Assassin Skills Required - Round One

8th Kill - Zen

We head out for the next challenge, Sugino carrying me this time. We had all talked about it yesterday, our friends. They are now mutated monsters hellbent on hunting us down, from what little bits we heard and saw. There's so much we still don't know though. Do they want to kill us? Or are they just trying to turn us? We decided that either way, it's too depressing to consider the one question we all want to ask: what if they can't be saved?

"Is that all of us?" Isogai turns back as Sugino and I come through the door.

"Yup!" Sugino responds.

"Alright! Who's ready to face this next challenge?" Isogai calls out.

The eight of us remaining shout together. "Yeah!"

"Why, good morning." The projection of our host comes to life in front of us. He is mid-bow when it turns on and he rises again. "Today's challenge will be a little longer. It should provide some decently adequate entertainment though." His grin widens and I find it reminiscent of Karma's sadistic one.

"Well, whatever it is, we're ready for it." Isogai claims, the rest of us nodding in agreement.

"You actually aren't." the host responds. "I had you called in an hour early because of your... conspiring ways."

"You mean because we're working as a team." Nakamura corrects.

"Of course." The host has a very calm and polite smile.

It almost seems like he's taken a shine to us.

"Why the extra time?" Yada asks, keeping her presence open.

"There will be no negotiating this time." It almost seems as though the host glances directly at me. I realize there must be a camera behind him to emulate his vision.

Interesting.

"I simply thought you'd like a moment to decide your teams." he finishes.

"What do you mean?" Kayano asks.

He holds up three fingers. "You are allowed up to three members in a team. You may also, if you wish, choose to be alone. This will, of course, affect your ranking." He puts his hand back down. "And I was allowed to disclose this bit of information to you: Nagisa, your curse will be minimally detrimental to you in this particular challenge. You'll still be cursed, but due to the nature of the course, you should have an easy time navigating it."

"R-really?" I ask, surprised.

"How do we know?" Yada returns unbelievingly.

"The challenges are chosen by the judges. This particular one happens to be rooting for you." His smile widens. "And if you haven't noticed by now, I rather enjoy watching you come out the other end. I was so disappointed to lose so many of you early in the game."

"Yeah? Well you sure have a funny way of showing it." Nakamura crosses her arms.

The host raises his hands to show they're empty. "My hands are tied or I would be more helpful. I, too, am rooting for you to win." He frowns. "Which is why I wished you would stop working as a team. Your chances would be infinitely greater that way."

"What, are you invested in us or something?" Yada counters.

"Well..." his smile returns, "I did choose to be your host." He makes that nearly imperceptible motion towards the speaker in his ear. "Anyway, I'll return in an hour when you've chosen your teams. Remember, up to three. I sincerely hope you choose to have eight though. Ta-ta." The projection shuts off.