69) Tenth Day of Exhibitions

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"And, you know... I really just can't help loving the people I meet. No matter how much I resist, I think deep inside my heart is meant to care for others, but never myself. I think, for all my life and whatever else remains for me down the road, I will only ever be a provider."

===Benkei Furetcha===

A cold breeze washed over the Maindo rubble, strands of my hair brushing past my face.

With the stars above us, and the rest of the crew gone, we attended to small activities to quell our boredom and anxiety. Aulia played with a tower of Jenga along Niko, while Zakū and Maeda bounced a tennis ball between each other. Judumai was slouched against a piece of brick wall which remained standing, his breathing heavy, but able to regain control of his body. Ashikaga kept a lookout on her guard tower, her gaming devices completely abandoned, and her foot bind in a cast.

I sat beside Aulia's tower, careful not to disturb it, basking in the night sky, soaking in the distant music. Gabura and Aoyama would be returning soon, after having promised to continue the concert for a little while longer. A tight bandage was wrapped around my abdomen, blood still leaking out of my wound. Walking was very difficult, and with each breath, I shuddered, my body tense.

Ashikaga peered through her binoculars again in the direction of the shrine, then gasped. "Guys... Guys!"

I glanced up, and everyone's attention paused. "The Queen of Diamonds blimp is falling! It's falling!"

"What? No way!" Aulia said, leaping up and running to look around the skyscraper that blocked the sky. "She's right! They took it down!"

Ashikaga tossed the binoculars to Zakū, who took a peek before passing it to Maeda. "No. Fucking. Way." He said, mouth open.

"This is it. We're finally at the end." I muttered.

"So... It's... Nearly over?" Judumai whispered, limping towards us, supporting himself on a walker.

"We have one game left." Niko said. "If we win this, it's all over! Let's find the others and take down the King of Hearts!"

"Yeah, the King stands no chance against us!" Ashikaga shouted. "Let's wait for them to all get back, then plan our next move!"

"About time." Aulia said, cracking a slight smile. "Then after that, we can all get back to our normal lives."

"Maybe Tori will be there." I murmured, so quietly that no one else could hear–it was solely for my own reassurance.

===Tori Jakurin===

Above us, the force field flashed, before vanishing in a sudden blip.

The blimp's fireball crashed into the trees, and they flashed into a blaze. I gasped, Rafferty pulling me back, as the flames spread onto the trees, fragments of metal falling into the clearing.

"Quick!" I yelled, "Get their bodies!"

I ran forward, taking hold of Hanako and Raiya's hands, lugging them forward, yet Rafferty didn't match my pace. He was behind me, switching between pulling Chihaya, Kazetani, and Shirai.

A burning tree crashed into the clearing as we evacuated, but Rafferty was struggling. I powered forward, pulling Raiya and Hanako ahead, before dropping them and rushing back to me, taking Shirai's body.

One of the buildings behind us caved in, the wooden walls splintering in half, toppling over in a burst of dust as fire consumed it.

As the forest burned behind us, we tugged their bodies through the path, burning branches falling onto the oath, sweat running down my path.

The breeze carried a singed odor of ash, spreading the flames. We stumbled through the front gate, the burning woods behind us, my throat freed from the charred air. My mind flashed with a brief memory of the Seven of Clubs; it seemed a lifetime ago.

We dragged the bodies to the car, neither of us saying anything. Rafferty opened the trunk, placing Kazetani, Chihaya, and Hanako's body inside. In the backseat, we placed Shirai and Raiya's body, before we sat in the front.

Rafferty didn't turn the car on immediately. Instead, he just stared expressionless, his eyes blank.

"Rafferty... I... I don't know what to say. I can't even ask if you're okay. I know you're not."

"I'm j-just... Trying to p-process it. Nothing f-feels real. I w-wish w-we didn't come here. I feel so empty. W-We did all this for n-nothing."

"No. We're... We're closer now than ever. All that stands between us and returning–"

"Possibly r-returning."

"Still. We're closer to returning now, closer to finding out the truth than ever. We can't let their deaths go to waste and give up now. We need to power through, so that the lives that they sacrificed don't go to waste."

"No... You're right. You're right. And plus... You'll get to reunite with Benkei."

I smiled. "Yeah. He's going to be so happy... That's one good thing I'm excited for."

Rafferty turned the car key, the engine rumbling on, before he adjusted the gear shift and pulled out of the shrine, which continued to burn.

