Descendants of Death

20. Sole Survivor

"Saori... you're the best actor I've ever seen."

"You bet!?" I responded with a psychotic voice as my crescent grin reaches from ear to ear with my eyes wide open. I continue to laugh deeply as it covers the two with a darker spirit.

"You lighting that torch with the last matchstick is the same as you've already secured victory."

"Yukawa... I thought you'll... surrender on her behalf... You listened to me..." Manabu stuttered but with a shaking voice. Their bodies are completely filled with tensed muscles as I give them the feeling of suffering they didn't even imagine.

"He did, lately though. Conclusions always come last. Did you know, that single late can kill a soul?" I said with the same tone.

"Everyone..." Yukawa trembled with a blank straight look that paces.

"Want a spoiler? Except you two, everyone's dead already."

Yukawa's tears fall down his wide-open mouth. "YOU!! YOU'RE A DECEPTIVE MONSTER THAT SHOULDN'T LIVE IN THIS WORLD!! A DEMON!!"

"But you protected this demon AND TREATED IT LIKE YOUR LITTLE SISTER! You even called me a 'Life-worth treasure' you say. It's not a matter of 'what' to protect but 'who'. I really appreciate the compliment, really!"

Yukawa's already sweating as he bares his teeth at me. His clenching fists shake as he tries to get away from the bind that I made.

"Curious about how everyone died? Except for Hirari and Kino's death, everyone became a slave to my pitfall. You two are the only ones missing on my list."

"You're completely bound back then! How the heck did you hunt both Hirari's friends? That's just..." Yukawa shouted as he slowly loses his composure. The calm genius in the group is now losing his ability to think critically.

"Impossible? You're forgetting something. You did mention that there are three rooms here, one's this room, the storeroom, and the other?"

"The bathroom..." Yukawa replied out of realization.

"Great, Yukawa! You're incredibly a genius!"

"But... there's no poison here in the first place!!"

"That's what a slowpoke would say, where in fact, there is. I just possessed it first. Did you know, that Risin, a chemical inside castor beans, can affect a person's body if they inhaled or swallowed a bit of its powder?

"Before Kino's death, where was I? I'm in that important place, planting seeds on each toilet's edge. With that, I can kill two without any suspicions.

"I didn't make Yukawa into a hunter to help his investigation. Surprised how there are three murders that happened on the third day? It's not that Hirari's suicide isn't counted. The only counted kills here are from the hunters. At that point, I know that my Cinderella plan will work perfectly.

"I should be the one killing Hirari, but she still drank it even if it was poisoned. She might be the sharpest comparing between you two, but her actions are dumb and unexpected.

"And why do you think I'm still not dead even after drinking the poisoned water? Yukawa's mouth should be filled with bubbles right now, but isn't it? Why is it? Why are you still not dead, Yukawa!?"

"The water... you just poisoned it after we got caught."

"You surely know, Yukawa! Perhaps, you also planned it, that is why!"

"You already got us since the start. And what's worse, you manipulated everyone to your liking. You're a demon into the soul, Saori!!"

"That's not fair! We should all be equals!"

"You're a murderer, a serial killer, with words covering your actions! YOU STILL THINK YOU'RE AN EQUAL TO US!? I BETTER DIE THAN BEING TREATED LIKE A DEVIL'S SPAWN LIKE YOU!"

"I'm just here punishing you from the fires of hell. Be grateful that when you die, you'll spawn in purgatory. So, thank... me... please?" I pleaded with my girlish voice back then and a cuter face.

"Why are you killing us!? We didn't have any grudges against you! JUST WHY!?"

"Silly! Do you know how games work? The one who regretfully cries is the real loser. Aren't you listening to the announcement? There are two ways to finish this game. I'll explain to the 'genius' you what are those.

"The hunter will hunt all the prey, or the prey will hunt all the hunter. If the hunter hunts the prey by killing, then what's for the prey?

"And I bent the rules, knowing that we are all sharing a similar past. Why don't you like being compared to me? Are you forgetting the sins you've committed? Knowing how similar we are, there's no holding me back from doing what I want.

"What's your grudge against Nishigawa High!? That's the sole thing we're the same, right?"

I laughed deep in response. "You're quite a comedian even in this situation! Are you making me tingle? I like you more because of it."

"No one would ever dare to like a devil!!"

"Guess what, I'll tell you our similarities. Manabu has his father, Hirari has her mother, and you, your god-wording uncle?"

"What are you pertaining to?" Yukawa replied with his grinning teeth and loud breathing.

"I'm going... to die... anyway... so I'll say it... I killed my father..." Manabu said with his loss of energy.

"But the media... it says it's an accident. Did you really..." Yukawa stuttered.

"Even media... can be bought... with money... That's how always... politics has been."

"Then... you're saying that we are all..."

I came back with the crescent but creepy smile as his reward for getting the right answer even if he didn't finished yet his statement. "THAT'S RIGHT!! WE HAVE OUR HANDS STAINED WITH BLOOD! WE ARE ALL MURDERERS! WE ARE DEMONS! Don't you agree, Yukawa?"

"H... How did... you know..."

"You told me, you forgot!? Within your story, I can just read your face... oh, Yukawa, what's happening to you!?" I suddenly noticed that Yukawa's saliva remains open as saliva continues falling down his mouth. He's growling like a hungry wolf wanting to escape his cage. "That's it! THAT'S THE YUKAWA I WANT TO SEE!! NOW, BRING IT ON!!!"

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!! SAOOORRIII!!!"

"You know what I like about you?" I sat down in front of him while holding the torch in my hand. "I LIKE TO BURN YOUR FACE!" I quickly put the flaming part of the log into his cheeks and held it for a long.

Yukawa screams as he uncontrollably shakes both his face and body as the heat of his cheeks crawls down his nerves. Yukawa's eyes watered as I fulfilled my satisfaction with laughter.

"Saori... stop... please..." Manabu cried as he feels Yukawa's pain through his suffering.

"Don't worry, Manabu. You're exempted. You're already good as dead," I said.

Yukawa's body stiffened as I create a huge hole through his cheeks. As I pull out the log, I can see his teeth grinning even when closed. Blood continues to fall down his face. His humanity has been erased since he stops screaming and losing his own reactions.

"Now, why won't you two entertain yourselves? Who will be the last man standing? Just to stay away from boredom, you're still going to die anyway," I said as I stand up and turn my face away from them.

"Will you have the will of revenge? If you're still lucky to live, then feel free. I'm always ready to take you on."

I left the room as the two's down-turned faces lose their will to live. I'm already sure about my win. There's nothing I need to do more than wait. The morning came after a deep sleep, I opened the laboratory room and when I gazed around, they are already gone. The speaker in the room suddenly makes an announcement about this game's end.

"The sole survivor of the 7th tower's first game, Saori Kitagaya."