章 45: Chapter 45 - Morishita 1 - Clairvoyance

As I said last chapter I've been busy with college, so uploading has been a bit annoying but here's a chapter If you dont give me your powerstones, I'll...

Be very sad so please send them my way, as always I appreciate comments and reviews as well, I love hearing everyone's thoughts.

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"The most dangerous person is the one who listens, thinks, and observes." ~Bruce Lee

"It's surprising seeing you at one of these exams so early," Morishita said to Yagami as she entered the room with Yamamura by her side. Her voice was calm, but there was a sharpness to her words that felt more like a subtle challenge.

Yagami didn't react to the undercurrent in her tone. His eyes, as always, remained unreadable. "Well, my future's on the line, so it's only natural I take this exam seriously, isn't it?" Yagami explained as the two seated themselves. He exhaled slowly, his posture entirely relaxed, as if the weight of the situation didn't phase him at all.

Morishita gave a half-smile. "I expected you to do some spying for this exam, to try to figure out the thief before the start time of the game, but to my surprise, it seems you tried nothing of that sort."

Yagami turned his head slightly, the corners of his mouth twitching, but his eyes remained fixed on the door. "No, there wasn't much time to approach every member of this exam, and all the participants are capable. It would be a waste of time."

"Is that so?" Morishita whispered. Her voice was almost inaudible, as if her words were meant for herself more than for him. Yagami didn't flinch, but a spark of amusement flickered briefly in his gaze before vanishing.

As she did so, Yagami looked over to her side. His sudden movement, though casual, felt calculated.

"Your name is Yamamura, right? It's a pleasure to meet you." His voice softened, but it wasn't without a trace of cold calculation, as if he were testing her reaction to his unexpected familiarity.

Yamamura's eyes widened for a fraction of a second. She seemed surprised by Yagami's recognition of her and friendly greeting. "Ah, thank you," she stammered, quickly composing herself, though her fingers trembled slightly in her lap.

"Are you also factionless like Morishita?" Yagami's question hung in the air, innocent on the surface.

Yamamura nodded in response, glancing nervously toward Morishita, who remained impassive. Following her nod, two more individuals entered the room: Teruhiko Yukimura and Chiaki Matsushita.

The brief moment of tension between the three dissipated as Yagami, Morishita, and Yamamura exchanged nods with the friendly arrivals, who took their seats without fanfare. Shortly after them came the last two exam participants, Ryuji Kanzaki and Yuki Himeno.

As Kanzaki entered, he scanned the entire room, his gaze lingering on each participant as though he was assessing them one by one. His eyes narrowed briefly on Yagami, but he made no comment. As he arrived at his seat, he said, "It seems like we are all here."

"Yes, it seems so, although I feel like I'm missing out on something here," Yagami responded jokingly. But his joke fell flat, and the air around the room felt heavier. No one laughed.

Matsushita was the first one to break the silence. "Yeah, it must suck being the only one who has to play without a classmate. It's unlucky, to say the least." Her voice, though casual, carried a hint of sympathy.

Yagami's lips quirked into a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah, but I guess I'll survive," he said as he turned to face the administrator, and the other exam participants did the same. The room, already tense, felt even more stifling with the unspoken stakes hanging over them.

Noticing the attention of the room was now focused on her, the administrator spoke up. "Now that everyone's arrived, the exam, Light Yagami of Class B and Ai Morishita of Class A may commence their game. But before that, there are a few rules that should be explained."

Yagami and the rest of the room nodded their heads in understanding. The stillness that followed was suffocating, the silence threatening to crack under the weight of the unknown.

"If you look towards the left side of the room, you should notice seven doors, each with one of your names on them. During the night cycle of the game, this is where you will perform actions. For example, the Thief will be able to steal up to 75,000 points per night, the Banker will be able to see account balances of all players every three days, and Civilians and Bankers will have the ability to check their account balances at any time once during this exam," the administrator explained.

"I see…" Kanzaki muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. His brow furrowed as he absorbed the information, his sharp gaze darting to the seven doors. "So all the equipment necessary to do actions will be in our specified rooms?"

"Correct. Any peeping into another person's room will be severely punished, but we have taken precautions to make peeping itself near impossible."

Next, Yukimura spoke up after looking around the room. "I see, that makes sense. But what about these stickers you put on all of our uniforms? You haven't explained that."

The administrator smiled before proceeding. "Ah yes, the 'stamps.' Those will be used to communicate with each other. You all should have three stamps or stickers attached to your uniforms, and inside your 'rooms' there will be multiple pieces of paper. You can use your stamps on a paper to have it sent to another participant of the game, but it will take one game day for your letter to arrive. For example, if you send your letter on the first night, the recipient won't receive it until the second night. Also, you can only detach these stamps from your uniform for valid purposes, like sending a letter, so detaching them without a purpose will be considered a violation of the game rules. That way, once you send a letter, everyone in the game will be able to tell you have sent one. Think of it as a means of private communication."

