~Y/n pov~
"Let me out of here!"
Keiji was yelling from inside the coffin.
This went on for a few moments before he fell silent when he realised yelling was futile.
I shuffled uncomfortably. It was completely silent.
Joemama69(; had a creepy look on his face as always.
I felt a warm hand engulf mine and a thumb rubbing my knuckles to calm me down.
Shin smiled slightly at me.
I smiled back feeling slightly more relaxed.
"Sheesh, so you finally settled down." Joemama69(; said to Keiji, "He must be awfully scared of his execution...Haha."
I noticed Sara's scared expression.
"Are you going to try stop it?" I ask raising an eyebrow at her, "You've been unsuccessful in stopping any of the other executions."
She frowned, "I know dammit. But... we can do this."
"We?"
She smiled at me, "Yeah, we're a team."
She though of me as part of the team? Even though I'm a horrible person?
My heart ached.
"If only the dummies had assisted... surely we wouldn't be in this situation." Alice commented.
"It's not our fault." Hinako replied.
Joemama69(; laughed, "Ahaha.. so much for your show of getting along with the dummies."
"Let Keiji out of that coffin!" Sara yelled angrily.
"I told you.... there's only one way to save him." He pulled out a consent form, "Just sign this and I'll tell you."
I decided to be helpful for once. If Sara though I was part of the team... shouldn't I act like it?
"Sara, don't trust him. You have no idea what you're agreeing to so don't sign it no matter what." I told her.
She looked shocked I was helping her for a second before shooting me a grateful smile.
"Well... do what you want but... the coffin's execution time is already full ticking down." Joemama69(; smiled that creepy smile of his, "By the time this sand has fallen... he'll get torched."
He placed an hourglass next to the coffin.
"You'll be smelling a delicious Keiji steak."
"St-stop it!" Sara cried.
"Then, sign the contract..."
"No, don't." Ranmaru stated, "I agree with Y/n... we'll find another way to save him so don't worry."
Joemama69(; smirked, "Very well then."
He then left the room.
Sara nodded and walked over to the coffin, "Keiji, are you okay?"
"It's dark and cramped." He replied, "You know... I might've thought of a way to open this coffin."
"Huh?" Sara asked.
"I think I know what he's getting at." I told her.
Shin nodded his head, "Yeah, the room with all the monitors. There's bound to be some sort of controls in there that could be useful."
"Okay... we'll head there." Sara said with a look of determination.
~*~
I stood next to Shin, Gin stood on the other side of me. I fidgeted nervously.
We're still dropping like flies? Can I really survive something like this? I'll surely die in the next main game.
I'm the least trustworthy.
Although, Shin, Alice and Gin do trust me.
I'm sure Sara doesn't trust me just yet...
Shin grabbed my hand again to stop me from hurting myself.
He pulled me closer to him.
"Don't worry."
I shivered slightly as his warm breath hit my ear.
Tightening my grip on his hand, I leaned into him.
Sara stared blankly at the controls for the coffins, "I don't know how to do this."
Shin sighed and let go off my hand, approaching her, "I can help with that."
I wandered over to the controls. I didn't have time to look at them when we were in this room earlier.
That's when I noticed something interesting.
Is that... a fingerprint scanner? Also a card slot?
We might need those later.
"I can't do anything." Shin stated, "It's probably locked."
He got up and stood next to me, looking at the controls.
"Yeah see." He pointed to the security levels, "We probably need to unlock a higher security level."
"There's a fingerprint scanner." I pointed out, "We could all try our fingerprints and see if we can unlock another security level."
"Logically Joemama69(;'s fingerprint would unlock it but... it's worth a shot." Alice stated.
"We don't know until we try, meow!" Gin added, "Let's have muscle gorilla and the others in the cemetery try it too, woof!"
"No, Q-taro's badly injured. He can't exactly move from there..." Sara told him.
"That reminds me.. Hayasaka was it? That man said he worked for a medical equipment company." Alice nodded to himself.
"So you're saying there might be a first aid kit somewhere." I smiled.
"Yes." Alice smirked, "Let's go check out the office."
~*~
To our surprise, there was a first aid kit in the office.
How convenient.
Sara grabbed it and we all walked back to the cemetery so we could treat Q-taro's injuries.
When we got there, Mai had woke up.
"Mai... so you're awake." Sara commented.
"If only I didn't wake up..." Mai trailed off, looking away from us, "I failed utterly... I knew I couldn't do it... After I tried so hard to look harmless, too..."
Sara was silent.
"Don't go blamin' her, Sara." Q-taro stated, "Didn't I tell ya? We'll be real allies..."
"What in the world... are you being serious?" Mai asked.
"You betcha ass I'm serious! So give up on tryin' to kill me.. And instead... let's think of how to leave together."
"I don't get you..." Mai frowned, "I tried to kill you... remember ? How can you say that to... someone who stabbed you in the back?"
Mai was starting to tear up, "Stop it! I'm the worst... I'm horrible..."
"That doesn't change nothin'." Q-taro replied, "If I were in your shoes... I would've done the same thing."
"We found a first aid kit." Sara butted in.
"Ya serious?" Q-taro looked up startled. He moved to fast though because he winced in pain.
Sara kneeled down beside him and wrapped bandages around his wound.
"Thanks for that. I feel better." Q-taro told us, "Sorry everyone."
"Hmph... if you feel sorry, then come with us." Alice stated.
"Why do I gotta do that?" He asked.
