I do pity you.
You don't realize you fell for my trap.
The hell's that supposed to mean?
I will now tally the votes.
The Losers' Revival
What's this about a trap?!
Don't worry about it. He's bluffing.
How am I supposed to not worry?!
Look at that bastard's smug face!
I know... Maybe he didn't even vote no in the first place!
What if he actually voted yes?!
Would you calm down already?
I know for certain he voted no.
I confirmed as much during the game.
Hey, did you really vote no?
Like I said before, here's the proof.
You don't mind if I rip this up, then?
It's impossible for him to have voted yes.
Besides, voting yes wouldn't give him the victory anyway.
Oh... that's right.
He must have realized we were nearing an agreement,
so he's trying to shake us up.
He wants to sow distrust in our alliance
and undermine us in the next round.
I get it!
He can't possibly win. Not when it's three against one.
I will now tally the votes.
First, Number 3:
"Yes."
Next, Number 11:
"Yes."
All right!
Next, Number 22...
Damn it! He's got something up his sleeve!
Just what is the trap?!
Number 22: "No."
Huh?
See? What'd I tell you?
Number 22 was clearly bluffing.
What a nasty bastard.
Last, Number 15...
We'll have our tie for now, but we'd better be careful moving forward.
"Yes."
He's not going to stop trying to get in our heads.
We have to be sure not to fall for it.
This concludes the tally.
Yeah.
Wait...
What did you say?
Number 15: "Yes."
The result is three to one.
The winner is Number 22, who voted "no."
The winner is... Number 22?
We did it!
We won, Akiyama-san!
Wait...
Wait a minute!
The hell happened here?
It's just like I told you. You fell for my trap.
You people really are stupid.
You betrayed us?
You betrayed us and voted yes?
Finally caught on?
Number 22 and I were working together.
You lied to us!
Sure did. I mean, it's called the Liar Game.
That's literally what it's all about.
And what about all that talk of you moving forward in the tournament?
The second game was hard enough. No way I'm sticking with it.
Then saying you wouldn't compromise on the prize
and agreeing to make this round a draw...
That was the setup I was after from the start.
I know you're a money-grubber.
You were guaranteed to complain about your low payout.
And once you dug yourself in,
you'd eventually propose a draw to prolong things.
But arranging the tie was more complicated than it seemed.
There was only one real way to ensure it:
Submit two "yes" votes and one "no" vote,
with the "no" voter taking all three up with them.
Except if the "no" voter actually wanted 22 to win,
they could flush the whole thing down the drain.
Damn it!
Akiyama-san, how long...
How long have you been working with Number 15?
Since before that last round.
Only then?
Yeah. That's when we officially decided to work together.
But I've actually been in contact with him since last night.
Last night?!
Can we talk?
We need to do something, or we'll lose in the first round tomorrow.
At the time, I had a feeling there might be three teams in play
but no proof of it.
Contacting and questioning Number 15
confirmed the existence of at least two teams.
And this morning, your call confirmed...
the existence of a third with Number 1 in its ranks.
You said we couldn't win the game because we didn't make good use of our time,
but I was using mine quite effectively...
Building an alliance with Number 15 without you realizing.
Why did you work with Number 22?
Because he told me you were lying to us.
It was a real shocker.
He said, "I know you're on a team with Number 3."
"If you work with me, we can win."
"Number 3's definitely going to betray you if you don't."
And you trusted Number 22 over me just like that?!
Nah. I wasn't sure which of you to trust at that point.
But in exchange for my trust, Number 22...
gave me this.
Michiko Takada
His name tag?
Wait, that's right...
He hasn't been wearing his name tag all day.
Number 22 gave me this as collateral in exchange for intel on my team.
This tag is worth 100 million yen,
so even if he turned out to be lying, I'd at least come out even.
That's why I spilled the beans about our team.
But I was still thrown for a loop by your big revelation.
Number 22 was right. You really are a sneaky, rotten traitor.
And based on that, you trusted Number 22?
I wouldn't go quite that far.
I asked an official, and he said to claim the prize, you have to trade in your tag.
Which means Number 22 can't collect his without this.
Meanwhile, with my team gone, I had no choice but to go along with his plan.
That left us acting in mutual interest.
Incredible!
I... lost?
Hold it. You've got one more thing to do before you fall into self-pity.
