Part 59: Kings High

Hey, we're roughly halfway through the routes at this point! And yet, there's still so much more to come, with plenty of mysteries still unanswered all this time... Pig's route is one of the shortest in the game, and yet it still raises so much to consider that you wouldn't really notice if playing for yourself. Honestly, really great timing for a halfway point too, especially with all that stuff right at the end. Maybe we'll start tying up a few more loose threads here soon...?

One thing that Themis did note is that originally the game was set up so that the player had to actually find the solution with everyone's pieces themselves- they even had gone so far as to code some of it already before they realized how impossible of a task that would've been without any kind of guidance, which is why the game just tells you the answer instead. (Honestly, credit where it's due, Themis is very willing to cut out stuff that obviously wouldn't work, something more devs should be willing to do )

Either way, the thread managed to avoid all the other endings this time around, too, so let's not waste any time and just get into it.

[Hitch a ride with Pig.]

[BGM: Silence]


I pressed the ACT button. I'm not entirely sure why, I just... did. I mean, why not? What's the harm in it? It should move me exactly 1 space. Just as we all agreed. And if I didn't, Pig might feel offended. So this was right, right? It couldn't possibly hurt, at any rate.

Well, time to meet up again, like promised. I would've preferred to walk with Pig, but she seemed to have gone ahead without me. No problem, I'd just go down by myself. I took a staircase down to the first floor. Right as I walked into the cafeteria from the back hallway, I noticed the screen on the TV had changed.

And people were freaking out. ...Freaking out? Why, why would they be...?

[BGM: The Undying]


As soon as my eyes focused on the screen, I realized why. Pig... She was in the lead, by like, a lot. She must've used her ability. No, no, it wasn't just Pig that was in the lead. So was I. I was also in the lead. Bunny, who had stopped freaking out for long enough to notice my presence, turned around to talk to me.

Hey Mouse! What the hell is this about? Are you in on this?!

Wh-what?! No, no, no I knew nothing!!

Then why'd you hitch a ride on her?

Because she said to!

She told you she would be doing this?

No, no, she just said to hitch a ride on her!



Others were noticing me, and they were making their way over. They were mad. I could very much see where this was going. And needless to say, I didn't love it. So what did I do?

I was a rat. I scurried away. I fled as fast as my feet could take me, just trying to put distance between myself and the cafeteria.

Okay, okay, hold up. I get it. I know this just makes me look worse. I know this hurts me a lot. I know this, honestly speaking, was sort of a dick move on my part. But trust me, I saw exactly what would have happened had I stayed in that crowd. It would not have been good for me. There's no way I could convince them I wasn't in cahoots with Pig. A traitor's ally is a traitor. No, fleeing was the best option.



I kept running and running, pretty soon I couldn't tell if anyone was pursuing me, but I really didn't care. Until I finally felt like I had put enough distance between me and them, I would run. I ended up stopping in what looked to be a screening room on the first floor (I had gone up and down some stairs). This was as good as any place to hide.

I made my way behind the bleachers oddly placed in the room, and crouched down. Far from a heroic action, but it was really the only thing I could think of. From there, I just hid. The others would deal with it, right? The others would get Pig, they'd almost certainly find her and deal with her. Kill her, if I was going to be honest with myself. It was pretty sad, but it appeared she was, in fact, the other traitor. Monkey had confessed. Pig hadn't. So now I'd let the group deal with the situation, and rejoin in a bit, when everything had likely cooled down.

I mean, it's not like I'd be useful to the group, so what's the harm?

[BGM: Silence]


The only question that remained was what to do with the tablet. Just choosing to RUN ran the risk of getting closer to the line and pissing off the group further. So what to do?

Ah. I had it. I'd simply continue to hitch a ride on Pig. Pig probably wouldn't be going anywhere, so this was ideal. I spent the next few rounds just hiding, hoping no one would find me, and choosing to hitch a ride on Pig with my tablet. After two rounds, I planned on leaving my hiding spot and testing the water, sort of feeling out how everybody was doing.

However, to my shock (and horror), after only two rounds of this, I felt my collar come undone. Does... does that mean it's all over? As if to answer my own question, I heard a booming voice come on the speakers. Not a noise, a voice.