My entire brain was clouded in a gray fog. After the adrenaline of the Queen of Diamonds had worn off, my pounding tiredness had returned, yet I felt no desire to sleep. My thoughts flowed like honey, thick and slow. 'We cleared the Queen of Diamonds... And I'm about to see Benkei again. Why don't I feel any excitement? My friend's alive. Maybe... If only I had been able to guess myself first. If only I had guessed myself when no other players were there, or at the very least when it wasn't with them.'

I shook my head. 'No... I can't blame myself... But... It is my fault, though. Really. I was the one who didn't recognize the obvious patterns.'

Leaning my head against the headrest, I squeezed my eyes shut, rubbing my face. 'Why did things have to turn out like this? Why did I have to go into the Queen of Diamonds venue in the first place? Why couldn't I have just planned better for the blizzard instead of having no choice but to head inside to escape the cold? Could I have just gone underground? No... This all could've been avoided had I simply not even gone into the shrine.'

The rest of the car ride was silent, as we made the turn into Miyamoto University. It was past ten, and the entire field of debris had been lit up with gas and electric lanterns. Tents had been set up on top of the rubble, the light illuminating the tents and few people who still remained outside. In the distance, an electric guitar shredded wildly, a voice booming in a microphone, as if there was a concert.

Gabura and Aoyama were the first we saw. Aoyama carried a guitar in her hand, and Gabura had a flashlight. They sat on the hood of a new car, its headlights on.

They both turned around, as Zakū and Maeda ran forward, while bouncing a tennis ball. She saw me and gasped, jumping then shouting Benkei's name.

I smiled weakly as she approached closer, Zakū behind her. But as he got closer, he squinted his eyes. And then he screamed. Maeda paused, her eyes widening, freezing into a statue.

Benkei limped forward, his face lost in the brightest smile I had ever seen, before it all evaporated in an instant, as all color drained. He covered his mouth, stumbling forward in shock, clutching onto the hood of the car. Ashikaga shambled over, holding her cane, turning back to Benkei, as if wondering why he had reacted in such a way. Then, she saw the bodies, and screamed, dropping the cane. Aulia kept her up, hugging and comforting her.

I opened the door and walked out.

"Tori... That's... What I'm seeing isn't real, right?" He wailed, dropping to his knees. "Tori, this isn't real! Right? They're not all gone, right?"

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" Aoyama screamed, covering her mouth and pulling Gabura closer. "Gabura, they're... They're all... Oh my god!"

"No, this can't be happening." Niko said. "Someone tell me this isn't real."

"Huh..." Judumai cried, limping forward. "What... What happened? How?"

"Rafferty... Why... Gah!" Zakū kicked the door, hard enough to leave a dent. "How the fuck could this have happen? They were all some of the smartest people. How the fuck could this happen?"

"I'm s-sorry." Rafferty said. "I'm so... So... so sorry."

He walked out of the car, towards Ashikaga, pulling her into a hug. She leaned into his shoulder, crying, her tears staining his torn jacket. "Ashikaga... Y-You're the only M-Maindo leader l-left. I'm s-so sorry."

She shook her head between sobs. "It's–it's okay. I-I know you tried your b-best, it's not your–your fault."

"I w-would n-never be able to s-say enough apologies. No p-punishment w-would ever be f-fit." Rafferty's voice was monotone, as if all semblance of humanity from him had faded.

"What about the documents? And the sketchbook?" Zakū asked.

"W-We lost everything. There w-was a fire. W-We didn't have time for anything other th-than their bodies."

"Damn it..."

"They deserve burials." Gabura said, her voice the softest it's ever been. Her eyes were also long faded, the concert rejuvenating them slightly, but the hope from her voice gone since the Queen of Spades. "They... They need their legacy to be embellished. They deserve to be remembered."

"We need to keep going forward, for their sake." Niko said. "So that their lives aren't in vain."

"We need to kill the King of Hearts." Aulia said. "That'll avenge them."

"They... None of this deserved this." Judumai rasped, his voice weak. "You all are right."

"Tori..." Benkei whispered, still around me. "Tori... Why? What happened? Why were you gone?"

"I was trapped in the venue." I whispered. "I had no way of escaping until I could clear the game. And I couldn't, for the longest time, until... Until they all showed up, which paved my way to understanding the answer. They're the reason I won."

"It's okay. It's okay." Benkei reassured me, patting my shoulder. "It's not your fault."

