Alice in Borderland

Chapter 97 - How the Kings fall

"Ah, now suddenly everyone votes 'yes,' " Niragi sighs with pleasure and walks confidently with slow steps back to Aguni's side, "So it's decided who the new leader is."

My eyes swivel to Chishiya, who returns the look and nods barely noticeably. The balance of power between military squad and neutral leadership members is upset, the Hatter is dead and Aguni is the new King of the Beach. The gorillas of the military squad will be able to get away with anything from this second on, now that the Hatter can no longer hold them back. It's only a matter of time before everything implodes here and the short glance to Chishiya shows me that he wants to implement his plan soon, or is already doing so.

"The Hatter doesn't accept that, though! If he were alive, he wouldn't let this pass," Mira protests meekly, yet she raises her eyes slightly composed and stares stubbornly straight ahead. Niragi laughs out loud, which makes me look at him with narrowed eyebrows, and sauntering, he approaches the Hatter's corpse with playful lunges.

"But he's not alive," Niragi counters with widened eyes, and suddenly he strikes the Hatter's head once with the recoil of his rifle. Frozen, I look at the Hatter's face turned to the side and tighten my jaw. The Hatter founded the Beach, with its faults but it gave many people time in the Borderland by working together in the games. Even though some of his methods were questionable, he didn't deserve this. Not in life and now not in death. "The dead have no idea what's going on. You see, you see?"

Niragi strikes the corpse's head again and I lower my eyes to avert my gaze. I just can't watch this, can't bring myself to follow what's happening. Seeing Niragi, who is in some way a confidant, and the lifeless body of the Hatter, with whom I like to converse from time to time. The black-haired sniper humiliates Danma, not only by beating on his body, but by making him look powerless. The former king of the Beach, defenseless and humiliated by the blows. I can only hear the dull thud of the gun barrel on his forehead and unconsciously I count them. Five. Five blows and the horrified sounds of the others present. After a brief pause, I hear Niragi spit contemptuously and I don't need to lift my gaze to see where this disrespect was dedicated. To the face of the hatter.

"Enough," Aguni interrupts his henchman in a stern voice, and for the first time really speaks up. He turns his back on the corpse bedded on a white sheet, and so remains facing the rest of us with his backside turned. He interrupts the barbaric action of Niragi and does not watch any longer, he seems strong in front of the rest of us but nevertheless I think there is more behind it. I have always suspected that the two share a special relationship. This gesture is so hidden and yet familiar. "From today, I am the new king here."

Niragi stands next to his boss and turns to face us, laughs briefly, and begins to clap with his rifle loosely shouldered. Planned, he draws the intervals of his hands meeting together in amusement and his eyes flash briefly at everyone present.

"Isn't that wonderful. Okay boss, now all that's missing is the ceremony. Time to open the black envelope," he says gleefully and Aguni nods gently.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" the new king asks emotionlessly and Niragi gets a grin, as if he was just waiting for that template. He spreads his arms to draw all eyes to him, as if all the attention wasn't already on the two of them.

"Oh, there was one more thing," Niragi laughs, shouldering his sniper rifle even more loosely. It was supposed to reassure me, but that crazy look in his eyes won't let me let my guard down.

"Now that the leadership ranks have shrunk, all members move up one number," he looks specifically at Ann, Mira, and the indefinitely demoted number two. He then looks sternly at Chishiya, which is why I inconspicuously but uneasily start bobbing my right leg. "Chishiya, this officially puts you in the leadership rule for now which means the advisor position is vacant."