The Finish Line has been crossed. The winners are RAT, OX, and PIG. Congratulations! Anyone who has not won has lost. Prepare for execution.

Wh-what? What just happened?

[BGM: Weak Pig]


Did I just... survive? No, no, that wasn't the question to ask. Did everybody else die? What on earth? How did they not catch Pig? How did they not stop her? Dragon's ability, Monkey's ability, those should've been able to do something! And yet, a small voice in the back of my head called out.

_{But hey, you survived. You didn't even have to get your hands dirty.}

No, that's absolutely the wrong thing to take away from all of this! That can't be the moral, it just can't be!

[BGM: Silence]


Reluctantly, I got up, and made my way to the cafeteria. I don't know what I expected, but I certainly wasn't ready for what I saw. A sea of dead bodies, all pained, all with blood flowing from their throats. I had to just close my eyes and walk through, I couldn't bear to look at it anymore. Just the glancing sight had scarred me in a way I would never truly recover from.



Eventually, I had gotten to the front entrance of the school. There stood Ox. He looked none too pleased.

Ox.

Mouse.

…

You saw the outcome, I presume.

Ox, I swear, I neve-

Save it, Mouse. You don't need to apologize.

Huh?



I know what you're going to say. You knew nothing of what Pig planned to do. And afterwards, you were just scared. You hid and panicked, never expecting to actually get out like that.

Uh, well, that's not exactly it, but... ...Yeah, more or less.

Figures.

That's about as much as I should've expected from you, if I'm honest. The failure to stop this is on my shoulders, and mine alone.

If things went so bad, how are you still alive, Ox?

It became pretty clear soon enough that we weren't going to be able to stop Pig from victory. However, thanks to my Stampede, I got within spitting distance of the finish line the round before last.



It was either you two survive or us three survive. That group is by and large scum, but even they wouldn't drag someone else down with them when they're beat.

Oh. And you're standing here because...?

This is the exit to the school. Pig eventually has to pass by here. And when she does, I want to confront her. What she just did, whether she was forced to or not, was mass-murder. Nine people are dead because of her. She needs to face those consequences.

What does that mean?

Oh, don't give me that look. I'm not going to kill her or anything. I just want to make her look me in the eyes and justify herself. And I don't want her running away.

I don't know how the police are going to treat this- these circumstances seem tricky to prosecute, but still, she at least needs her day in court.



However, I must say, it is taking her quite some time. What's holding her up this long?

...Ox, you know there's also a side exit to the building, right?

… Shit.



[Ending – King of Clubs]

Choosing not to play is a valid option for Mouse. In some ways, it is a good option, when faced with potential death as an alternative.

However, refusing to play refuses you the option to control the outcome. And who, in their right mind, would give up control?

The second ending we missed was when Horse was attempting to break down the door to get to Pig, who has just confessed...

[Encourage Horse.]

[BGM: Metal Horse]


You can do it, Horse! Get in there and teach Pig a lesson!

Horse nodded towards me. And just like that, Horse slammed into the door. The chain lock held, but with just a single shove, it was clear Horse would be able to break in soon enough. I sort of expected him to keep slamming into it like he had just did, but after the first strike, he changed course. He began kicking at the door's hinges with the might of a sledgehammer. Before long, the castle's gate was open.

Without a second though, Horse stormed in. He didn't wait long to question why the room was suddenly filled with some sort of fog. ...Fog that was continuing to fill up the room, actually. Was there a fog machine in there? No, it wasn't quite fog, it wasn't quite that dense. Luckily for me, I was observing this with a bit of distance.



For Horse, who had run straight into the thick of things, he felt the effects of the substance almost immediately. His entire form began to sag; he tried to walk around the center desk, but stumbled. He tried to turn around, but tripped on himself. Once he was on the floor, he struggled to pick himself back up.

With Horse out of the way, I could finally see the source of the gas. It was coming out in a high density from a beaker sitting on a table in the middle of the room. Was this... did Pig set this up? There were a lot of chemicals in the lab back up on the third floor, but still. I knew she wanted to be a chemist or something, but to create something like this was ridiculous! And yet, I didn't know what other explanation there could be for the sight.



