Transcendency: Chapter 18
Title: Transcendency
Pairing: OT5, Matsumiya
Genre: AU, Angst, Dark Fantasy
Disclaimer: Plot is mine, Arashi is not. Unfortunately.
Summary: Down the rabbit hole they fell.
Author's Note: Happy New Year everyone. The setting of the game in this chapter is based off the fugitive chase scene in Platina Data.
“Registration closes in five minutes.”
With his arms folded tight across his torso, Nino waited near the wall of the warehouse. He tried not to frown as he looked over his industrial surroundings, already guessing there would be some physical component to their game that evening. Between the huge size of the warehouse and the maze-like layout of the many racks, mezzanines and tall loads of building materials laid out before them, it was hard to think tonight would be anything but a spades game, though the exact details were something he couldn’t begin to guess. Knowing it was far from his first spades game hardly gave him much confidence either. While he was the one person still alive who could boast having beaten the dreaded ten of spades, he knew that victory was not his to brag about. Though he had been the one to figure out the path to safety, he’d only survived the perilous climb because of the physical prowess of his friends, specifically Ohno. Not having any of them by his side now left him with a disgruntled feeling as he realised his chances of surviving tonight were far from in his favour.
As he was scanning the twenty or so other players around him in search of a potentially strong ally, Nino did a doubletake when one particular face stood out to him amongst the crowd. His heartbeat quickened and he experienced a sinking feeling. The other player, sensing they were being watched, looked over their shoulder. Turning away a little too quickly in the hopes of going unnoticed by them, Nino dug his own grave in doing so. Yoshitaka narrowed her eyes at the conspicuous action of the young man standing nearby. With an amused smirk playing on her lips as she recognised who it was, she sauntered over to him.
“Long time no see, Ninomiya-san.”
Nino stiffened with the realisation that he’d been spotted. Despite the mere thought of facing his old rival making him recoil, he let cool indifference sweep over his expression before turning to greet her with a forcibly polite nod.
“Yoshitaka-san,” he said, his voice obviously strained.
“No friends tonight?” she asked with a quick glance around to confirm. “Guess you came to your senses and realised you’re also better off working alone, ne?”
Refusing to let a shred of emotion show on his face despite the way her words cut deep with the unpleasant reminder, Nino settled for glaring at her. His tone was as cold as steel when he muttered, “My friends are dead.”
Yoshitaka’s face fell at his disclosure. She looked genuinely saddened, a reflective light glinting in her gaze as she took a moment of silence to pay her respects.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured. She paused, biting her lip uncomfortably as she considered her next words carefully. “I tried to warn you about other people being a burden in this place. Friends and loved ones…when it comes down to it, they’ll only hold you back. That’s why it’s better to be alone.”
Nino stared at her. While he wanted to snap at her for the callous nature of her remark, he couldn’t help feeling curious as to whether her stoic outlook stemmed from a specific loss or experience she’d had. Somehow, he knew he wouldn’t receive an answer even if he did bother to ask. She was as guarded as he was and would no doubt perceive any interest he showed towards her as something to be exploited. Nino knew he certainly would. Besides, his curiosity was fleeting as the mention of his friends reopened wounds both old and new, leaving him with a bitter feeling of irritation as he looked at her. Before he could come up with a reply of sorts, their phones spoke up.
“Registration has closed. All players, please put on a bracelet. The game will commence shortly.” Alongside the text on their screens was an arrow pointing to the left.
When the players looked in the direction of the arrow, they saw another table in the shadowy corner of the warehouse. An above spotlight switched on, revealing thirty or so metal cuffs, as well as the same instruction that had been taped to the table their phones were on. ONE PER PERSON, it read.
Slowly, the players made their way over and picked up a bracelet each. Nino fastened his around his right wrist, jumping a little when it beeped loudly upon snapping shut. He stared curiously at the blinking blue light.
“Is this a tracking bracelet?” he wondered aloud, tilting his head as he examined the strange accessory. It was thick and made of solid steel, almost like a shackle.
The chance to figure out its purpose was taken away from him when their devices chimed again. Nino looked expectantly to his phone screen.
“Game: Minefield Madness. Difficulty: Nine of Hearts.”
As the correlating playing card flashed on their phones, Nino’s eyes narrowed. “Heart?”
“My speciality,” Yoshitaka murmured beside him.
“Mine too,” he muttered.
Their gazes locked, both their expressions totally unreadable. It was only for a second before Yoshitaka looked back to her screen in anticipation of the rules. Nino returned his focus to his own device. Having his hunch proved wrong, he couldn’t deny the feelings of suspicion and intrigue he experienced simultaneously. He still wasn’t convinced there was not going to be a strong physical aspect to the game but knowing it would not be the defining component brought him some relief. Nine was a high difficulty though and with the notorious trials that hearts games were known for, he couldn’t help wondering what hell was in store for them.
