[x] "Sure, I'll join you two for tea."

"Me?" said Flandre. "Well, give me a minute to think.. ehehe~"

The little sister took a moment to wipe off her mouth with a napkin. Behind her smiling face were eyes that glimmered of cold intelligence. It scared me a bit. But I did my best not to show any reaction. I instinctually felt that it was the kind of fear that could get me killed, should I show it out in the open.

"There is no doubt about it," she said. "Big sis Remilia would have to be the first to die."

"Eh? Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Explain." said Patchouli.

Flandre smiled as she took a biscuit and held it between her fingers. Then, snap! In one swift movement, she broke it in half. Then, she held the pieces up for me and Patchouli to see.

"First, you must attack the piece that holds everything together. The domino effect takes care of the rest. In this way, there is zero chance for the opponent to counterattack. Even when it is their turn, it is already too late. From the very beginning, you are guaranteed an absolute victory."

"Interesting point," I replied. "But won't that very first move be the most critical? What if you make a mistake?"

She shook her head and grinned at me.

"If it was me, then there would be no mistakes, ehehe~"

Her confidence was a bit unnerving. Did she already think up the actual moves in her head? It scared me that she was taking this discussion so seriously. Might be best not to let her mind dwell on the subject any longer. I quickly turned to Patchouli.

"How about you?" I asked. "How would you do it?"

The magician paused for only a moment. Her voice was exceptionally calm.

"I would kill Sakuya first," she said.

"Eh? But why the head maid?" said Flandre. "Wouldn't that give the opponent a chance to retaliate?"

"..."

Patchouli said nothing. Instead, she took a biscuit and started dipping it into her tea. She did this several times until it started to grow soggy. Then she held it up over her plate. After a moment, the damp part fell off on its own. The magician looked up at Flandre and I.

"Fear... suspicion... and despair."

She took a sip from her cup before continuing.

"Attack the one who holds trust. Then wait. Watch patiently as the opponent wears himself down. Give him the illusion of hope, then break it apart repeatedly in front of him. Continue the cycle until he is broken. Blaming the world. Blaming his friends. Blaming himself. Until he gives in to despair and forfeits the game on his own accord."

Silence passed. Even Flandre was a bit lost for words. I cleared my throat before asking her the question in my mind.

"But that means you intentionally gave the opponent a chance to fight back?"

Patchouli turned to me and gave the smallest smile. At that moment, a cold chill ran down my spine. I found myself more afraid of the process, rather than the end result. It was a very different kind of cruelty from Flandre. And unlike the little sister's scenario, my fear only grew more as time passed.

"That's pretty cruel," said Flandre. "Looks like I still have a lot to learn, ehehe~"

The magician shook her head and raised her cup to me.

"Your scenario was the worst," she whispered. "I didn't think that humans could dream of such things."

"Eh? W-what are you taking about?"

Flandre folded her arms and nodded in agreement.

"I agree! Just imagining your scenario made my wings shake! I found myself asking which one between us could be a greater monster, ehehe~"

That wasn't exactly a compliment. In fact, it made me feel a bit hurt inside. The scenario wasn't that bad. I just shared with them the best that I could come up with. Besides, it was Patchouli who brought up the idea of a murder mystery in the Scarlet Devil Mansion. And it was Flandre who made it into our tea time game. Why were they suddenly looking at me like that? I wasn't some sort of criminal mastermind.

Was I?

"In any case," I said. "Thanks a lot for the tea. I think I need to excuse myself for a moment."

[ ] Head back to my room.
[ ] Stroll around the gardens.
[ ] Wander around the hallways.