Battle Royale

by Koushun Takami

  As Yutaka followed him, dazed, he gradually saw how he had descended from the top of the mountain to the more level area below. Within a matter of minutes he'd covered a good distance. Yutaka then glanced at Shinji Mimura's back. But then he was suddenly overwhelmed by a horrible idea and felt weak in the knees.

  Maybe Yumiko Kusaka and Yukiko Kitano were killed by…Shinji? Then the killer chasing Yutaka would be him! But then why hasn't he killed me yet? I mean, come on, I always thought of him as my best friend, and Shinji knows that. If we're together, Shinji could, for instance, have me keep watch and help him increase his chances of survival. Then, when we're the last two left, Shinji could kill me. Wow, what a great idea! If this was a video game, that's what I'd do.

  You jerk! What are you thinking!?

  Yutaka shook off the thought. Shinji didn't have a machine gun—and nothing else could have made that sound. He was certain he didn't have one, and besides, most of all, this was Shinji. He was his best friend. He would never kill those girls off like that, as if they were flies.

  "What's wrong, Yutaka?" Shinji turned around and whispered. "Hurry up." Once again Yutaka followed Shinji in a daze.

  Shinji continued to walk carefully. Once they covered a distance of approximately fifty meters he stopped. With his gun in his right hand, he pointed down toward his feet. "You have to step over this here," he warned Yutaka. Yutaka narrowed his eyes and noticed a thin, dull piece of thread stretched tightly between the trees.

  "Is this…"

  "It's not a trap," Shinji said after stepping over the thread. "There's an empty can tied to it over there. Once it's tugged, we can hear it fall."

  Yutaka nodded, eyes opened wide. Shinji had been hiding out. And this was a kind of tripwire alarm. Impressive. The Third Man was more than just a star athlete.

  Yutaka stepped over the thread.

  They reached a thicket twenty meters away. Shinji stopped walking. He said to Yutaka, "Let's sit down." Yutaka sat down, facing Shinji. He realized he was still holding his fork. He put it on the ground when all of a sudden he felt a stinging pain from his left palm and right fist. The skin had peeled off, revealing red flesh on his knuckles.

  Seeing this, Shinji put down his gun and pulled out what appeared to be a day pack from a nearby bush. He took out his water bottle and towel, doused one end with water, and said, "Give me your hands, Yutaka." Yutaka held them out, and Shinji wiped them thoroughly, but gently. Then he tore the dry part of the towel into thin shreds and wrapped them around Yutaka's hands.

  Yutaka said, "Thank you." Then he asked, "So you've been hiding here?"

  "Yeah," Shinji smiled and nodded. "I caught a glimpse of you from here moving around in the bushes. You were pretty far away, but I could tell it was you. So even though it was a little risky, I went in your direction."

  Yutaka choked up. Shinji risked his life for my sake.

  "It's dangerous if you don't move carefully."

  "Uh huh." Yutaka was about to cry.

  "Thanks so much, Shinji."

  "I'm glad..." Shinji exhaled. "Even if I die, I wanted to make sure I got to see you." Now Yutaka's eyes were watering. He held his tears back though and changed the subject, "I was..

  -right near Yumiko and Yukiko. I-I wasn't able to help them."

  "Yeah," Shinji nodded. "I saw that too—that's how I found you. Don't let it get you down. I wasn't able to do anything for them either."

  Yutaka nodded. Recalling how Yumiko Kusaka and Yukiko Kitano were killed only moments ago, he trembled.

  27 students remaining

  26

  They ended up moving approximately one hundred meters southwest of their previous position. By the time Shogo was done tying the wire around the bushes again, it was already 9 a.m. The sun was high in the sky, and the air smelled like a forest in May. The sea, which was visible as they moved through the trees, glistened a brilliant blue. Islands were scattered across the Seto Inland Sea. If they were hiking…this would have been a prime spot.

  But they weren't. Every single boat that passed by circled around the island at a great distance, tiny as dots, and the nearest one was the gray guard ship in charge of the western region. Even that ship was pretty far, but you could see the machine gun installed at its head.

  After Shogo was done setting the wire, he took a deep breath and sat down in front of Shuya and Noriko. Once again he placed his shotgun between his feet.