Return that 100-million-yen check.
You could've kept it to yourself, but you had to blab it to the world.
That's not part of a game. It's just fraud, pure and simple.
Hand it over or I'll get the police involved.
Damn it all!
And so the second round of the Liar Game, Minority Rule, came to an end.
Thank goodness. I was really scared for a minute there...
But even though we're saved, everyone else ended up in debt, didn't they?
It's hard to be happy about that.
Um... What's going to happen to the people who lost?
No idea.
Don't think about it too hard.
The losers may suffer, but that's not your fault.
Right.
Oh, wait.
Come to think of it, Akiyama-san, how much did you pay Number 15?
It was 1.1625 billion.
He needed 1.0625 to fulfill his contract with his teammates,
and I threw in a bonus 100 million for his assistance.
Wait a minute!
You can't fulfill the contract with our team, then, can you?!
We're only walking away with 1.05 billion...
Oh, I can.
Because I'm moving on to the next stage instead of dropping out.
What?!
With the stolen check included, I had 2.2 billion.
I could easily cover everyone's payout with that.
You can't do this!
You can't sacrifice yourself for me and our team!
That's not what I'm doing.
Sacrifice? Taking one for the team?
It's nothing so noble as that.
It's just...
The people running the Liar Game are making a game out of exploiting the weak.
Then they saddle the losers with massive debt.
I want to find out who they are. That's all.
Calling Mobile Phone...
Akiyama-san
He's not answering.
It's been a week since the game ended.
I've called him about a hundred times a day, but he never picks up.
What's Akiyama-san doing?
Could that be him?
Hello!
Hey there!
Wait!
You're feeling guilty about Akiyama, right?
Huh?
You were an official participant in the game,
and in the process of saving you, he got stuck in it!
You can't let that stand, can you?
I at least want to give the 40 million I won in the second game back to him.
I keep calling and texting, but...
He's ignoring you?
Understandable.
The only reason he helped you in the first place was because of his dark past.
Akiyama-san's dark past?
What do you mean?
How much do you know about him, personally speaking?
Um... he's a genius con artist.
He recently served his sentence for fraud, sure,
but that's not really who he is.
He was a regular grad student majoring in psychology.
Why would an ordinary student get involved in fraud?
Let me tell you about Shinichi Akiyama.
His father died in an accident when he was a child,
leaving his mother to raise him.
His mother wanted only the best for her son,
so she worked her frail body to the bone day and night.
I'm back.
Welcome home.
Three-Digit Addition
Name: Shinichi
Gracious. Did you stay up late studying to wait for me?
Well, you were staying up late to work, so...
Shinichi, live a good, honest life.
An honest life will always lead to happiness.
Right.
Akiyama did as his mother taught him,
graduated at the top of his class all through middle and high school,
Teito University Entrance Ceremony
and ended up at the super-prestigious Teito University.
But around that same time, his mother's years of hard work caught up with her.
Her health took a turn for the worse.
Mom, you don't have to work anymore.
I'm fine with quitting college.
Don't talk like that, now.
I want you to study.
I have enough money saved up to get you through school.
It was a lie.
Normal Transactions (And Loan Payments)
Date Transaction Type Debit Credit Balance
Withdrawal Withdrawal Withdrawal Withdrawal Withdrawal Payment Payment Payment
The Akiyama family didn't have a yen to their name. Just a mountain of debt.
That was when an old friend extended a helping hand.
Request for Payment Concerning Your Loan
Notice of Debt
Honestly! Why didn't you come to me for help sooner?
There's an organization made to help people just like you.
See? It's the Shuei Group!
Take Hold of Your Dreams!
Join their membership program and make lots of money
just working in your spare time.
Recruit people on your good days, and you'll get more than enough.
You mean it?
See? It's perfect for someone struggling with their health.
Thank you!
I knew my friends would always be there for me!
But this friend was really recruiting for a crooked MLM company.
Akiyama's mother bought it hook, line, and sinker.
There are always grifters out there, prowling like hyenas to exploit the weak.
That's awful.
I'm sure she was mentally and physically at the end of her rope by that point.
She put her stamp on that contract without a second thought,
not realizing she was stamping her passport to hell.
Akiyama's earnest, innocent mother set about recruiting new members.
