The puppeteer of the elites (CoTE) ON HIATUS

Deserted island part three

Day five

Keiko POV

So... I caught a cold. As expected. At the moment, I find no reason to quit and go back to the boat. I can sleep and rest just fine in a tent, and I have no need to enjoy the luxuries the boat has when we will lose points. However, the aim of this game is to lose, as peculiar as it sounds. If we lose this examination, we will first enter a stage of civil war. Following this state, we will decide to follow the more competent leader, since it would seem that most will believe that Sakayanagi is better after Katsuragi's loss of trust. Then we will finally be united as a class. But if they believe that is enough, then they truly are fools.

Most of the other classes are already united, but are unable to overtake us. Why is this? Well, that's what we have already as we are now, but might lose if we team up. It's quite simple. As we are now, we are all engaging in mental warfare, which also causes us to be wary and estimate our opponents more carefully, which is a good mindset in this all out battle field. I find this to be quite amusing, since it is similar to the place I came from in some ways...

Flash back

"Keiko. Those who hide their talents, show to others all their weak points, try to be something they can never be, are fools. Do you want to be a fool? Or, do you want to survive?" I could tell that it was a question I had to answer. Seated behind a white table, wearing a white gown, my yellow eyes dull and lifeless. I knew the answer. Yet...

Why do I yearn to be a fool?

If I were a fool, could I finally be free?

If I were a fool, would I be discarded, like the others?

If I were a fool...

Could I be normal? Have a normal life, have parents that loved me, play with friends, go to malls, eat good food...

If I could have all that for the price of being used, I would rather be used.

Because, standing as a winner above all others...
No matter how others may yearn to win, may fight for it, and yet be defeated...
There can only be one winner.

To stand all alone on the top of the defeated, never to consider anyone other myself as an ally, to never have people to love and cherish, to never be loved and cherished...

Isn't it sad, the worst, most cruel fate of all, to be a winner?

But despite all this the answer is obvious.

I need to win. I need to survive.

He nodded to me, and I could see the edges of his lips curling into a cold smile, an uncharacteristic look on his face. He walked away...

Leaving me all alone in this cold, dark world, where no matter what others do, no matter how hard they try, all I can see are their corpses below me, as I triumph above them all. And yet...

My dream is still impossible. That dream... will always remain a dream.

Flash back end

I shook my head, ridding it of unnecessary thoughts which served to make my headache worse. I slid down my sleeping bag. "Ugh..." I groaned, putting the back of my hand to my forehead. About... 39 degrees Celsius... I have such a frail body, just like mother's... it was pointless to move too much at this stage, and I could tell that I would only get worse if I continued, but if that happened, the class unification wouldn't be as successful, and most of the blame would be put on me. A terrible situation for me and this class.

So, I pulled myself out of my sleeping bag, and went outside the camp. Now was the time that we could rest and relax since we had already collected rations and the such for the day. I looked up at the sky. It's getting dark... will it rain? This is bad for class D... especially Horikita... I could tell that she was feeling unwell based on how her jacket was completely zipped up despite the warm weather and how fidgety she seemed. Maybe I should visit later... To see him put the final gears in motion.

I was convinced that Horikita was the leader, since Kushida, Hirata and Karuizawa were too obvious. As I had thought, her leadership capabilities seem to have started to grow and manifest, so she might be a powerful adversary to our class by second year. She seems to have started to gain her class's trust, so I can tell she is their choice for the leader. However, if my theory is proven right, class C will find out, and so will class A, however... class D will still win.

This is certain. It is set in stone. I have a vague idea of what Kiyotaka is planning after seeing Ibuki and the uneven soil on the ground the other day. It's good that his tool is ready to be used. Well done, Kiyotaka. I applaud you this time. However... what is driving you? You won't believe in empty dreams forever, and I doubt love will reach your heart, so I assume you are being blackmailed, or owe a favor. By whom? My guess is that it is of someone with higher authority, like your teacher, or by a classmate you want to trust you, so you can use them in the future.

I spotted some of my classmates coming up after collecting some fruits and waved at them. They met up with me and we all made our way to the camp. I have an acquaintance relationship with most of my classmates. As it is now, only Sakayanagi is a good piece for me to use. The others will be her pieces to use, so she will be like the queen, ordering her pawns and knights in her steed. And me?

I'll be the chess player, the puppeteer that moves it all along. After all...

The goal is to win. To do so, I aim to be neither the queen or the king, who stand out so much, but to stand in their shadows. My goal is to be the chess player, who manipulates and moves every piece to their will to victory.

In this game, no matter what happens, I will win. No matter who or what I have to sacrifice. Haven't I proved that enough, after discarding my defect, the thing that made me incomplete as an existence but complete as a human being?

I threw away those emotions and love I have for my brother.

Why bring along what weighs you down when you're drowning? Just let it sink, and survive without it.

I suppose I'm not human, not anymore.