  "What's wrong? You're both so quiet now," Shogo asked.

  Shuya looked up at Shogo. He hesitated—and then asked,

  "What made them do that?"

  Shogo lifted his brows. "You mean Yumiko and Yukiko?"

  Shuya nodded. After hesitating, he said, "I mean it should have been obvious. They could have anticipated that. I mean, according to the rules of this game…" he sighed, "we're supposed to kill each other."

  Shogo put another cigarette between his lips and lit it with his disposable lighter. "They seemed close. Weren't they in some religious group?"

  Shuya nodded. They were very normal girls, but there was always something that separated them from the other girls, like Noriko and the neutral faction that included Yukie Utsumi and her friends. He thought it was because of their religion. "They were part of some Shinto religious group called the Halo Church. They have a church located on the Yodo River bank, off the state highway when you're heading south." Shogo exhaled and suggested, "Maybe that was part of it. You know, 'Love thy neighbor.' "

  "No, I don't think so," Noriko said. "They weren't— especially Yumiko—very committed. They said they didn't really get it, that it was just a social thing."

  Shogo mumbled, "I see," and looked down. Then he continued, "Well, the good aren't always saved, and this game is no exception. It can be the irresponsible ones that end up making it. But I respect anyone who stands by their conscience, even at the risk of failing and being rejected by everyone." He stared back at them. "They tried to believe in their classmates. They must have believed, if we could all get together, then we might end up being saved. We should commend them for that. We couldn't do that." Shuya took a deep breath. Then he agreed, "Yeah." After a while, Shuya looked up at Shogo again. "I don't think…you're an enemy. So I want to trust you."

  Noriko joined in, "Me too. I don't think you're a bad person." Shogo shook his head and grinned. "I have to tell you, I have no talent cheating girls." Shuya grinned back. Then he said, "So why won't you tell us? No, if you can't tell us how we're escaping, that's fine. But why not? Is it in case we meet up with other people and tell them too much? Is it because the others can't be trusted? Or that you can't trust them?"

  "Hold off on the interrogation. I'm not that smart."

  "I don't believe you."

  Shogo rested his elbows against his knees, held his chin, and looked to his side in contemplation. Then he looked back at them. "Shuya. You're right. I don't want the others to find out about my plan, and even if you two didn't tell them, I wouldn't want the others to even know that you two knew what it was. So I can't tell you."

  After Shuya thought about it, he exchanged glances with Noriko and nodded. "Okay then, I understand. We'll trust you. But—"

  "Something else bugs you?"

  Shuya shook his head. "It just seems like there's no way out of this situation. So I'm—"

  "Perplexed?"

  Shuya nodded.

  Shogo blew out some smoke and rubbed his cigarette into the ground. He ran his hand through his short hair and said, "Nothing is perfect. Most things have flaws."

  "Flaws?"

  "Yeah, a weak spot. I'm going to aim for that weak spot."

  Shuya didn't understand. He squinted his eyes.

  Shogo continued, "I know this game better than you two do."

  "How's that?" Noriko asked.

  "Don't stare at me with those big eyes, girl. I'm shy."

  Noriko gave a blank stare and then smiled a little, asking again, "How?" Finally Shogo said, "Do you know what happens to the sur
vivor of this game?" Shuya and Noriko looked at each other and shook their heads. That's right, there was one survivor in the Program. After you manage to make it through this absurd game, the Special Defense Forces soldiers shove you in front of the news cameras so they can have an image of the victor ("Smile. You must smile."). But they had no idea what happened to the survivor after that. Shogo looked at Shuya and Noriko and continued, "The winner's forced to transfer to another school where he or she is ordered not to mention the game and is instructed instead to lead a normal life. That's all."

  Shuya felt his chest well up inside and his face froze. He stared at Shogo and realized that Noriko was holding her breath.

  Shogo said, "I was a student in Third Year Class C, Second District, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture." He added, "I survived the Program held in Hyogo Prefecture last year." 27 students remaining

  27

  Shogo's face softened as he continued, "They even gave me a card autographed by the Dictator. What an honor that was. It looked like some kid scribbled on it, though I can't remember the details, since I tossed it into recycling."

