//=time() ?>
Kaoru's face paled, and he backed as far away from Yuzuru as the small room would allow.
"Please understand...Shinkai-sama was mentally unstable. He had stolen Hibiki-sama's corpse and he had a knife which he attempted to attack me with. I had to restrain him."
Yuzuru and Kaoru scanned the star card at the AB gate, and the elevator-like doors slid open.
When they were inside, Kaoru turned to him.
"Hey...can you tell me what happened with Kanata-kun? Was it the sadistic Zero from the puzzle room? What did he say?"
"...I don't know...I'll tell you what I know once you get done 'voting', I guess. Whatever that means..."
In all the chaos, the other players hadn't noticed the newest member of their miserable crew.
"...Huh? Midori-kun? How...why are you..."
"...Yeah, we were...being gassed, and we had to choose whether to inject ourselves with this other disease that could work as the antidote...I didn't, but...
...Sorry...I don't think this is the time."
"I...I truly don't mean to be insensitive, but I would like to ask the red door- did you also have a dangerous puzzle?"