"The scent of death envelops this floor, and ugly murderous desires are reflected in your hearts."
The female troupe leader's slightly crazed lines echoed through the room, instantly drawing everyone into the world of the stage. "If one of us is about to die, then there could be no night more fitting than tonight. Don't waste this absolute darkness—now then, let's raise a toast!"
The group gathered around with varying expressions, picked up the glasses from the cart, and drained them in one gulp.
Hashimoto Maya: ...What the hell kind of line is that? It sounds seriously ominous. Could Inozuka Saburo have actually been right? Is someone really going to kill someone here?
He looked over warily.
Then he realized he had probably been overthinking it—on closer inspection, the cups on the cart were empty. The actors were merely earnestly drinking air. That could not possibly poison anyone to death.
Yet just as he thought that, a gaunt man suddenly clutched his throat. He made a wheezing, bellows-like sound as though he could not breathe, staggered back two steps, and collapsed to the floor with a pained thud.
"Ah!!" Mouri Ran and Suzuki Sonoko jumped in fright. After screaming, an instinct tempered through countless experiences awakened in them. "It looks like Cyanide Poisoning! Call the police, hurry!"
Jiang Xia looked at the man on the floor and felt that something was off. "Wait, he doesn't seem to—"
Before he could finish, a cold voice cut in from beside him. "Why call the police? Stop constantly causing them pointless trouble."
Jiang Xia paused and turned toward the voice. The Female Police Superintendent from Hokkaido stood at the doorway with her arms folded, as though she had been watching for quite some time.
Suzuki Sonoko's eyes lit up when she saw her.