“Rules: Players must seek out as many points as possible within thirty minutes.”
Without warning, their phone screens suddenly switched from the written rules to what appeared to be a map of their arena. It was even bigger than Nino expected. From the blueprints alone, he guessed it had to be at least three times the size of Tokyo Dome. Scattered throughout the map were an assortment of different coloured dots. There were about twenty blue, all gathered together in the same place. Glancing once more at his bracelet, Nino felt it was all the confirmation necessary to know they were in fact trackers. There were a couple of dozen green lights dispersed across the map as well, and easily twice as many red ones.
“Hidden zones are worth one point,” the AI went on, the map not disappearing. “Stealing from another player by touching bracelets will earn three points. Getting another player to set off a mine earns whatever points that player had.”
Looks of unease and mistrust were exchanged between the group as they all questioned just what dangers lurked not only throughout the arena, but right beside them. Nino’s shrewd gaze moved over those standing closest, his curiosity getting the better of him. With the temptation of easy and plentiful points on offer for ruthlessness, he was left to wonder just how quickly a bloodbath would ensue.
“Clear condition: If a player reaches zero points, they will be eliminated. Any player with twenty-one or more points at the end of thirty minutes will clear the game.”
The map zoomed out a little, enough for a tab to pop up at the bottom of their screens. A point tally appeared on the tab beneath the map, alongside a thirty-minute timer. The players’ bracelets beeped in perfect synchronisation and their tallies rose to ten.
The starting bell as the game kicked off brought about a free-for-all of brutality and chaos the likes of which were never before seen. While many of the players took off running at breakneck speed in the hopes of tracking down the nearest hidden points before their adversaries, some were less willing to risk it all by playing with honour. They remained at the starting line as they set their sights on a different target. They threw themselves at their competition, wrists outstretched as they endeavoured to steal from those around them right off the bat.
Nino began to have serious regrets about standing on the outskirts of the group while he watched the madness unfold around him. Despite not having any intention of joining the savage skirmish, he was hardly given much choice to flee either. As the other players engaged in an all-out brawl to steal points from each other, he found himself trapped between the wall of the warehouse and his warring adversaries. He ducked and dodged the onslaught of players swarming each other, doing his best to keep out of the line of fire. He didn’t make it far.
When a body slammed into him from behind, he was sent tumbling to the floor. He barely had time to find his bearings, let alone drag himself up, before the very person who was thrown into him noticed his vulnerable position. His wrist was seized and the next thing Nino knew, their bracelets were touching. His beeped three times as points were ripped from his tally. He could only watch in despair as the opportunistic player who stole from him went scampering off before someone could do the same to him.
Hauling himself off his stomach, Nino saw out of the corner of his eye as another player came charging at him. He narrowly rolled out of the way in time to avoid their bracelets touching and scrambled to his feet. He zigzagged his way through the flocking players, doing everything he could to avoid their attempts to snag points from him as he rushed past. He clutched his bracelet protectively and held his arm to his chest while he ran. Making a mad dash down the nearest aisle, he didn’t look back for fear they were following him.
He only just made it past the first container before someone ambushed him. They rounded the corner at the same time, crashing into each other head-first. As he lost his balance a second time, his heart was thundering with both adrenaline and terror when he heard the pounding of footsteps coming towards him. On instinct, he spun on his tailbone, striking out with his leg to trip his assailant before they could get close enough to tap their bracelets. His fear of having to face another rival so soon was diminished when he saw the face in front of him. A small smile worked its way onto his face and he scoffed, pulling himself upright. At least there was one player whom he was confident he stood a chance against.
“You fight like a girl,” he sneered.
“You took the words right out of my mouth,” Yoshitaka retorted, unchanged by her staggered landing from his counterattack.
Not giving Nino a chance to process the insult, she pounced forward. She threw out her left arm in front of his face, the shimmer of her bracelet causing him to recoil instinctively. Anticipating his attempt to dodge, she quickly changed course. She ducked beneath the arm he raised to block her and slipped behind him instead, seizing his wrist as she did. She gave his arm a sharp twist to throw him off balance and tackled him to the ground. Nino winced when he felt her knees digging into his waist. Another spasm shot through his spine when she yanked his arm up that little bit further, the unnatural angle keeping him easily incapacitated.
The clink of metal sounded, followed by the noise of more points vanishing from his tally. Nino gritted his teeth in frustration. Hearing her amused chuckle only infuriated him further.
“Better find some more points,” she whispered teasingly against his ear. “You’re starting to run low.”
She held him a minute longer, as if purely to taunt him, before finally letting go. Nino cringed at the pins and needles he could feel ricocheting up his arm even after she released him. Seeing the satisfied grin adorning Yoshitaka’s face as his points finished transferring to her, he gave a low growl. She didn’t give him the chance to return the favour as the moment his three points were hers, she spun on her heel and sprinted away. He chased her for a few metres but quickly lost motivation when it became clear he would not catch her; he watched in a mix of awe and irritation when she leapt onto the lower railing of one of the shelving units, scaling the gantry with apparent ease before vanishing into the upper levels.
