𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚒𝚎.

◇poison stains my mouth ◇

"i could be a good mother."

you weren't the sacrifice. simply a commoner. someone else took the card from you. you questioned why, asking for an answer from whatever god was above. alas, there was no time to dwell on it as the circle of familiar desks awaited you. it seemed you were the last one- ah, except for... "what was that earli- big sis
f/n!" gin called out for you, running to your side and grabbing your hand. as you stared at nothing, he remembered your conversation from earlier. "big sis f/n.. are you...?"

"hey! gashu! i have the right to an explanation!" you ignored alice, walking to an open desk. gin stood at the one next to you, still reaching out to hold your hand. "kinda feels like this won't be a normal main game..." you wondered if anything would ever be normal again. "it's... starting all over again..." you frowned at kanna, but couldn't seem to open your mouth to offer words of wisdom. gashu appeared suddenly. "oh my, what a bustling crowd. did you call for me?"

"you.. what's the transgression miley mentioned?!" alice demanded answers. "transgression? i'm afraid i don't know what you mean." sara's eyes widened. "don't tell me it's about the wallet...!" gashu stayed quiet for a moment."understand that if there truly is a transgression, it should become clear in your discussion. supposing one is discovered, it will be addressed."

"don't mock us, would you?! you're the one deciding what counts as one, surely?!" sara sighed. "gashu... at least call safalin! so she can hand down judgement on any misconduct!" gashu, again, stayed quiet. "..very well, if that'll satisfy you." safalin came into view. "please... be our impartial judge." keiji pleaded with the crying doll. gashu laughed. "why do you laugh..?!" he stopped laughing at alice's question, composing himself. "...i am joyful. such determination to have a fair slaughter, without having to worry over misconduct! now then, let the second main game-"

"hang on!" ah, there he is. q-taro ran in, huffing and panting. "oh! very good! everyone has assembled!" q-taro stood at the last open desk, still catching his breath. "d-damnit! so it's starting after all!?" gashu nodded, hands clasped together. "indeed, we have talked long enough. now, we shall begin the second main game."

the air was heavy in your little circle. silence surrounded you. finally, sou spoke up. "...keeping quiet's only making time pass, guys. let's at least decide our fate by our own hand, okay?" kanna sniffled. "it's okay, we've walked this road before, haven't we?" q-taro shook his head, holding the rim of his hat. "then an' now... it's totally different..! we're allies by now! we've spent way more time together..!"

"then will you die?" keiji cut in, speaking suddenly. "let's find our resolve. you said that in the first main game, right, q-taro?" the baseball player huffed. "..damnit!" your hand still held gins. "everyone, the card designs have been displayed in the rulebook this time. so be aware that you cannot judge using knowledge of the designs as in the first main game. well then, please spend this cruel and dense time to your heart's content."

"well, we should start with miss f/n, shouldn't we?" sou grinned at you. gin gripped your hand a bit tighter. "what? you better not be suspecting big sis
f/n again, woof!" the teal haired man shook his head. "no, not this time. i'm saying that after declaring she'd get the sacrifice card, we'll have to figure out if she was bluffing or not." you sighed. "well, f/n?" keiji asked, though he definitely wasn't as passive aggressive as sou was. "i'm not sure what to say. i had it... and then i didn't." you shrugged. "it's not that i was bluffing, but.. believe what you want, sou."

and he laughed. a small chuckle, but it was there none the less. "how... disappointing. has miss f/n finally given up? or are you just lying to us, like always? how are we supposed to know you're telling the truth?" you furrowed your eyebrows, slightly agitated. "if you aren't going to believe what i say, stop bothering to ask. what's got you so obsessed with me, anyways, sou? is there something you have to confess?"

"..seems like this discussion isn't going anywhere. let's try and get four candidates. who should survive, and who can die..." his wording made you shiver. "hmph... keiji shinogi.. are you a fool or what? are you forgetting that, unlike the first main game, there have been many card trades? there's no need for worthless suspicion. we can reason out the sacrifice and keymaster."

