been decided from the start.
"...The right."
And Shu would understand my intention from the 'signal' I'd given her earlier.
Sure of that, I entered the [White Theater] on the right.
*
*
Starting with Keisha Shoko, the students chose their films one by one.
...Tap.
"...Huh?"
Then the long-awaited final participant opened her eyes at Momono's touch.
"You're the last one, Roshiya."
"Ah..."
It was Roshiya Shuko, the [Ultimate Fixer].
"Pick one. You're last, so hurry it up."
Before her lay the same sight everyone else had surely seen.
"..."
Yet, just like Keisha, her choice had already been made.
'The X on his right hand means he doesn't want me to enter the White Theater on the right...'
Ordinarily, she might have thought it was because he himself had chosen the left.
'But Shoko would surely... since he chose the left himself, he's telling me to watch the right side. It's more efficient that way.'
Because she sincerely trusted his competence.
'In that case, of course I should go along with it. I want to be of help to him... and more than anything.'
Without hesitation, she headed toward the entrance of the [Black Theater] as she thought:
'...Because I like him.'
Her black coat vanished into darkness even blacker than itself.
"..."
And the Monotwins, watching her retreating figure—
"...Pfft."
Simply laughed.
*
*
After passing through the short, cozy corridor, I found myself in a snow country.
That was how starkly white the [White Theater] was, true to its name.
"...Gulp."
Feeling vaguely uncomfortable about it, I took a seat wherever I could.
It was a rather small, intimate theater with seats for only fifteen people.
After that, one, then two... the students who had chosen the [White Theater] entered.
We exchanged casual greetings and impressions to pass the time, until—
Fwoosh—!
Like an ordinary cinema, the lights went out and the screen lit up.
[The Executioner Is My Lie]
What appeared on the screen was that embarrassingly melodramatic film title once again, followed by—
[Viewer List]
[Keisha, Sakabaku, Narita, Kadra, Cristana, Kaiju, Karafuru, and Komada]
"...!"
At some point, it had updated to display the names of the people currently in this theater.
"Hmm, I don't think that's particularly necessary information..."
[Don't open your mouth, Narita. Have some manners.]
Narita gave a small bow in apology, and at the same time—
'...It's starting.'
The movie began.
*
*
[The Executioner Is My Lie]
Bam—!
With a sound like an explosion, a door opens somewhere old and secluded.
"Huff... huff...!"
Entering was a mysterious man in a tattered suit, clutching a mangled arm.
"...Oh? You've done well to make it back alive."
The perspective was first-person, and I could tell that much from the woman who had spoken those words.
"Haa... H-he... he's here!! He mercilessly killed our organization's members, and even brutally slaughtered every last low-level member who had done nothing at all...!"
"Quiet. I don't care about any of that. So? What's your additional report? What information do you have about him?"
Even beyond the screen, I could feel the woman's coldness and the man's misery at being subjected to it.
"Haa... urk... Cough!!"
Severe injuries. A confrontation with, and defeat by, a formidable opponent.
My instincts as a detective told me so.
"Permission for treatment will be granted after your report. If you understand, move your mouth and speak quickly."
"S-sorry... Then... I'll report what little I was able to learn."
Ah, there was no doubt.
This was it. Was this the part where information about [Ultimate White] would be revealed?
"He was... haa... truly 'grotesque.' The 'body parts' of 'his comrades' killed by 'our side'... urgh..."
That hesitation wasn't from his wounds, but psychological revulsion.
"I order you to say it."
But the woman whose perspective we shared coldly pressed him to continue.
"...He was wearing them like accessories...!"
What an absurd thing to say. Could that possibly be true?
It was practically the same as saying he wore skulls as masks.
'Isn't he a psychopath...? Him, and whoever came up with this setting...!'
...No, perhaps it suited someone who committed such a vile, serious crime.
"...Is that all? How pathetic. Did you let as many as thirteen people die in vain just to find out something like that?"
"Haa... There's... one more thing I have left to report..."
"...Oh?"
Even as I found myself strangely disgusted by how absorbed I had become, cold sweat running down my skin—
"Um, Kadong... can Tana try just one piece of popcorn?"
"K-Kadong...? Stop calling me that...!"
I heard Kadra and Tana's voices from behind me.
Glancing back, I saw him holding unlimited popcorn and cola provided in the corridor, while she drooled over them.
"But Tana wants to try it. It looks tasty, because the corn pops all plump...!"
"What...? But didn't you say you can't eat anything but blood?"
"T-that's only because of the taste... It's not bad for my health. And more importantly, that smells delicious...!"
"...It can't be helped. If something like this will put an end to you being a nuisance..."
With that, Kadra held out popcorn heavily sprinkled with pepper to her.
"Wow...! Kadong, thank you so much...! You're nice! You're kind!"
[Tana, close your mouth.]
"Close...!"
Though she snapped her mouth shut, Tana stuffed all the popcorn she'd been given into it.
"Munch... chew, chew... smack, smack... urk?!"
As she chewed with a blissful expression, her face suddenly twisted.
[Tana...? What's wrong? Are you okay...?]
"H-hey, what's wrong all of a sudden...?"
"Huh... huh... ah..."
Not only Kaiju and Kadra, but everyone's attention—including mine—turned to her.
"...Achoo."
And the next instant—
"Achoo!!"
All the popcorn Tana had been chewing flew out of her mouth.
"...Uh, aaaaah?!"
It all poured down on me like a rain of popcorn.
"Shokong! Are you okay?! I'm really sorry!"
"..."
The fact that she had spat out popcorn, and that bizarre nickname she used for me—
"...Huh?"
At this moment, neither mattered to me at all.
"...Then I will tell you his 'epithet.'"
By sheer coincidence, my eyes had met that very scene in the movie.
'An epithet...? Don't tell me...!'
If it was one of the students here, and their epithet—
"Ultimate..."
That's right. Just as the man had said, it could only be their [Ultimate talent].
It might be adapted, but was it truly going to be exposed so directly?
No, none of that mattered.
What mattered was that, in the very next moment, I would know.
The 'black wolf' who wore a white sheep's mask and had trapped us in this academy... No.
"Huh...? Tana feels another sneeze coming... Whoa?!"
Flop—!
The identity of the 'white sheep' wearing a black wolf's hide...!
"...Huh?"
"Aaaah!"
But—
Bang—!
"...Urgh..."
I could no longer remain conscious.
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register