Shaking off the embarrassing encounter, Nino turned tail and retreated in a different direction before someone else decided to show up and take advantage of him while he was distracted. He glanced at the map on his phone to ensure he was truly alone before looking at the number listed beside his player icon. He clicked his tongue when he saw he was down to only four. With over fifteen points to reclaim and just over twenty-five minutes left to do it, it would be an uphill battle for sure.
He referred to his map again and pinpointed his own location. Zooming in on the nearest hidden point, he checked his bearings before turning around and working his way through the labyrinth-like warehouse in its direction. While he knew the bigger points were by far more appealing than scavenging an immense playground for one reward at a time, he also knew it was a smarter option than punching above his weight. A lot of his fellow players far outclassed him in terms of physical strength and speed, and his recent ambush only confirmed this ego-bruising fact. Until he had a few more points to spare on gambling in one-on-one battles of thievery, he would have to hone his skills of tracking and evasion if he was to stand a chance at surviving this brutal game of cat and mouse.
For the most part, following the map was a simple albeit time-consuming task. Nino had a decent sense of direction and once he’d figured out where he was, determining the whereabouts of the hidden points was fairly straightforward. It didn’t escape his notice that there were fewer green points on the screen than there was at the start of the game. A few near the front of the warehouse seemed to no longer exist on the map; the reason why became clear when he found the object of his desire some minutes later.
Doublechecking the map to confirm the location of the hidden point supposedly some metres ahead, he saw a pallet stocked high with assorted raw building materials. He headed over to it with swift yet cautious paces. Using the smaller piles nearby as a foothold, he climbed onto the top of the pallet and discovered the device sitting in the middle. It looked like some sort of digitised scanner. Tapping his bracelet against the screen experimentally, Nino tried not to flinch at the static shock that shot through his wrist at the same time the screen beeped. The noise was reminiscent of a barcode scanning. When he looked at his phone again, he was delighted to see his tally increase by one. His interest piqued as he watched the green light overlapping his own blue suddenly disappear.
“Guess once a point is found, it belongs to the person who found it,” he mused to himself, staring at his bracelet. A quick count of the remaining points on the map left to be discovered confirmed his fears-their numbers were dwindling by the second.
Not wasting another moment lest he miss his chance to reclaim his lost points altogether, Nino hastily jumped down from the pallet and continued his way through the warehouse in search of the next closest green light. It was with much frustration that he saw it vanish only some metres before he reached it. His feeling of exasperation grew when the same thing happened again and again. Dumbfounded, he watched various players as they disappeared with his stolen victory, leaving him at a loss as to how he was supposed to build his tally when faster thieves lurked around every corner.
Doing what he could to push his annoyance aside, he turned his focus to yet another green light that was around the corner to where he was. Not stopping to dwell on the mysterious crimson light that was positioned right near it, he picked up the pace before he lost his shot at getting this one too. Seeing another pair of blue lights headed in the same direction as him, he broke into a jog as he fought to get there first. He pushed himself harder and faster, his frantic gaze flicking back to his phone continuously in his desperation not to let opportunity slip through his fingers again.
His efforts were in vain, however. As he skidded around the corner, he nearly tripped over his own feet when his paces came to a screeching halt. Both players he’d seen approaching on the map had managed to outrun him and were racing each other to be first to the scanner that was sitting on the ground beneath a cantilever rack at the end of the aisle. Though torn over whether a single point was worth the risk of them turning the attention on him as a target instead, Nino’s hesitation was fleeting as his determination not to lose again had him charging after them despite their head start. Neither of the players seemed to notice him behind them, too busy fighting with each other to reach the scanner first. They pushed and shoved as they kept pace with one another.
Nino noticed the player on the right glance briefly at the phone in his hand; as the latter pulled back slightly, Nino’s own pace faltered at the same time. His competitive spirit was smothered by a powerful instinct screaming at him that something was amiss. All he could do was look on as the player who had slowed deliberately fell into perfect pace behind his rival. With a hard push, the other man was sent staggering forward; at the same time, the player who pushed him threw himself to the ground with his arms sheltering his head. The reason for his actions became immediately clear.
There was a thunderous boom that caused the very air to shake. In a blinding flash, everything before Nino’s eyes was swallowed whole while the force of the blast blew him off his feet. His face screwed up at the bruising landing, the ringing in his ears making it impossible for him to hear a thing. As Nino lifted himself up of the ground, coughing to rid his lungs of the dust, he startled at the damage before him. Pallets had turned to splinters; a nearby container had a huge dent in it from the explosion, while one of the shelving units had completely collapsed to block the path forward. With eyes wide with dread, he pulled out his phone and scanned the map. Both the red light near his location and one of the blues was gone. His heart began to pound as he looked to all the remaining red throughout the arena. The warehouse was littered with them, each one a dangerous mine waiting to blow them up. Needless to say, he now understood the name of the game perfectly.
