Blades of Despair

-Chapter Fifty-Seven-

Bitter Discoveries

An indeterminate amount of time before Iowa and Yoneda's bodies were discovered, I had woken up inside one of the unnamed classrooms on the second floor of Seiko Academy. My head hurt tremendously, and my mouth was exceedingly dry.

"Ow," I groaned loudly as I sat up slowly, massaging the front of my head with my fingertips. Gradually, my memories of what had happened before I mysteriously fell asleep rushed back to me, and my heart panged with feelings of remorse. Ori, I am so sorry, was the only thing going through my mind as I recalled what I had done. I had believed Yoneda's lie, and in doing so had tried to turn the group against Ori in the false belief that she was the one that had been betraying them all. I had believed that lie because I had blamed Ori for Mitsumi and Saza's deaths - did Yoneda take advantage of my vulnerability? I shook my head. No, there is no excuse for what I did. I was ready to let Ori die, but for what purpose?

"I see you're finally awake."

I tore my hands away from my head and looked up in shock. What I saw was the icy, menacing gaze of Morino Yoshimatsu, staring directly at me.

"Morino? What are you doing here? Huh? Where... are we?" I looked around and realised I had not awoken in the same place where I had succumbed to Monoworth's sleeping gas.

"We are in one of the classrooms on the second floor," Morino replied instantly, his voice expressionless. "Monoworth informed me that the fifth motive is our imprisonment in various rooms around the academy. From my understanding, we have been locked away in pairs. You and I are one such pair."

"What? Are you sure?"

"See for yourself," Morino gestured vaguely towards the door, "the door is locked." I hastily got to my feet and tried to move the door, but as Morino had said, it was assuredly sealed.

"Fuck," I muttered. "But how is this a motive?"

"I believe Monoworth intends to starve us to death, or at least to the point of delirium where one feels it necessary to kill to survive," Morino said calmly. "However, should one of us kill the person we are trapped with, Monoworth is guaranteed an execution."

"Guaranteed? I don't follow," I said, confused.

"This is all conjecture," Morino explained, "but I am currently working with the assumption that if a murder takes place, Monoworth will release the other students from imprisonment. Should that happen, we will discover the victim and the culprit simultaneously. After all, six of us would have alibis, while the remaining seventh student would be doubtlessly guilty. However, if nobody decides to commit a murder, then we shall all meet our demise through hunger."

"You're... uncomfortably calm about this, Morino," I noted.

"Well, I have already come to terms with the fact that I will die in this room, as I have no intention of killing you, Nishi," he retorted coldly. His golden eyes examined me, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. "Can I say the same of you?"

"What? I wouldn't kill you! How can you accuse me-?"

"Do you not wish to kill me," Morino interrupted him, "because I am not Ori?" My mouth fell open.

"Morino! What are you saying?"

"Do not play the innocent part that you do not merit," Morino scolded me, his eyes flashing. "Have you forgotten that there was almost unnecessary bloodshed because of your actions? Ori could have died, Nishi."