The last thing Jin expected on a sweltering afternoon in Shibuya was to watch his best friend collapse, screaming, after tapping a mysterious snake emblem on his phone. But when Jin opens the same app in desperation, he awakens into a world that looks like Shibuya—yet is utterly empty. No people. No sound. And on his wrist, a snake biting its own tail, impossible to remove.
A status screen appears before his eyes: *Player Name: Kanzaki Jin. Ranking: 1,847th. Ability: Delay Collector.* A power s
Darwin's Game: Beyond the Game Over - The Skull-Masked Sniper — The Dogenzaka Trap
The air in Dogenzaka was strangely heavy for midday.
In the real Shibuya, this slope was always packed with people. Youngsters lugging shopping bags, salarymen hurrying along, tourists laughing. But inside this game space, none of that clamor existed. There was only cracked asphalt and the sound of empty cans rolling in the wind.
I—Kanzaki Jin—was hiding in the shadow of a narrow alley at the entrance to Dogenzaka. Beside me stood a girl with a black bob cut, Kashiwagi Suzune—Rain. She was working her tablet, occasionally glancing up the slope with sharp eyes.
Kanahira's headquarters is up this slope. The mixed-use building "Mutual Building." The heart of that man's insurance union—Kanahira Mutual.
Rain spoke in a voice stripped of emotion.
Yeah. It's near where we took shelter yesterday.
Last night, I'd followed Rain when she went out alone to scout, and made it close to that building. Kanahira's clones chased me, and I ran for my life. That time, I really thought I was going to die.
Today, we're scouting the area around that building. Learning from yesterday's mistake—this time, we prepare properly first.
Learning from mistakes...? Rain admitting she made one—that's rare.
...What exactly do you take me for? Even I learn from my failures.
Rain said it with a slightly sulky look. She was mature beyond her thirteen years, but sometimes she showed expressions fitting her age. That gap was somehow endearing.
My bad. So, what's the plan today?
First, we check the building's entrances and exits. Then we time how often Kanahira's clones patrol. You stay behind me and behave.
Got it. I'll just follow Rain's orders.
I touched the leather band on my left wrist. The snake emblem felt cold against my skin.
Hunting game. The target: rank three, Kanahira Hideaki. If we took that man down, we might find a lead on Shinodzuka. That's what Kaname-san had said.
Shinodzuka.
I murmured my best friend's name in my heart.
He was sleeping in a hospital in the real world right now. Caught up in the game, unconscious. The reason I joined this game was to save him.
...Let's go.
Rain stepped out of the alley.
I followed after her.
The Dogenzaka slope was far more battered than the real one. Asphalt cracked here and there, weeds sprouting through. In front of shuttered shops, garbage bags were piled up, the stench of rotting food stinging my nose.
...It's too quiet.
Rain stopped and murmured.
Yeah. There's no sign of any players at all.
I have a bad feeling. ...Stay alert. Kanahira's clones should remember our faces.
That's when it happened.
A dull thud echoed from up the slope.
What the—!?
...Over there. It came from the building.
We ran toward the sound.
In front of an old mixed-use building at the top of the slope, a single man was surrounded by several others.
The man wore a skull mask made for combat. Brown hair peeked out from under it. He was tall and lean, but there was an odd intensity to his stance. In his right hand, he gripped a small handgun.
Hey now, four guys ganging up on one? That's just pathetic. This is why Kanahira's lapdogs are such a pain.
The skull-masked man spoke in a light tone.
Shut up! You snuck into the union and stole something, didn't you!
One of the underlings raised an iron pipe and shouted.
Stole? Don't make it sound so bad. I just came to take a little peek at what kind of crook your boss is.
I'll kill you!
The underling swung the iron pipe down.
The skull-masked man dodged nimbly. Then, without raising his gun, he grabbed the underling's wrist with his free left hand.
...You're lying.
The man's voice suddenly dropped low.