I nodded, my eyes squeezed shut.

Then, fireworks began.

We looked up. Aoyama scooted away from Gabura, getting off the car hood and reaching for her gun, while Ashikaga and Maeda wiped away their tears, putting on a look of defiance.

On every screen, and through every radio, the same video began playing. A figure emerged, dressed in a blood-red suit. He adjusted the cuffs of his sleeve, locking his hands together. A dark mask obscured his face. "Congratulations... Players... You have cleared all... Eleven of the other Face Cards."

The people from the tents began emerging; by now, few people remained. Totaling up those who remained from the Beach and Maindo, in addition to the survivors we had been collecting, there were about twenty others. In total, we were about thirty. Two weeks ago, we were over a hundred.

We were silent–unlike the Second Stage announcement, there were no messages of defiant heroism or taunts. Behind the King of Hearts was a dark room with hundreds of computers lining the walls, and corpses sprawled over the tables.

"The dealer's base." Gabura said.

"Honestly a shame... Really." He paced around the room, pushing aside chairs and carts, full of papers. "I... Wanted to keep the fun going... For much longer. All my fellow citizens... Are now dead."

He sat down again, on an lush throne in front of a sleek wooden table, as the camera panned out. "Out of the 322 players that made it to the Second Stage... 122... of you have made it until now. Impressive... To say the least.

"And... Finally, I,,, Will allow you all to meet me face to face. Because... The King of Hearts will only begin... Once every player... Has entered the venue."

In the distance, a mechanical roaring ensued.

Aulia took the binoculars which Ashikaga had dropped, bringing it to her eyes and turning to the direction of the revving. "What? When did the King of Hearts blimp appear?"

In the distance, a huge array of beacons lit up into the night sky, illuminating the blimp and venue for all to see. They shone bright, dancing back and forth like pendulums. Then, a massive explosion followed, pillars of charred smoke rising, throwing showers of rubble skywards.

"Wait... That's the Minato ward!" Niko said.

"Don't tell me..." Gabura muttered.

"...The King of Hearts will be in the dealer's base?" Zakū finished.

"You all... Have less than forty-eight hours to arrive, or else... You will be dispatched. On the Tenth Day of Exhibitions... At 6PM... The final game you will all ever play... Shall commence. Until then... My announcement is finished. Goodbye players... And good luck."

All the screens turned off once again.

The distant concert music had shut off.

"Clearing two Face Cards wasn't enough?" Zakū protested. "They're throwing us all into one game? I guess we have no choice."

"The King of Hearts w-will be unlike any citizen w-we've faced." Rafferty said. "From their demeanor... They'll lack a-any conscience, any remorse, and see through any f-friendship or p-ploy. He w-will be the deadliest foe yet."

Maeda shook her head. "Have we not done enough? Most of us have literally helped clear over two games!"

"That r-reminds me... I almost f-forgot." Rafferty said, reaching into his pocket. "Zakū, Maeda–Kazetani w-wanted me to give this l-letter to both of you after he... After the g-game ended. Zakū, he c-came to see you as his own ch-child. You know he's v-very proud of how much you've g-grown to trust and learn f-from others, and how you two h-have been able to put aside y-your differences. Maeda, you know h-he's always liked you for y-your unique assessment of s-situations and pattern r-recognition."

Zakū grabbed the letter. "Rafferty, I..." He was stunned, jaws stammering. "I... Thank you."

He threw himself around Rafferty, who patted his back. "Thank you." His voice cracked. After he pulled away, Maeda hugged him.

"I know you two were close throughout the Second Stage. Thank you for doing your best to save him."

Zakū opened the letter, and Maeda learned n besides him, both of them reading the letter. After thirty seconds, he closed the letter, nodding. "It's... A heartfelt message."

Maeda wiped away a few tears. "I wish he and Shirai were here with us."

"I do too." Ashikaga said, her lips quivering, but she sniffled, composing herself again.

"I'm not questioning the tenacity of all of us." Benkei said, letting me go, standing taller. "We have a shot!"

"No amount of bold talk will chalk up to the truth." Aoyama said, holding Gabura's hand. "Look around, Benkei, and don't lie to yourself. Half of us are injured. Niko and Ashikaga can barely walk. You can barely stand. Judumai can barely even remain conscious. And all of us, without exception, are carrying lives worth of death, grief, and trauma. And we have a kid with us, for God's sake. We'll need to keep him safe too."

