Saikyō | Alice in Borderland

Ⅳ - Part 1

"Absolutely not." Miyo's voice echoed through the room. Her and Karai were sitting on the floor in the bedroom of Karai's apartment, writing down the days they had left on a piece of paper. It turned out that Miyo had played the Three of Spades game when she didn't have to, so now she had three days left. Karai's Visa, on the other hand, ended today. She didn't seem to be affected by this fact but Miyo's voice tone after she suggested that she'd go alone made her feel rather surprised. "Why?" She asked, tilting her head slightly to the side. "I thought you disliked playing those games." Miyo shook her head. "No, I really do dislike them...but I don't think that you should go alone." 

Karai closed her eyes and inhaled sharply. She understood that Miyo was worried, but sometimes it just didn't make sense to her. She cared for her- an absolute stranger. It was nice of her, but Karai didn't feel the same at all. "You should stop clinging to me so much, Arima." She sighed. "We barely know each other and I'd honestly feel better if I attended a game by myself." Miyo didn't look happy at all. Her cheeks were now pinkish with embarrassment as she nodded. "If I annoy you that much, please go. But I'd really like it if we could join another game together." The black-haired woman nodded. "Deal." Miyo smiled. "Then just be careful, yeah? I don't want to stare down at your dead body." 

Karai lifted one eyebrow. "I genuinely can't imagine that happening." They spent the rest of the day picking out some outfits and Karai even agreed to do Miyo's make up. She still wasn't sure how to feel about the younger girl. She genuinely didn't want to make any friends and besides, Miyo didn't get the games like she did. For the first time in years, she felt like she could finally do whatever she wanted without being judged or perceived. And Miyo just reminded her that she will never get accepted in the old world. That was why she wanted to participate in a game alone. 

"Serizawa!" Miyo's voice brought her back to reality. "Look, the sunset is so pretty!" The woman groaned and lazily moved herself to the window. Looking at the sun made her smile. She had forgotten how nice it was to observe sunsets from her window. "It's nice, isn't it?" She closed her eyes but soon opened them as she felt Miyo's arm around her shoulder. "Don't you dare die, you hear me?" She eyed Karai with a serious look on her face. "I want to see more sunsets with you." Karai sighed, then looked back at Miyo. 

"Sure, I don't mind." Despite not really knowing what to think about her, she turned the girl around and lightly flicked her forehead. It was the most she could do when it came to affection. "I'll be going, yeah?" Miyo nodded, rubbing her forehead with a sour expression. Karai exited her apartment and shortly after, the entire apartment complex. There it was again. The feeling of freedom. Nobody was there to annoy her with their bland voices. Not even Miyo. If she wanted to, she could just move forwards and never see the girl again. Something very similar to a smile appeared on her face as she was passing through the dark, empty streets. It was like she was the only living being and it made her feel rather powerful. 

She looked up to search for any lit up banners that would lead her to another game. What will it be this time? She had secretly hoped for something entertaining. Not even a game of Spades would make her annoyed. They say that there are some things that will stick with you forever, even pass onto the next generation. Karai's father has always been a gambling enthusiast and the young woman just realized that the saying won't be so wrong after all. Though gambling with money was far too boring for her. Gambling with her life sounded way better to her. She felt like she could do this forever. She was paying attention to the lit up arrows and soon found herself in front of a huge toy factory. In front of the entrance stood a familiar table with smartphones. This time there were more people than in her previous game. Her eyes curiously scanned the crowd.

Two rather confused schoolgirls, a tall woman in her thirties, a bald man in his late forties, a lanky boy that looked like a middle schooler, a man around Karai's age with red hair and finally, a rather impatient-looking man in a black shirt with a strange white pattern on it. A small part of his hair was put into a ponytail of sorts and he had a lot of piercings. What an interesting bunch. Karai thought to herself. Should she bet on who survives and who dies? But what should she bet on? Suddenly, an idea crossed her mind. Her eyes were set on that strange man. If he survives, I'm going back to Arima. If he dies, I'm not returning. This trick could be a great solution to pretty much all of her problems. Just bet on something! It's that easy. The man finally noticed that she was staring at him and looked back at her. 

