Everyone is searching for a new world
to attain that overflowing dream.
They all jump over the horizon,
regardless of what lies beyond.
We've run,
we've dived into hope,
and forgotten only courage.
And we've been swept away by the crowd
only to lose something dear to us.
I smile with a twisted face,
and it was the best smile I could put on.
The inside of my mask overflowed with tears
so I covered my wet mask with yet another mask.
I continue to walk through the flat battleground,
and I struggle, unable to warp.
The dream waits quietly on a cape far away.
Even if I fumble around clumsily,
I'm sure I'll still be able to make it there.
You're supposed to knock before you enter a girl's room, you know.
So, what do you want, Mr. Dripping Wet Loser?
Even losers have pride.
But...
Let's play a little game.
At this moment, we have total hold on Hiyono's life.
What makes you think we can arrange for an equal trade?
- Lf she's killed, then I won't hesitate for a moment - ; Outside the window, ;
- in sending the tape to the police. - ; Kira kira kira ki, ;
You probably have contingency plans if she escapes,
but your actions this time are remarkably limited.
Not to mention, you still have a lot of healing to do.
You would like to avoid police intervention if possible, right?
And that is why you can't just kill her now.
But on the other side of the coin, as long as she is alive,
I can't ask the police for assistance.
The moment I do that, you'll kill her.
Because there's no point in keeping her alive,
if the tape falls into the hands of the authorities.
We're each holding the other's weaknesses,
but as a result neither of us can make a move.
So do you want to trade the girl for the tape?
Yeah, like we'd ever agree to a stupid deal like that.
You're not that hard to figure out, Little Narumi.
You could make a dozen copies of that tape.
No.
I won't make any copies.
Your word doesn't amount to crap!
Look,
even if I managed to somehow spring her from wherever you're holding her,
there's still the possibility we could be targeted for revenge later.
- ; Then somebody came along; - I need to ensure her safety,
- ; and waved their special magic wand. ; - even way into the future.
My reason for the trade. End of story.
There's more than one way to put it, Little Narumi.
If you don't hand over the tape,
then we can and will get rid of Hiyono whenever we think is the right time.
My only choice would be to immediately hand the tape over if that's true.
But it isn't.
You're not the kind of people who would be satisfied
if I surrendered because of such violence.
I'm not proposing a deal or a simple exchange.
I'm proposing we finish what we started yesterday.
You want to exterminate me.
And you'll let us do that?
; The lightning flashes, Pika pika pika ri, ;
Oh come on, Ayumu.
If you don't save her soon,
the imprisoned princess will have to liberate herself.
Let me tell you one thing before going further.
"If we exercise angel-like fairness
and give Little Narumi a chance to fight and a chance for victory,
then we're also prepared to snatch his life away like a demon."
That was a restriction to which we and Kiyotaka agreed.
In other words, I absolutely can exterminate you in this situation.
So if you give your opponent the same chance,
then being unfair and deceitful is no problem.
That explains why you attack everything like it's a game.
Little Narumi...
If you can make a comeback now,
then it is just as Kiyotaka said.
So tell me, exactly what kind of trade is it that you had in mind?
We each have something the other wants, wouldn't you say?
The tape and the hostage.
Whoever ends up with both is the proud victor, follow me?
Of course I do.
So, here it is.
As of right now, the tape is in a place
where I won't be able to recover it until after 2 pm tomorrow.
Next step, I set things up so that if, by chance,
anything should happen to me along the way,
the tape ends up in police custody.
In other words,
you guys won't be able to rush off and injure me right off the bat.
But on the other hand,
if you learn where the tape is hidden and you can get there before I do,
then you can steal it.
Continue.
You just give me the same chance I give you.
At exactly one-thirty tomorrow afternoon,
I will personally reveal to you the location of the tape.
At that time...
At that time, we tell you where we've been hiding that little girl of yours.
So it is just a simple exchange.
Not really.
Both sides will know exactly where the other one is going.
Don't you think you could find some creative way to slow your opponent down?
I see. What you're getting at is that it would be possible to get both,
given the chance.
Exactly. That's the kind of game I'm proposing
The one who gets their hands on both prizes,
while blocking their opponent's moves is the winner.
Your rules are a little vague, don't you think?
You can decide on the rules.
It's up to you, though, to make it a fair game of wits.
That is my trade.
Will you accept my challenge?
Or run away?
Fine. I accept.
But you will regret this tough-guy attitude.
Try and make me.
We've been had. Hiyono was right about this all along.
That isn't the same Little Narumi as before.
Whattaya mean?
Up to now, Little Narumi never had confidence.
His reasons for fighting were weak.
He never had a clear purpose for himself in mind.
But now, rescuing Hiyono is the clearest purpose he could find.
You guys having me as a hostage
is just the kind of motivation Ayumu needs right now.
That girl has turned this whole thing upside-down!
Idiot.
You can still win this, you know.
Besides, it's not like you to be such a weepy mess.
