The Unnamed Poet : Volume 1

Chapter 16 : Two Fingers

-Kame- «My name is Matsuzaki Kame. I’m sure we have our past-»
-Kumiko H- «Hey you shut up! We all nearly died because of cooperating with that Aoi bastard!»
Archive has a look of rejection to his face. He clearly did not want Shitsukai anywhere near him. He nodded to Kumiko as to say for them to just leave, but the man spoke.
-Kame- «You understood everything wrong. Archive Vinogradov, you did not understand the system here well enough. Especially the voting part for a leader»
-Archive- «… Elaborate further please»
-Kumiko H- «Wait hold it! This fucker could be lying I don’t trust him Archive!»
-Archive- «That will be fine. I can tell when someone is dishonest»
Archive walked towards Shitsukai and spoke. Archive was holding Shitsukai’s palm.
-Archive- «Matsuzaki Kame, Shitsukai… elaborate further please»
Shitsukai fixed his own tie before getting ready to talk to Archive about what he had to say. Against such a man he was trying to get him to wait a bit. Make him impatient and have a better chance of beating him in a mind game.
-Kame- «The person being voted is not a fellow player, we pick from three non-blessed individual. This week exists for the sole purpose of picking out the three candidates. Meaning that all clubs are ruled by an individual lacking supernatural powers»
No hesitation shown whatsoever Archive rose a question, mind games were not made to go against him even mild ones.
-Archive- «And how do you know that?»
-Kame-: «I have a vast network of informants. Recently, a group known as ‘the hand’ attempted to recruit me. They blindfolded me and led me to a secret location. Despite the delay caused by their actions, I managed to catch a glimpse of their plans. It seems they intend to introduce something reminiscent of a previous game. They find it amusing that in the initial games, an unpowered girl emerged as the victor. It appears they plan to recreate that scenario, pitting individuals with abilities against one another, as well as matching brilliant minds. This is the extent of the information I possess»
-Archive- «… I still do not see why I should allow for you to be our roommate. You do have history with us and most people here. Why not team up with other archangels and gods? You know the hollyhock*  group…»
*The name Aoi also means blue or hollyhock
-Kame- «… that is indeed a very foolish question, I see no reason why I should re-join a group of people that failed and not join one that won. And now that Aoi, Jurou and Suichi are dead I think that this group will not succeed…»
-Archive- «And how did you know Suichi and Jurou were dead?»
Shitsukai looked at them dead in the eyes. Serious as hell as he said.
-Kame- «I told you. I have eyes and ears everywhere…»
-Archive- «… bullshit Shig told you»
-Kame- «… yeah…»
-Kumiko H- «Fucking lovely»
Shitsukai decided to honestly give out reasons as to why he should be let to live with them.
-Kame- «Well… I can cook well? I don’t really get sick and I clean so I would be a good roommate I believe»
Archive felt his fiancée behind him as if she was asking him on whether or not that man was safe. He merely nodded but her face did not change one bit. So she asked Shitsukai a question herself.
-Kumiko H- «Are you quiet and do you keep stuff you see to yourself?»
-Kame- «Yeah. I see no point in gossiping»
Archive and Kumiko thought about it for a few moments but Archive spoke.
-Archive- «I suppose you’d be a better roommate than most people. A good idea would be to live next to Shiro too. Head of the family and two of his members made it here. That’s pretty useful. So yeah why not»
Shitsukai felt a chill go up his spine as he placed his hand behind his head.
-Kame- «You have not heard?»
-Archive- «Heard about what?»
-Kame- «There was a loophole in the rules of MD. It was fixed recently so I do not know what the exact loophole was but since the systems were unable to catch him doing the act when committing it, MD could not penalize him. That will not happen anymore though…»
-Archive- «What. Happened. Shitsukai»
Shitsukai looked him dead in the eyes as Archive said that.
-Kame- «Do not ever call me Shitsukai again… now, back to the topic… due to that loophole being only recently fixed four people have already been killed by the same man. Kobashigawa Sachiko, Otsumichi Geiichi and now to what I wanted to tell you. Shiro Kira and Shiro Tohru are dead. All of these people killed by a man whose name I finally learned, Benedict Titterington. People have been saying how he used other people’s abilities. But if that was the case then he would be much stronger I think. Imagine copying abilities, damn. But yeah he definitely can’t do that. If he did we’d all be dead»
Archive and Kumiko remained quiet and did not speak to Shitsukai for a good bit. Even Kumiko out of all people.