  In sharp contrast to Shogo's cheery voice, Shuya took a deep breath. It was true any third-year junior high school student could get thrown into the Program, but…how could you end up in it twice? Of course if he didn't have to stay back, it would never have happened, but even so the chances were as slim as winning the lottery. But now it all made sense how Shogo was so familiar with the game, how he noticed the sleeping gas, and of course, the scars all over his body…but if it was true—it was completely outrageous!

  "That's…" Shuya said, "that's outrageous."

  Shogo shrugged. "The game was in July, but because I suffered heavy injuries, I was hospitalized for a long time. It gave me time though to study a bunch of things including stuff about this country—but only while lying in bed. The nurses and staff were really generous and brought me books from the library. I guess the hospital was my school. In any case, that was how I ended up repeating third year all over again. But…"

  Shogo looked at them.

  "…I have to say, even I didn't expect I'd be in this game again." That's right. Shuya recalled their recent—actually it was already three hours ago—conversation. When Shuya asked, "Did you already kill someone before Kyoichi?" and Shogo had answered, "Well, this time, it was my first."

  Noriko then asked. "So those who've been selected…" She rephrased the question, perhaps thinking that it sounded too much like winning a sweepstakes prize, "So the ones who've been in it already aren't exempt?"

  Shogo grinned. "I suppose not, since I'm here. From what we're told, classes are chosen randomly by computer, right? My experience gives me the upper hand, but I guess the computer doesn't exclude me. So here's another case of perverted equality."

  Shogo cupped his hands around the lighter and lit another cigarette.

  "Now you understand how I detected the gas odor. Not to mention…" he pointed at the scar above his left brow, "this scar."

  "How could they?" Noriko said as if she were about to cry. "It's too awful."

  "Come on, Noriko." Shogo broke into a smile. "Now I get the chance to save you guys." Shuya offered his hand to Shogo.

  "What's this? I can't read your palm."

  Shuya smiled and shook his head. Then he said, "I'm sorry I suspected you. A handshake. We're sticking together till the very end."

  Shogo replied, "All right." He gripped Shuya's hand and shook it. Noriko smiled in relief. 27 students remaining

  28

  Kinpatsu Sakamochi (supervisor) was sitting at his faculty desk, rummaging through some scattered documents. To the north and south of him, a Special Defense Forces soldier stood by steel-plated windows equipped with gun ports. The lights inside stayed on because the building let hardly any sunlight in. Five or six soldiers were sitting at a desk facing Sakamochi, staring at a row of desktop computer monitors. Another three soldiers were wearing headphones connected to another machine that wasn't a computer. On the west wall was a large generator powering the lights, computers and other equipment. The generator's low hum filled up the room over the sound insulation. The other soldiers were taking a break in the room the students had been in.

  "Now then, Yumiko Kusaka died at 8:42 a.m. and, uh huh, Yukiko Kitano, she also died at forty-two minutes after the hour." He combed his long hair back behind his ears. "Ahh—I'm so busy!" The old black phone on the desk rang, and with his pen still in hand, Sakamochi distractedly picked up the receiver.

  "Yes, this is Okishima Island School, Third Year Class B, Shiroiwa Junior High School Program Headquarters," Sakamochi answered haphazardly, when all of a sudden he stood up straight, cradling the receiver with both hands.

  "Yes sir. This is Sakamochi, Superintendent. I appreciate all you've recently done for us. Yes sir. My second kid just turned two. Yes, and the wife's getting bigger by the day with the third. Oh, no. Well, we just want to contribute to our nation, joining the fight against its dwindling youth population. And how can I help you, sir?"

  Sakamochi listened for a while, and then smiled, "Ah ha. My oh my. So you've got your money on Shogo Kawada? I'm betting on Kazuo Kiriyama. I have my money on him. Well, yes, Shogo Kawada is serious competition. He has experience, which is almost unheard of. Of course he's still alive. And how are you, sir? My, that's impressive. Excuse me? The current status? I believe you have access to it on the monitor. The central government's top secret website—oh, you're not good with computers? Uh, well sir, then yes, if you could just hold on a moment, sir."

  Sakamochi put down his receiver for a moment and then called on a tough looking soldier sitting in front of the monitors, "Hey, Kato. Is Kawada still with those two?"

