Chapter 3

Dead Mount Death Play #03 is the third chapter of the Dead Mount Death Play manga.

Summary
In his free time, Takumi Kuruya writes a text record reflecting on what took place in the forty minute period before Misaki Sakimiya wakes.

After introducing himself, Takumi begins with Clarissa Kuraki and her subordinates confronting the Corpse God - whom they think is Polka Shinoyama - as he kneels over Misaki's corpse. In addition to the strange, elaborate circles and large skeletal hand hovering in the air, another circular design is visible underneath Misaki's body.

While Clarissa's subordinates hold the Corpse God at gunpoint and bladepoint, Clarissa asks "Polka Shinoyama" what he is doing in a calm, conversational tone. Takumi's drone wobbles mid-air by the Corpse God's head; she asks Takumi what is going on, and (via some sort of bluetooth earpiece) Takumi replies that he has not been able to control the drone for some time.

The Corpse God announces that he is going to 'fix' Misaki right then and there. Misaki's blood slinks into the gaping hole in her abdomen following his proclamation and, while Clarissa's subordinates shudder in shock, Clarissa murmurs that none of this is "special effects" after all.

With the wound rapidly healing, and with the circle underneath Misaki's body starting to fade, the Corpse God remarks "I think she'll wake up soon" as he gets to his feet. Two bony blades materialize on either side of him, each wielded by a disembodied skeletal hand; thus flanked, he asks "what" Clarissa's group is meant to be.

Clarissa identifiees the woman wielding a sword as "Misaki-chan's friend," and explains that she (Clarissa) came intending to avenge Misaki's death by taking over her contract. When she wonders if Misaki is still alive, the Corpse God says that he just fixed her body - but once Misaki wakes up, she can "easily be returned to live with some resurrection magic."

This statement is met with resounding blank confusion, which confuses the Corpse God in turn: "this body" he possesses is familiar with magical spells like "revive" and "arise," which he had thus assumed were common knowledge. Clarissa's reply that such spells are from a video game is met with more blank confusion.

The Corpse God asks Clarissa if her country or other countries have people who use 'magic' or 'spiritual' energy; she says no, though there are "self-proclaimed wizards" out there. She has also never heard of the empire of Byad#rig or the kingdom of Nwyandil.

There is a long pause. The Corpse God vanishes the large skeletal hand with a glance and tries to pass it off as a 'mass hallucination', a claim which fools no one. Switching tactics, he summons several blades with his magic - a clear offensive threat that Clarissa's subordinates respond to accordingly. Where Misaki's friend steps in front of Clarissa, a bald man aims his handgun at the Corpse God and accuses him of being a monster.

The large skeletal hand from before slams him to the ground and pins him in place.

With a steely look in his eye, the Corpse God states that he had not realized (at first) how fragile they are, implying their kind. A tense silence ensues; though the subordinates remain poised to strike, newfound caution prevents any sudden movements.

Clarissa breaks the silence by asking for a moment to think, a request which the Corpse God grants. Surprised, Takumi wonders if his calm confidence is due to some advantage up his sleeve. In reality, the Corpse God has no plan whatsoever. As he no longer seems immediately hostile, some of the tension in the room dispels.

A siren wails in the very near distance, distracting everyone from the situation at hand. Takumi reports that a fire has broken out in the Shakuzawa Building, which he has a visual on, and a subordinate hands Clarissa a tablet displaying the live camera feed: that of large plumes of smoke, and three children visible in one of the windows. Staring down at the children's faces, Clarissa says that while she is worried for them, this is a job for the firefighters to handle.

She is so focused on the video feed that she does not notice the tripedal eyeball spying on the tablet from her right shoulder. Three of her subordinates, however, do, and Misaki's friend slashes the eyeball with her sword - which she then points at the Corpse God. Clarissa signals for her to stand down and readily explains the situation for the Corpse god's benefit: the Shakuzawa Building houses an unauthorized daycare center on behalf of parents with 'unsavory' jobs, i.e. mothers who work at nightclubs or fathers involved with the mafia.

The Corpse God, remembering the charred corpses of children dear to him, demands the building's location. When asked why he cares, he says no child should have to endure the pain of burning - a pain he knows intimately. At the intensity in his gaze, CLarissa orders Takumi to show him the way.

Takumi reluctantly does as bid, piloting his drone at top speeds toward the Shakuzawa Building with the Corpse God following at top speed (aided by magic). Once at the site, the Corpse God uses his Evil Eye (amplified with his own magic) to detect the children's life-forces inside the building; once he finds them, he has the large skeletal hand launch him into the air at one of the balconies. On the streets below, the rubberneckers ask each other if they saw something 'fly inside' just then.

Through the thick smoke, the Corpse God sees four children and an adult caretaker huddled on the floor, coughing and struggling to breathe. Watching over them are the spirits of the children's spirits, whom the Corpse God asks for help.

On the street below, one of the rubberneckers cries out in shock at the sight of two black humanoid skeletons standing by the window, the foreground one cradling a little girl in his arms.

The girl opens her eyes and recognizes the skeleton as her father, seeing him as he was in life. The skeletal spirit passes her through the window to the large skeletal hands waiting outside, and the hands safely carry the humans to the ground (leaving them to the care of emergency workers).

With everyone safe, social media attention turns to the supernatural sightings in the aftermath. Takumi, confronted with photographs of both the skeletons and skeletal hands on Twitter, can only sigh and wonder why "this guy" would so brazenly use his powers in front of bystanders. He further questions his inconsistent ethics, given that he treated Misaki's life like a toy yet bothered to save the children's lives. Concluding that "this guy" is fundamentally different to humans in some way, Takumi warns Clarissa against "messing" with him in any form.

Clarissa acknowledges his warning (via her earpiece) but requests that he return with "Polka" as soon as possible, as she thinks Misaki will soon sake. Mildly surprised, Takumi agrees.

The chapter then picks up where Chapter 2 left off: with Clarissa confirming Misaki is dead due to her lack of pulse. While Misaki's friends 'welcome her back', the Corpse God wonders - out loud - how one finds peace in a developed country that still suffers from fires and other disasters. Clarissa, standing next to him, asks what his ideal 'peace' is; at his questioning glance, she informs him that - in her opinion - one needs money to achieve any type of peace.

When she inquires into his dream and intentions while staying in Shinjuku, the Corpse God responds that he wants to use his Necromancy to make money. Enough money, he clarifies, to afford him the power and place needed to live in interrupted peace and quiet.

With a smile, Clarissa introduces herself as "Lisa Kuraki," her subordinates as members of a freelance agency she runs, and formally offers him her services as an intermediary - as he is evidently not their target "Polka Shinoyama" despite having his body. To start, she will assign him "competent people" to help him acclimate to life in Shinjuku - namely Misaki and Takumi.

Misaki and Takumi are mutually taken aback. Not for the first time, Takumi wonders how things could have possibly ended up this way.