YOU, ME & DEATH ━━ polyam ann & kuina

𝟭𝟳 camera room

   THE FOUR HAD reached the fourth floor and were continuing toward the south to rescue Arisu. Personally, Tomoko did not care too much about Arisu. She cared more about searching for her friends.

"Wait!" She suddenly called out, halting the group's movements. Walking over to the room beside them, she gestured to it, "It's the security room. We'll be able to check the cameras and find out which room Arisu is in."

And where Chishiya and Kuina is, Tomoko added in her head.

"That's a great idea." Usagi nodded as she headed over. She was about to open it but Tomoko stopped her.

Gesturing to her pistol, Tomoko silently indicated that she should go first since she had a weapon. She inclined her head backward, telling the group to step back so that they could not get hurt if someone were inside the room.

Once they did so, Tomoko took a deep breath, gripped her gun tight and kicked open the door.

She almost cried with relief. There, in front of her, were Chishiya and Kuina. Lowering her gun, she let out a relaxed laugh of joy.

"I found you." She stated to herself.

Kuina smiled whereas Chishiya, not one to show emotion in front of others, nodded his head at the group Tomoko had arrived with, "What do they want?"

"They're going to see what room Arisu is in and then they'll leave." Tomoko reassured him as the group stepped into the room.

Replacing Tomoko as leader, Usagi stepped forward and checked the cameras for any sign of Arisu. After a few moments, her eyes lit up and she pointed to the screen, "There! He's in room 48!"

"Let's go!" Tatta exclaimed, desperate to help his friend.

And with that, the three of them rushed out the door and dashed down the hall to rescue Arisu, but not before they thanked Tomoko for her smart thinking.

"So, you teamed up with those guys, huh?" Chishiya mused, "That's unlike you."

"Maybe her heart is finally thawing." Kuina giggled as she pulled the woman into a hug, allowing Tomoko to finally rest as she relaxed in her friend's arms.

Chishiya cracked a smile and patted Tomoko on the back. Then, he raised one eyebrow at her, "I think it's a bit peculiar that you left to do something a few minutes before this game. Are you the witch?"

Tomoko stared at him in slight surprise. She hadn't realised how it looked until now. Despite the fact she was clearly suspicious, she firmly shook her head, "No, I was helping Usagi, that's it. I knew Niragi was doing something wrong and I couldn't let him succeed in hurting her. What about you? Maybe you're the witch."

Chishiya let out a chuckle, "You would know if it was me. Even if I were the witch, you'd be safe."

"Well, I know that it's certainly not me." Kuina stated matter of fact as she leaned close to the monitor to capture every detail on the camera screens. They showed footage of players going crazy with blood thirst, attacking anyone they set their sights on. "They've all gone insane."

Chishiya nodded in agreement, "Not their smartest move. Why would they go so far just to survive?"

"There's no way to find out who the witch is this way." Kuina said, frustrated.

Tomoko, who had quietly been calculating an idea in her mind, suddenly sprung forward. She looked over the controls for the monitors before beaming with delight as she found the button to rewind the tapes, "Surely, we can see who killed Momoka on here."

"That's an excellent idea!" Kuina exclaimed and even though he did not speak, Chishiya's eyes widened to show his surprise at her smarts.

There was one problem, though. As Tomoko rewound the tapes, she realised that she could not see who the witch was or even any recording during the hour the murder would have been committed.

"The footage is gone!" She snapped bitterly, slamming her hand onto the desk in anger.

"I checked the power earlier after it went out. Our main power supply has been diverted and switched to the hotel's power supply." Chishiya offered a reason, "That means someone in The Beach has been working with the game master."

"Dammit! How could we miss someone sneaking under our nose like that?" Kuina cursed.

"Or like this?" Tomoko stated as she pointed at the screen. There was a faint outline of a figure in a dark room rummaging around, using only a flashlight to see. "They're clearly hiding something. I'm going to go check it out."

"I'll come with you." Kuina said. It seemed like an offer but by the way she said it, Tomoko knew her mind could not be swayed into staying.

Tomoko nodded. Then, she turned to her brother, "Stay here and stay safe. If you die, I'll...I'll never forgive you."

Chishiya managed an amused smile at her words. Both of them had never been the best at emotions yet they still tried. Even though Tomoko's words hadn't been the most emotional, Chishiya could tell she meant the first sentence due to her quivering lip and the tears welling in her eyes.

"I'll stay safe, and you two better do the same."

🂱