  The soldier named Kato tapped silently on his keyboard and curtly replied, "He is." The radar in the students' collars enabled them to plot out each student's location on a map on the monitor. Sakamochi was about to frown at Kato's gruff attitude, but then realized how Kato was only one of the many problem students he'd had ever since he was a junior high school teacher, so it was nothing new. He picked up the receiver.

  "Sorry to keep you waiting, sir. Let's see. Shogo Kawada is proceeding with two other students. That's Shuya Nanahara and Noriko Nakagawa. Let's see. Well, they're actually talking about escaping together. Would you like to hear our recording of their conversations? Oh yes, sir. Hmm, I'm not sure if he is sincere. I mean it's hard to say, but I'd say it's a bluff. Probably. I mean it's impossible to escape. Oh, and yes, hold on, one moment, sir. Documents, documents. Yes, Shogo Kawada, right? He didn't appear to have been the controversial type at his previous school. No anti-government actions or statements. Yes. His father died during the previous game. Looks like his father got drunk and provoked the government…but apparently Kawada himself said, 'Good riddance. He was a bastard anyway.'

  Hmmm, they probably didn't get along. Maybe his father insisted on some compensation. Yessir. If that's so, then he's better off with those two than fighting alone. Shuya Nanahara is an excellent athlete, so he'll be useful. Although Noriko Nakagawa is injured. Yes, our Tahara shot her. Yes, of course. They totally trust Shogo Kawada. Helping an injured girl, I mean, how brilliant. His conversation has been most impressive."

  Offering a subservient smile, Sakamochi raised his brow in response to his caller. He combed back the hair over his right ear with his free right hand.

  "Whaaat?" he replied. "That can't be. I mean that occurred in March. I did receive the report. But if that's true, then right now…yessir. The central government officials are always prone to exaggeration. Besides, these are junior high school kids. Then they would have known we were listening in on them. Right now there are no signs that any of these students know this. Yessir. So…yes, yes, yessir. Very well then. Oh no, please, I couldn't possibly accept…well, if you must insist then, thank you very much, sir. Yes, yes. Well then, goodbye."

  Sakamochi took a deep breath and hung up the phone. He held up his pen again and exclaimed, "I'm
so busy!" He combed back his hair and began to write frantically on his documents, as if he were clinging to them.

  27 students remaining

  29

  When Shinji first found Yutaka Seto, he seemed on edge from the shock of witnessing the deaths of Yumiko Kusaka and Yukiko Kitano, but after a while he seemed to calm down. In a spot beyond the thick branches, where the warm sunlight poured in, Shinji Mimura was listening closely again. There didn't seem to be anyone else around. Only the sound of a little bird chirping. Whoever killed Yumiko and Yukiko didn't seem to have noticed Yutaka and Shinji. Still, he had to be careful.

  "Relax when you have to. But also be on your toes when you have to. The point is, make no errors of judgment."

  His uncle had told him this. He was the one who taught him everything. Starting with basketball, he was the man most responsible for the education of the boy known as The Third Man. His uncle had also taught him computer basics. When his uncle showed him how to access foreign internet connections, he warned Shinji, you can never be too careful. And now was one of those times he had to be on his toes. That much was certain.

  "Hey, Shinji." Shinji looked back at Yutaka. Yutaka was leaning against a tree, hugging his knees, staring between them. "Come to think of it, I should have been waiting for you in front of the school. Then we could have been together from the start." He looked up at Shinji. "But I was too scared..." Shinji crossed his arms with his Beretta in his left hand.

  "I don't know about that. That might have been dangerous."

  That's right, Shinji realized, Yutaka probably didn't know that Mayumi Tendo and Yoshio Akamatsu were killed in front of the school. Besides—

  That was when he realized Yutaka was crying. His eyes were filled with tears which began to flow down his cheeks, tracing two thin, white lines down his dirty face.

  "What's wrong?" Shinji asked kindly.

  "I…" Yutaka lifted his wounded fist and wiped his eyes with a strip from the towel Shinji had wrapped around his hand. "I'm so pathetic. I-I'm a fool and a coward—" He stopped and then said as if spitting up something stuck in his throat, "I wasn't able to save her."