Murder Princess and the Summer Death Camp

by Mizuki Mizushiro

  “N-no…no way…you’re wrong…”

  Eiri rubbed the dejected Maina’s back. “Well, setting aside whether he’s right or wrong…for the time being, I think we’d better be cautious.”

  “…Right,” Kyousuke added. “Assuming the worst, if the hand towel was Maina’s, and Miss Shamaya treated it like that and threw it away—”

  “Yeah. It’s clear that our upperclassman is holding some dangerous feelings toward Maina. If she had enough with the towel that would be one thing, but if she wasn’t satisfied…she’ll probably pick a fight. Next time she’ll try to mangle our bodies instead, don’t you think?”

  “……”

  As a heavy silence descended over the group, Renko pulled out a deep red booklet. It was the guidebook for the prison camping trip. Opening to the program for that day and the next, she spread the pages so that Kyousuke and the others could see, tracing the schedule with one finger.

  “First up, the program after this is…‘Woodland Exploration,’ huh? ‘Following the teachers and Public Morals Committee members who lead the way, each squad will hike through a broad expanse of dense woodland at their leisure…’ It depends on who’s leading us, but I already have a bad feeling about this. In the memo box on the side, they wrote, ‘If you want to kill yourself, go ahead. When you do, die quietly so as not to cause an inconvenience to others.’ What the hell? Anyway, deep in the forest, disposal of bodies isn’t any trouble. This is likely where she’ll start a fight, right? Or possibly—”

  Renko’s white fingertip slid smoothly down the program of events. As she looked over the coming schedule, she seemed to be trying to anticipate Shamaya’s next moves. Her demeanor again reminded Kyousuke that Renko was a professional killer. Not some common psychopath but a real expert—a true master of murder.

  “This evening’s ‘Heart Attack/Test of Courage,’ perhaps? I wouldn’t expect her to make a move in the presence of the teachers and other Public Morals Committee members, so…I think she’ll probably look for a time when each squad is off on its own. If I were going to kill you, that’s what I would do. Eiri, what do you think?”

  Eiri held her chin in her hand. “Let me see…” Though she’d never actually completed the act, Eiri was similarly knowledgeable when it came to murder, and after a moment of brief contemplation, she nodded. With a finger adorned by a bright red nail, she pointed to the place where “Heart Attack/Test of Courage” was written.

  “…I think that if she’s coming for us, it’ll be at night. Preparation is important for a murder. There’s not much time before Woodland Exploration, and she’s in a weakened physical state. It’s even less likely if she’s not the one guiding us… On the other hand, there is time before the Test of Courage, and that activity is done in pairs. It looks like it’s taking place in the House of Limbo… If she turned out the lights, it would be pitch-black. Assuming she knows all the best places to launch a sneak attack, it wouldn’t be impossible to kill without exposing herself.”

  “Right. On the third day, it doesn’t look like there will be many such opportunities. If we wear ourselves out keeping watch she’ll strike when we’re weak, so for now let’s focus on these two events, shall we? Kksshh.”

  “What is this, you two…? You’re scary…”

  Their deadly discussion had gone completely over Kyousuke’s head. In times like these, he felt there was an unbridgeable distance between himself and the girls. When they were having a fun time together as usual, it was almost too easy forget, but—

  There was a definite distance between Kyousuke and everyone else, a deep chasm that no amount of piled up corpses or spilled blood could fill.

  “Kksshh. What’s the problem, Kyousuke? It’d be one thing if we were your enemies, but we’re on your side here. An eye for an eye, a blade for a blade—that’s the way of the professional killer! We don’t expect you and Maina, both novices who have only killed in the double digits, to understand… Don’t worry about it.”

  “…I’m telling you, you’re scary when you get like that.” He could vividly imagine Renko’s ferocious smile lurking beneath the gas mask.

  Noticing that Kyousuke had unconsciously leaned away, Eiri said, “Don’t worry,” and brushed her hair back. “I won’t let her kill you. Neither you or Maina… I won’t let her lay a finger on you.”

