Laters better than never.

Chapter 14 (witch hunt 3/3)

Arisu sprinted through the darkened hallways of the Beach, his heart pounding. His mind raced just as fast as his feet. Please... let them be okay.

The resort had become a warzone. Shadows flickered against the walls from distant flames, and the air reeked of smoke and blood. Every turn he took felt like it could lead him into another massacre. The militant forces were hunting indiscriminately.

Then, a familiar voice cut through the chaos—desperate, relieved.

"Arisu!"

His head snapped toward the sound. A figure emerged from the dim corridor.

"Tatta!" Arisu gasped.

Tatta was alive—but he wasn't alone. Behind him stood Usagi, Asahi, and Mai, the latter barely conscious, leaning heavily on Usagi. And to Arisu's shock, even Niragi was there, his rifle slung carelessly over his shoulder.

Before Arisu could process it all, Tatta ran up to him and wrapped him in a tight hug. His grip was strong, trembling with emotion.

"Thank god, man. I thought you were dead."

As he pulled back, Arisu noticed Tatta had let go of Niragi's hand. Why the hell were they holding hands?

Asahi, ever cautious, spoke up. "We shouldn't be out in the open. We need to find a place to hide."

Usagi nodded. "She's right. And Mai needs to rest. Moving her around like this isn't helping."

Without hesitation, they slipped into the nearest room, locking the door behind them.

Usagi gently laid Mai down onto the bed, checking her pulse. She was weak but stable.

Meanwhile, Niragi let out an exaggerated sigh, leaning against the wall. "You, who let you out?." His voice was laced with irritation as he stared down arisu.

Arisu glanced at him warily. "I—I think Chishiya got me out?"

Niragi's eyes immediately darkened. His grin vanished. "That fucking bastard."

His fingers twitched near his rifle, but Tatta quickly changed the subject.

"We don't have time to waste. There are only 30 minutes left."

Arisu stiffened. "Explain the rules to me. Quickly."

Tatta tried to keep his voice steady. "It's called Witch Hunt. Momoka was murdered, and we need to find out who the witch is. To submit an answer, we have to burn that person in the Fire of Judgment."

Arisu paled. "Burn them?"

Tatta grimaced. "Yeah. It's messed up."

Arisu's fists clenched. "This might be the worst game yet..."

He frowned. "The people in those masks—the Horse Head Taggers. They were forced to participate under rules of their own. That has to be the case here too."

Everyone was silent as he continued.

"The witch had to kill Momoka to start the game... and their objective is to survive until the end. If everyone at the Beach gets wiped out, the witch wins."

Tatta groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "But who the hell could it be?!"

Usagi crossed her arms, her sharp eyes scanning the room. "If I were the witch, I'd join the others in the hunt. If I got caught, I'd be finished."

Asahi suddenly pointed at Niragi. "Then... couldn't he be the witch?"

Niragi's head jerked toward her. His grin returned, but this time, it was more dangerous. "Excuse me?"