His eyes pierced hers and she was a bit surprised when she realized that they were just like hers. Lit up in expectation. She was wondering what this guy must have been through to end up liking such a sick idea. Not that she was any different. He raised an eyebrow at her in a rather unfriendly way and that's when she realized that she was still staring. She wasn't panicking. Instead, she winked at him and then looked away. Maybe that would make him realize that she wasn't staring at him because he'd be weird. Either way, it didn't really matter to her.  She finally grabbed a phone and was ready to cross the borderline, however, something had stopped her. Another table with strange looking bracelets. The same sign was placed above the bracelets. "One per person." She grabbed one of them without a second thought and wrapped it around her wrist.

She can also play a game with a silly bracelet. It didn't matter to her. She made her way towards the entrance and made sure that there was a clear distance between her and the rest of the players- a sign that she didn't want to get too involved with anyone. 

She decided to check the phone. The screen displayed a familiar text. "There are currently seven participants. Please wait until the start of the game. Three minutes until registration closes." Karai sighed and decided to stretch her legs a bit in case it was another Spades game. During that time, a few more participants joined but she didn't pay any attention to them. She did however pay attention to the quiet footsteps that were slowly approaching her. "I'm sorry..." She looked up and spotted that man with red hair. "What is it?" She asked, clearly annoyed that someone still decided to bother her despite the fact that she was clearly distancing herself from the others. "Where did everyone go?" Her eyes narrowed. Was he new? No, he did grab that phone. Maybe he was just curious. She shrugged. 

"I don't know. You probably shouldn't be overthinking it." She held onto her knee as she lifted up her leg to properly stretch it. "You'll probably get the answers at some point. Until that happens, focus on your survival." The guy smiled at Karai. "Yeah, thank you." He genuinely seemed to be thankful, as he reached his hand out, offering a handshake. "Good luck in the game." The woman stared at his hand for a bit, then accepted it. "Thanks. Good luck to you too." They shook hands and the guy went back to his regular spot. Karai finished her warmup and then went back to analyzing the floor tiles. After the first guy, nobody was approaching her anymore. Everyone was silent, impatiently waiting for the game to start. When the phones finally gave a notification, most of the people looked relieved. Karai lowered her head, her eyes glued to the screen of her phone. 

"Registration has closed. There are sixteen participants. The game will now commence." The area was filled with tension and silence. Almost everyone was anxious. The screen on Karai's phone switched again. 

"Difficulty: Six of Clubs."

The raven-haired woman inhaled sharply. During the free time she spent with Miyo, she wanted to ask what each suit meant but she never actually did. She just hoped that the rules would be clear even if she didn't know what the Clubs suit was. Six was a good number. Just a little bit above the average. She already knew that this game will be more difficult than the first one. 

"Game: Treasure Hunt. Rule: Find your team and find the 'Treasure' hidden within the game area.

Clear condition: To clear the game, you must first find your team. You'll receive your suit after the start of the game is announced. There will be four teams. Each team will have four members. Your team must find the 'Treasure' within the time limit and all members of the same team must touch it. You may only win if your team has the highest count of alive members. Violence is allowed. Killing your opponents is allowed. Time limit: One hour and thirty minutes. 

Two minutes before the game begins."

Karai's eyes widened. This game was much more complex than the other one. Just how hard and complex do those games get? She needed to brainstorm a bit. Finding her team seemed to be an easy task but it really depend on how it will be handled. They have to find something and touch it. All four members. But with the fact that killing was allowed, how will that be possible? A strange thought crossed her mind and a small smile appeared on her face. The person behind this game must be a truly deranged being. Making people carry their team's dead bodies while searching for a thing that was unknown to them was really a strange task. She didn't have the time to think more. The notification from her phone had stopped her once again.

"Game Start."

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WORD COUNT: 1743
EDITED: X