Chapter 5

Koga: (Looks like they’ve all gone into hidin’. So then, what do I do now... Should I put out some traps and hunt ‘em down?)

(But I doubt a trap’ll work on Fushimi.)

(I’ve definitely got an advantage here ‘cause I know these kindsa games like the back of my hand.)

(Not that I think I can underestimate the other guys, but I get the feeling Fushimi’s the one to look out for. He ain’t no ordinary guy.)

(He was the only one who took off as soon as they gave the start signal.)

(If he were just some guy, he’d have been movin’ as cautious as the other two. But Fushimi’s movements reminded me of a seasoned gamer.)

(So he can do even this kinda thing, huh? I guess he is a butler who can do anything.)

(If there’s anyone who survives until the end—other than me, of course—it’ll be him, no doubt.)

(This ain’t a video game, so I can’t just collect items or nothin’. So I could just lay low and let Fushimi pick off the other guys.)

(Pretty sure the winning strategy is to wait ‘til there’s just one guy left and then hunt him down. But that’s basically just wussin’ out.)

(That’s my kinda game: kill or be killed—and it’s damn punk rock to be walkin’ the line between life and death ♪)

(So what the hell should I do...?)

(Heh, why don’t I just go all-in and fight them head-on!)

(sniffs) I can’t get a whiff of Fushimi’s scent. He’s prolly erased it—is he really that thorough or what...? Is that guy seriously just a butler?

...Wait, I’m pickin’ up another strong scent. The hell—perfume? It’s so obvious, I’m startin’ to think it’s a trap...

Well, he’s not that kinda guy. But I don’t have any other leads, so I guess I’ll just check it out for now.

(sniffs) ...This way.

Arashi: Eugh... I got caught in a spider web trying to go through a gap in the bushes...

And this super not-cute gun is so heavy, too. It doesn’t even suit me.

Like, if I wanted to carry a bunch of dead weight on my back, I’d at least want it to be a beautiful flower all in bloom, y’know? Like the ones they have here.

They said it was a game, so I was all for it when they asked, but I never expected it to be so violent...

Sigh... If it was going to be like this, I should have just turned them down yesterday...

First Mitsuru-chan and now Yuzuru-chan. I really do have a weakness for boys in trouble. Good grief, I’m way too soft-hearted!

Hm? Oh, there’s a drone flying around. That must be what they’re using to film everything, right? I guess that means Tenshouin-senpai and Anzu-chan are watching from the student council room right now?

Ufufu, get a good shot of me surrounded by all these flowers, okay? Make sure to get my adorable smile! Here, I’ll even wave ♪

This really is like second nature for a model, hm? I get so hyper-aware when there’s a camera pointed at me.

Well anyway, what should I do from here? I can’t just sit here and wait—I’ll start to freeze. And the cold is a girl’s greatest enemy.

So I guess I’ll just have to get myself moving, hm?

We were given a map of the area, so I’ll use that to make a battle plan. Well, it’s not like I don’t know the school inside and out.

Getting a bird’s-eye view might help me come up with some ideas. Although, I already know all the shortcuts and secrets in this school. There’s a reason I manage to catch Mitsuru-chan all the time~

So I’ll be fine! The queen is the strongest piece in chess, after all!

Chiaki: Okay! For now I’ve moved to a place I’m more familiar with...

Wait, there’s hardly any place to hide at all! Ha ha ha! Whoops!

Although I hadn’t really been planning to hide in the first place.

A hero of justice should never play dirty—I want to fight fair and square!

I’d rather be spotted by the enemy and dodge all their attacks with flashy moves! That’s what makes you a hero!

Oh, but it’d be cool to get shot and end up in a crisis, too... ♪

And then my precious friends would come rushing in to rescue me! Maybe I should use this plot for our next hero show?

Oh wait, we’re in the middle of the game. I got a little carried away there.

But hm, where did everyone go off to? They’re probably sneaking around. That’d mean I might have to go searching for them.

Hmm. I don’t really like thinking of my kouhais as enemies... But at the same time, I’d feel like I was looking down on them if I let them off easy!

Is this how seasoned heroes feel when their allies turn against them and they have to clash? It’s so heart-rending!

At any rate. I can’t just keep standing around like this. I’ll have to head out soon. But the question remains: just where is everyone else...? Hmm?

Well, no matter! No point in stressing over what you don’t know! I’ll try going over this way! That’s what my spidey senses are trying to tell me...!

No matter what transpires, it’s a hero’s fate for him to end up on the battlefield! That’s just the way the stars are aligned for them!

Ha ha ha, just you wait! The Burning Heart, Morisawa Chiaki, won’t let any of you get away... ☆

...Hn? Wait. That makes me sound more like a supervillain, doesn’t it?!

Yuzuru: (...Umm, It would seem that Morisawa-sama doesn’t understand the objectives of this game.)

(It’s as though you’re asking to be caught if you go around shouting and not even bothering to conceal yourself. At this rate, it will be easy to finish him off...)

(However, my target is Oogami-sama. It would be wisest to pick off my strongest enemy first.)

(And so, my apologies, Morisawa-sama, Narukami-sama—I will be using you as bait.)

(Morisawa-sama is acting like so, and even Narukami-sama’s movements are that of an amateur—large and conspicuous.)

(It is of little doubt that Oogami-sama will find them. And the more attention he has on them, the less he will have on me.)

(In this kind of battle, taking shelter is not the only way to conceal oneself. Stealth and subterfuge are the key to any gunfight.)

(That said—Oogami-sama’s senses are closer to that of a beast than of a human. I must not underestimate him. Should I approach him too carelessly, he’s likely to sense my presence.)

(But even a person such as he has a window of opportunity I can exploit, and that is the moment when he is hunting his prey. And it is in that moment that I will strike. I may just be the dog running away with the bone while the others fight for it...)

(But this is a battlefield—a hunting ground. The only thing that matters is survival.)

(Oh, it seems that Morisawa-sama is on the move... I mustn’t lose sight of him, so I’ll follow him while keeping my distance.)

(I’ll need to ascertain the moment when Oogami-sama will attack one of them.)

(Let’s finish this shortly, so that I may give that figure to the master.)

(Fufu. Though that was the only thing on my mind in the beginning...)

(Ah, it’s no use denying it. It looks as though I’m getting a little excited ♪)

jp proofing: moricchiichan
eng proofing: Anonymous