Yeah, you're right. Sorry.
We need to concentrate our efforts
on finding a way to outwit and bring death upon that Little Narumi.
That's right. Even if you do have pride,
I will make you regret every ounce of it.
Well, it looks like I managed to drag Rio into the game.
Now the real show starts.
We're going to play a little game.
Another one already?
We weren't the ones who suggested it. This time it was Little Narumi.
Are you serious? Oh, I can't wait!
Praying to God, huh?
Hardly. There's no such thing as God.
Is it okay for you to be up and walking?
No. I need two more weeks of rest.
But this is no time for me to be lounging around in bed.
Well then, let me explain how the game will work.
The object of this game is to get both the tape and you, the girl,
which are located in different parts of town.
There are obstacles, naturally. But there are no complicated rules.
I'm gonna give you this key to hold on to.
What is it for?
It disarms a bomb that has been placed in a certain location.
I'm sure I don't need to tell you,
that if you can't disarm the bomb within the given time limit, "boom."
What is this "certain location?"
Wouldn't you like to know?
Around Little Narumi's neck.
It may be small, but it's powerful enough to blow your head clean off.
By my watch, the bomb will explode at two-thirty pm.
So, you'll want to synchronize your watch with mine.
I know I don't have to say this.
But the device won't come off without using the key.
If you try and remove it by force, it'll just...
Boom, I get it.
And the key has been given to Hiyono. Your time limit is one hour.
If you can meet her before then, you'll survive.
But if you do anything during the game,
like call the cops or ask anyone for help,
the collar will explode immediately.
You can expect a fair game from me.
Now, at one-thirty Hiyono will be released.
And the game will begin.
How you decide to use the girl is all up to you.
So, you're looking for a fair, two-on-two match, is that it?
I suppose you could say that. Oh, yeah.
And we won't touch her for the first ten minutes after the game begins.
But after that, we'll start making our moves to capture her again.
And of course, if we acquire the tape first,
we'll eliminate Hiyono without a moment's hesitation.
Since we're allowed to keep our opponents from reaching their goal,
I suppose that's only natural.
We've got cell phones and we've given one to Hiyono as well.
You can ask her for her present location yourself.
All four of our numbers are programmed in,
so you can call your opponents at any time.
However, it's up to you whether to accept a call from them or not.
Wow. How thoughtful of you.
This is a large battlefield.
Without the phones, the required teamwork would be rather impossible.
Think. If I try to meet her while on my way to get the tape,
it would have to be at a place near the tape's location.
Naturally, these guys would be homing in on just that spot,
which would increase the risk of Hiyono being attacked.
But if I make our meeting point at some place far away,
the chance of the tape falling into enemy hands is high.
Even if I can elude the enemy enough to try to meet Hiyono
after getting the tape,
there still might not be enough time.
I'm walking a tightrope no matter what I do.
Are you already regretting your decision?
Sorry to jump the gun like this, but I want to confirm that Hiyono is okay.
Go ahead.
Ayumu!
Yo, dingbat. I'm coming to save you. Bye.
Eh? Wait a sec.
Is that all he can say? The nerve of him!
"Are you all right, my fair princess?"
"They're not treating you badly, are they, my beautiful swan?"
Why couldn't he have said something meaningful like that?
- Huh? It's ridiculous! - Don't look at me!
So, you wanna tell me where your little tape is hiding?
The post office. I sealed it up tight and mailed it to myself.
It should arrive around two pm today.
That's some good thinking there.
I'm sure you've thought of this, but keep in mind
that if you arrive at the mailbox before me and check the mail,
you won't be able to steal the tape if it hasn't been delivered yet.
The mailbox key, I take it.
The box is in an apartment building.
Next to the manager's office are the mailboxes for all the tenants,
probably to ensure protection of privacy.
If I wind up dead from this, and you guys still can't get to the tape,
my sister-in-law will undoubtedly check the suspicious package.
Basically meaning, it lands in the hands of the police.
Impressive. You've really thought this thing through, beginning to end,
haven't you?
What? Couldn't you have predicted that? I mean, come on...
I predicted you would put this kind of bomb on me, right from the start.
Timing is more important than being the first one there.
Kousuke is already near Little Narumi's house,
but now there's no point in having him rush there.
This key is a bottleneck.
We don't need it to open the mailbox, but if we don't,
we run the risk of being seen by the residents or the manager.
Which means that I now have a move to make.
And it's going to cost us a lot.
The stage is set. Everything's in place for our next match.
The time limit will be one hour.
And let the game begin.
If you don't want Little Narumi dead, then you'll hafta get outta here fast.
I won't let you catch me twice.
Ten whole minutes. That's a big head start.
Rio, I just let the girl go. She's on her way.
Then I'll explain our strategy to you.
Ayumu, the weather's so nice now it looks like we never even had a storm.
Yeah. Where are you now?
On an embankment. I see a river to my right and a railroad bridge up ahead.
So, I must be about a quarter-mile south of Shumari Station.