"I see. Through these, I assume we can make deals or contracts in private?" Yagami asked, his voice deceptively casual, though his question suggested he was already strategizing.

The administrator gave an affirmative nod. "Yes, you will have more access to the means necessary to make deals and contracts with your points in your rooms through a screen, the same screen you will use to use your abilities. Anyway, if you have any more questions about the game rules, I can answer them as the game proceeds. I think you all understand enough to commence the game, correct?"

Everyone in the room nodded in agreement, and as they did, the administrator said, "Then start."

Day 1

The room remained still, save for the ticking of a distant clock and the faint shuffling of feet. Strange—that's how one could describe Light Yagami. His expression was neutral, but the stillness in his posture was unsettling. He seemed completely calm. Too calm. There was no way for him to have solved this game already, especially given he had stayed in his room all day.

But one had to admit, his confidence was impressive, unnerving even.

Sitting across from him, Morishita matched his demeanor with an equally serene expression. Her calm, however, felt rehearsed, like she was hiding something beneath her exterior. Was this true confidence from the pair, or simply good poker faces? Expulsion might be on the line, so they would see who would crack under pressure as the game proceeded.

"Well, since the first-day cycle has started, I believe the banker should introduce themselves," Morishita said. Her voice cut through the tension like a knife, causing those around the table to glance at each other suspiciously. A faint unease rippled through the group until someone stood up.

"I guess this is for the best," Teruhiko Yukimura said, taking control of things. "For this exam, I have been assigned the role of banker. I'm sure all of you understand what that entails by now."

As Yukimura spoke, everyone nodded at his words. It had to be true. Yukimura had to be the banker. If he weren't, his cover would promptly be blown if the true banker came out or even if Yukimura was cooperating with the banker. By the third round, where he would use his ability to inform everyone of their balance, his cover could easily be blown by the use of the civilians' abilities to check their balances once per day. A misalignment in balance amounts would make it evident if Yukimura wasn't the banker, especially given contracts that are only known to the parties involved in their creation.

For that reason, everyone quickly began planning after hearing Yukimura's revelation.

Kanzaki leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping the armrest thoughtfully. "Perfect. Now all that's left is to see what the thief's first moves are. It's impossible to deduce anything right now given we have almost no intel on the first round. If we work together and find the thief for the group, neither Yagami nor Morishita has to be expelled, and we can all earn some private points."

Yagami quickly responded to Kanzaki, his gaze unblinking. "That isn't completely true."

Kanzaki tilted his head slightly, his brows furrowing in confusion. "Huh? I'm sorry, Yagami, what specifically are you referring to?"

"Well, what you said about the thief's first few moves. There is a lot we can deduce from them. I would say they are the most important in the game," Yagami explained in deep contemplation, his voice low but deliberate.

The room fell silent, the weight of Yagami's words sinking in.

"I'm sorry, Yagami, but can you elaborate? I don't think everyone here understands what you're trying to say," Kanzaki responded, his tone bordering on impatience.

"Yeah, no offense, but we have a limited amount of time, so get to the point," Himeno interjected, her impatience more evident.

But Yagami didn't elaborate. The air grew thick with anticipation.

However, it seemed Morishita understood what Yagami was trying to say with his words. She leaned forward slightly, breaking the silence. "What Yagami is saying isn't that complicated. It mostly refers to his method of operation and analysis. Think of Yagami's victories so far. In each of them, one thing was true. Before competing against anyone, he had a complete analysis of their character and from there he mapped out and predicted their every move from before their competition till the day of."

She paused, letting her words sink in. "For example, against Katsuragi, before their competition, Light took note of his 'defensive' personality. Against Horikita, it was her drive to compete with Yagami and prove something that he took advantage of. He used these things to predict them during their games, and that's why he said the thief's first few moves are important and a lot can be deduced from them."

Yukimura nodded slowly, his gaze thoughtful. The rest of the table mirrored his understanding. "In that case, Yagami… are you saying you have a complete grasp of everyone here at this table?"

As Yukimura spoke, Yamamura shifted slightly in her seat, her gaze moving to Yagami, intrigued for the first time since entering the room. Everyone's eyes turned to her, surprised by her sudden interest in the conversation.

Yamamura thought back to Yagami's entrance into the game room and how he instantly recognized and greeted her. Could Yagami really possess such knowledge about six randomly selected students?