W-what are you...
"I'll kill you"—you don't mean it. You actually want to run, don't you? But you can't back down in front of your buddies. Am I right?
The underling's face went pale in an instant.
W-why... what do you know...
My ability's called a lie detector. I can see every lie you spit out. Like a red haze.
Lie detector.
I reacted to those words.
Kaname-san had said it. There might be a player infiltrating Kanahira's union. Could this man be...?
Rain, we're saving that man.
What? Hey, I told you not to do anything reckless!
If we leave him, that man's done for. Besides, he might know a lot about Kanahira's union. We can't pass up a source of intel.
I burst out of the alley.
Hey, skull guy! We're getting you out of here!
The underlings all turned toward us at once.
Who the hell are you!
One of the underlings raised his iron pipe toward me.
I reached out for that pipe.
The moment I touched it, I activated Delayed Collection.
Thoom.
The downward swing slowed as if underwater. The man's arm moved slowly, slowly.
W-what the—!? My body won't move!
Now's our chance—run!
I grabbed the skull-masked man's arm.
Whoa, what's your deal, grabbing me out of nowhere?
Just come on! We'll talk later!
We sprinted down Dogenzaka.
Rain ran ahead and pointed to an alley.
This way! Get into the back street!
The three of us dove into the narrow alley.
The underlings' angry shouts faded into the distance.
After running a while and confirming no one was following, I put my hands on my knees and caught my breath.
Hah... hah... We made it, I guess?
Yeah, looks like it. ...But you've got an interesting ability. Shifting the time of whatever you touch, is it?
The skull-masked man pulled off his mask.
What appeared was a young man with sleepy, sanpaku eyes. A mushroom cut of carelessly grown brown hair. Around twenty, maybe. The fingertips of his right hand were stained yellow with gunpowder.
...Who are you?
Me? I'm Maesaka Ryuuji. Call me Ryuuji. And you?
Kanzaki Jin. This is Kashiwagi Suzune.
...So you were infiltrating Kanahira's union. What's your goal?
Rain glared at Ryuuji with sharp eyes.
Goal? Nothing that grand. I just figured I'd expose that insurance union's dirty deeds. Well, looks like I got found out.
Ryuuji shrugged lightly.
Are you after Kanahira too?
Yeah. That bastard squeezes points out of lower-ranked players while he sits pretty in his safe zone. Makes me sick.
For just an instant, a sharp, blade-like edge mixed into Ryuuji's voice.
...We're members of the Sunset Ravens clan. We're gathering intel on Kanahira right now. Would you share what you know with us?
Sunset Ravens? The clan that's rumored to be joining the hunting game?
Yeah. We're taking Kanahira down.
Ryuuji stared at my face.
...Interesting. Fine, I'll give you the intel. But I've got a condition.
A condition?
Let me in on the operation. I've hit my limit infiltrating solo. Having allies doesn't sound bad.
Ryuuji grinned.
...Can we trust you? We don't know anything about you.
You're a worrier, little lady. But relax. My lie detector sees through other people's lies—and it can prove I'm not lying myself. ...Everything I'm about to say is true.
Ryuuji put his right hand over his heart and spoke with a theatrical flourish.
I want revenge on Kanahira Hideaki. That man dragged someone precious to me into the game. And because of that, that person is gone now.
Deep in Ryuuji's eyes, a dark flame flickered.
...Understood. I'll clear it with Kaname-san. For now, come to our base.
Oh, quick to decide. Fine, let's go.
We brought Ryuuji along and headed for the Ravens' Room.
The Ravens' Room was on the third floor of a mixed-use building in Udagawacho. A space that used to be a general store's warehouse, converted into the Sunset Ravens' base.
When I opened the door, Kaname-san was standing before the whiteboard, studying a map of Shibuya.
Jin, Rain. Welcome back. ...Who's this?
Kaname-san looked at Ryuuji and spoke in a low voice.