"...if everyone speaks honestly." keiji pointed out. "for how much you talk of allies, are you not being rather suspicious..?" the officer shrugged. "at the very least, the sacrifice can't tell the truth, now can they? so it's fine to start with finding four candidates now." sou nodded. "uh huh, cause those who aren't candidates can be honest."

"yep. and also, if we prove what everyone's cards are right now, voting... is gonna be hell.. it'll be pure blame throwing. that guy should die, this guy should die.. it'll be cruel, and leave no trace of any bonds we've got." alice slowly nodded. "..i get it. very well. if it'll protect your pitiful bonds, then i suppose i'll go along with it. and thus, allow me to say, sou hiyori! you are the most suspicious of all!" you wondered if this was his goal. "huh..?" every bit of you, except your heart, told you to go over and slap the confusion off his face. though, you stayed still. "please wait! sou has contributed so much to helping us escape!" kanna pleaded

"yet it doesn't change that he can't be trusted. everything from his history on is unclear! unless you yourself speak your true colors, i will continue to-" sou cut him off. "then i'm fine being the first candidate. after all, i... am the sacrifice." tired of his bullshit, you loudly groaned, slapping a hand on your forehead. "what's that about?! were you listening?! talking about roles is for later!"

"was there a rule against confessing your own?" you glared at him. "there's a rule against lying about your own." he grinned. "you think i'm lying?" you shrugged, returning his smile. "i think that if you are you're gonna get hit." he laughed. "resorting to violence? how unlike you. anyways... moving on. i know! i'll nominate the next suspicious person! how about that? i nominate kanna." your eyes widened, and you were sure that he noticed it. "that's... why..?!"

"everyone should already understand this. she's easily tricked, timid, and lacks ability. what does she even have besides sympathy?" kanna stayed silent. for once- you stayed quiet. for once, you understood. or, at least, you hoped you did. "wasn't it you who tricked and used her?!" alice exclaimed. "..so, you're giving kanna time to vindicate herself. sure thing. let's have a discussion about kanna's actions during the death game. so that we can trust her.

"kanna... at first, she was just holed up in sou's room." q-taro started off the conversation. "kanna kizuchi typically acted with him... only sou hiyori can prove her actions." why did alice constantly use everyone's full name? "let's see... kanna was a dead weight the whole time. what a hindrance." kanna frowned. "hin..drance..? kanna... isn't a hindrance..." the baseball player cut in again. "later in the trading phase, did seem like she was acting alone. but well, through the latter half.. i was knocked out, so i hardly got a clue."

"of course, i was kanna kizuchi's conversation partner for a short time as well... but it could be said that we didn't hit it off!" you rolled your eyes. "i've been getting fed up with having a useless helper, too." you watched his eyes flicker to you. "kanna, you can't seriously be fine with him saying that. be honest, tell me how you feel."

"kanna... kanna...!! she isn't a hindrance at all! sou's saying mean things because he can do hacking, but... wasn't kanna the one who did hacking first?!" your heart ached for kanna. "h-hold yer horses! how d'you mean that?!" the fourteen year old girl stuttered over her words. "...sheesh. you never make yourself clear." kanna huffed. "kanna.. did some hacking way before did any of his hacking!"

"err... what kind of hacking was it?" kanna had a determined look on her face. "i figured out a password... breaking into someone else's things... that's called hacking, right?" you held back a smile. "does this mean kanna is adept with computers too?" nao spoke, for what you thought might be the first time. "you can't call something like that hacking... don't misuse words you only just learned." you rolled your eyes again. "kanna, keep going. ignore him."

"sou had been fretting about it since yesterday. he was going 'i don't know the password!' taking his beanie off and putting it back on... suddenly, i looked at sou's hands, and was struck by how clean he kept them even in these circumstances... and then i had an epiphany. that there might be traces from the password being typed... so i figured out the password from fingermarks left on the keys." she sighed.

"kanna... isn't incompetent.."

"be not afraid of life." -william james