A cough sounded ahead of him. Nino squinted through the haze and debris to make out the form of the other player, who dragged himself up from beneath the mass of rubble. He had acquired a number of grazes from the blast and had somewhat of a limp when he walked, but he was alive. The same could not be said for the other player. What was left of the man who’d been closest to the hidden checkpoint was splattered all over the surrounding space. Nino gagged at the chunks of fleshy remains. The surviving player stepped over the pieces of his deceased rival as he made his way towards the checkpoint.
As he scanned his bracelet, the sound of the shifting rubble drew his attention to where Nino stood. His presence finally realised, Nino swallowed hard as he locked eyes with the unnamed player. The man’s expression was cold as he glared at Nino from afar. A dangerous glint could be seen in his eyes and it was enough to send a shiver up the former’s spine. But before either of them could move, there was a sequence of beeps on the man’s phone as close to twenty points were delivered straight to his tally. He glanced at his device, then back to Nino. His expression, while still unyielding, lost its threatening undertone. He cast Nino a look of utter indifference, as if realising pursuing his meagre points was no longer worthwhile, before walking away in silence.
Only after he’d been left alone amidst the debris and dead body did Nino’s heart start beating again. He retreated from the violent scene with cautious steps and worked his way back through the warehouse, his pursuit of points somehow becoming the last thing on his mind. Though he tried to push the incident to the back of his mind and refocus on the game at hand, he couldn’t shake the shock of how close he’d come to having his own blue light snuffed. Had he not been too slow to reach the checkpoint, he would have been the one to run straight into the mine or else fall victim to another player’s lethal tactic. But as horrified as he was by his close call, he couldn’t help feeling somewhat excited. He mightn’t have won any points but he’d earned himself a lead in this game. In sparing his life, that other player had given him more than just a shot at survival. He knew now what the mysterious red lights represented and, more importantly, how to use them to his advantage.
As he found himself standing before his next hidden point a few short minutes later, his cautious gaze swept his surroundings to pinpoint the exact location of the two red lights he saw blinking up at him from his screen. According to the map, the scanner was behind the huge pallet ahead of him, but there were mines on either side of it. The materials atop the pallet were stacked at a height of at least two metres and easily towered above his head. He carefully sidestepped the obstacle but rather than going around, he hugged the nearby shelving instead. He climbed up the unit, manoeuvring his body through and around the railing like a child on a jungle gym until he reached the necessary height. He doublechecked the map before attempting the jump. Inhaling sharply, he kicked off the shelf, leaping about a metre across to the top of the pallet. He stumbled with his landing but managed to catch himself before he tumbled over the side. Ignoring the slight twinge in his knee, he crawled across the lumber and peered down over the edge. He could see the scanner sitting on a podium just below; on either side of it were two slightly darker marked floorings.
Stretching his upper body down over the edge of the pallet, Nino reached his wrist out to scan his bracelet. He felt that familiar shock of his reward and pulled himself back from the brink of danger. His satisfaction at having successfully evaded the mines was only made that much sweeter when he heard the echoing boom of a distant explosion. He glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the noise, the corners of his mouth twisting upwards in the beginning of a grin even as he checked his map for his next target. His focus shifted from the dwindling green lights to a nearby cluster of blue. As his gaze flickered fleetingly to his tally, he felt a fire ignite in his belly, a strong ambition making his very skin tingle with excitement. He was done playing safe.
Scampering across the pallets like they were stepping-stones, Nino made his way towards the group of blue lights. It didn’t take long for him to spot them in person. He counted at least four different players that were spread out in the vicinity; each of them was racing back and forth between the aisles in their quest to find where the hidden points were stashed away. Despite being in proximity to one another, it was obvious to him that the players, though aware others were near, were mostly ignorant to just how close they were courtesy of the tall obstacles blocking their view. The paranoid manner in which their gazes were darting about assured Nino that they were all on edge and knew it would only take one unfortunate encounter to bring about a brawl like that he’d been involved in at the start of the game.
Keeping his presence hidden from them, Nino peered around the corner as he scanned the ranks for an ideal target. Most were moving too hastily for his liking as they raced in between the pallets, almost as if they were policemen seeking out a fugitive. But there was one player who caught his interest. The man was moving at a much more controlled pace than the others as he ambled across a low overpass. While it gave him the advantage of height to survey his surroundings, it also left him easily exposed. Above his head hung the scanner of everyone’s desire.