That was about all I could think about before the flash. In an instant, something incredibly bright flashed from the room, and I lost my vision. Was that a fucking flashbang? Did Pig create a flashbang? I rubbed my eyes, trying to recover. By the time I regained my vision, I caught the tail end of Pig, who had apparently pushed her way through the doorway and was now sprinting down the hallway.

Immediately, I began to run after her. I wasn't the closest to her, though – Dragon had already begun her pursuit, and Bunny was already pulling ahead of me to my side. At this rate, it was inevitable that Pig would be captured, and brought to justice. ...But if she thought her escape route this far ahead, shouldn't she be expecting this?

As if to answer my own thought, Pig immediately turned around mid-run and threw two things at once. A bucket, which she had apparently been carrying with her by her chest as she ran, which was filled with a tar-black substance. And a vial of something else.



I don't know exactly what it all was, but what I do know is that the bucket spilled all over the floor, and as soon as the vial crashed down onto it, a burst of flames lit up the hallway. Luckily enough, Bunny and I were far enough back to stay out of the range of this sudden inferno. Dragon, on the other hand, had kept her mind on a single track, and ran into the liquid right as it lit on fire. As the flames came up, she cried out.



I expected Pig to use this distraction to turn back around and continue fleeing. But apparently Pig was full of surprises today. Instead she ran forward and slammed into Dragon, while grabbing a hold of her tablet. The result? Pig was able to flee the fire with Dragon's tablet in her hands. I even heard her shout something.

I'm sorry!

Noted, Pig.

Dragon, on the other hand, stumbled back and fell onto the fiery floor. We had to act immediately.

[BGM: Silence]


Bunny looked at the situation, and after a brief pause, tried to scooch around the fire to keep after Pig. For my part, I risked the flames and tried to pull Dragon out of the fire. Unfortunately, Dragon had gotten some of the black substance on her clothes, and it continued to burn. I pulled off Dragon's jacket and jeans in an effort to stop it.

At this point, the others had caught up with me. Sheep and Snake both helped the efforts to save Dragon. When all was said and done, she was badly burned, but not dead. Not dead yet.



However...

We have to find Pig, fast. We don't even have the luxury to discuss a strategy – everybody immediately split up and look for her. Unfortunately for us, Dragon's tablet was our only way of trying to stop Pig, so we need to capture her.

Hey now, that's not right. Since Dragon used her 'Dragon Breath' last turn, shouldn't Monkey have access to it?

You're right!

Oh, look at that. I can stumble into being useful every now and then.

Okay. Monkey, you Dragon Breath the lane right before the finish line. The rest of us need to split up and search for Pig, pronto!



And like that, we broke off. We were in a panicked state, hurriedly searching all over the school, trying to find her. I found a row of classrooms and decided to check them out, one by one.

A mistake.

As soon as I grabbed a hold of the handle, it was over. I honestly can't describe what happened next. Just that, in a mere few seconds, I would be lying on the floor dead. But that was a blessing in disguise. Because had I searched elsewhere, I would eventually meet a much bloodier fate. I got to pass on peacefully.

Lucky me.



[Ending – King of Hearts]

Don't. Underestimate. Prep. Time.

Say what you will, Pig actually has an incredibly creative mind, and a lot of knowledge. With tempo on her side, she's able to devise a plethora of tricks. Following in her pace is a recipe for failure.

This ending makes more sense (and is also kind of funny) because we did Snake's route already, so we know exactly what killed Mouse here.

The final ending is if we don't stop Ox when determining whether the group needs to find more Minor Trinkets.

[Believe Ox is right.]

[BGM: Silence]


Yeah, at the very least, we need a few more.

We don't have a ton of time to spare though.

Then we'll just have to work fast! Since there's no more threats, we can split up, search the school, and find what we've missed!

Uh, is it okay to leave Pig alone?

Sheep's right, we need at least a guard on Pig. She might be trapped, but a Major Trinket could turn things around. I'll stay here, make sure she doesn't try anything shifty.

If it's alright with everyone, I think I'll stay here too.

[BGM: A Bite That Persists]


Tch. Think I can't handle it?

