Assault Game!

First Conversation Together.

——— THIRD-PERSON POV———

Ciel opened the Kiragi's door to see him fidgeting with his Watch. It was the very same the people gave to them a while ago.

“Hey! I came to check if you were okay.”

“That was why you barged in without knocking?”

“It was to maintain the element of surprise.”

“What if I was doing something embarrassingly sensual. Something you would not like to see, believe me. I-if you keep on opening my doors without knocking, I promise you, you're going to see something soon. it's going to be, to be so gory you won't even say Halloween.”

“...

I'll make sure I always knock before I enter your room. That prose, you cooped it up for your parents?” Ciel wanted to know more about this ‘monster' that could kill and betray a person at a moment, then joke about something else in the next.

“Huh? I guess. Though it doesn't matter.”

“Why doesn't it matter? It's not like you're thinking of staying here forever? They're going to let us out of this hell house sooner or later.”

Kiragi stared at Ciel before sighing with a shrug, “The joke stopped having nay meaning 6 years ago. I never even got to use it.”

“... Am sorry.”

“Oh” Was all he said. He didn't even bother looking at Ciel.

‘Maybe he's already lost in his world. How painful would that be... That's why I did everything to keep the ones I love close to me. And I don't regret it’

“Oho? You brought apples. Gimme” Kiragi finally talked. Maybe he had gotten over the harsh reminder pretty quick, or maybe he was just looking for an excuse to change the topic.

In either way, Ciel had to nod in accordance.

“Should I peel it for you?”

“What's the f*****g need, man... The shell's everything. I'll just swallow it all up. Still, how did you get it? I haven't gotten anything to eat except the grub I had to shove down my throat.”

“They have a cafeteria. We can get our meals at set times. Although we can order any meal we want, we would need to use our Credit Points if it's not any of the three set times for meals.”

“Oho? So they kept the breakfast, lunch, and dinner structure too. Funny how they named that thing, Credit Point. Now everyone would know how important it was, and would be in the future. And why there shouldn't be guilt with whatever you did to get one yourself.”

Silence went on for two minutes or more, with Kiragi directly biting off the succulent apple, and Ciel gazing off.

“Why did you do it?” Finally, Ciel could kit hold himself back. He asked Kiragi.

“Whatever might you mean?”

“Why did you use a ploy to cover our eyes? You had everything under your palm before right? We were just pawns to you. Tools you could just aim with, and reduce the HP of the bastard Julius. You used us. Then in the end you swooped down and took all the benefits. Tell me, how am I wrong?” Ciel brought forth his accusations but hoped Kiragi would prove it wrong. Even a ‘that's not true’ would go a long way in convincing him.

He really didn't want their team to separate.

“So? Is there actually anything I should say?”

/THUB/

Ciel bashed his fist on Kiragi's face twice before remembering Kiragi was still hospitalized. He stopped.

“You're an animal”

“Aren't we all? At some point, we killed. At some point, we were hated, at some point, we were scum.

None of us deserved to live.”

“Sigh. Drop off that facade. I know your type. You are just sick bastards in the making”

Kiragi did not respond. But he had stopped chewing on his apple to spin it slowly on his finger.

Ciel noticed that even when Kiragi was punched, he did not move his legs.

Could he be crippled after that fight?

“Ciel, I want to ask this, why are you here. Is it to hear my confession? I won't apologize” Kiragi smiled.

“Am not a fool to ask that. I've killed people before, and I don't apologize either.”

“Then why do I feel an ember of fiery red anger in you. Aren't we the same?”

“There's the question of morals! I knew you were a killer. I knew I was right when I sensed the strong bloodlust you let out. But I still trusted you, and my gut instinct, which said you won't be betrayed.

It's the same thing I'm that brought me to you.

Kiragi, Assault Game would be boring without you on our team.”

Kirgai didn't answer for a while.

After chewing a bite off his apple, he replied with a story,

“Looking at it from the eyes of someone with no influence on the state of affairs, we can see everything relative to the motion of fate... But then and again, no one can cross fate.

“You were right Ciel. I've made some bad decisions. I would have been sorry, but still, it worked in the end right?”

“That it did.” Ciel didn't know why his eyes still shone when he looked at Kiragi. Maybe he did already, the guy was a prodigy, in looks— even the boorish half-hearted look he gives—— the cool aura he gives off, the way he talks, the way he was composed and seemed to process things calmly, his intelligence and intellect...