Nino decided to seize the opportunity given to him. He waited until the coast was clear before scurrying between the loads. He kept low to the ground as he allowed the tall stacks to hide him from sight. Like a tiger stalking its prey, he closed in on his oblivious target. When he reached the overpass, he skirted the stairs and flanked the side of the bridge instead. The man above remained unaware of him as he instead noticed the scanner dangling overhead. He reached up to gain the point, but his arm proved too short. As he grabbed the railing to give himself a necessary boost, Nino acted immediately. He sprung up, revealing himself as he threw his arm out towards the other player’s. Their bracelets collided and as the beeps of his three new points sounded like music to his ears, Nino grinned widely. He didn’t stick around to witness the shock on the other player’s face.
Even as he heard footsteps pursuing him, he could only smile as he pushed himself to run that much faster. He weaved in and out of the obstacles, following the routes on his map to avoid accidentally running into any of the mines. He sprinted up the stairs of one of the mezzanines. As he ascended to the higher levels, he dove down and crouched in the shadows of the scaffolding. He was breathing heavily as he watched the player who he’d just stolen from ran on by. The thrill of his successful ambush had him on a high, even more so when he checked his phone and saw his tally was just shy of half his goal. A few more ambushes and he would reach twenty-one points in no time.
His gaze moved from his current score to the map. There was a moving green light close by to where he was but as curious as he was to its motion, he was more interested in the blue he could see up ahead. Standing, he surveyed his surroundings. The motorised hoist whirred as it towed a load of materials across the warehouse. As it shifted across his line of vision, he saw the player of his desire behind it. The older man rounded the corner of the aisle, looking around in a haste for the elusive point. Nino squatted by the edge of the railing. His acute gaze narrowed on the device he could see atop the moving load; he checked his map for confirmation, his brain already concocting a plan as he looked between the hidden point and the clueless player below.
Slipping through the gap in the railing, Nino dropped onto a nearby pallet. He seized a small batten from the pile and assumed a crouched position. He closed one eye, drawing his elbow back as he aligned himself with his target. Once certain his aim was true, he flung the batten towards the moving checkpoint. It smashed squarely into the apparatus and knocked it to the ground. The player startled at the noise. He spun around, making his way over to the scanner with tentative steps. Using his distraction to his advantage, Nino leapt down from the top of the pallet and closed the distance between them with swift albeit silent paces. Approaching him from behind, he waited until the moment the other bent down to claim his reward before making his move. He charged forward when he saw the man flinch from the static shock of his newly won point. His tally had but half a second to settle on its new total before Nino tapped him; both the point he’d just claimed and two of his own were transferred to the latter.
Nino sped off as quickly as he’d come, disappearing into the depths of the warehouse before the older player had the chance to truly process what just happened. Hidden amongst the inventory, he watched in amusement as the man’s blue light attempted to pursue him. It was only for a few metres before he relinquished his thirst for retaliation. Nino, on the other hand, was spurred on by his successful deceit. As much as it disappointed him to have given up the hidden checkpoint for the sake of his play, he knew it was but a small sacrifice to pay for the triple points he just earned himself. Upon seeing his tally, now at twelve, he felt his confidence further grow.
Spying another blue coming down the other side of the aisle he was in, Nino licked his lips. His lust for victory was stronger than ever and it had him daring to sneak a quick look at his latest competition. The middle-aged woman’s gaze was mostly fixed on the top of the pallets around her as she scoured them for any hidden points that might be there. Seeing her so oblivious to the danger that lurked right around the corner, Nino couldn’t help himself. He ducked back behind the wall before she spotted him and perched himself right at the edge. He watched his phone with barely concealed anticipation as he waited the perfect moment to launch his ambush. When she was about two steps from him, he rounded the corner himself with much haste, deliberately running straight into her. She gasped and startled at the sudden collision. Nino hastily grabbed her arm to steady her.
“Ah, ah, sorry,” he stammered.
He touched her shoulder gently with one hand and gave a winning smile, his every word laced with charm as he feigned an apology for having bumped into her. The blush he saw spread across her cheeks was highly satisfying, especially as in her distracted state, she failed to notice him touch their bracelets. Not giving her the chance to process the subsequent beeps of the transferred points, he bowed his head in a final gesture of chivalry before taking off.
“Oi!”
Nino quickened his pace when he heard her affronted cry. As much as he would have appreciated seeing the priceless look on her face at having fallen victim to his ploy, he hastily disappeared into the aisles before she could catch him. He saw a couple of nearby players on his map and hastened to lose himself amongst them. It was with much amusement that he observed the blue of her light stall at the edge of the aisle before his; after another minute, it retreated back the way it came as she gave up the pursuit.
As Nino went to move on from his hiding place, he pulled back in alarm when he heard several loud voices shouting close by. He tentatively peered around the corner. There were two men locked in a tussle in the middle of the clearing ahead. They were pushing and shoving with brutal force as they both attempted to get a one-up on their opponent. As each of them tried to knock the other off balance enough to touch their rival’s bracelet, they swayed and swung around, crashing into the surrounding containers.
