Part 97: ...or Aces Low?

_{content warning: suicide, implied child abuse}

[BGM: Friendly Bunny]


And like that, we had a plan! After a brief celebration, we gathered everyone back in the cafeteria and told them the good news. Needless to say, everybody was very enthused that the nightmare would soon be over.

Let's go!

Thank god, this will finally be over.

I must say, there wasn't much of a climax to the action. The tension just kind of... slowly fizzled out.

Well, thank god for that.

Uh, anyways, I suppose that means we should all use a Minor Trinket this round, right?

Correct. Two more rounds, and we're done.

Two more rounds.

[BGM: Stripes]


Two more rounds... but it wasn't like they were anything to be worried about. There were no more obstacles in the way of group unity. People hung around in the general area of the cafeteria, going to private rooms to input their actions at their leisure. While there was still some tension, people were far calmer than they had been before. I heard a number of people breaking into conversations.

I just don't get why my dog can't learn basic tricks! They're not hard at all – I could do them!

See, this is why cats are better. They're just chill. They don't do tricks, and you don't expect them to.

Tiger, have you been using positive reinforcement when teaching your dog a trick?

What's that?

It's training a brain to connect positive stimuli with a certain pattern of behavior. Pavlov actually made great strides in this field by–

This is going to be boring, isn't it?

I-I don't think so.

So the answer's yes.

Monkey frowned.

…



I guess I just don't get it. Aaron Morris did kill Amadeus Bowen, right? I thought that was proven.

Of course he did. I proved that myself.

There really isn't any other way for it to have gone – I investigated all the suspects myself. You included, Mr. – er, Rooster. To be honest, I thought it was the secretary at first. Good thing for her that that artist's testimony backs her up.

So if it's all so clear, why is this guy so sure his dad was innocent?

Delusion, most likely. A son couldn't reconcile his nice father with the act of murder. His dad wasn't a bad person, so the bad people had to be elsewhere. A childish mindset through and through.

Even if he killed Amadeus, that doesn't make the man a bad person. I mean, there's that saying about ill dead people or whatever, but fuck that dude. He sucked big time.

Really? I don't know so much about that... All I know is that the public certainly loved him.

For once, Rooster's right. I certainly don't condone murder, but I didn't exactly weep for Amadeus Bowen. After looking into the case, there are certainly many bad stories about that man.

Ox gets it! Dipshit refused to ever invest any funding into my films. Artless cretin.

Well, that wasn't exactly what I was referring to, but... whatever.

…

[BGM: Silence]


For the most part, I kept to myself. I was just going over everything in my head, overwhelmed by it all. When the round ended, everybody moved 11 spaces, except for Ox, who moved 10. That was that then – one more cycle would settle things. We were finally reaching an end. Enough time had passed, so I decided to go into a nearby classroom to use my tablet. Finally. Finally, with this, the nightmare would be over. It was the last thing I needed to do to settle things once and for all.

I walked into the room and activated my ability on Ox. Simple as that. Things were now settled. However, before I could leave the room, a voice crackled on over the speakers.

[BGM: Rat's Awakening]


Well, are you happy Mouse? Happy that you were all able to band together, to finish things without any casualties?

I imagine you aren't.

You think so little of me. Mouse, you must understand, this too was an outcome I intended to be possible. Granted, I didn't think it likely. Still, it was always on the table.

If you all were truly innocent of heart, you wouldn't be easily swayed by my words. You'd be calm, rational, work as a group, and evade the traps set for you.

And we did just that. Doesn't that prove you wrong – prove that you going through all this trouble was for nothing?

...Perhaps. However, I wonder how many times you would've had to fail before you could get a success like this.

Had to fail? The hell does that mean?



Had this outcome been the result of a cosmic dice roll, I was just wondering how many times God would have to roll those dice to see something like this. I imagine... quite a few times. I imagine, more often than not, your sin would doom you.

Sounds like a lot of bullshit coming from a sore loser. I don't know how little you think of us, but I know for sure that no matter how many times you'd put us through this, we'd always band together.

If you say so.

You can only act smug for so long, Brian. Soon enough, we're gonna be out of this place, and then you're going to jail for a long time.

Indeed. I imagine the police won't look too favorably on all of this.

