Battle Royale

Hiroki bit his lower lip. Then he pulled out that object resembling a mobile data terminal from his pocket and showed it to Shuya. "This is the 'weapon' I got in my day pack. Professor Kawada over there could explain." He pointed at his neck while his hand held the device. The silver collars around the necks of Shuya, Noriko, and Shogo were all shining. "Looks like this device detects anyone wearing these collars. Once someone's in the vicinity, they show up on the screen. But you can't tell whose collar it is."

Shuya finally figured out the answer to Shogo's questions. It was thanks to this device Hiroki had been able to announce there were three of them and detect their movements. Like the computer at the school monitoring their positions, it could detect the position of anyone wearing a collar, even if, as Hiroki said, you couldn't tell who it was.

Hiroki put the device back into the pocket. "See you—" He was ready to go when he suddenly stopped, "That's right...beware of Mitsuko Souma," he added. He gave Shuya and then Shogo a stern look. "She's playing the game. I don't know about the others, but I know for sure she is."

"Did you fight her?" Shogo asked.

Hiroki shook his head. "No. I didn't, but Takako...Takako Chigusa said so before she died. Mitsuko killed Takako."

Shuya suddenly recalled how Takako was already dead. After hearing Sakamochi announce her death, he'd been concerned about its effect on Hiroki, but he was so happy to see him he'd forgotten this dreadful fact.

That's right, Hiroki and Takako Chigusa were close. For a while, Shuya actually thought they were going out. But when he'd casually asked him about it, Hiroki chuckled and said, "She's in a different class. We've known each other since we were kids. You know hide-and-seek, that kind of thing. When we used to fight, I'd be the one crying." That sounded (of course Takako Chigusa was an amazing athlete, and pretty aggressive, but her taking on Hiroki, who was now over 180 centimeters tall and ranked in martial arts—a while back, that's right, the only time he visited his house, Hiroki reluctantly showed him how he could split a piece of pine wood with the palm of his hand) preposterously funny.

But now Takako Chigusa was dead. And...given the way Hiroki had just described it, he was there when she died.

"So you were with her?" Noriko asked quietly.

Hiroki shook his head. "Just the very end. I...when we left, I hid in front of the school, waiting for her...but then Yoshio came back, and I got too distracted, so I lost Takako...then...as I looked for Takako I ended up losing my chance to join you, Shuya, and Shinji."

Shuya nodded several times. So Hiroki was in front of the school until Yoshio Akamatsu returned. He probably hid in the woods. It was dangerous, of course. But that only showed how important Takako was to Hiroki.

"But...," Hiroki continued, "I found Takako...Iwas...too late though." Saying this much, Hiroki looked down. He shook his head several times. Without being told, Shuya understood that by the time Hiroki had found Takako she was dying from being attacked by Mitsuko.

Shuya thought of telling him how Yoshio Akamatsu had killed Mayumi Tendo, and how he had almost killed Shuya as well, but...it was irrelevant now. Yoshio Akamatsu was dead now too.

"I don't know what to say, but...I'm so sorry," Noriko said.

Hiroki smiled a little and nodded. "Thanks."

"In any case," Shuya said, "Come on in. Let's talk it over, what's the—"

He meant to say, rush, but refrained. If Hiroki wanted to see Kayoko Kotohiki while they were both still alive, what else could he do but rush? While Hiroki's connection to Takako Chigusa was clear, Shuya had no idea why it was so important for him to find Kayoko Kotohiki. But in any case, as they sat here talking, she could be fighting someone, or she might even be dying.

Hiroki grinned. It seemed he knew what Shuya was thinking.

Shuya licked his lips. He glanced over at Shogo and then said, "If you insist..." He looked at Hiroki and continued, "We'll find her with you."

But Hiroki flatly refused. He pointed his chin at Noriko. "Noriko's injured. It's too dangerous. No."

Shuya found the situation unbearable. "But you could be saved with us....How are we going to meet again if you leave?.. " That's right. Once they separated it would be nearly impossible for them to meet again.

"Hiroki." It was Shogo. He still held the shotgun, but his finger wasn't on the trigger anymore. Hiroki looked over at him, and Shogo pulled out something small from his pocket with his open hand. He lifted it to his mouth and bit on its metal end, twisting it. It made the chirping sound of a bird. It was a loud, brilliant, and playful sound. Like a robin or chickadee.

Shogo released his hand from his mouth, and Shuya realized that it was Shogo's device—a bird call? Forget why he would have one in the first place...it was one of those things that mimicked the sound of birds chirping.