The puppeteer of the elites (CoTE) ON HIATUS

Deserted island part four

Kiyotaka POV

After the incident of the underwear thief, we moved the tents apart and Hirata checked our bags. He body checked us too, but when he found out I had the underwear he didn't let the others know. Why? He believed in me to find the culprit after they put the underwear in the innocent Ike's bag. I wouldn't have been surprised if it were him, but in this situation it is highly unlikely that even he would commit such a heinous act. I confirmed my suspicions that Horikita is ill, but I doubt she will opt to sit out. Stubborn as always... Just like how she used to act...

Flash back

"Hah, Hah..." A girl with brown locks and bright yellow eyes panted heavily after running a few meters on a track in a room with sterilized white walls. "Kei!" A boy with similar characteristics cried out, looking at her. "Don't... stop running!" She commanded him, quickly continuing with the course. He could tell that she wouldn't stop, so he quickened his pace, and after a while they both completed the course.

They stood side by side in the row when called. All of the children there were wearing pale blue or pink robes, and most were gasping for breath. "Ayanokoji Keiko." A gruff voice called out, his voice reverberated throughout the entire room. "Y- Yes sir." The girl trembled, obvious fear in her eyes. "You fell behind course today. Punishment will be issued." She gulped nervously, stepping up in front of a well toned dark haired man. The others looked at her with pitiful gazes or shared the same look of frightened eyes.

He snarled as he brought his arm back, punching her square in the chest. "This is what happens when you fall behind!" "Koff!" She was hit into the wall, blood spurting out of her mouth with a mixture of saliva in it. She gasped for air, eyes slowly closing. "Kei!" The boy squeaked, soft enough for the man to overlook. "Don't... look." She whispered, before she sucked in a deep breath and shakily stood up, holding the wall for support. The man and the terrified children slowly exited.

The boy looked behind at the girl that was rubbing her chest, taking slow breaths. She smiled quietly at him. It seemed to hint, 'I'll be alright'. He trusted her with his whole heart, so he believed her words.

All of those comforting words, soothing songs, empty promises...

He believed them all.

Because what else would hold him together in this white hell other than his sister?

Flash back end

I sighed, rubbing the back of my head. Those days... we're probably the worst days of my life. But at the same time, that was when she still thought of me as a brother and I still thought of her as a sister. So, I suppose it is rather bittersweet...

We were at the riverside, collecting fish as rations for the incoming storm. This does ruin my plans by a little... I went up to Horikita. "Horikita. Can I see your keycard?" I asked quietly, making sure that no one else could hear me. "Why?" She whispered back, a little reluctant to do so. "I saw someone holding a keycard, but I can't be sure unless I confirm it by looking at the real thing." I replied. She will probably buy this, since we do have to confirm the leaders to earn excess points. And this will also make us vulnerable to prying eyes, making them see that Horikita is holding onto the keycard, so they will probably try to steal it, now knowing it's location. So...

She agreed to my request, slowly and carefully slipping it out of her pocket, allowing me to see every last detail I might have missed. "Thanks. I still can't tell though, they were too far away." She nodded warily, her senses clearly in overdrive. I walked over to a different part of the riverbank, where Yamauchi was situated. "Yamauchi, can you do me a favor?" I asked. "Huh?" He looked at me questioningly.

Time skip

"Ah! Sorry Horikita! You should loosen up a bit!" Yamauchi grinned, after 'accidentally' pouring mud on her head. She glared menacingly, and I could tell she was furious. I quickly moved to Yamauchi's side. She grabbed his arm and quickly moved her weight to throw him over her shoulder into the river. Since I was beside him, I fell beside him. I carefully shouldered the blow and secured his body so he wouldn't suffer from injuries. We can't allow anymore points to be wasted, and I suppose I should help my pawn... Thank you, Yamauchi. This initiates the first stage of the plan... so your services are no longer needed.

"Ouch. If I wasn't here, he would have cracked his skull you know." I told Horikita who glared at me sharply. If you had thrown me, I would have probably thrown you on instinct, possibly breaking both your arm and cracking your skull in the process...Count your blessings, I don't hold back in defensive maneuvers. She might suspect me, but that can't be helped. That doesn't matter anyway, what does matter is... "You should probably shower and clean yourself up first, I'll tell Hirata why you aren't here." She looked at me, narrowing her eyes before nodding. "Thank you. Then, I'll take my leave."

When I returned, some girls told me that Ibuki went on a walk. I see... It's all according to plan. Soon, Horikita will probably come back, and realize her keycard is gone. Then, on how to distract everyone to let Ibuki escape... A fire? That would work... It's flashy enough to distract them, and since it will be raining, it won't spread, and we won't be deducted of points for environment pollution. And this will also wake those asleep due to the intense wave of heat that will be generated. A sound plan. However, this certainly carries a high risk. If I were to get caught... No, this class is full of defects. Much like before, they cannot outsmart me. They can only bend to my will. Much like pieces on a chessboard, they will follow my every order, whether they realize it or not. I secured my box of matches and hid it in a place nobody would think of and walked casually back to the camp.

As expected, Horikita soon appeared, appearing distressed. Even if others may not be able to read her, she is an open book to me. After all, I did grow up trying to figure out how others thought, how they felt, how I should feel... Shame the last part was useless. At least the first part allows me to gauge what one's thoughts are and their emotions. Most people make their emotions apparent on their faces, smiling, laughing, frowning, glaring... I suppose I've forgotten how to do these acts. How much must I tilt the corners of my mouth up? How loud should my laughter be? How intense should I glare? How much killing intent? None? I cannot use calculations nor skills of observation for this, as each person reacts differently, so I cannot simply copy at imitate their reactions to certain acts. I have found that positioning matters a lot as well, since if our bodies don't match our expressions, it looks unnatural.

I must have read thousands of books on psychological behavior and thoughts of an average human's mind. During those precious free times I got, I read as much as I could. I haven't read half as much as Keiko, since she did have to master acting and domestic skills in addition to tactical and academic skills, as well as business skills, since she was to be married off to some big time company owner to further improve relations and expand that man's sphere of influence. Oh well, she is none of my concern. I have to destroy her, since she is a pebble in my path, blocking my way to victory. She thinks the same, constantly battling me... A shame she still hasn't healed from our last battle. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. There's no way that man would let her heal completely before using her again. Well, at least this time round, I win.

"Ayanokoji. I have something to tell you..." time for the play to begin.

Dance, my pawns.