章節 47: Chapter 47 - Morishita 3 - 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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"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." ~Matthew 7:15 (The Bible)

Day 5

The atmosphere in the room was uneasy as everyone sat at the discussion table. It was as though a heavy cloud of suspicion hovered over them. No progress had been made in discovering the thief. Each passing day only seemed to deepen the tension, with every participant growing more guarded, more anxious. The silence in the room felt unnatural, almost suffocating, as though no one dared to speak the first word.

At this point, it could truly be anyone. Even Yagami, who had been the least likely candidate due to his reputation and intelligence, hadn't been ruled out completely. His recent behavior—subtle changes in his demeanor, the slight impatience in his voice—made others wary. Was his growing frustration a sign of desperation or something more calculated?

Matsushita, her patience clearly worn thin, finally broke the silence. "Shouldn't we, you know, talk?" Her voice cut through the room, drawing everyone's attention. She glanced nervously at Yagami, whose cold, distant expression had become unsettling over the last couple of rounds. Then her gaze shifted to Morishita, who remained composed, her eyes never leaving Yagami, as if they were locked in some invisible battle. "And you two, Yagami and Morishita, have a lot to lose in this game. But if we don't do anything, we definitely won't make any progress."

Matsushita's words hung in the air for a moment, and then Yukimura nodded. "Matsushita's right," he said, his voice slightly hesitant, as though wary of how Yagami would react. "We should—"

But Yagami cut him off sharply. "Talking is pointless right now."

The abruptness of his response startled Yukimura. He blinked, caught off guard. "Why is that, Yagami?" Yagami had been pushing for the group to act more decisively in previous rounds, but now he seemed to be contradicting his earlier stance. What had changed?

Yagami's gaze shifted toward Morishita. As if he had already decided the outcome of this conversation. "Morishita, could you entertain me for a moment, please?" he asked, his voice low but commanding.

Morishita arched an eyebrow, her composure unwavering. "Hmm, I suppose I could. What is it?"

Yagami's tone sharpened. "Who do you suspect is the thief in this game?"

Morishita didn't hesitate, as if she had already considered the question long before Yagami asked. "Hmm, in order from most suspicious to least, I assume it would be you, of course," she said, her voice cold but calm. "Followed by Kanzaki, then Himeno, and lastly Matsushita. The rest are obviously non-suspects. You are at the top because the way the thief is operating can be matched by few, and Kanzaki and Himeno are right below because I assume if the thief is working with someone else, those two are the most suspicious."

Her words were clinical, almost detached. It was as though she was discussing pieces on a chessboard rather than her fellow classmates.

"I see. My list is a but different," Yagami replied, though his tone lacked the cool detachment of Morishita's. There was anxiety in his voice. "It goes Yamamura, Kanzaki, Himeno, Matsushita, and then you."

Morishita's eyes narrowed slightly, a glimmer of intrigue sparking within them. "Oh, I'm surprised. I thought I'd be at the top of your list, Yagami. Or maybe you're saying this to try to gain my trust?"

Yagami shook his head. "No, you're confused, Matsushita," he said, his voice dismissive but pointed. "I simply don't think you could pull off this scheme alone if you were the thief, as Yamamura would be pretty useless in a scenario like this."

The air in the room grew colder with Yagami's words, his blunt assessment of Yamamura did not go unnoticed.

"How about we agree to call this a tie, Morishita?" Yagami continued, his voice taking on a measured calm. "We are both clueless here. There's no reason to—"

But Morishita interrupted, her voice cutting through his offer like a blade. "No, I plan on seeing this through to the end. But why, Yagami? Are you getting cold feet now?"

Yagami's jaw clenched, his patience clearly wearing thin. "It's not about cold feet. Can't you see? If the thief keeps playing like this, winning will be almost impossible! In the end, one of us may be expelled in a game of chance where we both have to randomly guess who to vote as the thief."

Morishita's expression didn't change. She met his frustration with a cool gaze. "Well, that was always a possibility."

And once again, silence descended on the room.

Yukimura glanced around nervously, unsure whether to speak after Yagami had shut him down so abruptly just earlier. He hesitated, then finally spoke up, though his voice was quieter than before. "Is there really nothing to talk about today?"

Yagami, his expression unreadable, responded quickly. "Yes, actually, it seems that there is." His eyes locked onto Himeno.

Himeno, who had remained quiet for much of the game, looked up, meeting Yagami's gaze. Her expression was guarded, and she hesitated for a moment before responding. "What is it?"

Yagami's voice was sharp, accusatory. "You sent a message last night. Who did you send it to, and what did it say?"

Yukimura immediately interjected, his tone defensive. "Wait, Yagami, isn't that a bit much? They are called private messages for a reason, after all."

But Yagami didn't back down. His voice grew harsher, more demanding. "Yes, but it's suspicious. For all we know, she could be working with the thief. After all, it's strange. Himeno hasn't contributed much at all to the discovery of the thief, but she had a message to send?"

Himeno's gaze hardened, "How I use my messages is my business. I have no reason to disclose to whom I wrote and what I said, even if I was writing to the thief, which I wasn't."

Yagami's eyes narrowed, his frustration boiling over. "I knew it. You're a snake, aren't you?"

Kanzaki, sensing the rising anxiety, stepped in, trying to mediate. "Wait, Yagami, Himeno has a point," he said cautiously. "Remember, you just sold us your stamps, talking about how useful they can be for communication."

Yagami scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Yes, they could be useful, to participants that is. What damn participation has Himeno done in our discussion? The most logical analysis would be that either Himeno is the thief and was communicating with an accomplice, or Himeno was communicating with the thief who is her accomplice. In either scenario, she is no better than a traitor. And the fact she won't even disclose who she messaged makes her even more suspicious. What could she possibly have to say in a private letter if she isn't a traitor?"

Himeno's voice rose, cutting through the room with icy anger. "Fine, if you're so curious about my private message, then I'll tell you. It was to Yukimura. I sent him a private message last night because I overheard your deal with Kanzaki and Matsushita just yesterday, and it was bothering me. I thought it was suspicious you were selling your stamps if you really are a civilian. After all, why the hell would a civilian sell their stamps for so low?"

Her voice grew sharper, more accusatory with each word. "Even if you don't have any of your classmates in this exam, the stamps could've been useful to message the banker, who you know is innocent, or coordinate against the thief. But you sold two and only kept one, so I thought it was damn suspicious. You can ask him to bring the letter out tomorrow when he receives it. So are you happy now, Yagami? Asshole…"

The room fell into stunned silence. The audacity of Yagami's public rebuke of Himeno, followed by the realization of how wrong his deductions had been, left everyone speechless.

Yagami, for once, seemed lost for words. His voice, when he finally spoke, was quieter, almost defeated. "I still want to see that letter, but… if you're telling the truth… I'm sorry," he said, sighing heavily as he lowered his head in regret.

Yagami raised his head and looked at Himeno, his voice sincere. "Here, take my stamp as a token of an apology. Yukimura and Kanzaki are right. Even if you were the thief, I shouldn't have spoken to you like that."

Himeno, though still visibly angry, didn't turn away from him. She eyed him warily but softened her tone slightly. "I don't want it."

"Please," Yagami insisted. His voice cracked slightly. "I'm not asking you to forgive me. I just want to try to make up for my words."

Himeno's expression softened further, and she finally relented. "Fine. Thank you," she said, taking the sticker Yagami peeled off and putting it on her uniform. Her voice was calmer now, though still tinged with frustration. "And it's alright. I didn't take anything personally."

Day 6

The fifth night came and went, and as the sixth day began, everyone walked out of their rooms. Yukimura emerged with a letter in hand.

Before anyone could sit at the discussion table, Yagami spoke up, his voice clear. "I think we should split into small groups again. I will go with Yukimura today since he has a letter to show me and I have something to talk about with him. Does that sound good?"

Most of the group nodded in agreement, the routine now familiar, and so Yagami and Yukimura broke off into a more secluded corner of the room.

Yagami wasted no time. "I'm sorry, but may I see the letter?" he asked.

Yukimura nodded silently and passed the letter to Yagami.

Yagami's eyes scanned the letter on it was a stamp, and as Yagami glanced around the room, he quickly assessed the situation. Yukimura still had his three stamps. Yamamura and Morishita also had their three. Kanzaki and Matsushita had four, thanks to the deal with Yagami, meaning the only person who could have sent this letter was Himeno.

Yagami opened the letter, and read the contents:

"Yagami sold 2 of his stamps to Kanzaki and Matsushita for only 7,500 points each. It's suspicious. I think he might be up to something."

Yagami recognized the handwriting immediately. It was Himeno's. He had seen enough student documents in the student council to be sure. Guilt washed over him as he lowered the letter, his voice regretful. "I really am sorry for my outburst yesterday."

Yukimura, responded with a reassuring tone. "It's fine, Yagami. There's a lot at risk for you in this exam. I can understand why you'd be stressed, but I'm sure everything will turn out fine, so relax, okay?"

Yagami nodded slowly, though his expression remained tense. "I'll try."

Yukimura leaned forward slightly, his voice softening. "Anyways, what did you have to talk to me about, Yagami?"

Yagami hesitated for a second, his eyes scanning the room to ensure no one was eavesdropping. Once he was certain, he whispered, "I'm curious. Who do you think the thief is?"

Yukimura leaned back, his brow furrowed in thought. "It's tough to say. If I was in your position and just had to throw out a guess… I don't know. It's difficult. There is no solid evidence for any side, just some assumptions that can be made."

Yagami nodded, though his frustration was evident. "At this rate, I may really have to drop out," he said, sighing heavily.

Before Yukimura could respond, the administrator's voice cut through the air, signaling the end of the day. "The sixth day is coming to an end. Please prepare to return to your—"

"Wait!" Himeno's voice rang out from the other side of the room, startling everyone. "Just quickly before the day ends, I wasn't able to ask before since we split into groups, but why did you send me 10,000 points last night, Yagami?"

Yagami turned away slightly, his face flushing with embarrassment. He scratched his head awkwardly. "Ahh, that. It's nothing. I told you I felt bad about acting out. The thief was previously stealing 10,000 points a night, so I thought it was a good amount to send as an apology for my accusations. It was more for myself than anything else. Please don't think too much of it."

Himeno stared at him for a moment, processing his words, before she nodded slowly. "I see… thank you then," she replied, her voice softening as she accepted his explanation.

The administrator's voice echoed again, signaling the end of the day. "Now, please return to your assigned rooms."

Day 7

Once again, everyone gathered at the discussion table. Yukimura, looking more anxious than usual, prepared to speak.

"Okay," he began, his voice steady but tense. "I used my ability last night and can confirm the thief has maintained their cycle of stealing 10,710 points from each player a night. So, I will tell everyone their balances from the point I checked them, with 10,710 subtracted to account for how much the thief likely stole last night. Morishita has 135,740 points remaining, Yamamura also has 135,740 points remaining, Himeno has 145,740 points remaining, Yagami has 140,740 points remaining, while both Kanzaki and Matsushita have 128,240 points remaining. Ah, I also have 135,740 for anyone curious."

The room grew still as everyone processed the information.

"So that means the thief has stolen a total of 585,560 points," Kanzaki said softly.

"And yet we still don't have the faintest idea of their identity," Yagami muttered, his frustration boiling over. His fists clenched tightly on the table, his knuckles turning white. "This is—"

Before he could finish, Matsushita spoke up, her voice calm but firm. "I know a lot of you may not like what I'm about to say, but I think we should stop the game, and that Yagami and Morishita should call this a draw."

"I hate to say it, but I agree," Yukimura added, his voice weary. "I don't know about Class A, B, and C, but being in Class D, this many points alone is irresistible. At this rate, they will all be lost to the thief, so I would agree. I wouldn't mind if we got five of us to call an end to this game."

But Yagami shook his head, his expression hardening. "No, I won't agree to ending the game like this. A draw is fine, but…" His voice trailed off as his mind raced, lost in thought.

Morishita's voice cut through his contemplation. "It's pointless. I won't, and by proxy, Yamamura won't agree to end this game or allow for an unnatural draw by agreement either."

Yagami's frustration grew, but he didn't respond. Instead, Yukimura spoke up again. "I see… if we can't get five people to agree, then we have no choice but to continue the game."

A brief silence followed, until Himeno broke it with a pointed observation. "I do find one thing weird, though," she said, her eyes narrowing as they landed on Yamamura, Morishita, and Yagami. "The person this game is most advantageous towards is the thief, which makes me wonder… Yagami, you previously said you were okay with a tie, but now you don't want the game to end. Why?"

Yagami stiffened, his eyes darting away from her. "I-I realized, if I agreed to a tie now, at this moment, if I let the game end, I'd feel like I lost—not to Morishita but to the thief, and I can't accept that feeling."

Himeno's eyes narrowed in confusion. "What do you mean you can't accept that feeling? Do you think the feeling of a 'loser' is worse than possibly losing your opportunity to study at this school?"

Yagami's response was quiet, almost defeated. "I don't know, but I don't plan on finding out. I'll definitely win. I have to."

The room fell into a deep, uneasy silence as Yagami's words lingered in the air. The administrator then spoke, breaking the tension. "That concludes the seventh day. Proceed to your labeled rooms to commence the night cycle," she said.

Day 8

And so another uneventful day passed. The tension had reached an unbearable stillness, the kind that suffocates any attempt at conversation. Everyone moved with robotic precision, following the same routine.

Day 9

"…"

The air in the room felt stagnant, as if the pressure of the last few days had finally squeezed the energy out of everyone. Yukimura, his eyes shifting from one person to the next, broke the silence with a soft but desperate plea, his voice trembling slightly. "If we don't talk, we'll never learn anything to help catch the thief."

Though the table remained quiet, the inactivity didn't reflect the true atmosphere. Each player had used their stamps at least once—except Yukimura, who still sat on his three, and Yagami, who had given or sold all his away. Despite the outward quiet, under the surface, alliances, suspicions, and strategies churned like a storm.

Matsushita, glancing between her peers, finally spoke, her tone more tentative than before. "Has anyone used their check balance ability? That could provide us with some useful information, right?"

Yagami hesitated for a brief moment, his eyes darting quickly across the faces in the room, before answering. "Yes, I used mine, although it didn't provide me with any useful intel other than confirming the thief's stealing pattern of 10,710 points per night… and that I received points from the deals I made."

At the moment Yagami spoke, Yamamura exchanged a subtle glance with Morishita, who nodded imperceptibly before speaking up. "Morishita had told me to use my ability too, but I didn't learn anything from it…"

Lastly, Himeno spoke. "I used mine too. Nothing came from it except learning if deals ended well."

Silence enveloped the room once more. Yukimura nodded slightly, his face tense as he processed the information. There was nothing, it seemed, to grasp onto—no cracks that could lead them to the thief.

Day 10

"You checked our balances today, right? Is there any good news, Yukimura?" Matsushita asked as everyone took their seats at the table. There was a subtle urgency in her voice, a glimmer of hope that perhaps something, anything, had changed.

Yukimura shook his head, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. "No, it's more of the same. The thief is just slowly draining our accounts…"

No one seemed surprised by this development. The thief had remained methodical and relentless, and the atmosphere in the room had grown colder, more withdrawn. The silence that followed wasn't peaceful.

Day 11 – 15

And so, game days passed in the eerie quiet. No breakthroughs, no accusations. Just the same faces staring across the table, knowing the thief was there but powerless to expose them.

Even when Yukimura checked balances, there was nothing to be said. And yet, the tension beneath the surface was mounting, each passing day bringing them closer to the inevitable. The clock was ticking, and everyone could feel it.

Day 16

Finally, the dam broke.

"This is bullshit!" Yagami's voice erupted like a thunderclap, shattering the fragile stillness of the room. He shot up from his seat, his eyes wild with frustration and something darker, more desperate. "You, all of you, you're cheating, aren't you?"

His sudden outburst caught everyone off guard. Though Yagami had been showing signs of unease, no one had expected such an explosive reaction. The room, so used to its suffocating silence, seemed to tremble under the force of his anger.

"That's the only way something like this could occur!" Yagami continued, his voice escalating, veins throbbing in his neck. "All of you are working to expel me, aren't you? You want me gone, so you're conspiring together!"

"Yagami, I think you need to calm down," Matsushita said, her voice soft, as she cautiously reached over, trying to ease the tension in the room.

But Yagami jerked away, his eyes blazing. "What do you mean calm down! Don't you see what's happening?" His voice cracked with the weight of his emotions. "No, how could I forget—you're in on it too. It's all a coordinated attack just to screw with me! This test, it was impossible for me to pass from the start. All of you just want to bring me down!"

For a moment, no one responded. They watched in stunned silence as Yagami's fury spiraled, feeding on his paranoia.

Finally, Morishita spoke, her voice cold and steady, cutting through the tension like a blade. "You're wrong, Yagami. I've figured out who the thief is in this game. It hasn't been easy, but your reaction to what's occurred thus far is unwarranted. If you lose this game, it's because of your own incapabilities."

Yagami's anger faltered, his voice losing its strength. "What do you mean?" His question hung in the air, but Morishita didn't answer, letting the weight of her words settle over him.

"You have two more cycles, day 18," Morishita said, her tone the same as ever. "By then, the thief will have stolen 1.35 million points. I will call an end to the game and initiate a vote before the thief can claim victory and steal all the points they've accumulated. I hope you figure it out by then."

Her words left Yagami speechless. For the first time in the game, he looked uncertain, his once-unshakable confidence shattered.

Day 17

Yagami's determination was evident. He remained focused, tirelessly analyzing the remaining players, trying to piece together the puzzle before the final day arrived.

Day 18

"So, this is it," Yukimura said, his voice low and tense. The final day had arrived, and with it, the moment of reckoning. Yagami and Morishita would vote, potentially resulting in someone's expulsion.

The air was thick with anticipation as everyone sat anxiously around the discussion table.

"Administrator, I'd like to call the game over and initiate the accusation phase, as allowed by the rules," Morishita said, her voice steady, though the tension in the room suggested that even she wasn't immune to the gravity of the moment.

The administrator nodded, her expression unreadable. "Then as of this moment, the game is over. The thief has stolen a grand total of 1,349,460 points. If neither of you can guess the true identity of the thief, then this amount will be given to the thief, and this game will be considered a tie. If both of you correctly guess the identity of the thief, then this amount will be split between you and Yagami, and this game will be considered a tie. Now, if only one of you correctly guesses the identity of the thief, then that individual will receive the entirety of the 1.35 million points, and that person will be considered the victor."

The weight of the moment settled on everyone's shoulders as the administrator continued, "Now, at this moment, Yagami and Morishita, you may both head into your private rooms. You will take a paper and write the identity of the person you suspect to be the thief onto the paper. You will then submit this paper into the letter slot and exit your rooms. Everyone else will be waiting out here for you. The school will take a few minutes analyzing your guesses and decide the result of the exam. Now go."

Yagami and Morishita rose from their seats, moving toward their respective rooms. Yagami's steps were slower, his shoulders tense, while Morishita moved with confident precision. Though they entered their rooms at different paces, they exited within seconds of each other, quickly they sat back down at the discussion table.

Yagami's face, once tense and filled with unease, slowly transformed, a dark chuckle escaping his lips. The change was so unnerving that it caught Morishita's attention.

"Hahaha," Yagami laughed, the sound rich with amusement. "I'm sorry, I can't do this anymore. The way you sit there, so confident in your vote, it's... absolutely hilarious."

Morishita's eyes narrowed as she observed him, taking in his sudden shift. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Yagami leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper, though it was laced with energy that made everyone lean in just a bit closer. "I mean... you lost this game, Morishita."

A flicker of something passed across Morishita's face—a slight tightening of her gaze. She remained unshaken, but the curiosity burned beneath her calm exterior. "I lost? How could you be so sure of that?"

Yagami simply grinned, "Because of the differences between us, it is simple... You see Morishita, unlike you I don't need to play to win, winning is something that comes naturally to me. So while you were playing to win this game, I was just playing to make sure you would lose."

"Well then," Yagami said, his tone dripping with anticipation, "tell me, Morishita... who did you vote for?"

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Give me all of your thoughts I love comments and would appreciate reviews as usual.

And of course I want to hear you guesses for who you believe the thief is, yes it can be deduced at the very least given the information I've provided so I'd love to hear theories.

Hope you all enjoyed.