ASU-NARO

**ASU-NARO**, also referred to as **Asunaro** (アスナロ, *Asunaro*?), is the organization behind the creation of and running of the Death Game. They use the Death Game as a means to a yet unspecified objective.

## ASU-NARO

On the surface, ASU-NARO is an upstanding and clean company that does medical research. But in reality they're connected to shady businesses and produce illegal drugs and euthanizing medicines. They've also been heard to commit inhumane research which is likely experimentation into reproducing humans. They hold immense power in the criminal underworld to the point it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they control it.

The organization has been keeping an eye on the Death Game candidates for an untold number of years. The AI personalities of the candidates were last updated two and half years ago and are updated every three years, implying the candidates have been watched for much longer.

It should also be noted that the name of the orphanage Q-taro grew up in is called Asunaro.

The prison Alice was in also had the ASU-NARO logo in its cells.

## Associates

* Kai Satou: despite being one of the 20 participants, worked for ASU-NARO. He was raised as an assassin and infiltrated the Chidouin family to observe them while disguised as a homemaker. He ended up growing deeply fond of the Chidouin family and decided to betray ASU-NARO for the Chidouins.
* Meister: the "master" of the Blue Room and MC of Russian Roulette and as the host of the Banquet on the fourth floor. Notably he seems somewhat indifferent to the Asunaro side, operating on the idea of a fair game.
* Sue Miley: is the Floor Master on the first floor and host of the first Main Game.
* Rio Ranger: was one of the Floor Master on the third floor until he was disposed of by Gashu.
* Tia Safalin: the Vice-Floor Master on the third floor to Rio Ranger and one of the hosts of the second Main Game.
* Gashu Satou: acted as the primary Floor Master for the third floor after Rio Ranger was decommissioned, and acted as the MC of the second Main Game. He initially pretended to just be the "Receptionist Doll" and was later revealed to be Kai's father.
* Sou Hiyori: aka Midori, who has various connections to the participants. Midori is the Floor Master of the fourth and fifth floors.
* Shunsuke Hayasaka: was one of the 20 participants in the Death Game. He originally worked for an unspecified corporation that dealt with medical machinery and information. He was coerced by a person from ASU-NARO to compile profiles on the participants. Hayasaka claims he didn't know what the information was for but felt threatened by what they might do if he refused their demand.
* Hinako Mishuku: took the place of the real Hinako Mishuku and pretended to be a doll. During the Banquet, she tried to divert attention to Mai by suggesting "her role was to move the Death Game forward," which may in fact have been Hinako's own role.

## Creations

* Collars that are used in the Death Game.
* Dolls that are used to house artificial consciousnesses. They have made dolls of all 16 candidates among many other kinds.
* Advanced A.I.s that can be uploaded into dolls or computers. Some are exact replicas of people's consciousnesses, which are updated regularly with memories and personality developments. The memories can be updated daily if need be, but personalities are only updated once every three years due to how complex they are.
* Tablets used during the Death Game by participants to ensure it runs smoothly.
* Consent forms, forms participants signed devoting themselves to ASU-NARO in return for a wish.
* AI-Ceiver, a machine that inserts AIs into dolls.

## Trivia

* 'Asunaro' is Japanese for *Thujopsis*, a type of evergreen tree.
* ASUNARO is also the name of a South Korean youth rights organization, which in turn is named after a fictional organization from the 2000 novel 希望の国のエクソダス, *Kibō no Kuni no Ekusodasu*?, lit. "Exodus of the country of hope" by Ryū Murakami. The story is about disenfranchised youth who give up Japan as a country of lost hope, start a business using the full extent of the internet, and eventually purchase land to start their own country.
* ASU-NARO sounds like あす なろ, a*suna ro*, meaning tomorrow or 明日-なろう, *asu-narou,* meaning become-the next day as said in the Asunaro vow.
* Sara's student ID, "SAMURAIONNNA" which includes an extra 'n,' is an anagram for "MINNA ASUNARO" (みんなアスナロ) which means "Everyone is Asunaro."

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 3, Part One, Section A. *Your Turn to Die ―Death Game By Majority―* (キミガシネ　―多数決デスゲーム―) by Nankidai. February 25, 2020. Section A, Fifth Floor Exploration.
2. ↑ Chapter 2, Part One. *Your Turn to Die ―Death Game By Majority―* (キミガシネ　―多数決デスゲーム―) by Nankidai. August 7, 2018. Day 3 Morning.
3. ↑ Chapter 2, Part Two. *Your Turn to Die ―Death Game By Majority―* (キミガシネ　―多数決デスゲーム―) by Nankidai. May 21, 2019. Kai's laptop.