Track 9

Now everyone! The game is coming to a close, with only one hour left until dawn!

The captured challengers are being taken to the cages in the square one-by-one—

Look at that, it seems Renga Nishizono and Kafka Oguro from the HAMA Tours team have just been captured and are being locked up in their own cages.

…Damn it…

(I hurried and gave him the note back there but…)

(I just gave Ten another heavy burden to deal with, didn’t I…!?)

Ahhhhhh, turn yourself in, Ten!! That way you can have all the prize money to yourself…!!!

Shut up. Can’t you be quiet for even a second?

!? Liguang!

It seems that by chance, Renga Nishizono’s cage is right next to the cages of his teammates, Liguang Lu and Yachiyo Fuefuki.

However, now that the HAMA Tours team has been split up and imprisoned into three cages, it will be near impossible for them to make a comeback…!

…W-What! If you wanna talk about being noisy—

Guhhhh…mumble mumble… Electrical…attack… Rainbow chords… to the right…

Yachiyo’s being just as loud in that cage over there! He’s practically shouting in his sleep—

Don’t wake him.

Huh?

Do not wake him.

G-Got it.

…But, I can’t help it. I’m such an idiot.

What are you on about now?

Guh…

…Did you know, Liguang? Friendships fall apart if they’re too one-sided.

So you should stay on equal footing, without getting attached. That way, when one side disappears, you’ll be okay.

...…

But even though I know that, I still forced something heavy on Ten again…

Hah, Hahaha…!

!? Is something funny!?

…When one side disappears, you’ll be okay…hm? I’m sure you’re just parroting Murakumo’s words.

…What about it?

Listen. Bonds formed between people are not as easily broken as you may believe.

Don’t think it’s a simple matter to just disappear.

…...

(You are only able to say you can tame your “attachment” because your life is short. It’s nothing more than a laughing matter to someone like me.)

YEEEAAAH! I’ll be with you foreverrr~!!! I’ll never ever be apart from you ever~!!!

…All of the members of the comedian team have also been eliminated. Fare thee well, Elephantastic Memorial…

They went as far as they could. The only ones that are left are Murakumo-san and Kamina-san from our team, and…

The women from the Dazzler team. Those three have some really amazing teamwork.

Before he was captured, Kafka reattempted the bomb disposal mission with Yuki-nii and succeeded—

So if they can somehow rescue everyone, it should still be possible to get the True Clear…

It's too bad they’re divided into three cages. They’ll need to collect three key cards to rescue everyone.

True… that’s a pretty tall order.

Cica, are you giving up?

Ah!? Kuguri-san, when did you …!

I heard lively chatter coming from the living room when I got home. I thought I’d join if it turned out to be something fun.

Um, Kuguri-san. You’re kind of heavy… Could you not use people as pillows?

More importantly, look, a crow is soaring in the dawn sky.

It really is…

Hold on~, new information has just come in!

How can this be! The HAMA Tours team is on its last legs, with only two members remaining. And now it appears that Ten Murakumo, one of its last survivors—

—Is attempting a rescue mission! He already has…Huh!? Three!! He already has all three of the key cards needed to open the cages!!

Ten-kun…!!

What speed! While we were following the elimination of the comedian team, he opened the treasure chests one after another, leaving even the camera behind in his dust!

Obtaining even one key card is considered extremely difficult, yet one player has managed to get three! What an unprecedented achievement!! All that remains is for him to head to the plaza and free his teammates from their cages!

However, things are never quite so simple on this show! The Searchers have swarmed around the cages like demons searching for their prey! How are they going to get out of this predicament—!?

Seriously!? Jeez, Ten! If it was like that, then you should have just told me earlier!

Well~. It’s ‘cause I didn’t think words would be enough to express my sincerity.

I’ll show you with my actions from now on, so why don’t we go where there’s no cameras? It’ll be easier for me to help you understand, okay?

T-Ten~! I’m sorry for misunderstanding too! I didn’t show a hideous side of myself…right?

Not at all~. It’s all just the other side of the coin called love, right? Really, I’m a huge fan of these kinds of heavy feelings.

Ah~ Gosh! I just can’t! I LOVE you! Ten’s the only one who can win in my heart!! Hey Ten, I’ll do anything for you, so give me a little reward, okay?

Mhmm, I LOVE you too~. If you tell me sweet things like that, I’ll end up wanting more from you~.

This is—...

SEDUCTION~~~~~~!!!!!!!

What do I even say about this scu…man named Ten Murakumo! While I was passionately commentating on his praiseworthy achievement, he was seducing the three women on the Dazzler team~~!?

Just what kind of sweet nothings did he whisper… Ah! The cameraman has made the decision to leave the four of them out of the frame! Just what on Earth is happening off-camera~~~~~!?!?

Uh, what the heck… What is he doing… It’s a good thing Hachinoya-san and Akuta went to the bathroom.

Fufu, I wish they’d show a bit more of them, personally.

Ten, it’s almost time. I’ll give the signal. Are you ready?

Yep. On your mark.

N-Now we have Yukikaze Kamina and the women from the Dazzler team running out into the plaza where the Searchers are crowded!!

Come, Searchers. We’ll be your opponents.

We’ll never let you get to where Ten is!

(...Even with a decoy, the Searchers will swarm us if the other team messes up.)

But…

Wha…Ten Murakumo! This is incredible! Just when you think he’s gotten a late start, he takes off, weaving between the gaps between the Searchers! He’s sprinting! He’s so fast they can’t even touch his shadow!!

(I’d have to be pretty ass at my work if I let myself get caught by a mechanical puppet.)

(At this rate, I should almost be at the cages—)