Amethyst: Game Start

XXXVI - Game On

“Lexie… Please come back to your senses. I’m here. Kuya Lance is already here.” I looked up and saw my brother looking at me with his tender eyes.

On the other hand, Suzainna was brooding on my father as if she was reminiscing something. Kuya Lance slowly lifted me and guided me to the zodiac room.

And when I went inside, I saw Richard and Darren tending to Ophiuchus. They looked bombarded and troubled as if something really happened to Darren’s most incredible creation.

The door suddenly burst open, making us feel cautious and alert. All of a sudden, a surge of Alvarez’s army suddenly filled the room. Suzainna was not around, so I think she’s being stopped by my father, kuya Lance and Tito William.

I suddenly parted with Hunter and the others when Nurse K suddenly showered my direction with bullets. I squinted my eyes when she suddenly threw the gun after using all the bullets, and at her back were two katanas which she pulled.

Damn.

Nurse K suddenly smirked, waiting for me to come in her uniformed battle stance. I roamed my sight around and saw Richard and Darren being protected by the others. Travis was battling Khianna, the first player who log out from DANIMA due to Amanda’s stupidity. At the same time, the Hunter and the others are fighting Alvarez’s scraps.

I unconsciously move forward, making Nurse K thrust her katana towards my direction. She was so agile that she managed to cut my skin. I winced in pain while she swayed her body for another attack.

I bend my body backward to evade her attack, and I immediately pulled a hunter’s knife in my pocket and used it to block her attack. But her katana was sharp enough to slice the hunter’s knife in two.

“Payback time, Scarlett,” She teased. A grim smile slowly curved into her lips. She charged forward as I bend forward and trip her.

“Damn,” I cursed when she managed to balance herself.

I charged towards and acted that I will be doing a roundhouse kick, and when she changed her stance into a defensive one, I flipped and kicked her face.

Blood slowly stream down from her nose, which she immediately wipe off, “Lucky bastard…” she mumbled.

Nang mapansin kong maluwag ang hawak n’ya sa isang katana ay agad ko siyang sinipa at mabilis na kinuha sa kamay n’ya ito. Kagat labi ko siyang minata nang mabilis siyang sumugod sa akin at tila kusang gumalaw ang katawan ko upang salagin ito.

“Guys!” Sigaw ni Darren. Agad akong napalingon sa kanya dahilan upang masipa ni Nurse K ang kamay ko at tumalsik ang katana sa ere.

Inis ko s’yang nilingon nang malasahan ko ang dugo sa aking bibig. Parehas naman kaming nabato ni Nurse K sa aming puwesto nang may mga bala na tumama sa kanyang balikat, mariin kong kinagat ang labi ko dahil sa isang nakakatakot na prisensya mula sa aking likuran.

“Strike three, Karina.” It was Keigo. I slowly turned my head in his direction and saw the same deadly being when I first saw him.

His eyes were darted as he looked at her, making her feel nervous. Nurse K’s lips trembles as if she can’t utter any words even though she wanted to.

“Hurt her again… And I will fucking kill you.” He reminds me of that woman. He reminded me of Suzainna, and I don’t know why.

Bigla na lamang sumabog ang pinto at bumungad sa amin ang galit na itsura ni Suzainna, nang dumapo ang mga mata n’ya sa aming direksyon ay ngumisi siya kay Keigo.

“Why are you protecting her?” She asked.

Keigo bitterly smiled at her as if he was not going to answer her question. Suzainna was about to speak again when all of a sudden, the entire zodiac turned black.

“Self-destruction Mode Activated.”

My eyes widened when red flickering lights began to light the vicinity along with the floating numbers and letters. I roamed my sight and somehow saw the others, yet Alvarez is nowhere to be found.

“What the fuck is happening?” I heard Hunter asked. I was about to walk in his direction when I noticed a rectangular shape in each of our pockets.

I confusedly pulled the thing out of my pocket and was shocked that I saw a phone.

“Hoy, Richard! Darren! Tangina, ano ‘to?!” Pasigaw na tanong ni Travis. Kahit saan kami lumingon ay may mga kumikinang na letra at numero sa paligid na tila sumasayaw sa ere.

“Well… I was just about to tell, but Ophiuchus immediately responded to my codes.” Darren scratches the back of his head and awkwardly looked at us, “Their virus trigged Ophiuchus’ self-destruction mode, which I put years ago in case that someone might hack her.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” I whispered.

“How about the other players? What will happen?” Logan asked.

Richard sighed, “Don’t worry about them. May nagawa naman kaming paraan ni Darren at dahil do’n ay makakabalik tayo sa DANIMA.”

“Bakit kailangan pa nating bumalik? Hindi ba gumana ang mismong kill code?” Nagtatakhang tanong ni Keigo.

“It did work, but because of their virus… The system was somehow re-written and Ophiuchus, being artificial intelligence, made her own decision for us to finish. If we succeeded… everyone will be forced to log out,” Darren explained.

Zeus quizzically looked at him, “Nurse K?”

“We altered her registration in DANIMA and erased her records,” Richard explained. He suddenly opened his phone and awkwardly looked at us, “I have a problem…”

“What?” I asked.

He suddenly scratches the nack of his head, “I don’t have any soul.” And laugh his ass out, making us looked at him with other languid eyes.

“Tangina mo, Richard. Sinong maniniwala sa’yo?” Asik ni Hunter at sinapok pa si gago.

Buntong-hininga n’ya kaming pinalapit sa kanya at nang pinakita n’ya sa amin ang cellphone n’ya ay halos mamatay na si Travis kakatawa dahil wala nga itong soul.

Tangina… Napakawalang kwenta n’ya.

Nang dahil sa kanya ay pare-parehas naming tiningnan ang mga cellphone namin dahil maaaring wala rin kami, ngunit lahat kami ay mayroon maliban sa kanya. Pareparehas namin s’ya binigyan ng isang nagtatakhang tingin dahilan upang itaas n’ya ang dalawa n’yang kamay.

“Suko na ako, mga bossing!” Sambit ni Richard.

Iimik na sana si Keigo nang bigla na lamang may isang malakas na static sound ang bumingi sa amin. Ang mga letra at numero sa paligid ay mabilis na nagkumpol sa gitna at isang tao na gawa sa letra at numero ang humarap sa amin.

“I am Ophiuchus. You must finish the last quest in order to log out all the players.” It was a fascinating view. Ophiuchus is really awesome to be an artificial intelligence that can make her own physical features, “Finish the two deadly Alvarez admirals.”

Two deadly? Aren’t they suppose to be four remainings?

【𝚂𝙴𝙰𝚁𝙲𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙶…】

Ophiuchus suddenly displayed two familiar names in front. Some of us were surprised, and some weren’t. I looked at Richard and smirked at him.

“And now, I know why you don’t have any soul.” Damn. They are too good at blending in, and it is entirely our fault because we trusted them too much.

“Tangina… Ang sakit naman sa puso,” natatawang sambit ni Travis. Nilingon n’ya kami at dahan-dahan siyang ngumisi, “Puwede ba natin silang patayin?”

Wait for us, liars. We’ll show you hell.

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