We rescued him on Dogenzaka when Kanahira's men were chasing him. Maesaka Ryuuji. He says he was infiltrating Kanahira's union.
Oh, so you're the leader of the Sunset Ravens. Got the serious face everyone talks about.
Ryuuji spoke in a casual tone.
...You were in Kanahira's union?
Kaname-san's voice dropped another notch.
Yeah. I slipped in as a low-level grunt for about a week. I saw more of that union's inner workings than I wanted to.
Ryuuji plopped himself down on the sofa.
Tell us. What kind of man is Kanahira?
Kaname-san sat across from Ryuuji.
Rain and I took nearby chairs.
Kanahira Hideaki. A rank-three powerhouse, but he looks like an ordinary salaryman. Wears a suit, smiles gently, explains insurance to new members. ...But behind that smile lurks an unbelievable malice.
Ryuuji's voice grew a little heavier.
That union collects thirty percent of members' points every week as "insurance premiums." In exchange, they promise retaliation if you're attacked. But retaliation's almost never actually carried out. Kanahira just siphons points while lower-ranked players cower in fear.
...That's not all, is it?
No. Anyone who tries to quit gets locked in the building's basement. When I was undercover, I could faintly hear moaning from down there. I couldn't tell how many there were.
...He's a monster.
Rain murmured quietly.
Kanahira's ability is clone multiplication. He can create up to five physical clones and swap positions between his real body and any clone. That building always has two clones on guard. This is intel from the union's grunts. I confirmed it with my lie detector. ...It's true.
Two clones... Where's the real body usually?
Usually in the third-floor office. But that man is cautious. If anything happens, he immediately swaps with a clone and escapes. Catching the real body is next to impossible.
Kaname-san fell silent, thinking for a while.
...Ryuuji, can your lie detector tell the real body from the clones?
Who knows. The clones say the same things the real body does. They lie the same way too. ...Won't know till we try.
I see. ...Jin, Rain. We'll form a plan based on this intel. Tonight, we infiltrate that building.
Tonight!? Isn't that too soon?
Kanahira will tighten security now that Ryuuji's escaped. The more time we take, the stricter that building's guard becomes. ...If we're doing this, it's tonight.
Kaname-san's dark eyes held a serious light.
...Got it. Let's do this, Kaname-san.
...I agree too. More intel is better. And tonight, we can catch Kanahira off guard.
Heh, the little lady's got some guts. ...Well, I'm in too. I'll pay that bastard's face a visit.
Ryuuji smiled defiantly.
But no recklessness. Everyone comes back safe. That's the top priority.
Everyone nodded at Kaname-san's words.
Until nightfall, we each made our preparations.
Kaname-san drew a floor plan of the building on the whiteboard and confirmed the entry routes. Rain analyzed the movement patterns of Kanahira's clones on her tablet. Ryuuji sat on the sofa cleaning his handgun, occasionally gazing out the window.
...Hey, Jin-bro, got a minute?
Ryuuji suddenly called out to me.
Jin-bro? I'm sixteen, you know.
Don't sweat the details. ...Why'd you decide to fight Kanahira? That man's a rank-three monster. Is he worth risking your life for?
...My best friend got caught up in this game and fell unconscious. If we take Kanahira down, we might find a lead. That's why I fight.
...A best friend, huh. You've got a good face. No lies there. ...I'll believe your words.
Ryuuji said that, then turned his eyes back out the window.
...I'm the same as you. Only my target for revenge happens to be Kanahira.
His profile looked somehow lonely.
Night.
Dogenzaka was even darker and more eerie than in daytime. The streetlights were mostly out, and every window of every building sank into blackness. Each time the wind blew, a sign creaked somewhere.
The four of us gathered at the back entrance of the Mutual Building.
Confirming the plan. Ryuuji uses his lie detector to locate the guard clones. Rain uses predictive calculation to read the clones' movements. Jin and I breach together. ...U
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