In the year 20XX, deep within a remote forest, a white facility stood alone.
Ryo woke up on a bed. His memory was completely blank, except for his name.
Nine other men were in the room, all looking just as confused. They were all around nineteen and had also lost their memories.
A woman in a white coat appeared and announced, "You will now undergo a psychological test."
But the test was extremely strange. Questions like, "Who in this group is the odd one out?" and "If you had to sacrifice so
Ten Men Who Lost Their Memories - Psychological Test to Unmask the Truth
From beyond the door, the grinding screech of metal scraping against metal echoed once more.
A crowbar, or maybe a wrench. Whatever it was, they were trying to pry the door open.
Come on out, both of you! There's no point hiding in there forever!
Takeru's voice was slightly shrill, a mix of fear and excitement. Outside, there were at least five or six of them. These weren't opponents they could just hold their breath and wait out.
Ryou paced the infirmary like a caged beast, his figure bathed in the red glow of the emergency lights.
Dammit, we're sitting ducks! There isn't even a single damn window!
Shutarou watched Ryou absently, his hand pressed against the wall. The cold concrete slowly leeched the warmth from his palm.
(*At this rate, we'll be killed.*)
An alarm was blaring somewhere in the back of his mind. But fear had coiled around his legs, and he couldn't make them move properly.
Just then, Ryou stopped dead in his tracks.
He was staring up at the ceiling.
...Hey. Look at that.
Ryou was pointing at a ventilation grille set high on the wall. It was a metal lattice, just a bit wider than a grown man's shoulders.
Couldn't we get out through here? This duct's gotta lead somewhere.
Shutarou looked back and forth between the vent and Ryou's face.
(*Through there?*)
No matter how he looked at it, it wasn't big enough for a person to fit through.
It's narrow.
We won't know unless we try! Beats getting caught in here.
No sooner had he spoken than Ryou kicked over a nearby examination table, using it as a step stool, and grabbed the vent cover. The bolts were rusted, and they came loose easily with a bit of force.
The light clatter of metal hitting the floor.
The movement on the other side of the door stopped.
Hey, what was that sound?!
They're up to something. Hurry!
The men outside redoubled their efforts to pry open the door. The hinges began to shriek in protest, a horrible grinding noise.
Ryou stuck his head into the duct.
...It's wider than I thought. But still damn tight. And pitch black.
...I'll go first.
Ryou turned around at Shutarou's words.
Huh? Why you?
I'm faster. If something happens, I can come back quickly.
It wasn't a lie. But there was another reason, too. He didn't want Ryou to panic inside that pitch-black, cramped tunnel. This guy, despite his weaknesses, was the type who could never show them.
For a moment, Ryou looked shocked, but then his usual friendly grin spread across his face.
Heh, you worried about me? Alright, I'll leave it to you.
The door began to splinter with a loud cracking sound. It wouldn't hold much longer.
Shutarou jumped onto the examination table and slid his body into the vent.
The inside of the duct was colder than he'd expected, smelling of metal and dust. Behind him, he felt Ryou climbing in after him. The duct seemed to flex under their combined weight.
Hey, is this thing gonna hold...?
Shutarou didn't answer. He just crawled forward, pulling himself along on his elbows and knees. It was pitch black. But strangely, he wasn't afraid. He focused only on reaching the exit.
(*I couldn't protect him.*)
In the back of his mind, Satoshi's corpse flashed before his eyes. That pool of dark red blood.
(*I'm sick of it.*)
Ignoring his scraped elbows and aching knees, Shutarou stretched out his arms, clawed at the concrete walls, and dragged his body forward.
How far had they gone?
In the distance, he heard the loud crash of the infirmary door finally being broken down.
Where did they go?!
The shouts echoed through the duct.
Hurry, don't lose them!
There was no turning back now.
Shutarou gritted his teeth and pushed deeper inside.
Eventually, a small square of light appeared, floating in the darkness ahead. An exit.
He crawled towards the light and soon came up against another metal grille, just like the first.
Pushing.
He gave Ryou a short warning, then kicked hard at the cover. Once. Twice. The bolts gave way, and the cover clattered to the floor.
He emerged into a white kitchen, still lit by fluorescent lights.
The cafeteria.
Squinting against the light, Shutarou dropped down from the duct onto the floor. Ryou followed right after.
Haaah... We finally made it out!
His face smeared with sweat and dust, Ryou sprawled out on the floor, limbs spread wide. Shutarou leaned against a stainless steel counter, panting heavily.
A sharp, empty growl rumbled from the pit of his stomach.
Come to think of it, when was the last time he'd eaten? It felt like an eternity.
Ryou crawled over to the refrigerator and opened the door. As always, it was packed full of retort-pouch food and plastic bottles of water.
H-hey, look! Food! It's like a dream!
Ryou grabbed a pouch of curry without much thought and tossed it to Shutarou. Shutarou caught it, still in a daze.
For a while, they ate in silence, forcing down the cold curry and hard bread. Under the sterile white light of the cafeteria, the sound of their chewing echoed unnaturally loud.
...Hah. It's good. But it's cold.
Just as Ryou was starting to sound a bit more like his usual self, he opened a kitchen drawer to restock their supplies. That's when it happened.
...Huh? What's this?
Unlike the other drawers, a single folded piece of paper had been left at the very back. Ryou picked it up and unfolded it.
Shutarou stopped eating and peered at the paper too.
It was a chart.
It was densely printed with fine text, some kind of data. At the very top, in large letters, it read: *Psychological Test - Correlation Analysis Results - Phase 1 Final Summary*.
And below that, a list of ten names and rows of numbers.