-Archive- «Sorry Matsuzaki-San. Could you please live alone? You may live near us but. I believe Shiro-Kun will need help»
-Kame- «… understandable… have a good day then, Archive Vinogradov, Hagatsuma Kumiko»
The man said before walking off. It was unwise to make such a man an enemy, not only did he have a good way of obtaining information, but Matsuzaki Kame is a powerful opponent, it is good that right now, he was an ally.
Kumiko looked at Archive ready to say something but he looked at her and said.
-Archive- «We should hurry»
He said it in the quickest possible way as he starts running back to the ground floor where a lot of people where. He then found Shiro Shiro looking a man with brown hair up and down. That must have been him, Benedict Titterington. Shiro went to punch him and he did nothing as Shig grabbed him. But Shiro used sizebound shift to teleport behind Benedict and kick him. Unfortunately for him, Archive Vinogradov stopped him. Shiro angrily turned to Archive.
-Shiro- «Archive! He-!»
-Archive- «That is enough. Come Shiro»
Benedict did not even speak. Because he so felt that it would be unnecessary to do so and left Shiro in his frenzy. He generally did not consider him a threat, except for that one moment when a small white flame appeared on him. Eventually nothing happened but Benedict felt threatened in that split second. But in his own logical viewpoint, that man would not be able to make him feel danger in the distant future.
It took them a good bit to calm Shiro down. He was still not calm to be fair but he stopped yelling and throwing tantrums.
Through a small camera the woman who was the boss of Sawa Koji and Hoshino Bunko was watching them before it closed. She placed it down and got up, wearing business suit and then stretching her arm a bit. Only her left arm, her right arm was missing from the shoulder down. How she got a camera there is unknown to all.
-???- «Shiro is still such an idiot. At one point he will have to learn to control his emotions»
Her long dark straight went down as she left the dark room. Her yellow eyes on the sky.
-???- «Car rides are not so bad sometimes… especially when you’re riding a car that’s not yours… oh well, I suppose it is about time I also join them in that. They should not expect them doing such a thing without me!»
After stepping on some desserted place she saw a familiar face. Kobashigawa Osamu, the reason that man was familiar to her was because she was… Kobashigawa Kumiko.
-Kumiko K- «Oh ‘big bro’! Where is ‘mom’!... Oh I see. She died. How are you going to get me to those games without her? And not to worry about how I knew that. I just made a guess and then your face told me everything, you’re easy to read ‘big bro’»
-Osamu- «… boss, his daughter is here»
He spoke in a small microphone on his neck and then nodded to himself as he injected himself with an artificial blessing. Proprietor’s Passage was temporarily given to him as he clapped his hands together and Kumiko was sent to the facilities as one of the non-blessed players…
She was around an iron room around the size of a hotel lobby. As she stepped inside, her gaze fell upon a handful of individuals. She observed them intently for a few minutes, she gleaned the impression that none among them possessed any abilities. As she strolled around, anticipation building within her, eagerly anticipating the signal that would initiate the games, a gentle hand was pressed against the right side of her neck.
-???- «You seem excessively enthused, don’t you? And my, my, what a pitiful state your arm is in, my dear»
-Kumiko K- «Oh and how should I act then? Should I be crying all over the floor maybe?»
-???- «I’m not suggesting you should shed tears, but the mere spectacle of your exuberance is undeniably vexing, isn’t it? Lives hang in the balance here mine, yours, and those around us. I have the power to end them, as do you, and they, in turn, harbor the same potential»
-Kumiko K- «Please, like I’d ever lose and why speak so formally… speak like a normal person you  ornary bitch»
Kobashigawa Kumiko would have said without a hint of fear in her voice. Instead she smiled happily like a child at the person.
-???- «Well, well, how irritating. Guess I forgot to introduce myself… I’m Nii Gina, and oh, how I wish I had your luck, Kawabata Kumiko. You’re just too damn fortunate for your own good»
-Kumiko K- «Oh please refrain from calling me that your excellence!»