My only regret is that I won't be able to land a punch on your face myself.



You know, if you really want to, I'll let you.

For a second, my body froze.

What... do you mean?

Outside the school, there's a football field. There's a small building right beside the fence surrounding that field. I've been using that as my base of operations. So if you want to come find me – to get justice yourself – that's where I'll be.

And you're telling me this because...

Think of it as a reward for a perfect victory.

Tch. Do I look dumb to you? This smells like an obvious trap, no way in hell I'm gonna go there by myself.

Suit yourself. Just thought you might like to know.

And with that, the speakers cut off. Jeez. Even after his game has failed, Brian still found ways to piss me off. What did he think he was doing, telling me his location like that? It just didn't make any sense. Whatever, why bother thinking about it for too long?

[BGM: Silence]


I strode out of the classroom I had taken shelter in, back to the cafeteria. There, I continued to wait. As the Round's deadline got closer, more and more people took excursions to separate rooms. All presumably inputting the code for their Minor Trinket, bringing them closer to victory. I didn't pay them too much mind – I was still busy fuming about Brian. However, something in particular caught my eye.

And that 'something' was Dragon angrily pulling Snake down the hallway towards the very end of the round. That didn't look good. I knew it wasn't my place, but I thought it strange, not to mention a little disconcerting. Conflict of any kind, this late in the game, didn't sit well with me. I thought about following after them to see exactly what the matter was, to see if I could perhaps resolve it.



This is the last choice for the Ace route. The wrong choice is to intervene here; following Snake and Dragon results in Brian coming in over the speakers to chide Mouse for being nosy. Before she can even begin to wonder why he's upset all three of their collars activate, leading to their death. Weird! This is also the only ending on the Ace path where the ending dialogue is worth showing, since this ending isn't a lock...



Almost there. We're nearly there. However, Mouse's presence in the fight between Snake and Dragon will muddy things up.

There's a better way to deal with her.

So, she just won't get involved.

After thinking about it some more, it really wasn't my place to intervene in every single petty squabble that happened. They were both adults, they could work things out themselves. Best to let things play out naturally. So as the two walked down the hallway, I didn't pay them mind. ...However, as the minutes passed, I couldn't help but notice that they hadn't yet returned. Even as everyone else was gathered around the TV, even as the round end announcement was about to go off, they weren't here. The hell?

Before I could think about it too much, the screen finally came on.

Here's the moment of truth.

What shouldn't have been tense suddenly felt as such.

Round 9 has ended. Now, let us see how the race has progressed.



The Rat has hitched a SNEAKY RIDE on Ox.

The Ox has used a minor trinket. The Ox has moved to the finish line. Thanks to the SNEAKY RIDE, The Rat also moves to the finish line.

The Tiger has used a minor trinket. The Tiger has moved to the finish line.

The Bunny has used a minor trinket. The Bunny has moved to the finish line.

The Dragon has failed to input an action. The Snake has failed to input an action.

The Horse has used a minor trinket. The Horse has moved to the finish line.

The Sheep has used a minor trinket. The Sheep has moved to the finish line.

The Monkey has used a minor trinket. The Monkey has moved to the finish line.

The Rooster has used a minor trinket. The Rooster has moved to the finish line.

The Dog has used a minor trinket. The Dog has moved to the finish line.

The Pig has used a minor trinket. The Pig has moved to the finish line.



The finish line has been crossed. The winners are Mouse, Ox, Tiger, Bunny, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Congratulations! Anyone who has not won has lost. Prepare for execution.

*click*

[BGM: That Pesky Rodent]


What the hell was this? I didn't even register the fact that the collar around my neck had become unlocked. That couldn't... That couldn't possibly be right, could it? No, no way, it just wasn't possible. We had won. We had worked together, we had beaten Brian's game. So why... Why was it ending like this? Why did we still have two casualties??

The others looked similarly confused.

What on earth...?

Hey, uh, is there a mistake here or something?

This isn't good.

We should go check on those two, to see what has...

Monkey didn't finish her sentence. She didn't need to. We got the picture.

Everybody, they went this way.

I took the initiative, leading the group to where I knew Dragon and Snake had gone. I hurriedly walked to a scene that I didn't want to see. Unfortunately, as I peered into an open classroom down the hallway, my fears were confirmed.