Of course not. I just think it'd be better to have at least two guards.

Then can't I get someone I can actually stand?

I think our differences actually make us suited to work together.

Oh really?

I'm just going to nip this in the bud now. Dragon, Bunny, you two stay here and make sure Pig doesn't try anything. Everyone else can split up and search for Minor Trinkets.

Everybody nodded. It was a solid plan. Likely to work.

We'll try to reconvene here with some time before the round ends. That way, we can coordinate our moves based on how many Trinkets we have.



And like that, we began to search the school. For my part, I looked around pretty hard. Went through a number of classrooms in a language hall on the second floor. I actually did come across one safe, but once I solved the puzzle to open it, it wasn't a Minor Trinket, but a useless Major Trinket, only good for killing. And now was around when we needed to return and regroup. What a waste of time. I was disappointed in myself, but, well, what could you do?

There was still plenty of time to search, and everyone was on the same page. Things had definitely gotten hectic, had gotten dark, but finally, it was, in fact, checkmate.

[BGM: Mousetrap]


However, as I walked back to the cafeteria to meet with everybody and discuss what our moves for this round should be, I noticed something very troubling. By the door guarding Pig, Dragon was gone, and Bunny looked in a bad state.

Bunny! Are you okay?! What happened?

I'm fine, I'm fine. We shouldn't have underestimated Pig.

What do you mean? Did she do this?

Two guards, close to the door – it wasn't enough. We were caught off guard, and she threw something out of the door. I don't know what, all I know is that it blinded Dragon and I.

And the next thing I know, I feel myself being shoved, and by the time my vision recovers, Pig is running down the hallway holding a tablet.

Holding a tablet?



You know how I was holding onto Monkey's tablet?

Oh no.

This couldn't be happening, could it?

Oh yes. We tried to chase after her, but she managed to set off a fire in the hallway that blocked us off.

She started a fire??

Don't look at me! Anyways, Dragon is still searching for her. It may be too late, but...

Instantly I understood.

Alright, I'll help look.



Bunny nodded at me, and I ran over to the nearest staircase. There wasn't much time left, and it was likely Pig had already made her move. Still, I couldn't just sit back and die! What the hell were Dragon and Bunny doing so that Pig could get the upper hand on them?!

No, I couldn't think like that. After all, it was my fault for not insisting on more guards. I mean, we had 10 people at our disposal. Surely we could have spared 3 or 4, and spread them out around the area. That would've been better. What happened? We were cocky. We assumed it was the end of the line for Pig.

In my final, desperate moments, rushing around the school, I was reminded of my father. On more than one occasion, I had a decent piece lead on him. I felt confident that I would finally beat him. And in every one of those situations, he would end up pulling a comeback through a bizarre checkmate I didn't see. A checkmate I didn't think possible.

That's what this was – an unexpected checkmate.

[BGM: Silence]


My father was an opponent I never ended up beating. Now, I never could. Before, when I had that thought, it was because he was dead. However, for the first time, there was another reason why I could say that with confidence. When the round ended, I was in an empty hallway, still searching. But I heard the announcement play on the speakers.

The finish line has been crossed. The winner is Pig. Congratulations!

Anyone who has not won has lost. Prepare for execution.

Yeah, that's what I thought. Monkey's 'Monkey See, Monkey Do' ability was powerful. As was Rooster's 'Encouraging Crow'. Those two together made for a powerful combination. If we had used Monkey 's tablet earlier, had made a movement plan for this round ahead of time, none of this would have happened.

But oh well. Shoulda, woulda, coulda. Should've viewed Pig as a greater threat. Would've liked to give her a solid punch before I died. Could've prevented myself from being executed if I had just hitched a ride on her every turn.

And like that, the collar went to work and I collapsed on the floor. A painful minute or two later, I was completely dead.



[Ending – King of Diamonds]

'Appear strong when you are weak, and weak when you are strong.' A random Sun Tzu quote, just to think about.

On a completely separate note, Pig's lead makes her dangerous. All she needs is a single round where she can find an edge, and it's game over. For victory to be certain, she must be completely out of options.

Next update, we start on a different path towards a different route!