Nino was prepared to walk away and leave them to their primitive brawling but seeing the tempting glisten of their accessories so blatantly on display, he felt greedy. He studied their position with meticulous care as he weighed up the probability of a successful theft in this situation. Their arms were locked together, their strength perfectly matched. Both men were undeniably bigger than him and far from a target he would normally consider, but with neither one of them willing to release the other, they were evidently trapped in a stalemate. It made for a unique opportunity. It seemed so simple, like he could just run out there and ambush them both while they were busy fighting each other. Nino felt his heart flutter with nervous excitement at the mere thought of doing just that. It was a high-risk plan but if he succeeded, he would gain all the points needed to bring his total to twenty-one.
As he was contemplating the best timing to make an attempt on their points, he saw the taller man twist his wrist sharply. The friction his action caused brought about a nasty flesh burn on the other player’s upper arm; he gave a pained yell and inadvertently drew back. His opponent didn’t waste his chance. Smashing their bracelets together with way more force than necessary, the brawl concluded in a single moment. The other man fell to his knees as all three points were taken from him. With a twinge of disappointment at having missed such a lucrative opportunity, Nino readied himself to leave the scene, only to get distracted when he noticed a flicker of colour on his phone. One of the lights on the map began to change; its colour deepened, going from a bright blue to burning red.
Nino’s eyes widened. Diving to the ground immediately, he threw his hands over his head to protect himself when a familiar blast ricocheted through the atmosphere. He felt the ground tremble violently as the explosion shook the warehouse. Only after the tremors stopped and the heat from the blast died down did Nino dare to peel his arms away from his face. Brushing the dirt off himself, he turned his attention back to the clearing. The smell of blood and ash hung in the air as the player with zero points lay in pieces. Nino grimaced at the sight of the arm that had been severed from the charred remains of the rest of the man’s body. The taller player, while still alive, lay gravely injured among the wreckage of the explosion. His shirt was in tatters; there was a large shard of debris penetrating from his upper thigh, while he had second and third-degree burns adorning the left side of his torso. He coughed harshly, a mix of blood and saliva bubbling up from his lips.
Nino approached him warily. The man squinted hard as he gazed up at him. His lips parted, though nothing more than a wheeze sounded. He startled when something hot suddenly grabbed his arm. Nino stiffened when he looked down and saw the man’s hand had been reduced to a blistered mess from the blast, his skeletal fingers curled around his wrist in a silent plea for help. What remained of the bracelet had turned to shrapnel that was welded to his charred hand.
Nino bent down beside the injured player, his expression solemn. He held the other’s gaze for a few drawn out moments, watching the light slowly fade from his eyes. Only when the movement of his chest went from hitched to utterly still did Nino unpeel the burnt fingers from his wrist. He gently placed the player’s arm down on his stomach before sitting back on his heels, unable to breathe himself. The tiny moment of intimacy he’d shared with the stranger caught him off guard, reminding him once again that this whole thing was more than just a game. It was their lives.
Feeling exposed where he was on the ground and unwilling to share the man’s fate, Nino crept over to a nearby mezzanine and ascended to the upper levels once more. He knew that with the advantage of being able to see the entire arena, he would better be able to scope out his next target. Turning to get his bearings, he froze when he spotted Yoshitaka on the same platform up ahead. Their eyes locked and for a second, neither of them moved. When he saw her look fleetingly to his bracelet, her lips twisting in a coy grin, his quickly spun around and ran for his life. The rapid thumping of shoes hitting metal was deafening as she chased him down. Nino pushed himself to run faster, unwilling to risk going another round with her.
In his desperation to shake her, he practically leapt onto a nearby ladder and scaled it with utmost haste. He came to a skidding halt when he realised the stairs to the next storey were fenced off. He jostled the fencing with both hands and cursed under his breath when it refused to budge. Knowing Yoshitaka was not far behind him, he looked nervously to the railing. The scaffolding below was much narrower and more treacherous than he felt comfortable with but there was little choice in the matter. Biting his lip, he carefully stepped over the side. He could feel his hands shaking as he clung to the railing. He dared to look down, regretting it instantly when he realised the magnitude of the steep plummet and the mines that littered the ground below. Memories from the three of spades flashed in his mind. He winced as he remembered the feeling of falling and the way Ohno had rushed to his rescue, plucking him out of the sky. He furiously shook the thoughts away. It would do him no good to think of those things now, not when he knew he had no more friends to come to his aid.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Yoshitaka behind him. His moment of nostalgia-induced hesitation was all she needed to close the distance between them. Taking a deep breath to gather his nerve, he let go of the rail and fell a heartbeat before she reached him. He staggered to catch his balance on the narrow scaffolding and hastily worked his way across it to the next mezzanine. He felt the structure tremble as a second weight hit it. Yoshitaka was not nearly as reserved about the dangerous route as he; she climbed straight over the railing and jumped down after him with barely a second of hesitation.