"We found a fingerprint scanner. We want everyone to try it. You and Mai haven't tried it. If we unlock the right level of security, we could free Keiji." I told him.
He huffed before reluctantly agreeing.
"I'll lend you a shoulder." Alice offered.
"No." Mai rejected the offer, "I'll do it. I swear I won't get anymore funny ideas."
Q-taro agreed.
"Muscle gorilla's heavy, so we can switch off if you get tired, meow!" Gin told her.
Mai shot him a grateful look.
And so, we headed back to the monitor room.
~*~
When Mai put her finger on the scanner, it glowed and level one of security was unlocked.
"Huh?" She stated in disbelief.
A few monitors turned on.
Sara walked over to one of the monitors that turned on.
I followed her.
It was a dummy control system.
The Shin AI popped up, startling me.
"On this screen, you can check the status of the dummies bodies."
"Why did the AI of me just..." Shin looked away, embarrassed.
"Currently being displayed is the information for Ranmaru Kageyama." The AI continued to explain, "In the center, you can see the remaining battery for the head and torso. And the right and left hands here display your upgrade parts."
"Upgrade parts?" Alice asked.
"Also, if there's personal info you want, such as preferences, learned knowledge or people you like..."
"Keep thinking about upgrade parts, everybody!" Ranmaru exclaimed.
"If these are hand parts maybe you can equip something.." Alice suggested.
"Perhaps... my hands, huh?" Ranmaru pulled one of his hands off, "Huh? My hand?"
He started to panic.
"Cotten candy..! Calm down, meow!" Gin back away, startled.
"I'm really..... a doll. I mean... I did know that.. but some part of me thought maybe.. just maybe.." Ranmaru trailed off, covering his face with his hand.
There were tears in his eyes.
He forgot he was a doll... he thought maybe he could live again. But he's already dead.
You can't bring the dead back to life.
"Hmph.. how worthless.."
"Huh?"
"Dolls.. shouldn't cry over such trifles." Alice stated, "To have hope even when you think to yourself you've given up... that's human. Having contradictory emotions... it pains us. Couldn't you say you're awfully human right now? Don't let such foolish things bother you... for you are alive!"
Ranmaru quickly wiped the tears off his face, "I'm okay."
"Some man you are, blubbering on the floor." Kurumada commented.
"Huh? I wasn't crying..." Ranmaru denied it.
"No way we'll believe that, meow!" Gin laughed.
The other monitor said dead collar control system.
There was an option to stop the pairing and another option to turn off the life sensor.
Sara tried to turn off the life sensor but it didn't work.
"Are you sure about turning off the pairing?" I asked her.
She nodded, "We have to trust each other."
Shin walked over to the coffin controls monitor.
"Look! There's more on the displays." He told us.
"Let's keep an eye on the cameras and see what it does." Q-taro stated as we all watched the cameras.
The door that led to the cemetery suddenly closed.
To unlock the next level of security.. we must need some sort of card. There was somewhere that looked like a card would go in it.
Although , Joemama69(; probably has the card.
Shin hurriedly clicked the button and sighed in relief when the door to the cemetery reopened.
"That was a close one." He sighed.
"We probably have to disable the second security level. I noticed this place that looks like somewhere you can put a card. Although, I suspect Joemama69(; has the card." I stated, pointing out the slot for a card.
The AI suddenly spoke up, "That's right."
It didn't say anything further.
We went to check on Hinako and then went to check around to see if we could find a card.
~*~
Sara found the card on a desk in the classroom.
Though it was super suspicious.
Joemama69(; wouldn't leave something that important here. It must be a trap of some sort.
Maybe it's a bomb?
"Sara, are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked.
"We won't know unless we try it."
An uneasy expression rested on my face.
Sara approached the slot for the card and was about to put it in when the AI suddenly spoke up.
"No! Don't use that!"
Startled, Sara turned to look at the Shin AI.
"Thought so.." Shin sighed.
"That card is a fake... if you put it in the machine, it will trigger a trap." The AI told us, "I'll talk if you want.."
I pulled the card off Sara and ripped it up.
"Hey, there's no need to rip it up." Ranmaru commented.
We turned our attention back to the Shin AI.
"Hiyori is... he's researching about human memory..."
"A researcher, meow?"
"Well... ever since he was little... um..." the AI trailed off nervously, "He really loved.. humans. He loved them so much that he.. um... he would break them, apparently."
"Break them?" I asked.
"Yeah. What makes them hurt? What makes them suffer? What pains that physically? What pains them mentally..." The AI sighed uneasily, "What do they learn? What do they remember? What do they forget?"
He explains to us how he used human test subjects.
So our memories.... he definitely has something to do with them.
"Can you tell us about the whereabouts of the actual ID card?" Sara asked.
"Don't tell anyone I told you, alright?" The AI stated.
~*~
We headed to the library.
"How does the door open?" I asked Sara, "You went in there before, right?"
"Yeah.. the door opens if a pair holds hands."
People stood in front of the door and held hands.
I observed them.
The door didn't open.
"Maybe it only works with one pair." I suggested.
Sara and Ranmaru went in.
I sat down with my back against the wall.
Shin sat beside me and wrapped his arm loosely around his waist.
I leant my head against him shoulder. I was so tired.
After a few moments, my eyes started to close and before I knew it I had fallen asleep.
~*~
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2096 words
A/n a new part came out how exciting. I hope it doesn't take too long for part 2 to come out. I haven't had chance to play the full chapter yet so pls don't spoil.