anguish ; yttd

𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲

After walking around through the library, we were able to find a secret room that looked like a security office.

"There really was a secret room..." Shin muttered.

"Midori ain't here...?" Q-Taro asked.

There were several monitors displaying the places we'd already been. One the right side of the room, there were different messages being displayed on other monitors. I didn't understand what they meant, so I didn't feel any need to take major note of them.

A collar sat on a desk. Sara took it without hesitation.

Anzu nervously looked at Sara. "What if this is a trap?! Won't it explode?!"

"Stop freakin' out," Kurumada said. "We're taking it."

"If we can analyze it, we might even find out how to remove these things..." Keiji added.

"And what if THAT makes them explode...?" Anzu asked.

"BOOM!!" Kurumada yelled.

Anzu jumped up and screamed. "Stop screwing around, stupid!"

"This ain't no time for horseplay!!" Q-Taro said.

"Well, it's dangerous, so let your friendly policeman take it, alright?" Keiji took the collar.

Two monitors on the left side of the room turned red. When they turned on, Shin and I were displayed on the screens.

"Ah, you called?" the Shin monitor asked.

The monitor of me didn't say a word.

"Huh?" Shin asked.

"Ah...Good day..." the monitor said. "Huh? Why am I there...? And another (Name)..?"

"Don't startle me!" Alice yelled. "Are you... an AI?!"

"I'm Shin Tsukimi..." the monitor giggled. "Nice to meet you. Do you need something? It's embarrassing with you all staring at me..."

"Dammit, how sickening..." Shin muttered. "Seriously... Hey! What's the deal with you?! Got more hints about the Death Game?!"

"D-Death game...?" the monitor asked. "What's that...? That sounds dangerous..."

I chuckled. The monitor Shin was the Shin I was used to being around. He was much more timid.

"Death game...?" my monitor asked. "I see... it's started then?"

Keiji frowned as soon as my monitor said that. "Looks like Shin's monitor is clueless... but (Name), do you know more than you're letting on?"

"N-no," I defensively said. "Even before the Death Game, I don't remember..."

"These are... probably a re-initialized AI, right?" Hayasaka asked.

"What do you mean...?" Alice asked.

"The AI's are brought closer to the real people by updating their knowledge and personalities," Hayasaka explained.

"In other words," Keiji added, "the Sou we're looking at is Sou from before the Death Game, who knew nothing... Or else... Shin Tsukimi, before he even took on an alias... And the (Name) were looking at is..."

"What have you guys been talking about...?" Shin's AI asked.

"Hmph, it's no use," Alice said. "We'll get nowhere like this..."

Sara stepped forward, looking at my AI. "For now, (Name), could you tell us what you know? About the Death Game?"

My AI stared at everyone for a moment. Then it just chuckled. "Why would I do that?"