Nino had only just reached the other platform when he heard an anguished shriek. He turned back, his breath catching in his throat when he saw Yoshitaka dangling from the edge of the scaffolding.
“Ninomiya-kun!”
The sheer panic in her voice had him clambering back over the railing of the mezzanine. He dropped onto the narrow structure once more and moved towards her cautiously. Every creak, every step, had him terrified that he too would lose his footing. He managed to maintain his balance long enough to get to her.
Nino reached to grab her hand, only to falter when he caught the pleading look in her eyes. He drew back slightly as a feeling of unrest overcame him. Something didn’t add up. Remembering her impressive feat of strength at the start of the game when she’d overpowered him, he was struggling to believe she truly needed his help now. He hadn’t seen her lose her footing; it was possible she hadn’t fallen at all, but rather was acting out a complex ploy. Playing the part of a damsel in distress, the moment he let his guard down to save her, she would betray him.
“What are you waiting for?” Yoshitaka cried. “Help me!”
“You stole my points,” Nino pointed out. “If I save you, how can I be sure you won’t deceive me again?”
Yoshitaka shook her head desperately. “I won’t, I swear. You can have the points back, I don’t care, just pull me up! Please!”
Nino stretched his arm, tapping their bracelets to reclaim what was his. But despite his reward, paranoia continued to wreak havoc on his mind. Even if it was to barter for her life, Nino couldn’t believe she would so willingly give up points that she needed to ultimately save herself anyway. Much in the same way he’d sacrificed a single point to earn three earlier, he wouldn’t put it past her to use these three points as a way to lure him into a false sense of security so that she could stab him in the back later on. She had already admitted to being an expert at hearts games, so he wasn’t convinced she wouldn’t use such underhanded tactics.
“I can help you win more than just this game,” Yoshitaka went on, sensing his prolonged doubts.
Nino narrowed his eyes, a flicker of curiosity crossing his gaze at her proposition. He grabbed her hand to keep her from falling but did nothing to pull her up. “I’m listening.”
“We could help each other,” she said. “You know I’m good at the games. If we team up, we would be unstoppable.”
There was a hopeful light in her eyes as she watched him consider her pitch. It grew when he leant further down, his hand squeezing tighter around hers. Her proposition intrigued him. She would indeed make for a worthy ally; smart and physically capable, he could see the two of them striking up a powerful alliance that would dominate in these games. He found himself agreeing. He clasped her hand in a strong grip and hoisted her up towards safety.
“You’ll see,” Yoshitaka encouraged. “Together, there’s nothing we can’t do!”
His expression turned dark and steely. An echo of his friends’ sentiment, it brought everything crashing down in an instant. He leant forward, far enough to whisper in her ear.
“I work alone.”
Fear contorted her pretty features the moment she heard his cold echo. His thumb stroked the back of her palm, his touch oddly soft. He watched the dread flicker in her gaze when she saw the vicious glint appear behind his eyes. Then he opened his hand.
“Ninomiya!”
He walked away without bothering to watch her fall. Her petrified screech was all he heard before it was drowned out by a deafening explosion. A wall of heat struck him from behind but unlike last time, he was steadfast as he continued to walk calmly from the scene. He didn’t even look when he heard his bracelet beep repeatedly with the addition of the seventeen new points he’d acquired. But rather than the points themselves, there was something of much greater value to him still to be collected.
He descended the mezzanine and sauntered over to Yoshitaka’s body. Having only clipped the edge of the mine when she fell, her remains were not nearly as mutilated as others Nino had witnessed in the game so far. Her left leg and right arm were both amputated, but her body was otherwise mostly intact. With apathy painted across his face, Nino crouched down beside her. He let his gaze drift over her form for a few moments before reaching into her pocket, her reaction after the three of clubs fresh in his mind. He knew that, like himself, Yoshitaka was a collector; competitive to the point of being ruthless, he knew the bounty she held would not disappoint. He was pleased to discover he was right. Pulling out close to ten cards from her pocket, Nino could only smile.
“Thank you, Yuriko-san,” he said with a maliciously polite tone.
There was not an ounce of regret in his heart when he walked away from her body, caressing his brand-new trophies with every step.
A loud broadcast sounded through the warehouse speakers as it was announced there was only a minute remaining. Nino smirked when he heard the chaotic cacophony that followed as many remaining players spiralled into a state of total panic. He climbed back up the ladder and perched himself on the edge of the high platform. Letting his legs dangle, he folded his arms over the railing and watched with much amusement as players darted in and out of the aisles in a final attempt to track down the points they needed to secure victory for themselves. The more the seconds ticked away, made more dramatic by the audible countdown coming from the speakers, the more desperate everyone became. Those with less than twenty-one points were darting about frantically, throwing caution to the wind as both their morals and strategies went out the window, while those who had obtained the necessary tally were doing everything possible to keep a hold of their points until the last second. Several blinding flashes occurred throughout the warehouse as mines were set off, either deliberately by players betraying other players or accidental by those too careless to check their map for the perilous red lights.