All of these things were just like it was with him.

“Ciel. Don't necessarily believe in me. I made such a plan. I brought up a plan that would kill off Julius Kincaid. I brought up a plan that could've killed everyone on-site... Except me.

I did that, and I don't feel guilty. If I had a family member here, I don't mind killing you off for him or her. I'll be glad to kill one of you even. Makes the guilt less.

Don't trust me, or anyone in this place. —— Especially the good-looking woman, yep, the older one..”

“You mean Yuuri?”

“That's her name? It kinda fits.

Don't trust that anyone is good in this place.

But still, you should know that there are no good and bad... Just humans.

And humans are not divine creatures. There's good, and then there's bad.”

“...

I'm going to see Alexia now”

Kiragi didn't bother to answer, he just waves his hands and went back to tinkering with his watch.

Ciel pushed the door to walk out, but he heard Kiragi muttering something, “... It was worth it though. To pass on these gifts would be stupid”

Ciel did not understand. He had stopped trying to make heads and tails of things since high school. So instead, he just closed off Kiragi's room and reached Alexia's.

To his surprise, the door was slightly opened and voices could be heard.

“If the game wasn't made that way, am sure we could've been killed by now! That bastard!”

“Still, am amazed at their advanced tech s**t. They could actually patch us up without even a lock of hair missing. I believed my organs were all messed up after Julius used your attack against us.”

“Am sorry for that blunder. If it I had noticed it on time and cut off my energy.”

“What are you saying? You were pretty quick though. Besides, it wasn't your fault. Someone had it all planned out.”

Ciel just opened the door ajar and walked in too. Now that they mentioned it, he was happy that whatever technology the game used to fix their bodies, it played enough to look like regeneration. Hell, even Kiragi had lost an arm during the fight. Ciel was surprised to meet him with a new arm that looked just like the former.

It wasn't a prosthetic arm! It was as if he wasn't even injured before.

“Hello, Alexia. Looking good. Are you doing good?”

Three voices answered instead,

“That's right. Am alright. What about you though?” That was Alexia

“Humph! You probably cane out of that traitor's room right? Did he get to sell you a convincing enough story? And you believed it!” Yuri with a light yell.

“Don't get ahead of yourself. That was a crude way to get a woman into a conversation.”

“... Huh.”

Their following conversation was interesting, at least to everyone but Ciel.

He told them what Kiragi said, and their varying reactions were just as he thought.

Alexia remained silent as if thinking about something.

Elaine did not like what Kiragi said, but at least was nice enough to ask about his health first.

While Yuri was high over her horse. “I knew it. That kid, he's the manipulative sort. A child born under September's moon. I'm certain he knew about the healing prowess of this place so he had no care when he lost his arm, Scum! be wary of him okay?!”

“... Funny. He said the same thing”

The place became quiet for a bit.

“That fight. Was as deadly as it could get. How we survived wasn't up to fate at all. And I have a feeling, more of the same kind would come.” Ciel said impassively.

“Then, what do you suggest we do?” Elaine whispers...

‘This indecision, damn. I can't still overcome it’ Ciel was supposed to step in here and propose what was in his mind. But he flattered in the first step. What would they say, how would they react?— we're questions that shot from his mind.

“I would suggest we create a temporary alliance.” A voice came out from the door.

‘Kiragi? Why?’

“So the bastard finally shows his face!” Yuri shouts.

“Why would you want to kill us?” Elaine screams her question.

Kiragi, the only with bandage on his legs and arms, but still on a wheelchair— but still with a half-eaten apple, looked confused for a bit.

“Oi, can someone rewind for a bit, ten minutes before we were brutally murdered... The film in my mind is replaying a scene where we were against each other's throats. Screaming some bloodthirsty words—”

“Oho? So you're bringing that up? The that makes you my enemy! That makes us all enemies. What am I going here?”

“Why did you betray us when you said we should stand with you and kill Julius Kincaid?”

“Why should we listen to you, now that you've already made it known that we were— are enemies, from a not too long time ago.”

The three girls have their say and turn to Kiragi. Hell, Ciel's eyes stare at him too.

“That is simple. Cus if you don't. Then very well believe me, that we're doing to die before this week runs out.”