Mockingly speaking Kumiko was challenging Nii Gina, her voice said everything. She did not take Nii Gina seriously at all.
-Gina- «Ah, my sincerest aspiration lies in witnessing your demise as this unfolds. I yearn to claim that precious life of yours, for it rightfully belongs to me»
-Kumiko K- «And this means?»
Kumiko said placing her left hand on her ear whilst making a grin.
-Gina- «You better watch your back, you damn hoe. I’m gonna make sure you’re six feet under, you are a complete disgrace to your family name Kawabata Kumiko»
Her countenance exuded sheer malice. In that brief instance, it seemed as if her smile had become toothless, her eyes vacant voids, and a torrent of blood engulfed the scene. Yet, it was merely the manifestation of Nii Gina’s monstrous embodiment of pure malevolence.
-Kumiko K- «Well, I am looking forward to it then~»
It was then that Nii Gina finally let go of Kumiko’s arm. But she at that moment wished for nothing more than to choke her.
-Gina- «Oh, my, my… You should have thwarted me, my dear. Who knows? You might have been spared from harm’s way if I so intended to kill you in that very moment»
-Kumiko K- «Please, you’re not that stupid are you little princess?»
Gina chuckled at Kumiko’s audacious response, and Kumiko joined in with laughter. To an outside observer, the two appeared quite friendly. However, unbeknownst to them, both harbored intentions of eliminating the other.
They both stopped talking as their backs were turned against each other, this place reeked of death and it was eminating from these two.
Finally as the two people had finished their conversation then the intercom spoke. A raspy voice was heard this time unlike most intercoms in this place. It was probably a person speaking, no, it was MD but it was using a different voice. Turns out even giant sentient facilities can be smart-asses.
-MD- «Hello… you have all been gathered here for two reasons. One being that you are some of the smartest humans in the world as of right now… and two, you are crazy enough to partake in this. Meaning some of you are significantly smarter or dumber than the others…»
Kumiko looked at Nii Gina the moment she heard the word ‘dumber’ in order to laugh at herself a bit. Nii Gina has a sleek and meticulously styled updo, long elegant hair. But of course Kumiko just thought nothing of it. Why was it that suddenly she was so interested in her. Gina must be special, maybe very intelligent, or maybe a danger…
-MD- «You will have three battles. With nine people here, each of you will face one third of the group. Earn points based on your rank and survive by being in the top four. Losing twice means automatic failure. The top four with the most points and victories will participate in a leadership voting. No violence or cheating allowed. Additional rules may be apply to matches. Matches occur when someone challenges another. The game can be anything… SEE YA!»
-Kumiko K- «… well that was quick»
Said Kumiko but she brushed it off and turned around to find an opponent. She fell upon a fat man who pointed his finger at her.
-Napoleon- «My name is Napoleon Fay from France… I challenge you to a drinking contest… well it is a bit different, it is more of a liquid contest…»
The man said as he was about to give her a rule sheet. But she gently moved his hand off to the side as she smiled a bit.
-Kumiko K- «No need. I’m sure you already are going to have an advantage in this match but there are no loopholes. I can tell from your face, you have guilt but very little and you’re not sweating nor do you seem to plan on deceiving me on something such as that. Therefore… no matter what those rules in the sheet say… I accept your invitation~»
-Napoleon- «… Very well… I Napoleon approve of you… follow me»
Napoleon started moving towards a small screen. After pressing a few buttons on it a table appeared. It had a few empty shots.
-Napoleon- «Rules are simple… we flip a coin and whoever wins starts first. Each round we pick something for the opponent to drink… we can pick anything as long as it does not directly affect the target, so poison is not allowed but stuff like alcohol are… then when someone gives up or passes out then they lose…»
-Kumiko K- «Sounds simple enough, now let’s- Ouch!»
Kumiko would say as she scratched her elbow on the table. It stung a bit and Napoleon Fay flinched a but at the sight of Kumiko having hurt herself. She brushed it off as they were now finally ready to start their match. Liquid contest, Kobashigawa Kumiko vs Napoleon Fay.