"Damn, you're right." Niko murmured, turning around. The child stood, catatonic, behind the rest of us. Everyone else was frozen too, or engaging in quiet, nervous conversation.

"Hey... You'll be fine, okay?" Maeda assured him. "We'll help you."

"Has he cleared any Face Card?" Zakū asked.

Benkei shook his head. "When we found him from the volcanic eruption, he had twelve days on his Visa. He stayed with these three mothers who helped keep him safe and his Visa stocked generously, but they all died in the catastrophe."

"I... I can't do this any more!" A man yelled, falling to his knees. "I quit! I refuse to play in any more games!"

He pulled out a pistol and pointed it to his head. I gasped, as Maeda whipped the child around and covered his ears. I squeezed my eyes shut, jumping as the gun fired.

I didn't dare open my eyes for another ten seconds. 'Why? You had already seen twenty-four people die worse deaths, from the Queen of Diamonds alone. You grew indifferent to it then. Why does it shock you now?'

"There's thirty-two left." Niko whispered. "I count who's still here with us–every singl;e day. Now... There's thirty-two left."

"Our f-first order of business should be to b-bury our allies." Rafferty said. "They d-deserve to be sent off."

"At least we have a day and a half to prepare." I insinuated. "We can use this time."

"Not like it makes much  of a difference." Zakū snorted. "It takes maybe twelve hours at most from any point to get there. He just wants us to hold out in anticipation."

"He's right." Ashikaga said, her expression also faded, and voice stiff. "We're at the end of our road."

"Death is coming for us." Aoyama murmured. "The King of Hearts will be a complete bloodbath, and we will all die like animals in a slaughterhouse."

. . .

Tenth Day of Exhibitions, 2PM

===Zakū Raisunei===

We stood in front of the six graves.

There weren't enough flowers to lay a bouquet for each of them, so each received just a couple of dandelions and white wildflowers, with wilting grass. A tomb marker made of nailed plank fragments lined the head of each grave.

"Now... We've left nothing behind." Niko said, bound to a wheelchair alongside Ashikaga and Judumai.

Benkei's stomach wound had become infected. With each step, he drew in a hissing breath, the color in his face draining. Despite that, he continued walking onwards.

"There's nothing much to even leave." Gabura said. Her hair was split and stuck together in dirty crags. My hair wasn't much better; the top was matte, and my bangs were stuck to my forehead from sweat.

"Our inner group of friends are only eleven." Maeda whispered to me.

'Me, Maeda, Ashikaga, Rafferty, Judumai, Niko, Benkei, Tori, Aulia, Gabura, and Aoyama.'

"Some of us won't make it." I whispered back. "Most of us. Maybe even all of us. Our luck has run out."

Maeda held up her wrists, displaying two bead bracelets. "This is all I have left of Charī. Him, Tori and I made friendship bracelets,"

I reached my hand outwards, unveiling a small, crumpled paper swan. "This... Is all I have left of Saiki. I've never really shown it to anyone, though."

She nodded. "It's pretty."

Kai, the man who helped Gabura and Aoyama take down the King of Spades, had provided them with a walkie-talkie. He reported that the King of Hearts was indeed at the dealer's base, and allowed any weapons or outside resources.

Rafferty approached Judumai, putting a hand on his shoulder. Aulia folded origami flowers, planting them into the dirt. Aoyama and Gabura prepared the weapons, each carrying a large backpack. Tori was kneeling, talking to the child.

"Stay next to Gabura or Aoyama at all times, do you understand?"

He nodded.

Aoyama approached him. "What's your name?"

"It's... Akagi."

"Akagi." Instead of kneeling to make eye contact, she picked him up, placing him onto the hood of the car. "You are going to stick alongside me and Gabura at all times. Is that clear?"

He nodded.

"Give me verbal confirmation that you understand."

"Yes, I understand."

"If we're hurt and are no longer able to protect you, then get to either Rafferty or Ashikaga."

"Yes, Rafferty or Ashikaga."

She gave him a solid pat on the shoulder. "Thank you."

Aoyama left, continuing to gather our remaining resources. Tori stockpiled water, pouring our remaining gallons into plastic bottles, throwing them into their backpack. Aulia had moved away from the graves, receiving a pocket knife from Gabura.

"You have a weapon?" I asked, pulling out a small knife.

Maeda nodded, producing a glistening hunting knife from her pockets.

"Is e-everyone ready?" Rafferty

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