Battle Royale: Yet to End

Ju-Go

   As Shigeo Ishihara ran from the clearing in the northern forest, Atsushi Mori (Male Student No. 5) arrived there, armed with his Colt Single Action Army revolver. He aimed the revolver to his back and pulled the trigger, making a loud pop. The bullet struck to a tree trunk, making a cracking sound and wisp of smoke, dust and wood shavings. Several footsteps followed him, with the added sound of rattling bags.

   One of them was Natsumi Nichiya (Female Student No. 13), who held a boomerang. She yelled at him angrily while her eyes brimmed with tears, "Damn you, Atsushi! You traitor! Traitor! You killed Hisako! You killed Aoi! How could you!? ATSUSHI! Why!?"

   To be honest, Atsushi didn't know what to do after that. He was out of his wits when he bumped into Hisako a few hours ago. He just did that because he was scared. She was the one he first saw after coming out of the building at midnight. Fear took over him and made him use his revolver to shoot down Hisako three times, but upon seeing she was suffering from the gunshots, he performed a coup de grace on her. At first, his trembling fingers pulled the trigger and shot her on the shoulder, which wasn't that fatal; but when he shot again, the bullet ran straight through her skull, brain then through the black of her left eye. When Hisako collapsed on Aoi's body, he thought that Aoi might avenge her death so he also shot him.

   He didn't mean to do it, he was just scared someone else may kill him. He just wants to survive the Program and come out alive. He just wants to see his family again and continue life like nothing as fucking absurd as this happened. And now, Natsumi, who was with Matsui Yano (Female Student No. 12) and Ume Kotobuki (Female Student No. 26), both of which also held their weapons: claws and a shovel, respectively. Only four of the seven of them remained in their friendly group (the dead ones include Azami, Imako and Aoi) but this time, friendly groups don't seem to exist anymore. Someone had betrayed them, to their point of view; but to Atsushi's, it was 'accidental betrayal'.

   A few meters away from the clearing where Shigeo used to sit down, Natsumi threw her boomerang, which whirled in the air and hit Atsushi in the head. It immediately spread pain on his skull. The boomerang dropped to the ground the instant it hit his head. He swayed backwards as he lost his balance from being hit and fell to the ground. His vision was spinning he might go insane. He heard the shouts of Natsumi and the others, which are now getting louder, signalling that they may kill him. Right before he got up on his knees, Natsumi caught up with him. She quickly grabbed Ume's shovel from her trembling hands and smashed the blade on Atsushi's head. It sent excruciating pain on his head as blood dropped from his head. 

    "Natsumi!" cried Ume. "Stop it! Please stop it!"

    But Natsumi has lost control. She couldn't forgive Atsushi, even if it was just an 'accident'. He still killed two of their friends which she held close to her (Hisako was one of Azami's close friends, so Natsumi also had some relationship like this with her). She raised the shovel and smashed it again, twice the force of the previous blow.

   As if on prompt, Atsushi suddenly pulled the trigger while his hand wobbled, making a loud bang. He blindly pulled the trigger because his head really hurt now, not mention there was a flow of blood on top of his head. His vision was so blurry and spinning. He could still see their figures, specifically Ume Kotobuki, who had a finger-sized hole between her eyebrows. The bullet which Atsushi fired passed through her skull and crushed the front part of her brain. With eyes still open, Ume crashed to the ground with a thud of her bag and own body. Her head shifted to her right, and blood flowed from the hole between her brows. She remained motionless. No signs of breathing. Yes, she was dead.

   Natsumi, who witnessed everything, suddenly burst into tears of both sadness and rage. Atsushi killed one of her friends again. Impossible! Someone like him could do this? Well, he did it, and he'll pay the price. Damn you, Atsushi!

   Atsushi was too stunned and hurt to even speak and move. He stared blankly at them, unable to figure out what he will do next. His hand lowered down, releasing the revolver from his grip and dropped to the ground. Natsumi can't resist anymore. She raised the shovel for one last time, and smashed it on his head again. A nauseating crack ended Atsushi's life. His head was smashed and crushed; blood ran from the hole the impact had made. A part of his skull at the top was split open, peeling off a small part of his hair and skin and in turn, revealing a small portion of his brains.

   Natsumi kneeled to the ground, losing hold of the shovel as she cried aloud. God, why does this have to happen to us!? I can't believe this!

  Matsui Yano had her eyes wide open because of the incident, but out of sympathy to what Natsumi was feeling right now, she kneeled beside her and said, "It'll be fine, Natsumi. We can do this."

   Natsumi didn't reply to her. She just sniffed and poured tears out of her eyes, which made wet marks on her pleated skirt and necktie, which bore the emblem of Fukushiwa Junior High School.

   God, is this what they call... 'vendetta'? Did I return the favor the right way? Did I?

Male Student No. 5 - Atsushi Mori, dead

Female Student No. 26 - Ume Kotobuki, dead

24 Students Remaining