  “Eiri…”

  “Eiri…”

  “Kksshh. I was planning on killing you, too, though, Eiri! …Oh well. For now, it looks like we can all agree that we do not want to be killed by Shamaya the Murder Princess. In that case, we should cooperate, shouldn’t we? She might not be as experienced as me, but she’s had a lot of practice, and she might not be as skilled as Eiri, but I’m sure she’s proficient with many deadly weapons. We need to stay vigilant, and if she comes at us with a sudden attack, we have to keep calm and deal with it!” Renko looked around imploringly at everyone in turn.

  Kyousuke and Eiri nodded at her.

  Maina pouted her lips and clenched her fists. “…Okay. I understand. Thank you. And I’m sorry… Thanks to me, you got mixed up in this, um…” She hung her head.

  “It’s not because of you.” Tousling Maina’s hair, Kyousuke smiled. “As Miss Shamaya said, she’s only reaping what she’s sown. And she certainly has it coming—”

  “It’s because you made a fool out of her, Kyousuke. She’s probably stressed out, don’t you think?” Placing a hand on Kyousuke’s shoulder, Renko sighed. “Kksshh…”

  Eiri struck her on the back of the head, hard. “You’re the one who really made her look foolish, aren’t you?” she accused. “Don’t try to lay the blame on other people.”

  “…You did it, too, Eiri.”

  “Gyah!! Wha…what the hell are you doing?!” Eiri squirmed and jumped away as Renko jabbed her with a finger.

  “Oh my, could you be weak there, Eiri?” Renko seemed amused. “And what about here? Or here, or here, or heeere? Kksshh.” She poked at Eiri, all over.

  In response, Eiri also extended a finger toward Renko. “…Don’t press your luck!”

  Watching the two of them make a screeching clamor in the narrow hallway, Maina’s expression softened. “Oh dear… N-neither of them have any anxiety, do they?”

  “…None at all,” Kyousuke answered. “But we don’t need to worry. Somehow or other, they’re reliable…plus you’ve got me by your side, too. So cheer up, will you? Okay?”

  “Ah…o-okay! You’re right… I’ve got you and everyone else with me! I’ll cheer up! And this time I’ll also…” Show you that I can help out, too, huh?

  Maina was in high spirits. Her big flax-colored eyes reflected a strong, dignified resolve.

  “U-um…are we going around in circles? It might just be my imagination, though. It seems like we went down this path before… Oh dear, oh my…” Maina looked restlessly at their surroundings. Her voice sounded like she might start crying at any moment.

  The time was 3:12 PM. Kyousuke and the others were now in the midst of Woodland Exploration.

  “No, I think it’s your imagination…probably. Y-you’re imagining it…right?” Walking beside Maina, Kyousuke was drawn in by her worry. He turned his head restlessly, surveying their environment. The full 360-degree panorama of his vision was completely filled with the green of trees, and he couldn’t even see the sky for their thick, intertwining branches. Despite the fact that it was still afternoon, their surroundings seemed dull and gloomy.

  About an hour had passed since they had started walking deeper into the woods, and the scenery did not seem to be changing for the better anytime soon. Kyousuke and Maina had already begun feeling uneasy, but Eiri, who was walking at the end of the line, spoke as if she was bored. “…It’s your imagination. See how the greenery is getting denser? We’re going straight into the middle.” As if to emphasize her point, she let out a long yawn.

  Eiri was supposed to be keeping a close eye on Shamaya’s movements, but she didn’t show the slightest bit of tensi
on. Which wasn’t surprising, because the Public Morals Committee member who was leading Kyousuke’s group was—

  “……”

  …A female student with her hair in braids, wearing glasses, walking silently forward. It was not Shamaya.

  As they had confirmed before departure, Shamaya was in charge of Class B Squad One. It seemed very unlikely that she would make her move during Woodland Exploration. There was no way that she could leave the squad she was in charge of alone—and even if she could, in the middle of such closely growing trees, there was no way she would be able to locate Kyousuke and the others.

  And even if she did manage to successfully locate them, they had another member of the Public Morals Committee with them…

  “Anyway, that girl…how is she not lost?” They stared doubtfully at the back of their Public Morals Committee member leading the way.