*"Most Untrustworthy Person"*
*"Person You Least Want to Kill"*
Ryou's face visibly paled.
He compared the numbers written next to his own name to the headings, biting his lip.
...Y-you've gotta be kidding me.
Ryou's hands began to tremble.
My name... multiple people put me down as the 'Most Untrustworthy Person'...!
Shutarou silently stared at a handwritten note scrawled on the edge of the paper. *'Note: High aggression confirmed. Consider isolation measures.'* — It was the woman in the lab coat's handwriting. It was written next to Ryou's name.
...Calm down.
How can I calm down?! Do you get what this is?! They were looking at this crap, feeling each other out! Why the hell was this hidden?!
Ryou crumpled the paper in his fist and bolted for the cafeteria exit.
Wait, Ryou.
Shutarou's voice, trying to stop him, didn't reach him.
He chased after him with startling speed. In an instant, he'd circled around in front of Ryou. He grabbed his shoulder.
Stop. Don't show this to anyone.
Why not?! Everyone should know the truth! Hiding stuff like this is exactly why everyone's so paranoid!
It's not good.
Shutarou spoke with an uncharacteristically firm tone.
Everyone's at their limit. This paper will be the trigger.
Even so! If we don't know the truth, things'll get even worse! I can't stand anything underhanded!
Ryou shook off Shutarou's hand and ran towards the entrance hall.
Shutarou didn't chase him anymore.
(*...I can't stop him.*)
A bad feeling settled deep in his chest, heavy like lead.
The entrance hall, bathed in the red emergency lights, looked as if it were stained with blood. Seven of the participants were already there, keeping their distance from each other, watching and waiting to see who might attack next. Gou, Kazuki, Hiroki, Takeru—they were all there.
Ryou's furious shout shattered the tense silence.
Hey, you bastards! Look at this!
Ryou held the paper up high.
I found this in the cafeteria! It's the results of a psych test! It's got a ranking for everyone, showing 'who's untrustworthy'! Some of you had already decided who you were gonna betray!
A deathly silence fell over the room, as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown over everyone.
And then, in the next instant, it exploded.
Wh-what?! Let me see that!
Gou snatched the paper from him. His thick fingers traced down the column of names.
...Hiroki. You bastard, you picked me as your 'Most Untrustworthy Person'!
Gou's face flushed a deep, angry red.
N-no! That question... I had no choice but to answer...!
Hiroki desperately backed away.
Some people got a lot of votes for 'Person You Least Want to Kill.' That's you, Kazuki. Doesn't that just mean, from everyone else's perspective, the rest of us are expendable?
Kazuki, feigning calm, pushed up the frame of his glasses.
...A rational result. To maximize survival probability, one should act in accordance with the majority's wishes. It's a logical conclusion.
That doesn't mean you get to do it behind our backs! You're the most suspicious one here!
And you, by denouncing me here, are trying to divert suspicion from yourself. Why don't you realize that such behavior is precisely why you're considered the most untrustworthy?
Kazuki's emotionless, matter-of-fact tone only fueled Takeru's rage.
Don't screw with me!!
Things had spiraled completely out of control.
Everyone was pointing fingers at everyone else, shouting. Who would kill whom, who would betray whom. The thin veneer of cooperation that had barely held until yesterday was peeling away with terrifying ease.
Shutarou just stood there, outside the circle.
(*This is bad.*)
The words wouldn't form properly in his head. But he knew he had to say something.
...Stop it.
His voice was nearly swallowed by the shouting, but a few of the men nearby flinched and turned to look at Shutarou.
It's just a test.
Ah, there it was again. He knew it himself. He was failing to read the room. But he couldn't stop.
You're going to doubt your comrades... over a scrap of paper?
In that instant, Gou grabbed Shutarou by the collar and yanked him up.
Huh?! Say that again!
Over a scrap of paper...!
Before he could finish, another man punched Shutarou across the cheek.
A sharp, dry smack echoed through the hall. The inside of his mouth split open, and the taste of blood spread across his tongue.
Must be nice for you! Getting all the votes for 'Person You Least Want to Kill'! You can spout that pretty crap because you're in the safe zone!
"You're planning to kill us someday too, aren't you!"
"Yeah! That whole clueless act is probably just that—an act!"
"You're just trying to gain trust by playing the protector!"
The accusations stabbed at Shutarou from all directions, sharp as knives.
Shutarou couldn't say anything back.
No. That's not it. I just don't want anyone to die. But those words wouldn't reach anyone. All he could do was stand there, rooted to the spot on trembling legs.
Ryou watched Shutarou's figure, dumbfounded.
He had lit the fire.
He had turned this place into a disaster zone.
Shutarou was taking concentrated fire, all because of that scrap of paper. It was his fault.
(*What... what have I done...*)
The anger from moments ago had vanished from Ryou's mind.
In its place, a crushing wave of self-loathing washed over him, draining the blood from his entire body.
"...That's enough."
A low, heavy voice quelled the commotion.
It was the tall man who had been silently watching the situation unfold. He grabbed Gou's arm—the one holding Shutarou—and slowly pulled it away.
Getting worked up over something like this is foolish. That's exactly what that voice wants, isn't it?
Kazuki watched with cold eyes.
...Rational. Wearing ourselves out here isn't strategically sound. If you'll excuse me.
With that, Kazuki promptly disappeared into the depths of the corridor.
As if a dam had broken, the others began to drift away from the scene one by one. But they never walked together. They avoided each other, clustering in small factions, scattering in different directions.
Gou glared at Shutarou until the very end, then clicked his tongue, crushed the paper in his fist, and left.
Only Shutarou and Ryou remained in the entrance
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