Around the witch, blades appeared, handleless, not swords, but not daggers either. They were not intended for battle. No. They were created for killing.
As if she already knew whom.
As if it wasn't a game at all. But an execution. Just with a theatrical performance.
«I understood what she was going to do. And I understood that she had planned it all in advance. Of course».
— Begin, — I said. — I will destroy your arguments and won't even blink. If, of course, the eyes remain.
— You are serious. I like that! — her voice held a childlike admiration. — Only a sheep can never defeat a wolf!
The world around distorted. Space exploded in a bubble, a sphere, inside which one of the past moments was frozen. A projection? An illusion? No, a memory. As if someone pressed rewind and play simultaneously, turning reality into a filmstrip.
— I begin my first move, — she announced.
— On the first night, you split into three groups allegedly for safety. But it was a trap. The first group had already decided in advance to lure out the killer.
— Then, secretly from your group, Kamiki and Tiamut joined them. They devised a plan to check if Enua was dangerous via the telephone receiver.
— The entire time of their conversation, the phone remained on. Their alibis are confirmed. Undeniably.
— And you? You were sleeping. In your room. While Enua, as you say, was guarding. At the same time, the murder was committed.
— In other words, you cannot prove his alibi. Because you... were sleeping. Not a single piece of evidence in your favor. You are helpless!
«Expected. I knew this would be her first move. All the participants conspired behind our backs. Of course, they decided that the killer was Enua. Because it's easier».
— There is no proof on your side. Therefore, the first move remains with me! — her voice gracefully transitioned into a screech. — Pathetic, pathetic you are! Agh-khah-khykh!
— You are mistaken, — I responded. — How could I allow myself to lose to a witch? The bet was not at all that Enua is Gerudo's killer.
— Then who, in your opinion, did it?
— The answer is simple. All this is your doing.
— …Akhah-ghakh-khah! — her nervous, almost hoarse, laughter rang out.
— And how will you prove that?
— Very simply, — I answered. — From the very beginning, nowhere in the game rules did it say that the killer must be one of the players.
— You are not just an observer. You are... something more.
— All this time you have been watching us. But you were doing something more, you were interfering. This gives you an advantage. You can kill without leaving traces.
— The others simply didn't guess. Their minds were blinded. They were afraid. They couldn't even imagine that this was all the witch's doing.
My first move is complete. And my bet is the mistress of the mansion herself.
— Khy… — she coughed, almost from laughter. — Not bad. I thought this match would end in a rout. Mine.
— The axe. — I continued. — It was used for dismemberment. But when the others went up to the second floor, the axe was not there.
— And Enua did not know it was there. He couldn't have known. That means he couldn't have used it.
— Ha! — she interrupted. — You are bluffing! He simply couldn't prove that he didn't touch the axe! Just like his non-involvement. His "innocent" look is just a screen.
«…Damn. She will parry all the time. But I am not going to retreat. I know exactly that it is her. I will not allow her to hide behind her role».
— Magic. — I made the next move.
Sweat appeared on her face. Not fear, no. Rather, caution. She knew I might say this. But she still tensed up.
— We are deprived of magic from the moment of arrival on the island. All of us. Except you.
— You can use it even within the framework of the game.
— That means you could have killed Gerudo without leaving your hideout. Made it look like... someone else's hands.
— The compartment with the axe was made of super-strong glass. A bullet wouldn't have pierced it. But it was shattered.
— Enua couldn't have shattered it with his bare hands. And if he could, there would be marks on his hands. But there were none.
«Her face changed. She is afraid. My words touched her. But this is not the end yet».
However...
— Only there is a witness, — she said. — Who saw Enua leave his room at that very moment.
«What?»
That's impossible.
All participants were already in their rooms. After nine in the evening, Cheryl, Morgana, they left. The murder happened after nine. Who?
— Witness: Gerudo. — with these words, she waved her hand, and...
The body of the dead Gerudo rose from the darkness. Literally.
— This is… — I couldn't finish.
— Exactly. The witness of the death is the dead man himself.
— Confirm: you were a witness to your own death?
— Yes, I confirm, — Gerudo uttered evenly. Without a shadow of doubt.
— Name the killer.
— His name... Enua. He approached me from behind when I was cleaning in the kitchen. And struck my head with an axe.
«…How? How was I to know? She... She is using the dead as proof. As witnesses. This is not a game. This is a demonstration of power».
— I declare checkmate to you, Aragi-i!
One of the blades, still hovering in the air, tore off and pierced my chest. Faster than light. Faster than I could understand what was happening.
It hurts… It really hurt. Real pain. I couldn't even move.
So this is what... pain is like.
I had already forgotten it. No, I just hadn't felt it since that day when a certain vampire drank my blood. Since I ceased to be alive. Or dead. Or something definite.
Since then, I couldn't die. Even if I wanted to. Even if I wished for it.
And now...
I lost this round. I don't know how to defeat her. How to refute her every word. Is it even possible?
What was I supposed to do? What did I need to say to stop her?
There was no answer.
My heart stopped.
My brain shut down.
Thoughts disappeared.
Consciousness dissolved into ashes.
My body flared up.
It burned faster than I could feel it burning. Not even ashes remained. As if it never existed at all.