  “……”

  Looking like she should be reading a book in the corner of a classroom, she nevertheless continued progressing indifferently. She didn’t even have a map but still marched confidently forward. What exactly are the signs she’s using to get through this maze of a forest, I wonder…?

  “…Do you think that might have something to do with it?” Eiri pointed to something just ahead of their Public Morals Committee guide.

  Slithering along the ground, among exposed tree roots and piled up leaves, was a snake. Sporting a geometric pattern on its poisonous yellow body, it must have belonged to Busujima. As if leading the Public Morals Committee member who was in turn leading them, it slunk along at a leisurely pace.

  “Oh, that’s right…Mr. Busujima’s snake is guiding the way for us. Amazing, that snake. Or is the amazing one Mr. Busujima…? Either way, it’s incredible.”

  “Both the snake and Mr. Busujima are great! We can relax—can’t we?”

  “…Hm. If the teachers are involved, I think we should be okay. At least, there shouldn’t be any worry over getting lost and dying of exposure.”

  At Eiri’s comment, Maina let out a breath of relief. “Th-thank goodness…”

  Kyousuke straightened his rucksack, also feeling somewhat relieved. Save for the fear that if they got lost they would never make it out alive, Woodland Exploration was actually a fairly tranquil activity. The pace of their Public Morals Committee guide was fast, but not so fast that they couldn’t keep up, and she didn’t meddle with Kyousuke and the others.

  “……”

  About two yards ahead of them, she continued her silent, solitary march. There was definitely something weird about that. Kyousuke spoke up as he stretched. “Wooow, the forest is full of greenery, and the air is sweet, miss!”

  “……Yes indeed.”

  He had tried to speak brightly and energetically, but the upperclassman’s response was curt. Kyousuke, undaunted, tried another attempt at communication. “It’s so cool and comfortable out here. It makes you feel like you want to stay in the forest forever!”

  “……Yes indeed.”

  You can’t just say “yes indeed.” Get into it! What is this, some kind of television comedy routine? The forest air was chilly, but her attitude was even colder.

  “Uh, umm…by the way, miss, what is your name? Now that I think of it, we haven’t introduced ourselves yet, have we? I’ll start. I’m Kyousuke Kamiya! Fifteen years old.”

  “……Yes indeed.”

  “Ah, okay.”

  Shut down. Certainly, Kyousuke’s name was Kyousuke Kamiya, and he was fifteen years old, but that was as far as he got. A conversation was just not materializing.

  Eiri cursed at him and his disappointment. “Trying to make a pass at another upperclassman…you lecher.”

  “Huh? I wasn’t making a pass at her! It was an ordinary conversation.”

  “……By which you mean I’m such a loser that you don’t even see a point in hitting on me… Is that it?”

  “L-loser?! No way, that’s not what I meant…”

  “……”

  The upperclassman who had until then said nothing but ‘yes indeed’ turned around and glared at Kyousuke. Why does she only speak normally at a time like this…? A look like sharp needles bored into him from behind her round glasses. Kyousuke avoided meeting her gaze.

  “No, um…you’re not exactly striking, but I think you’ve got what it takes, miss! With some new clothes and a little makeup, you would definitely be pretty! So saying there’s no point is absolutely—”

  “……Yes indeed.”

  “Ahh…okay.”

  It was impossible. There was no chance of having a decent conversation with this upperclassman.

  As if nothing had happened, their Public Morals Committee guide—her name was Morita—turned around and resumed her silent march. Kyousuke’s shoulders fell.

  Eiri clicked her tongue. “Of course you were hitting on her. You’re beyond saving.”

  “Oh dear… Don’t worry about it, Eiri…”

  “I’m the one you should be saying that to! I don’t want to be saved by you anyway, geez…”

  Sighing from the bottom of his gut, Kyousuke pulled himself together and moved his feet. For a short while, they continued through the woods in silence. In the break in conversation, the dense forest was blanketed in an uneasy silence, and aside from the sound of their footsteps on the ground, nothing could be heard. How much time could have passed as they continued to walk through the unchanging forest—

  “……It’s time.” Suddenly, Morita came to a halt and said something other than “yes indeed.” Her eyes were fixed on her wristwatch. Kyousuke, too, checked the time on the watch he’d been issued.

