Jigoku: The Unknown World

Chapter Twelve - Knowledge

A blinding white light erupted from the tablet. I tried keeping my eyes open as long as I could but it got so bright I had no choice but to close them. Great, this was definitely a trap.

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"Welcome, one and all, to a most magnificent game!" That voice. It was so strange, like a man who had way to high of a voice for his gender. I opened my eyes, amazement flooding every one of my senses. I expected us to be looking at another vision like in the library. But I don't think we were in that cave anymore. We were all standing inside a black box. The entire place was black and all I could see were my friends, and a man. The man was wearing a lot of green. He had a top hat and a cane, as well as some sort of coat that went to his knees. he had a necklace on that had two dice on it, and he had gold sunglasses. Everyone else seemed to be ok, they were all as shocked as I was though. The man smiled, and tapped his cane on the ground. "My name is Garret, but you can call me the Game Master! I'm sure you're wondering what's going on, but it's rather simple. You've been teleported here, thanks to that spell you activated."

"So it was a trap!" Bono shouted.

"You're one of the terrible ten, aren't you?" Kilik stated.

"How perceptive and smart you are! But you're only right about one thing, This isn't a trap. You see, i'm actually helping you!"

"You, helping us? But you attacked our people!" 

"Oh no, not I. You're the one called Shin, am I right?"

"H-how do you know that?!"

"Hehe, not telling! It truly wasn't me who attacked them you know, for I am not even real!" Once again, another shock that hit us all.

"What did you say?" Bono was getting mad now.

"Ah yes, Bono is it? I do not lie, no I am not real it is fact. I am merely an illusion left behind by the REAL game master. You see, he was ordered to make a little game for you when the time was right. Though it saddens me to not see all of you made it."

"What do you mean game?"

"Oh Shin, it's quite simple. You remember your, special power don't you? The one you killed that boss and that pirate with?"

"Y-You know about that too?"

"Hehe, why yes. That power is called awakening, and lucky for you besides us ten and the Lord of Death himself no one else has it! It was a gift by my lord to you!"

"What do you mean gift!? What did you guys do to Shin?"

"Oh, Azala. The pretty one who can't seem to do much when it comes to fighting."

"Bastard!"

"Now, now, I was merely saying the truth. But you have the power to darling. In fact all of you in this so called Red Dawn have it."

"We all have it?" Now it was Kilik's turn to be intrigued. 

"Why yes. Awakening is a great power that lets you obtain great strength in battle. Each person has a unique awakening power though, and must acquire the special item that lets them use it. For you, Shin, it's those gloves that the Lord of Death purposely placed on that boss in case you defeated it." So that's what they were! I looked down at the gloves I was still wearing. "You so far have activated the awakening power twice, both times when you were stressed greatly and trying to save your friends. That is what's considered the hard way to activate it." The hard way? "All you simply have to do is say the word that comes with your awaken power and poof, you can switch in and out of it. Though, while you had full power while using it the first two times, it takes practice to be that powerful when using it by saying the key word."

"And just what is this key word?"

"Why Shin, you've already seen it! It's the name that the item has, Gorudo!" I kept looking at the gloves. So all this time all I had to do was say that word, and transform into that form and I could have done so much more for the people I've seen get hurt. "Of coarse you can still pass out if you use it for too long. That is just another reason why I am here doing what I need to do. You see the terrible ten as well as my lord WANT you to get stronger with the power, and to try and fight us."

"But why would they help us get stronger?" Bono was walking closer to the man little by little as he shouted.

"Because, you're weak!" Those words hung in the air and stung like a thousand wasps. Up until now we thought of ourselves as pretty strong, I mean we defeated a lich AND whatever else we've faced. "You as you are now are not even worth their time, another reason why they didn't even bother to see you in person! One glance from either of them and you'd be already dead. Did you really think how you are now you could take even one of them down?!"

"Than what are you saying we do!?" The game master smiled as he took off his top hat and set it on his cane. He also once again tapped his can twice on the floor.

"Simple. You play my little game."

"And if we refuse?"

"Well, Kilik, then you'll just have to be killed right now." In an instant the sentence was finished the game master disappeared and then was suddenly right behind Kilik. His cane was now a sword, and was right against Kilik's neck. "Do you refuse?"

"N-no..." We all now could see the power this terrible ten member had. It would be a bad idea right now to say no. The game master disappeared again and then was back where he was first standing. His cane was now back to normal, I figured it was probably a sword meant to look like a cane, and the cane part was the sheath.

"Good, well then, i'll explain the rules! This is a survival game. Each player starts on their own with only level one starting gear and his or her stats are at level one. Those of you besides Shin will find your special items to be on the first stage you start at. The terrible ten are being beyond generous by allowing you to receive your awaken items this easily, but for the two who didn't show up, sadly they will have to get theirs the hard way. Hidden somewhere in Jigoku. Each player must get through five floors that each have bosses at the ends of them. once you reach the sixth floor the door will not open until every person who is still alive reaches it. You will then battle the sixth and final floor boss together. I'm told to say the point of the game is to use and get used to your awaken powers, that is why you are at level one, and you have starting equipment so that you'll have to rely on the powers, or die."

"This is madness! Surely we'll all die in a game like that!"

"Hehe, Bono my good man, you are absolutely right! So try not to die ok?" With that four lit up circles appeared behind us. Above them floating in mid-air were the words, 

"Players, ready up!" The game master tapped his cane twice on the floor, before saying, 

"By for now, Red Dawn! I can't wait to see how this game goes!" Then, he disappeared from sight, as a timer appeared below the words that read fifty seconds. Azala ran up to me and grabbed my arm.

"Shin, what do we do?"

"I don't think we can do anything Azala, this guy sounds pretty serious. I think we have to go along with his little game."

Alright then, our leader has spoken." Kilik stepped into one of the circles, crossing his arms across his chest as he smiled at me. It's color changed from red to green and a light ding sound ringed throughout the small room we were in.

"That's right, and we have to follow him because he's the boss, ain't that right kid?" Bono stepped into the one besides Kilik. I looked at both of them. Even in this uncertainty they both looked so confident! I couldn't back out now. As the timer read twenty seconds I stepped into the one next to Bono, and it lit up. Azala looked worried and didn't step into the last circle.

"It's ok Azala, I won't let anything happen to you." Azala smiled warmly.

"I know Shin, and I trust you." She whispered, stepping into the last circle. The words and timer went away as new words appeared. As they showed up a loud announcer like voice shouted,

"All players ready, game start!"