I'm near the church, over a mile and a half away from you.
Ayumu, listen. Let them get the tape.
We have to remove the bomb from your neck first.
There's nothing that can be gained from your death.
No. There's no point in doing any of this
if it's not a complete victory for us.
So, I'm sorry, but the tape comes first.
Well, you certainly do get assertive when somebody's worried sick about you.
I want this thing off as quickly as possible, too.
But I can't thanks to you.
What?
You went too far, Hiyono.
They're more than ready to kill you if they have to, you know.
If they get that tape, they'll kill you immediately,
regardless of the game's outcome.
Worry some about yourself. The tape comes first.
Yeah, I'll sweat bullets, but the bomb has to wait until the end.
Okay, then what do you think I should do?
It's all over if you're caught.
Keep away from them until I get the tape.
If you're near Shumari Station, then get on a train.
A train?
The safest place for you right now is on a moving train.
Plus, they can't do anything violent with the other passengers around.
You don't have to worry about getting caught now.
They gave you a bit of a head start, right?
Yeah.
Just keep going back and forth between the first few stops.
But make sure you return to Shumari Station around 2:10.
I'll be able to get the bomb key from you in the remaining twenty minutes.
Get back by Two-ten. Got it!
And choose the train wisely.
You get on the wrong train and you won't make it back in time
before the explosion.
Yeah, I got it! You can count on me. I will be there.
I'll give you the next set of instructions when I get the tape.
Watch yourself until then.
Right!
I can tell what he's thinking for the most part.
So, listen. He'll put himself at risk somehow
and wait until the last half to get the key.
Getting that tape will be his priority.
Right.
You go straight for that tape, Kousuke.
Roger that. But what should I do about the mailbox key?
It's a pin cylinder lock, so you can pick it. Right?
Yeah, but it'll take a few seconds.
It'd be a pretty messy situation if someone saw me.
Do something. There's just no time for me to get this key to you.
During this, I have to completely crush Little Narumi's chances
of disarming the bomb.
There is no other way that we can win this match.
No matter what, don't let your guard down.
I am all over it.
First stop, Shumari Station.
I have to get to Shumari Station fast.
Trains out of town.
Platform one and platform two are for unloading trains only.
That leaves platforms three and four.
This is exactly how Little Narumi would think.
Hiyono needs to be in a location where her safety can be guaranteed.
Her best bet for this would be inside a moving train.
They figured it out.
Should I go outside? No. Kousuke might be out there already,
waiting to ambush me.
The next train on line two will be stopping at this station.
This train is out-of-service and not boardable.
The high-speed express train on line one,
headed for Shin-Wakakusadai will be departing shortly.
High-speed express!
The doors will be closing now.
Please refrain from rushing
- I dunno, Should I get on? - Through the closing doors.
Oh no!
Bye-Bye!
She got me!
Excuse me?
Yes?
If someone got on that train by mistake,
around what time do you think they would be able to return to this station?
Oh well, let's see here...
The high-speed express train makes its next stop in fifteen minutes,
so even if they transferred, it would be two-thirty-one.
So, around two-thirty.
Thank you very much, sir.
No problem.
Time-wise, that train has become a moving prison.
Now, I can assume that I've destroyed any chance for him to get the bomb key.
But even without a key, he still has a chance for survival.
I guess I have to crush that, too.
I'm so so sorry, Ayumu.
Rio was already there and she pushed me onto some weird train!
I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.
I won't make it back before the bomb...
Calm down.
It's actually a good thing she pushed you.
As long as you're on that train,
there's no way you can get hurt during this game.
All I have to do now is secure the tape, and I'll have your safety secured, too.
I may be fine, but what about you?
Now I don't have any way of getting you the key!
Ayumu, you're not...
You're not seriously thinking it's okay for you to die as long as I'm safe,
are you?
You better answer me, Ayumu!
Turns out, unlike my brother, I actually am a fool.
I have to be, Hiyono, or else I can never protect anyone.
You think that is somehow going to make me feel better about the situation?
Stop worrying. My death isn't guaranteed just yet.
There's still a way to survive.
I've even made the preparations.
All it depends on now is how much luck and courage I have.
A sweet scent washes into my throat
and my feelings continuously overflow...
Don't look at me with that same gaze
that's like you're following a soccer ball.
I've already grown used to my third year at the office,
but did I lose something instead?
Those days long ago when we would talk about anything...
We're finally old enough now
to have those slightly awkward discussions about love.
A single day seems so long, but a whole year ends so quickly.
A whole year seems so short,
but how well will I be able to live the rest of my life?
Time for Hiyono's useful news report!
Boom! Boom, boom, boom, boom!
One: Samurai Hiyo makes her appearance!
Two: She giggles!
Three: She spectacularly gets rid of the demon!
She despises the hate, not the sinner.
Samurai Hiyo plays a huge role!
On the next Spiral: Only One Wise Action.
The power to believe can change even fate!
That's all for today's Hiyono's Playhouse!