But it barely made a dent in her debt.
Eventually, when it dawned on her that she'd been
defrauding people under the guise of "gaining membership,"
she was racked with guilt.
She immediately quit the company
but had to pay a huge breach-of-contract fee,
and her debt ballooned to a level she could never pay back.
Breach of Contract Notice You are hereby compelled to pay the specified fee for breach of contract: 10 million yen
"My son won't be able to graduate because of my debts."
The realization tortured her and drove her to the brink.
Ultimately, she took her own life.
If she'd been more willing to compromise her ethics,
she wouldn't have suffered as she did.
It was such honesty,
such trust in others, that drove her to her death.
Proof of Life Insurance
It left her with no alternative.
Akiyama managed to make it through grad school...
but he decided to use everything he learned there for revenge.
Having studied a bit of criminology at university,
he knew how hard it was to prosecute fraud.
So he became a con artist himself
to turn the tables on the MLM company that drove his mother to suicide,
and he took them down.
I had no idea...
Akiyama-san has such a tragic past...
You're stupidly honest. This is why you got scammed.
That's why he said that.
I'm sure he sees his dead mother in you.
That's why he felt obligated to help you.
Maybe he was even willing to sacrifice himself to save you from the game
to alleviate some of the guilt he felt after he was unable to save his mother.
You wanna help Akiyama?
Of course I do!
There's just one way to do that...
Enter the Liar Game Losers' Revival.
What?!
In three days, we'll be holding a Losers' Revival round,
available only to losers of the second game.
You can use the prize money you win there to let Akiyama drop out.
You're inviting me to another of those rotten games?
Hey, it's not like that!
This isn't like the other games you've played!
It's a second chance for losers!
It's a low-level competition full of weaklings and failures!
In other words, the perfect place to earn prize money!
You may officially be a loser, but you're not actually in debt.
In fact, you came out 40 million in the black.
You're at a great advantage!
Is it a game where having money gives you an advantage?
I can't give out details, but if you want an invitation...
Here ya go.
Notice of Liar Game Losers' Revival Match
As part of the office myself, I shouldn't be telling you this...
but you have near-100% odds of winning this game.
It's a sure bet!
Of course, it's up to you whether you wanna take it or not.
But don't forget...
You're the only one who can save Akiyama.
Goodbye.
Three days later,
I arrived at the Losers' Revival venue.
I couldn't let Akiyama-san suffer for my sake.
The Losers' Revival Match will begin at the date, time, and place listed here.
Please scan this QR code
Please be on time. You may bring anything to the venue, excluding illegal items (guns, bladed weapons, narcotics, stimulants, etc.). To ensure your victory, we recommend that you come fully prepared.
The invitation said we could bring anything we wanted to the venue.
And to "come fully prepared."
Japanese Dictionary
So I brought lots with me, but I'm not sure if this is "fully prepared."
Welcome!
You're such a kind soul, I just knew you'd come.
Show her in.
Right this way.
Best of luck.
This bowling alley was the site of the Losers' Revival match.
And the players I found there...
were all people I'd faced in the second-round game.
Oh, you came, too?
Hitomi-san!
I mean... Fukunaga-san, right?
Either's fine.
But this figures. You're technically a loser, too.
Welcome, all, to the Losers' Revival round!
As in the second game, I shall serve as your main dealer in this match.
My name is Leronira.
A pleasure.
He's behind a screen this time, huh?
As in the first two games, this will be a battle for 100 million yen.
We will now distribute these tickets.
These are "M Tickets."
They represent 100 million yen.
These are worth 100 million?
"Remaining money: 100 million"?!
You hold in your hands checks worth up to 100 million yen.
You are free to spend that 100 million however you wish in this game.
It's a game about spending money?!
Now, now, allow me to finish.
I will now reveal the name of the Losers' Revival game...
The game in which you'll all be participating.
It is called...
The Downsizing Game!
D-Downsizing?
One of the nine players present will be downsized.
Whoever is downsized will be the loser.
The remaining eight will be winners.
Nao Kanzaki
3 days ago
What gives?
She was calling me constantly but suddenly stopped three days ago.
Did she finally give up?
Or... could she be...
Only one out of nine loses?
And that's how I returned...
to the terrifying battleground known as the Liar Game.
Next Time
Downsizing Game