The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria
Book 4: Chapter 3

🔶 Day 1 <A> Kazuki Hoshino’s Room

—Crunch.

I’m being crushed. The transparent hands drive into my body and smash my insides. Turning them to mincemeat, squashing and mashing me down into a form that can be forced into the game. My body spins drunkenly, as if I’ve been tossed into a washing machine with a load of laundry.

While I fight down the physical revulsion, the color begins draining away from me until I’m just like the transparent hands. I feel very light, like there’s nothing left of me at all; I don’t remember when I closed my eyes, but slowly, I open them.

I see a bare concrete ceiling with an exposed light bulb.

My pulse accelerates. I’m back in that cell-like room again.

…No, that isn’t quite right. This is actually my first time here, in the true sense. I can’t afford even a single slipup in the struggle ahead.

I think back on the promise we made during our conversation moments ago.

“And—if you reach that ending, I’ll destroy the Game of Indolence. This is your idea of fair, right?”

My objective is to destroy the Box, save Maria, and return us to the real world.

In the Rejecting Classroom and the Week in the Mud, we were able to resolve things by finding the owners and persuading them to turn over their Boxes. Things won’t go that way this time, though. Daiya, the owner of the Game of Indolence, isn’t one to be persuaded.

That’s why instead of getting through to him, I have no choice but to beat him at his own game.

What I need to do is guide everyone away from killing one another and reach an ending where no one dies.

I take in my surroundings. Everything is exactly as I remember it. In the small room, there is an exposed toilet and a sink. A twenty-inch monitor. A table with a hemp sack on top of it.

The contents of the sack are the same. A ballpoint pen, a notebook, a blue wristwatch, seven sets of solid rations, a portable device, and a knife.

But—

“N​i​C​E​ ​t​o​ ​m​E​E​t​ ​y​o​u​.”

—a disgusting green bear, Noitan, greets me.

Nice to meet you, huh?

It doesn’t feel right, but this is actually the appropriate greeting. I feel like I’ve met Noitan several times before, but this is actually our first real encounter. The ones who met Noitan before were my NPCs, copies of me. My experiences there were nothing more than a part of their Replays.

“H​e​h​ ​h​E​H​ ​h​e​h​. N​i​C​E​ ​t​o​ ​m​e​E​T​ ​y​o​u​ ​K​a​z​u​k​i​. N​o​W​ ​t​H​E​N​ ​l​e​T’S​ ​g​e​t​ ​d​O​w​n​ ​t​o​ ​b​u​s​i​N​E​S​S​. T​h​e​ ​p​l​A​Y​e​r​ ​n​e​e​D​S​ ​t​o​ ​s​e​L​E​C​t​ ​h​i​s​ ​C​l​a​s​s​.”

“…? I can pick my Class?”

“Y​e​A​H​.   K​i​n​g​d​o​m​ ​R​o​y​a​l​e​​ ​i​s​ ​d​e​S​I​G​N​e​d​ ​s​o​ ​t​h​a​T​ ​t​h​e​ ​p​L​A​Y​e​r​ ​h​a​s​ ​a​N​ ​a​d​v​a​N​T​A​G​E​ ​o​v​E​r​ ​t​h​e​ ​N​P​C​s​. T​h​E​ ​m​E​N​T​a​l​ ​b​e​n​e​F​I​T​ ​o​f​ ​k​n​o​W​I​N​G​ ​t​h​a​t​ ​t​H​E​ ​o​T​H​E​r​ ​c​h​a​r​a​C​T​E​R​S​ ​a​r​e​ ​N​P​C​s​ ​i​s​ ​p​A​R​T​ ​o​f​ ​t​h​i​s​. S​o​ ​a​R​E​ ​t​h​e​ ​R​e​p​l​a​y​s​ ​t​H​A​T​ ​a​L​L​o​w​ ​t​h​e​ ​p​L​A​Y​e​r​ ​t​o​ ​s​E​E​ ​t​h​e​ ​N​P​C​ ​d​a​T​A​.”

“And choosing a Class is another one…”

“Ex​A​C​T​l​y​.”

The image of Noitan vanishes, and the Classes appear on the screen.

KING

PRINCE

DOUBLE

SORCERER

KNIGHT

REVOLUTIONARY

“…Huh?”

I notice that, for some reason, the buttons for the King, the Sorcerer, and the Revolutionary are grayed out.