"Well, yes, something like that… I have always been really good at reading people. In the student council, I come across many files with student names on them. It's easy to learn about others when you have so many sources," Yagami said, laughing off the insane claim he made. His laughter, however, did nothing to lighten the mood.

Possessing knowledge or looking into the characters of two high-profile class leaders was one thing, but right now Yagami was not claiming to have insight into the minds of well-known class leaders but six randomly selected individuals.

After a moment of silence, Yukimura responded to Yagami. "I see… I can't lie; that claim does send a few shivers up my spine… but it's a good thing, right?" Yukimura said, looking around the table for reassurance. The mood remained tense as if no one dared to speak first.

With Yagami's help, we may be able to expose the thief's identity. Of course, we can't blindly trust his deductions, but if his claims can be used to find proof, then it can only be called a win-win. So, since we can't trust one alone, how about we appoint Yagami and Morishita both to the position of investigators? Their jobs will be to analyze the tracks left by the thief."

"I agree to that. They are the two competing here and likely the smartest individuals here," Himeno responded after a brief pause.

"I agree with Himeno," Kanzaki stated simply, though his tone lacked the certainty one might expect. Was it doubt, or something more?

Matsushita spoke next, saying, "I agree. Yagami and Morishita are likely the ones with the most to lose too if they don't guess correctly, after all." Her voice was softer than usual, betraying a flicker of uncertainty.

Yamamura simply offered a nod, her eyes still fixed on Yagami as though trying to peer deeper into his thoughts.

And with that, the administrator spoke. "That concludes the first day. Proceed to your labeled rooms to commence the night cycle," she said.

Quickly, everyone obliged. But there wasn't much to do on the first night, for all except one person in this game who acted without hesitation.

Day 2

As the night cycle ended, everyone exited their private rooms and returned to the discussion table. The atmosphere had shifted. It was denser now, as though the air itself had thickened under the weight of suspicion.

"This is tough. There isn't much to discuss until the fourth night since I can't use my ability until the third night," Yukimura said, though there was a slight tremor in his voice that hadn't been there the day before. Yagami didn't seem to miss it.

"I see," Yagami said, focusing his eyes on Yukimura with unnerving intensity. "Then, Yukimura, I have a request. I want you to conduct private interviews with everyone here. Specifically, ask everyone questions about the interiors of their private rooms." Yagami continued, pointing at his room. "Make them describe every little detail, from the position of the paper in their rooms to the color of their rooms, and of course, the options on their abilities screens and their positioning. I mean everything, Yukimura. Any tiny detail could easily expose the thief in this game."

Yukimura blinked, processing Yagami's words. "I see, that's genius, Yagami! If I privately interview and question all of you, I can spot any inconsistencies in the description of the civilian private room."

"Yes, I want you to interview me privately first as I wish to be involved in the subsequent interviews of everyone here. That shouldn't be a problem with anyone, right?" Yagami asked, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

"It doesn't affect me," Matsushita said with a shrug.

"I don't care either, as long as I can be involved in spectating these interviews with you after my interview," Morishita responded, her calm voice betraying nothing.

"That sounds good to me," Kanzaki added, though his voice lacked the same conviction as before.

Himeno and Yamamura simply nodded their heads, mostly uncaring about these interviews.

"Okay, then it's decided," Yagami said, standing up and gesturing to the corner of the room. "We will go to the corner of the room. Since this room is large, as long as we keep our voices down, we shouldn't be heard."

Yukimura, nodding his head in agreement, led the way.

Yukimura, nodding his head, led the way. His movements were deliberate, almost too controlled, as though the weight of responsibility rested squarely on his shoulders. The room was filled with a tension that made even the slightest sounds—like the rustling of clothes or the faint hum of the overhead lights—seem amplified.

"Okay, Yagami, tell me what was in your private room." Yukimura's voice, though calm, seemed to waver just slightly, as if he was aware that the information Yagami was about to give could reveal a lot.

Yagami straightened, his expression unreadable as always. His voice was steady, "It was a cramped light blue room, just enough space to move around. There was a chest-level desk inside, perfectly centered. On it was a stack of papers in a black document holder, with a black pen placed horizontally on top." He paused as if replaying the room's layout in his mind with absolute precision.

"To the right of the document holder, there was a slot to insert any written letters to be sent; above all that was the action screen. It had three options: 'Check balance (Limited to 1 usage),' 'Send letter to… (Takes 1 day cycle to arrive),' and 'Transfer points.' I didn't click on the check balance or send letter options to avoid using my ability, but I did click on the transfer points option." His gaze flicked briefly to Yukimura, gauging his reaction, though Yukimura remained stone-faced.

"Inside that menu, there were specific rules stating the transfer limit is 200,000 points. If you have fewer points than the amount you transfer to someone, your account will be charged to your school points account by the conclusion of the game. This is likely to ensure your point balance remains secret during most of the game," Yagami explained, his voice never faltering, though the tension in the air seemed to grow with each word.

Yukimura nodded slowly, rubbing his chin as though digesting each detail carefully. "I see…" he mused, his mind racing behind his calm facade. "My room was basically the same," he said after a pause, "except for the option to use my ability to see all player balances being on my action screen, which was locked since it's only usable once every three days."

There was a slight shift in the room's energy as Yukimura's eyes met Yagami's. "Interesting. We know the thief is likely to have one unique option on their action screen—the ability to steal points. They should lack the ability to check balance, as that is limited to civilians and bankers by the rules of the game and is useless to the thief in the grand scheme of things," Yagami analyzed.

Yukimura nodded again, his agreement clear, though a shadow of suspicion flickered in his eyes. It was brief, almost imperceptible, but Yagami caught it. "Well then, let's get Morishita here," Yukimura said, his voice louder now.

With a quick shout, Morishita quickly arrived, her steps light but confident. She carried herself like someone who had nothing to hide.

"Are you ready?" Yukimura asked her.

Before she could respond, Yagami cut in, his tone nonchalant but sharp enough to draw attention. "You look a bit nervous, Morishita-san."

The accusation, though subtle, hung in the air like a challenge. The area seemed to still, Yukimura's and Yagami's eyes on Morishita. For a second, her expression remained blank, and then she offered a small, almost dismissive smile. "Do I? I think you're confused," she replied smoothly, brushing off Yagami's words without hesitation. There was no crack in her demeanor—nothing for Yagami to latch onto.

Yagami's eyes narrowed slightly, though he said nothing further. For good reason, as she perfectly described the civilian room in nearly as much detail as he had. Each description was flawless, mechanical even, as if she had rehearsed it.

Yagami let the moment pass and called the next 'suspect.' "Yamamura, you can come next!" he shouted lightly, though there was a subtle sharpness to his voice now, a hint of frustration carefully hidden beneath his usual calm.

And so Yamamura came and took the seat placed in the corner of the room. Her movements were hesitant, almost as if she was uncomfortable with this interrogation. Yukimura asked if she was ready, but before she could answer, Yagami once again intervened.

"You look a bit nervous, Yamamura-san," he said, his voice softer this time, as if he expected her to crack under the pressure.

Yamamura flinched but quickly recovered. She avoided Yagami's gaze as she went on to perfectly describe the civilian room. Like Morishita, there was no flaw in her account.

"Do you really think that little trick of yours will work?" Morishita asked, her tone more curious than mocking. Her eyes gleamed with interest as if she was waiting to see how far Yagami would push his tactics.

Yagami shrugged slightly, the corners of his lips curling into a faint smile. "I don't know. That's why I'm trying it," he replied, making it sound as though he had all the time in the worlde.

Yukimura called on Kanzaki next. "Are you ready?" Yukimura asked him, his voice firm but laced with a hint of weariness as the interviews dragged on.

Yagami, unrelenting, repeated the same statement he'd made twice before. "You look a bit nervous, Kanzaki-kun."

Kanzaki's lips twitched into a grin, his response coming faster than the others. "Ha, do you think so? I don't have a perfect memory, so I guess you could say I am a bit nervous, but that's only natural. I'm sure as things progress, I'll loosen up," Kanzaki replied, his voice light, almost playful. But his eyes told a different story—there was a guardedness to them, as if he wasn't revealing everything.

His response could barely be called a bite, but it was more than Yagami received on his last two uses of this question. There was something there—small, but enough to keep Yagami intrigued.

Kanzaki went on to describe his room in more than enough detail to confirm that it was no different from everyone else who had stepped up so far. Still, something in his demeanor left a lingering doubt in Yagami's mind.

For the last two students left to interview, Himeno and Matsushita, Yagami didn't say a word to them about their demeanor. There seemed to be no need to; somehow, everyone managed to describe their room in the exact same way.

Yet, despite the flawless descriptions, the tension in the room hadn't lessened. If anything, it had grown, tightening like a noose as the interviews went on. Yagami's eyes flicked briefly to Morishita, who sat calmly at her seat, her expression unreadable. She caught his gaze and held it for a moment, the briefest hint of amusement playing at the corners of her mouth before she looked away.

Yagami exhaled slowly, leaning back in his chair. The day had yielded no clear answers, but the game was far from over. And as the night cycle loomed ahead, he knew that the real moves—the ones that would decide everything—were yet to be made.