NO!!

The others crowded around to see the executed bodies of Dragon and Snake. I didn't need to do a thorough check to know what had happened. The blood on the floor, around their necks. It painted the picture just fine.



Wh-wh-what... Why didn't they input their actions?

Those guys... Damn it! Were they seriously so caught up in an argument they didn't notice the time limit for the round?!

This is why I said we should've all input our actions at the start of the round!

Heh. If that's what happened, then that's a pretty dumb way to die. And believe me, I've seen a lotta dumb ways.

Oh, for the love of – Shut up, Dog!

Actually, I don't think that's what happened. Look... Dragon is gripping onto Snake's tablet, and vice versa.

So what are you saying? They got their tablets mixed up?

There's no way! Each tablet has its respective animal drawn on its back very clearly!



Maybe they forgot what their animal looks like? A dragon's kinda like a snake, when you think about it.

Rooster, I do not believe jokes are appropriate at this time.

Right. And?

...Never mind.

I don't think this is a simple mix-up. The two were arguing before, right? Maybe one deliberately operated the other's tablet to kill them.

What?!

It's possible. If you wanted to kill someone, this would be the prime time to do so.

B-but, uh, but both of them are dead. How do you explain that?



Perhaps whoever was killed lunged out and operated the other person's tablet as they were being executed.

Is that possible?!

I'd think so. Especially if the first one down was someone vengeful like Dragon.

[BGM: The Undying]


All these words were blurring together. I had stopped listening a while ago. Instead, I was just... Seething. Hating. I was just... angry, very angry with Brian. Furious with him. Furious with his bullshit game. I remembered his smug voice when I told him that we had won. Did he expect something like this would happen? ...Did he instigate it...? Regardless of the truth of the matter, Brian had now crossed a line. To kidnap us was one matter. To kill two of us, something else entirely. But how to...

… … ...

I took off my collar.

Hey, Mouse, where are you going?

Mouse! Wait up!

I walked faster.

Er, Mouse? Not sure if this is the time for a dramatic exit.

Eh, let her do her thing. Probably needs to blow off some steam.

Their voices were getting quieter. I was getting farther from the classroom. Closer to the door at the front of the building. Soon enough, I was at the entrance. ...Or rather, the exit. I grabbed the doorknob and pulled. I expected that it would be locked. However, to my surprise, I was able to open the door quite easily.



I suppose the collars on our neck were the real deterrent to leaving the building. As I walked outside, I could once again feel the sun on my skin. I could breathe fresh air. I was free. I could run straight back home. ...That's what I'd normally be thinking. However, none of those thoughts crossed my mind. Instead, I had a single goal in mind. Now... where did Brian say where he was?



I looked around, and soon enough, I saw the small building by the football field he was referring to. I strode towards it confidently. A punch? He thought he was only going to get a punch from me? He thought his sins were worth a punch? No, no. I was going to teach him how it felt to be choked out. I stormed towards the building with such frustration.

However... as I actually stood by the door, I hesitated for a moment. Was I being stupid? Could I really confront the Jade Emperor? ...No, no. This wasn't the Jade Emperor. This was just some sick kid. A kid in need of punishment.

Time slowed down. I gripped the door handle. I began to open the door. I felt some... weird resistance, as I pulled it open. What was this feeling? My eyes darted downwards. Was... that a wire in the door crack? As I began to think about what all of these sensations mi–

*BLAAAAAM!*

… … …

… …

…

[BGM: Lamb to the Slaughter]


”The news surrounding the incident that took place at XXXX High School is still incoming as we get more information surrounding the incident. Truly, this appears to be the story of the year. News of the purported 'death game' has been sweeping the nation, as millions are eager to know what exactly happened.

Luckily, it appears the mastermind behind this event has already passed away. Still, it is a true tragedy. The bodies of a local community leader and a respected teacher at the high school were found inside the premises, apparently executed by a crude mechanical device strapped to their necks. Additionally, a young law student was caught in a fatal explosion, killed by a device rigged inside the operating base of the mastermind.