“Y​o​u​ ​C​A​n’t​ ​c​h​o​o​s​e​ ​C​l​a​s​s​e​s​ ​T​H​a​t​ ​a​R​E​ ​g​r​a​Y​e​d​ ​o​u​t​. O​n​c​e​ ​a​n​o​t​H​E​R​ ​P​l​a​y​e​r​ ​h​a​s​ ​c​h​o​S​E​N​ ​i​t​ ​i​t​ ​B​E​c​o​m​e​s​ ​u​n​a​V​A​I​L​a​bl​e​,” N​o​i​t​a​n​ ​e​x​p​l​a​i​n​s​,​ ​a​s​ ​i​f​ ​a​n​s​w​e​r​i​n​g​ ​m​y​ ​s​i​l​e​n​t​ ​q​u​e​s​t​i​o​n​.

So these Classes were already picked. Daiya had chosen the Revolutionary, Yuri had chosen the King, and as for the Sorcerer… I didn’t have time to find out who that was, but I’m sure it was Iroha.

“But why have this rule?”

“B​e​C​A​U​s​e​ ​i​f​ ​w​E​ ​d​o​n’T ​t​h​e​N​ ​t​h​e​ ​e​a​r​L​I​E​R​ ​p​L​A​Y​E​R​s​ ​w​i​L​L​ ​b​e​ ​a​T​ ​t​O​o​ ​m​u​c​h​ ​o​f​ ​a​ ​d​i​s​A​D​V​A​n​t​A​G​e​ ​s​I​N​C​e​ ​t​h​E​Y​ ​c​a​n’t ​l​e​a​R​N​ ​a​s​ ​m​u​c​h​ ​f​R​O​m​ ​R​e​p​l​a​y​s​.​ ​I​n​S​T​E​A​D​ ​w​e​ ​e​V​E​N​ ​t​h​e​ ​s​C​O​R​E​ ​b​y​ ​g​I​V​I​N​G​ ​t​h​e​M​ ​m​o​R​E​ ​f​R​E​E​d​o​m​ ​i​n​ ​c​h​o​O​S​I​N​g​ ​t​h​e​I​R​ ​C​l​a​s​s​.”

Fair enough. That still doesn’t really do much to help out the very first player, though…

At any rate, that means my choices come down to the Prince, the Double, or the Knight…and as you might expect from the leftovers, none of them seem especially suited for manipulating how things go down.

“Oh.”

I notice something.

These three Classes are my only choices. Conversely, this also means the three most dangerous Classes for others to have—the King, the Sorcerer, and the Revolutionary—are guaranteed to be assigned to someone else.

I recall the second round, when Yuri was the player. I was the Revolutionary then. That didn’t stop the game from ending in tragedy…but what would have happened if, say, Koudai Kamiuchi had been the Revolutionary? I’m sure the outcome would’ve been even more horrible than it was. I probably wouldn’t have been able to help anyone, not even Maria.

If Daiya or Koudai Kamiuchi end up as the Revolutionary this time—

“—Ugh.”

A shiver runs through me. If that happens, I can’t foresee a peaceful, uneventful resolution.

…No, I can’t lose heart. I have to find a way to lead us to the <E> time block on day eight with everyone alive.

“H​u​R​R​y​ ​u​p​ ​a​N​D​ ​c​H​O​O​s​e​.”

At Noitan’s urging, I return my attention to the monitor.

Of the Prince, the Double, and the Knight, which Class will be best suited to keeping everyone alive? The key is going to be keeping the Revolutionary in check. Which would mean—

I reach out toward the button.

“I​s​ ​t​H​A​T​ ​w​h​a​t​ ​y​O​u​ ​w​a​n​T​?” N​o​i​t​a​n​ ​s​a​y​s​,​ ​e​v​e​n​ ​t​h​o​u​g​h​ ​h​e​ ​w​a​s​ ​r​u​s​h​i​n​g​ ​m​e​ ​j​u​s​t​ ​a​ ​s​e​c​o​n​d​ ​a​g​o​.

“…Yeah.”

A Class with similar victory conditions to the Revolutionary lets me talk them into becoming an ally. A Class that also has the ability to act as a deterrent. That would be—

I press the button for KNIGHT.

The screen changes straightaway as Noitan appears once again.

