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Chapter 3: Reflections

(Chapter 3: Reflections)

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Once he was done cladding himself in a simple black jacket, white t-shirt and dark blue jeans, Joe stared at himself in the mirror. More specifically, at the eyebags that first began to form after that tragedy, and continued to grow in the months since. Even after he finally managed to begin sleeping before midnight again, they just wouldn't go away. He felt as though it was a memento mori; a reminder that he was still alive at their expense.

He felt his neck, still feeling the clasp of cold metal around his throat that could have ended his life in an instant. Just like Professor Mishima, that old man who sacrificed himself - ultimately in vain - for his student. He still felt the anxiety he took with every single step, knowing that any moment could have been his last if they so wished it.

Before he left, he took one last glance at the poster still hung upon his bedroom wall. It depicted the members of Samurai Yaiba, that band that he had heard of before the Death Game. He stared towards the lead singer and guitarist, depicted with a neon pink and cyan wig. At least she got to go out in a blaze of glory as she wished. At least Alice and Nao were waiting for her on the other side.

The last thing he did before bidding farewell to his mother was to go back in the living room and kneel before the little shrine put up in memory of his father. He stared into the same brown eyes of "Mr. Policeman", as he called himself with a wink and a smile.

"Hey, dad." Joe quietly said. "Well, it's been a while since... since everything. Heh, I actually managed to do what you couldn't; take down a criminal organization." With a sigh, he added "Life hasn't been the same since."

The memories flooded back.

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The third Main Game. Right as they had found the exit to the hellhole they were trapped in, their collars activated, knocked them out cold, and brought them to that familiar room. The portrait of Meister, who admitted to being the CEO of ASU-NARO shortly before everything went black, overlooked him. Joe couldn't see anybody else - just the card that he had been randomly allocated. A simple farm tool, that of a Commoner.

In those 70 minutes of discussion, the topic eventually turned towards the man Keiji looked up to in his youth. They all knew Keiji had shot a man once, and never was able to fire a gun again afterwards. Keiji noticed Joe looking at him in what appeared to be realisation.

"What did your dad look like, big bro Joe... meow?" Gin, the innocent young boy clad in his cat outfit and cradling his plush cushion questioned.

"He... he had orange hair. Brown eyes. He had a strong sense of justice, used his fists a lot even though he knew it wasn't a nice thing to do..."

Keiji responded with silence. Then he spoke up.

"...Joe. I... I think I may have killed your father."

And that was enough to make Joe lose whatever respect he had for him. He thought of Keiji as an ally, a mentor, a father figure, and now he just all but admitted to shooting his real father dead. He claimed it was an accident, but to Joe, it didn't matter one little bit.

Even then he couldn't vote for him. The only two candidates they put up for the final vote (read: death) were Keiji and Reko - and they had a hunch that he was the Sacrifice. The only option left was to vote for Reko, and Kanna, the little bucket-wearing girl with her brother's scarf now wrapped around her shoulders, who lost her family as a result of that Death Game, confirmed that it was safe to do so.

6 votes for Reko. An unanimous decision. Maybe Keiji felt as though he deserved to die for what he had done. Meister... no, Mr. Chidouin, as he unveiled himself to be right before the final Main Game started as a kick in the teeth, then smarmily announced the roles: