DAY 04
ARENA 01: APARTMENT
ROUND 05 (ONGOING)

Nico: What's up?

Kanan: Everyone is confirmed teaming up to kill each other. I killed Eri before she probably shot me had she seen me first.

Nico: You sure?

Kanan: Yeah. She aimed her pistol, ready to kill.

Nico: That settles things then. Chika and Hanamaru tried to kill us a while ago....

Kanan: Is it alright for us to kill everyone?

Nico: Yeah, we have to cuz it looks like everyone is doing it. Whoever the Murderer is must be having a lot of fun right now.....

----

Nothing much happened after Nozomi's death. Chika and Hanamaru worked in tandem to kill everyone. The entire map, initially scarred by few gunshots, became ominously quiet after many minutes. Meanwhile, Dia and Umi grouped up.....they saw Honoka running by.

Dia: I confirm that Honoka is the prime suspect!

Umi: Let's follow her as to what she will do. If she attacks someone, we get her, okay?

Dia: Got it....but why not kill her now?

Umi: I assume that if Honoka is not the Murderer, the real Murderer will show up to kill her. Well....I know that everyone is probably killing each other by now but still....

Dia: I understand! I'll take point.

They silently followed Honoka. She went room to room as if she is looking for something. Then she entered a small room and never came back out of it. Dia and Umi took a peek. Turns out, they see Honoka as she hides inside a closet.

Umi: Ummm....you think Honoka is the Murderer?

Dia: Yes?

Umi: I know Honoka....as awkward as she is, she seriously won't do that if she is the Murderer.

Dia: So awkward....what should be our next step?

Umi: Hmmm....how about we both stay at one corner in a room near here. We will camp and observe everyone who might pass here.

The two proceeded to do just that. They hid at one spot which concealed them well - behind the door of another room east of the room Honoka is in. They can view the area safely through the door's slits.

However, so many minutes passed, probably fifteen, yet nothing happened. The two of them got nervous.

Umi: This is taking a while. Could everyone be hiding?

Dia: As if I can guess things right...

Umi: .....hey, you still have enough ammo left?

Dia: I dunno...uhhhh..oh crap, I have two magazines left.

Umi: Ouch. I have one magazine too. We really need to conserve our ammo.

They waited a bit more but nothing happened still. Umi decided to take a quick peek outside and check more of the area. She knew that it is a risk worth to try - if she gets shot, Dia should fire back and succeed. Nothing else is still around.

Dia: What should we do?

Umi: I think we should -

Before long, the Murderer, hiding behind a wall at the room where Honoka is in, carefully shot Umi's head from a long distance away. Dia panicked when Umi fell beside her.

Dia: NOOO!!! How did she - !!?

She tried to shoot back, but the Murderer kept shooting at her. When it seemed the Murderer was reloading, Dia quickly left the room she is in  is forced to run away as she failed to identify the well-hidden Murderer.

Dia: Shit!! The Murderer got inside that room before we noticed - wait....what...how could....I get it now!! It's Honoka!! Honoka must be the killer!! I gotta get her now!!

Dia cautiously went to Honoka's room. However, when she got there, the closet which concealed Honoka is open. And Honoka is lying down with blood coming out of her.

Dia: Oh dear!! Why is she dead!!?

Dia soon heard footsteps. Looking down a dark alleyway, she saw a shadow....

Dia: OH SHIIIITT!!

She ran away quickly before the Murderer pursued her. As she ran she realised that the Murderer is not Honoka - she went in the room to take Honoka out then left whilst she retreated to safety. Even so, panic raced through her head.

Dia: I DON'T WANT TO DIE! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!!

Almost everyone is dead at this point. Dia is obviously scared for her life as she runs. Alone. In peril. Chased by someone. And most of all, she has only one magazine left - she has about eight bullets left.

------

Kanan and Nico grouped up to look for targets. They cautiously went from one room to another. Before long, they found a room where they saw someone's hand popping out of a room's doorway.

Nico: A dead body?

Kanan: Want me to check it out?

Nico: Sure, got you covered from here.

Kanan: In case I took too long inside that room, just call me alright? If I don't respond, you know I am dead. When that happens, run away and hide. Best not to risk facing the Murderer too soon.

Nico is in a position capable of shooting anyone around her. Kanan began inspecting. Once she looked inside, she's surprised.

Kanan: No way!! Chika and Hanamaru both died!?

Those two died. How? By who? Kanan brainstormed any idea as to how to explain this. She investigated how they died by checking the wounds. She noticed that Hanamaru had a wound on her neck which is most likely caused by stabbing. In contrast, Chika had a headshot wound.

Kanan: What's this? How can the murderer stab Hanamaru yet shoot Chika? She could have just shot both from a distance.

Kanan felt something is very fishy. The way that both Chika and Hanamaru died is unusual. The fact that everyone seemed to be killing each other seemed too convenient.

She's too busy thinking - behind her, the real Murderer went out of the room's closet.

Murderer: (stabs a knife unto Kanan's head from behind.)

Kanan died. The Murderer stayed inside the room and waited for Nico to come inside. Nico didn't nor is she aware that Kanan died.

Nico: Hey, Kanan, you finished?

The Murderer hid inside the room again, hoping to kill Nico when she comes in. But she is unware of Kanan's previous advice to Nico.

Nico: Shit. Kanan must be dead. Her killer is inside that room but I don't wanna risk it.

Nico left quietly. Once she is far off, she ran away and looked for another hiding place. She ran all over the map until she bumped into someone.

Dia: .....NICO!!?

Nico: Ouch....huh, Dia?!!!

Nico isn't taking any chances. She does not want to trust anyone. She pulled her pistol and aimed it at Dia.

Dia: Ehhhh!!!? Wait!! Nico, don't!!

Nico: Look...I know you're the murderer......you and I are the only ones alive....

Dia: NO I AM NOT!!! YOU MUST BE THE MURDERER?!!

Nico: Lying to me won't help!!!

A shadow suddenly passed by behind Dia's back. Nico noticed it.

Nico: I-I saw something!!! (Pulls out her gun.)

Dia: Eh!!?.....

Dia turned and found that there was a shadow that passed by. She realized Nico was not trying to distract her and kill her.

Nico: ....alright, that settles it. I am totally sure you are not the Murderer. Also, if I were really the murderer, I could have killed you now with my gun.

Dia: ....I...I am gonna trust you too. I really dunno who's the Murderer anymore but I wanna stay alive!!

Nico: I see....well....come with me...

Both girls decide to move together. They ran though a long hallway to find the Murderer. But....

Murderer: ......(crouched really low at an alley. Nico and Dia passed it without noticing she was there. The moment they passed by, the murderer quickly got up and ran quickly towards them. She threw her knife at Dia)

Meanwhile, Nico stopped at a corner which leads to the bedroom - unaware that Dia got killed by a thrown knife. Nor is she aware that the Murderer went to Dia's corpse and took her knife out then silently walked away to another route.

Nico: Listen Dia. I want you to go there and be the bait. If someone does attack you, make a noise by hitting the wall. It will be the signal for me to come out and shoot your attacker. Understand - (turns around)

Dia: (dead)

Nico: OH FUCK!!!! NOOO!!

Nico panicked a bit after realizing that Dia is dead. She pointed the gun and readied to shoot. She leaned at a corner, her back at the wall, deciding to stay there so that she could shoot the murderer if she tried to attack her with the knife. Nico had the upper hand.

Nico: I am not leaving this spot until the murderer reveals herself.

She stood there for a long time - until she heard a gunshot.

Nico: What the?!! I heard a gun shot.......no.....NOOOO!!! The murderer has a gun!!!?

Nico panicked again. She had two options: stay there and wait for the murderer to shoot her or run and risk getting killed by the murderer.

Nico: Alright!! If the murderer wants a gun fight, I will give her one!!!

Nico ran towards the route in front of her while aiming her gun as she moves. She kept running until she saw that the bedroom's door is open.

Nico: Wait....the murderer must be inside the room. She wants me to come in, huh?

Nico entered the room. She stayed at the doorway and inspected the room without going inside.

She found Rin's dead body there.

Nico: Crap. Is this where Rin died? Is the Murderer luring me here to see this?

MURDERER'S POV:

While Nico is too busy looking inside the room, she did not notice me hiding behind the door outside the room.

"Sorry......", I whispered.

I sliced her throat from behind. Blood flooded out of Nico's neck. I grabbed her before she fell on the ground. I just hugged and looked at her with pity.

"Phew!! I got ya.", I said. Looks like I managed to pull this murder off on my own.

This long round finally ended - I, the murderer, won. It looks this is the first time that a Murderer won the game, too!

----

Ten seconds after the murderer won, time froze for a moment then everything was reset. Now, everyone is alive again, back in the Briefing Room.

Erena: I can't help but feel like the players here still lack enough experience despite all that training.....sigh.

Tsubasa: I am so proud to introduce to everyone the first ever Muse Murderer - Maki Nishikino!!!

Everyone: EHHHHHHH!!!?

Umi: NO WONDER TSUBASA SAID THE MURDERER WAS "INTERESTING" AT THE START!!

Dia: I can't....omg....Maki is so elite....

Maki: ......please....cut it out....

Chika: OMG!! MAKI-SAMA IS THE MURDERER?!!!

Honoka: Wow, Maki is very good at pretending not to be one!!

Yoshiko: What?! Did Maki turn into a ghost - ehem - I mean, did Maki just hid all day in the arena and waited to kill us all?

Maki: Ummm...I pretended to be dead. That is what I did.

Everyone: Ehhhhh!!!?

Maki: Look, let me explain. First, I killed Rin. I used Rin's blood to paint it all over my face and my blazer. Then, I slashed my arm to let some blood come out in order to make it more convincing, then I lied down on the floor in a position where anyone would think I am dead. Then, I got up, bandaged my arm to avoid losing more blood, and proceeded to kill everyone.

Everyone: WHATTTT?!!!!

Chika: That is not all guys!! Actually, before this round began, Maki-sama talked to me about trying out a team tactic with her! I thought we were gonna team up and kill everyone, but when I heard that Maki died, I thought I should go kill everyone and try to team up with someone! After that, I teamed up with Hanamaru and she agreed to kill everyone with me....but I never though Maki was still alive and that she killded me after she stabbed Hanamaru.

Riko: WHAT THE.....HOW COULD YOU!!

Nico: WHAT THE HELL?!! MAKI YOU....

Maki: S-shut up!!

Kanan: ....ohh...that explains why Hanamaru's body had a knife wound while Chika had a headshot.

Yuuki: Ohhhhhh....amazing!! I did not know you actually came up with such a thing!! No wonder you said "Looks like I have no more worries about killing other players....." a while ago!! (Read back to Game 05A)

Chika: Hehehe....yeah...sounds so devious right?

Eri: (Noticed how Yuuki did not seem to have heard or knew about the Maki-Chika deal at all beforehand as she judged from the tone of her statement. She will remember this unexpected hint that could reveal a possible escape route in the future.)

Hanamaru: I am sorry everyone!! I just had to survive somehow cuz I am scared to die again....

Umi: Nah, you scared us to death. I had a feeling you might be the one lying to us all this time!

After things were cleared up, everyone is baffled by how Maki pulled it off.

Honoka: I feel pathetic.

Rin: I died so quickly it was weird.

Hanayo: Maki-chan is so good at concealing herself!!

Mari: WHAT A GODDESS!!

Yoshiko: Jesus Christ!! Maki is such a red devil!!!

Maki: .........(blush).....

Dia: Hold it....I thought Ruby was the.....

Ruby: Maki-sama killed me while I was running someplace else to hide. It was so scary!

Nico: Wait a minute!!!? So that is why Ruby was inside that room.....you lured me in you jerk!!!

Maki: So what?

Nico: WHAT THE HELL, MAKI-CHAN?!! YOU PLAYED A VERY LAZY GAME BACK THERE!!!

Nico: Pretending to be dead in order to kill, psssttt!!! What a lazy and cheating way to win!!

Eri: Hey Maki, what did you saw or felt when the game ended?

Maki: Just like what you felt. I felt like time stopped and I could not move for a second then suddenly I am here.

Riko: Hey Chika....

Chika: What?

Riko: You and Hanamaru surprisingly make a dangerous team....

Chika: (stares at her cluelessly for seconds until) WOW!! THAT IS RIGHT!! Thanks Riko-chan!! Now I have a new tactic to -

Riko: Oh dear....what did I just say....

Erena: What made Maki so entertaining indeed was she read everyone's behavior whilst pulling this off! Honestly, "playing dead" as a tactic is very difficult particularly when someone spots you!! Also, this tactic HEAVILY depended on every other player screwing up somehow!!

Tsubasa: She is so awesome!!

Nico: The way you praise her is making me irritated.

Tsubasa: But anyway, there is also something more entertaining this round besides Maki!!

Nico: sigh....I am so used to being ignored...

Tsubasa: Basically, the following people who killed Innocents by mistake are everyone except You, Ruby, Hanamaru...... Which means that THE REST WILL RECEIVE A PUNISHMENT ALTOGETHER NEXT ROUND!!

Everyone: Huh?!!!

Tsubasa: Next round, we will be changing the rules. One of those rules involves penalties for ANYBODY who killed Innocents despite not being a Murderer!! Stay tuned for your penalties!!!

Chika: Oh my....I am fucked.....

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A/N: Guys, TOTALLY SORRY I NEVER UPDATED THIS. I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THIS BOOK CUZ OF MY SUPER BUSY LIFE.

Therefore, expect me to update this again. I have also a thought a lot of scenarios this time around - VERY GREAT ONES. Right now, I can give you guys one spoiler - I have a well thought scenario for Nozomi.

Lastly, this part was rushed a tiny bit.

Regardless, tell me about how you feel of this twist. Did the reveal of Maki being the murderer (and killing everyone after pretending to be dead) caught you off guard? Comment and vote!!