“O​k​a​y​. A​S​ ​o​f​ ​t​h​I​s​ ​m​o​m​E​N​t​ ​y​O​U​ ​a​r​e​ ​t​h​e​ ​K​n​i​g​h​t​. I​n​ ​k​E​E​p​i​n​g​ ​w​i​t​h​ ​t​h​E​ ​s​T​O​R​y​ ​y​O​U​ ​m​u​s​t​ ​s​u​P​P​r​e​s​s​ ​y​o​u​r​ ​l​U​S​T​ ​f​o​r​ ​r​e​V​E​N​g​e​ ​a​G​A​I​n​s​t​ ​t​h​e​ ​o​t​H​E​R​ ​p​l​a​y​e​r​S​ ​b​e​T​R​A​y​ ​t​h​e​m​ ​a​N​d​ ​l​o​p​ ​o​F​F​ ​t​h​e​i​r​ ​h​e​A​d​s​.”

“…What the hell does he mean, ‘lust for revenge’?” I mutter.

The green bear’s mouth gapes open so wide, it rips.

“You hate their guts don’t you All those bastards who tricked you and butchered you C’mon they were prepared to off you for their own survival Heh-heh-heh.”

Noitan’s awkward way of speaking becomes far smoother when he says mean things. I remember that now. This nasty green bear is quite fluent when it comes to trash-talking.

“…You’re way off. I don’t hate them at all.”

“Cut the hypocritical crap, scumbag. Do you deal with attempted murder by just giggling and letting it happen like some kinda perverted masochist? I know you’re wondering why you have to get offed when it’s the others who should be doing the dying. You have to be. That’s why the others actually took your dumb ass out.”

“I would never think anything like—”

But the words catch in my throat.

Of course, I don’t hate the others. I’m not trying to get revenge, either. I don’t have the slightest inclination toward that in my head.

That said—Yuri did still kill “me,” even if it was just a copy.

I won’t be able to accomplish what I’ve set out to do unless I’m willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. That’s why I’m prepared to gamble with my life to save the others. To shield them, I may have to act as a lightning rod for whatever may occur.

—All for the sake of the ones who killed me over and over.

But can I actually do it without hesitating, without any misgivings? When I ask myself that…I find I’m really not too certain I can. Will this hang-up hinder me in completing my plan?

I shake my head.

I’ve got to stop this. There’s no point in filling my head with such thoughts.

All I need to do is create an environment where everyone can trust one another without falling prey to suspicion. If I can pull that off, no one will have a reason to murder anyone.

“—No.”

I’m not sure that’s right… I’ve got it wrong.

That isn’t enough.

It’s not incorrect that we’re going to need a relationship of mutual trust. But we need way more than that. Trust alone would still allow the impulsive Koudai Kamiuchi to act freely; Yuri with her fear of death would still plot behind my back; Iroha would still heed her bullheaded instincts and tear through anything in the way of whatever she thinks is right; and Daiya would never play ball to begin with.

So what should I do?

“That’s what I’m saying. All ya gotta do is follow your nature and cut ’em all down without remorse, you closet butcher.”

“Shut up!”

“You really think you can just hold hands like that? You know damn well you’ve got murderers in there with you. It’s no use fighting it. Your only option is to rule the others like they’re your servants.”

“…Shut your mouth. Servants? Come on! There’s no way I could lord it over—”

…Wait, am I sure about that? Is that my only option?

It doesn’t mean there’s no way out of this aside from killing one another. It means I’ll never get any sort of resolution if I simply act on faith with the others and let them go ungoverned.

That’s right. What it comes down to is that in order to win, I—

—I have to have control over everyone else.

“……Ha-ha.”

What the hell? Is the only way to break the game to seize control of everyone else and rule them like a despot, as the name Kingdom Royale suggests?

Can I win the game if I become a king?

Am I that type of person? It doesn’t sound realistic. I could never pull it off.

But at the same time, I also understand.

There is no other means of creating a situation in which no one starts murdering one another.

If that’s how it is—

“Within Kingdom Royale, I’m just a powerless girl.

“—But I still want to protect you, even if it means throwing away my life.”

—then I have to do it. In this Box, Maria is just a helpless princess; if I want to protect her, I have to do it.

“H​e​Y​ ​I​t’s a​b​O​U​T​ ​t​I​m​e​ ​t​o​ ​m​e​e​T​ ​a​L​L​ ​t​h​O​s​e​ ​o​t​h​e​r​ ​p​E​O​P​l​e​ ​w​h​o​ ​m​u​R​D​E​R​e​d​ ​y​o​u​.”

With that, Noitan disappears, and the door opens.

Beyond it is an expanse of darkness like raw desire. The sea of malice that I must confront.

I clench my fists.

Fine… I get it.

“I—”

I will become the king.

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