Laters better than never.

Chapter 1 - tag (1/2)

Arisu found himself in a place that was both familiar and alien, his mind struggling to make sense of his surroundings. He wanted desperately to believe it was all some elaborate illusion, a trick of his imagination. But the sight of Chota's leg—horribly burned and blistered—shattered that fragile hope. This was real. Too real.

Karube paced back and forth, frustration radiating off him in waves.

"What the fuck, dude?!" he snapped, raking a hand through his hair.

"Hey, calm down!" Shibuki cut in, her voice firm yet measured. "Losing it isn't gonna help Chota."

Karube let out a harsh scoff. "Calm down? Are you serious? We just watched two people get their heads blown off by lasers from the sky! We were thrown into some messed-up death game! And now Chota's leg got torched by fire coming out of the goddamn floor!"

"We can argue later," Arisu interjected, his voice laced with urgency. "Right now, we need to focus on Chota. He's the priority."

Shibuki nodded in agreement. "He's right. We need to do something about his leg before it gets worse."

Karube exhaled sharply, running a hand over his face. "But what the hell can we even do? None of us know how to treat burns."

A moment of tense silence followed before Shibuki spoke up. "Then we need to find someone who does. You two should enter another game and look for a doctor—someone who knows how to treat burns."

Arisu and Karube exchanged hesitant glances. The idea of willingly stepping into another game so soon after their first was terrifying. But the sight of Chota, struggling to endure his pain, outweighed their fear.

"She's right," Arisu finally said, determination flickering through his anxiety. "Sitting here won't help him. We have to try."

Karube hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "Alright. Let's do it. We'll find someone."

With their minds set, the two left in search of a new game.

They found their next game in an apartment complex. The dimly lit corridors sent an eerie chill down their spines as they cautiously stepped inside and each took a phone off the table.

"Do you think we'll find a doctor here?" Arisu asked, scanning the small crowd of participants gathering in the space.

"There's a good number of people. Maybe one of them knows something," Karube said, but his voice lacked optimism. "But we shouldn't get our hopes up."

Before Arisu could respond, a cold, synthetic female voice filled the air.

"Registration has closed. There are a total of thirteen participants. The game will now commence."

Arisu's pulse quickened. He knew from experience that the voice would explain the rules next—just like in the last game. He listened intently.

Before he could fully process the situation, a man wearing a blue cap approached them, his expression fraught with unease.

"Excuse me... do you know what this is?" the man asked, his voice uncertain.

Arisu opened his mouth to respond, but Karube cut in sharply.

"Don't," he said, his tone firm. "We don't need anyone slowing us down."

Arisu shot the man an apologetic look before shifting his focus back to the game. They had come here with one goal—to find a doctor. Anything else was a distraction.

The voice echoed through the room, cold and mechanical.

"Difficulty: Five of Spades."

Arisu furrowed his brows. Five of Spades?