Police suspect that the mastermind intended to die alongside whoever came to capture him in a final act of terrorism. Indeed, the body of the mastermind was found incinerated inside the base. Perhaps most shockingly, this mastermind has been identified as one Brian Morris, a senior at the very high school the incident took place at. The motive for such an act of terror? The boy was purportedly vengeful for his father, whom he considers 'wrongfully executed'.

Indeed, the victims of the mass-kidnapping incident all have some connection to another mysterious case from years past. Many are skeptical that such an absurdly complex act of terror could be carried out by a single child. However, investigations into the matter highly support the idea that Brian acted alone. Records of him manufacturing the bizarre collars used in the incident, as well as getting his hands on a variety of dangerous weapons have been found. This has re-sparked a long held debate in this nation regarding restricting access to such things. Additionally, proof that Brian directly kidnapped at least nine of the victims the night before the incident has been found, with heavy circumstantial evidence remaining for the final three.

Notebooks owned by Brian show the frightening process in which he concocted the idea for the 'death game', as well as the various 'items' he would hide, where he would hide them, and additional details. A thorough sweep of the high school reveals that most, if not all of the ideas Brian had written down were, in fact, present. These notes show that Brian was apparently considering a handful of other candidates for his sadistic game. The alternate candidates incude the judge responsible for handling the sentence of Aaron Morris, Chief of Police Oliver Bowen, and Anna Redd, an associate of the late Amadeus Bowen.



The system used to operate the entire endeavor has also been poured through. A frightening amount of forethought went into coding the system on which the 'death game' ran. Analysis reveals that a majority of the game was handled automatically, with plenty of voice clips being pre-recorded. However, other aspects of the 'game' were manually operated via a custom app the mastermind installed on a burner phone. With all of this evidence combined with the testimonies of the survivors, the police are currently concluding that Brian Morris acted alone in this unprecedented act of terror.

While the official investigation into this incident may be coming to a close, the public is still left with many questions. Early inves–“

*click*



[Ending – Ace of Spades]

The perfect sequence of events. The only casualties are the necessary ones. A highly reliable path, with minimal room for error. Should be easy to arrange, and sets the stage perfectly.

The intended result.

…



The deck of cards are dropped back onto the table.

I've got it.

Are you sure? I mean, I know you've been shuffling through that deck of cards for hours now, which... creepy, I might add. But you weren't actually doing much.

Oh, I was doing plenty. I've died, what, a couple dozen times at this point? More? I wasn't keeping track, but that's besides the point.

Um... okay then. So... are we good now?

Of course. I've mapped out the perfect sequence to take care of things just the way you want.

Fantastic. I knew I could count on you.



So what now?

Things should already be in the process of being put into action at this point, correct? There's not much left. For now, I'll handle capturing the mouse, and you get the rest. Think you can handle that?

Of course I can! Don't condescend to me.

I wouldn't dream of it.

...And like that, the room had one person in it.

[BGM: Sleepy Sheep]


It's funny, mapping everyone's lives on a board like this. Moving them like pieces. Having them completely under my control. It's... liberating.

Now, I'm the one that makes the decisions.

…



Psychiatrist: I take no joy in reporting this to you, however...

Guardian: What, what's wrong with the brat?

Psychiatrist: I don't know how else to put it. I believe your child is suffering from an inability to feel emotions – or at least, a severe impairment to do so. Looking at things historically, this is often a symptom of the brain lacking–

Guardian: Hold on, I don't give a damn about the science of it all! Are you telling me that my kid's a freak?!

Psychiatrist: Now hold on, I didn't say freak. Let's be careful with terminology.

Guardian: You're saying they can't feel emotions? That's... sociopathic! That's the epitome of being a freak!

…



The doctor was wrong. It's not that I couldn't feel emotions. It's just that I didn't need to feel them unless I wished to. I had control over them... in a very literal sense. Really, this was an advantage. Wasn't it?

...No, there were drawbacks to it. I learned pretty quickly that my reactions weren't like the others. That I was viewed differently than the others. To remedy that, I got better at leaving them 'on' all the time.

For a time, that was perfect. I was able to blend in... more or less. It took me a while before I came to the painful realization of how careless I was being, leaving them on like that.

Since then, I've learned. … Why am I thinking about that person, now of all times? This is unproductive. Well... maybe I could sympathize with them a bit more, now. After all...

It really does feel good to be in control of other people's lives.