  Four thirty. According to the schedule, it was time to finish Woodland Exploration and start the next activity, the “Piranha Catching Tournament.” But strangely…

  What about travel time?

  He couldn’t remember where the Piranha Catching Tournament was to be held, but looking around, there were no rivers or lakes in sight, nor were there any other students or Public Morals Committee members. If the activities were proceeding according to the schedule, they were definitely late by now.

  Turning around to look at the baffled younger students, Morita pushed her glasses up. At her feet, the snake raised its head.

  “When you say ‘it’s time,’ miss, you’re not lost…are you?”

  “……Yes indeed.”

  “…?! ‘Yes indeed’? Why you—”

  “If that’s how you misunderstand the situation, there’s no helping it.” Cutting off their angry protests, Morita stepped toward them. Busujima’s snake also followed her, and together they drew closer.

  “……‘Misunderstand’?”

  She ignored Eiri’s question, which had been hurled at her with a scowl.

  Closing her eyes and passing through Kyousuke’s group, Morita stopped about ten feet behind them, and turned around again. Standing across from them, she slowly removed her glasses.

  After closing the neatly folded glasses in their case, she put the case in her skirt pocket. Her naked eyes arrested Kyousuke and the others, and in them dwelled a fine, sharp light. When Morita spoke, her voice was cold and filled with an apathetic authority.

  “……It is time. At this moment, sixteen hundred hours and thirty-two minutes, this year’s Purgatorium Remedial Academy Prison Camping Trip is concluded on schedule. We shall disband here. Each of you is to return on your own to the school from here by sunset tomorrow. In the unlikely event that you do not make it in time—or if you fail to do so on account of trying to run away—harsh punishment awaits you, so be careful. Well, then, first-year students…please take care on your way back.”

  Don’t you know that prison camping lasts until you get back home?!

  “……?!”

  She finished talking and, turning on her heels, Morita broke into a furious sprint. Slithering over the ground, the yellow snake chased after her.

  “……Shit!! Wait!” Recovering instantly from the surprise, Eiri undaunte
dly sprang forward. She dashed from one tree root to the next as if she were flying, her ponytail swinging behind her.

  Morita’s running was splendid, too, but Eiri’s was even more impressive. In an instant, she had closed the distance between them, and Eiri was about to overtake Morita—or so it seemed.

  “……”

  From no one knew where, Morita produced a big black object in the palm of her hand and threw it at Eiri.

  Immediately, Eiri put on the emergency brake and covered her ears.

  “A stun grenade?! Shit—”

  —A flash. Then the sound of an explosion.

  From where Kyousuke and Maina were standing, it wasn’t too bad, but for Eiri, who had been right in front of the grenade when it exploded, it was unendurable, and she fell to her knees. Meanwhile, Morita had continued running, and her silhouette was quickly growing distant.

  “Ugh, seriously…that’s the worst! She really screwed us over, that bitch…”

  By the time Eiri was back on her feet, Morita had already disappeared into the trees.

  “Eiriiiiiiiiiiii!”

  “H-hey…are you hurt?!”

  “…There’s no doubt about it. It was nonlethal. But I was unprepared… So that was the handheld weapon of a Public Morals Committee member, huh? I was planning to capture her and interrogate her about it, but…I screwed up.”

  When Kyousuke and the others rushed over, they found Eiri gritting her teeth in vexation. Maina was flustered, and she looked around at their surroundings. “Wh-what on earth did she mean…saying the prison camping trip is over now?”

  “Plus, didn’t she say it was planned this way? But there were those other things on the schedule…” Lowering his rucksack and pulling out the guidebook, Kyousuke opened the tome. No matter how many times he checked, the prison camping was two nights and three days, as expected. There was “Day One in Hell” and “Day Two in Purgatory”—and finally, “Day Three in Heaven.”