Ghosting Cheater

U-Ugh… Heavy…

Good morning, my dear maci. ♪

Uwagh, why are you on top of me?! Can you please get off?!

Don’t be so prude. I was keeping you warm while you slept. I didn’t expect you to have such a nice body.

(W-What’s with this guy…? If I knew this was gonna happen, I wouldn’t have slept in shifts. I should’ve just stayed up the whole night.)

22 participants left, they said. You did very well taking eight of them down yesterday, maci.

I only got that many because you never pull your weight… Alright, we should get go⁠— *gasp*

Agh, I got shot…!

From over there?!

Gh…

Gagh…!

Let’s move, Kuguri-san!

Impressive, now your count is at 10. ♪

Could you at least take your gun out?!

I don’t need to if I have you, maci.

What does maci even mean?

Oh, are you curious?

No, never mind. I don’t wanna die, so we can leave that for later.

So cold. Ah, the sun’s up. A beautiful sunrise, isn’t it, maci?

Ah, hold on!

(! I saw a light coming from 10 o’ clock. A sniper?!)

Ngh…!

Oof…

We… We’re safe.

I didn’t expect you to pin me down. How forward of you, maci. ♪

Huh? I only did it because you always wander around in the open!

I told you that you’d be a sitting duck for a sniper if you go into an area with no cover!

Oh, you’re already getting off? What a shame. You should savor the moment.

Savor what?! We’re in the middle of paintball here! *sigh* My head hurts.

Hm… You’re a strange one, maci. Are you perhaps heterosexual? That’s rare in this day and age.

*sigh…*

Can you stand?

……

(Kuguri-san’s hand is…really cold. It kinda feels like a piece of metal…)

…Now that the arena’s smaller, everyone’s closing in on us. Let’s relocate as fast as possible.

No, it’s almost time. You don’t have to worry any more.

Thanks to your efforts in taking out all of the obstacles, things are progressing faster than I had planned.

Hm?

(What’s going on with his earring? There’s some sort of electronic sound…)

…Yes, that’s good. Keep moving in.

I’ll bring him to enlightenment myself. All you need to do is guide him.

Don’t worry, I have an excellent bullet shield with me.

(Who is he…talking to?)

We got them. Let’s move.

Understood.

Our field of vision is wider now that it’s daytime.

…Enemies closing in. Three from behind, two from the left.

Footsteps confirmed. What are your orders?

Move to the right and cut off their line of fire. They’ll probably run into each other when we turn the corner of the next building.

(That’s strange… They must have seen each other, but I don’t hear them shooting. Are all five of them coming after us?)

I see. We’re being ghosted.

Ghosted?

They notice that we’re here, so they’re trying to lead us somewhere. I feel like I know who’s behind this.

I’ll play along for now.

Kinari, hide in the shadow of the next building. A close-quarters fight might break out soon. You’ll be at a disadvantage.

I will obey your order, however, I do not intend on winning this game.

Kitakata Raito, do you intend to win?

Well… I just want to give it everything I’ve got. That’s my motto, after all.

……

What’s wrong?

After my reset, I started collecting data on human emotions. However, based on my analysis of the current data, your emotions are difficult to rationalize.

But both my sun sign and my moon sign are Taurus. I take pride in having an honest and straightforward personality.

I have already registered your fondness for horoscopes.

Haha. Well, let’s put that aside. I assure you that you’ll have fun if you follow me.

You only live once. After you die, you feel no joy nor pain.

……

*yawn…*

(Oh no! I can’t yawn, I’m in the middle of work! But I didn’t know this game would last all night…)

There are 10 inmates left. They are all heading to the center area.

Tch. He’s still alive…

Hmm, according to the monitors… There are three duos and one trio left.

Which leaves one person… Hm?

(Wait, that person next to the man with the black hair… Didn’t I meet him on the plane?!)

(I thought he was a little strange, but… I didn’t expect him to be an inmate here!)

(And the blond man from this other team… I mean, he’s really handsome, but he looks familiar…)

Nayuki-kun, is that blond person…a celebrity? I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before.

You’re imagining things. He’s just some criminal.

(Huh? No, I swear I’ve seen him somewhere…)

W… WOOOAAAHHHH! He’s here, he’s here, he’s here, he’s HEEEEEEERE!!!

NATSUYAKI! CHI! HI! ROOOOO!!!

(Huh? W-What’s going on?!)

We believed in you! We believed in you, Chiiiiii!! You’re a true idol! Great luck! Overwhelming luck! Destinal luck!

The C in Chihiro stands for “Charmingly late to the party! ☆”

U-Um… Ko… Kodama-san?

AHHH!! I-It’s not what you think! Not at all!!!! I wasn’t worried about Chii because he wasn’t showing up on screen or anything!!!

Sure, he may be the only one worthy of becoming an idol! But I’m not biased towards him… It’s just…! It’s impressive that he was able to survive for so long…

(I guess the pink-haired one is Kodama-san’s oshi…)

Chii, you’ll be safe if you hide here! I have to go, but stay here!

Okie-dokie, roger that! ☆ Thanks, Wardy. ☆

(*sigh…* What am I doing?)

(Just this place? There’s nowhere to take cover. Trying to fight here would be crazy hard.)

!

(Someone’s here!)

Looks like we’re the first ones here.

Kitakata Raito. Our pursuers have separated and are approaching us.

Looks like…it!

Urgh…!

According to my data…that was one of your faction members.

It was. Looks like he switched sides.

…!

Why…? I thought I was hidden!

(Raitin’s got lightning-fast reflexes as always!)

(He just shot one of his own faction members, didn’t he? Guess the guy got bewitched by Kugurinu.)

A traitor. Kitakata Raito, you are surprisingly disliked.

I told you that my rival is like the jack in euchre, right? Even if we have a strong hand, he can still change the course of the game.

And now… I guess it’s time for said trump card to show himself.

(Two more people…)

(! No way! Is that…Kugurinu and Taotao?!)

(Why’s Taotao working with Kugurinu?)

Why hello, king. You’re not in despair as I had hoped you would be. What an utter shame.

Kuguri. You crafted a very meticulous little plan. Did you receive information in advance from the wardens?

I wonder. Either way…

I finally have the chance to teach you true despair… ♪