A Tyrant's Will

Volume 3: Chapter 6.1 - The Curtain Rises

I kicked off from the wet ground and chased after Shiina and Horikita. The weather was becoming a real obstacle. The sun was sinking faster than I had anticipated, and without a flashlight it was hard to push forward with any confidence. The passing showers intensified, and the wind began to howl through the trees with growing force.

I could only see a few meters ahead through the pouring rain. Thankfully, two pairs of footprints remained in the muddy ground, making it easy to follow their path.

The footprints suddenly stopped. However, on closer inspection, they continued deeper into the forest. That meant they hadn't gotten lost, but had intentionally ventured farther in.

The atmosphere was growing darker and more oppressive, but I pushed forward. After about thirty meters, a bright light entered my field of vision. I turned off my flashlight and waited, holding my breath. The light flickered a few times in the distance before fading away. Someone else was there besides Shiina and Horikita.

I quietly drew closer. I heard people's voices, muffled by the rain, and hid myself. The important part was that they did not find me. Everything else was secondary.

Soon, the light moved farther away. A few more voices followed, then silence. It appeared that everyone had left. To be sure, however, I approached cautiously.

Near a large tree lay Horikita, her body smeared with mud. She had collapsed, unconscious. A keycard lay on the ground beside her, and near her injured body were traces of freshly excavated soil. After examining the scene, I confirmed that others had discovered Horikita's position as leader.

I moved to pick up the keycard when the bushes suddenly rustled with movement. Two figures burst out of the darkness. One seized my arm and pinned me in place, while the other stood back, watching with a gleam of intrigue in his eyes.

"Well, well. If it isn't Ayanokouji. What brings you here on this fine evening?"

Ryuuen smiled. I was trapped. I had thought everyone had already left, but I was mistaken. Ryuuen and Albert had hidden themselves in the bushes, lying in wait like hunters stalking their prey. I struggled, but I couldn't break free of Albert's iron grip.

"Came here looking for Suzune? As you can see, she's not exactly in the best condition right now. Or maybe you were planning to carry her to the boat and have her retire. If that's the case, I can lend a helping hand."

Ryuuen gestured toward her motionless body. I wasn't sure how to respond. This was an extremely bad situation, and I had no support. I was on my own, trapped between two powerful enemies.

"I don't think Horikita would appreciate it if you touched her," I finally said.

"Well, her loss." Ryuuen shrugged. "But you still haven't answered my question, Ayanokouji. Tell me. Why are you here?"

I remained silent. I was wracking my brain for a way out, but nothing came to mind.

"So you're gonna stay quiet. Guess we'll have to do things the hard way. Hold him in place, Albert."

Ryuuen cracked his knuckles as if warming up before a fight. He was planning to beat me into submission until I talked.

"Wait," I forced out, buckling under the threat.

"Hmm? Got something to say?"

"I noticed Horikita was absent from base camp, so I followed her footprints all the way here. I saw flashing lights and heard people talking, so I took cover and waited until everyone had left before coming over."

"I see. So you were just concerned about your friend, is that it?"

I nodded frantically. I had hoped Ryuuen would let me go, but of course he wasn't going to make it that easy on me.

"I think you're lying, Ayanokouji. I don't think you care about Suzune's condition at all. You probably came here to retire her so I would mistakenly guess her as the leader of Class D and lose 50 points. What do you think?"

"That's not it," I said.