As the last ten seconds were counted, Nino reached for his phone. He watched in both horror and fascination as more than half of the remaining blue lights turned glaring red. They began to flash on his screen and as the countdown reached its end, a series of explosions went off throughout the warehouse.
Nino reflexively tightened his grip on the railing as everything around him shook violently. His view was obscured by the succeeding flashes and thick smoke that polluted the air. He covered his nose and mouth with his elbow and descended to ground level before he choked on the hazardous particles that filled his lungs with every breath. Half-blind, he felt his way back to the entranceway. A horrible squelching sounded underfoot as he trod through the remains of other players, though he did his best to ignore it and focus on not slipping over instead.
There was a sliver of light coming from up ahead. Like a lighthouse beacon on a foggy night, it showed him the way out of the arena. He was the first to reach the outside. Collecting his latest prize first and foremost, he then turned to see if anyone else had survived. It took several minutes before another person finally came stumbling out through the doorway. Of the twenty-odd players who started the game, less than five remained. Nino exchanged stern looks with his fellow survivors; their expressions were all rigid, their eyes lacking something akin to a soul in the wake of their unspeakable actions in the game. With not a word spoken between them, they each turned and walked away in a different direction, never to cross paths again.
Pairing: OT5, Matsumiya
Genre: AU, Angst, Dark Fantasy
Disclaimer: Plot is mine, Arashi is not. Unfortunately.
Summary: Down the rabbit hole they fell.
Author's Note: Happy New Year everyone. The setting of the game in this chapter is based off the fugitive chase scene in Platina Data.
“Registration closes in five minutes.”
With his arms folded tight across his torso, Nino waited near the wall of the warehouse. He tried not to frown as he looked over his industrial surroundings, already guessing there would be some physical component to their game that evening. Between the huge size of the warehouse and the maze-like layout of the many racks, mezzanines and tall loads of building materials laid out before them, it was hard to think tonight would be anything but a spades game, though the exact details were something he couldn’t begin to guess. Knowing it was far from his first spades game hardly gave him much confidence either. While he was the one person still alive who could boast having beaten the dreaded ten of spades, he knew that victory was not his to brag about. Though he had been the one to figure out the path to safety, he’d only survived the perilous climb because of the physical prowess of his friends, specifically Ohno. Not having any of them by his side now left him with a disgruntled feeling as he realised his chances of surviving tonight were far from in his favour.
As he was scanning the twenty or so other players around him in search of a potentially strong ally, Nino did a doubletake when one particular face stood out to him amongst the crowd. His heartbeat quickened and he experienced a sinking feeling. The other player, sensing they were being watched, looked over their shoulder. Turning away a little too quickly in the hopes of going unnoticed by them, Nino dug his own grave in doing so. Yoshitaka narrowed her eyes at the conspicuous action of the young man standing nearby. With an amused smirk playing on her lips as she recognised who it was, she sauntered over to him.
“Long time no see, Ninomiya-san.”
Nino stiffened with the realisation that he’d been spotted. Despite the mere thought of facing his old rival making him recoil, he let cool indifference sweep over his expression before turning to greet her with a forcibly polite nod.
“Yoshitaka-san,” he said, his voice obviously strained.
“No friends tonight?” she asked with a quick glance around to confirm. “Guess you came to your senses and realised you’re also better off working alone, ne?”
Refusing to let a shred of emotion show on his face despite the way her words cut deep with the unpleasant reminder, Nino settled for glaring at her. His tone was as cold as steel when he muttered, “My friends are dead.”
Yoshitaka’s face fell at his disclosure. She looked genuinely saddened, a reflective light glinting in her gaze as she took a moment of silence to pay her respects.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured. She paused, biting her lip uncomfortably as she considered her next words carefully. “I tried to warn you about other people being a burden in this place. Friends and loved ones…when it comes down to it, they’ll only hold you back. That’s why it’s better to be alone.”
Nino stared at her. While he wanted to snap at her for the callous nature of her remark, he couldn’t help feeling curious as to whether her stoic outlook stemmed from a specific loss or experience she’d had. Somehow, he knew he wouldn’t receive an answer even if he did bother to ask. She was as guarded as he was and would no doubt perceive any interest he showed towards her as something to be exploited. Nino knew he certainly would. Besides, his curiosity was fleeting as the mention of his friends reopened wounds both old and new, leaving him with a bitter feeling of irritation as he looked at her. Before he could come up with a reply of sorts, their phones spoke up.
“Registration has closed. All players, please put on a bracelet. The game will commence shortly.” Alongside the text on their screens was an arrow pointing to the left.
When the players looked in the direction of the arrow, they saw another table in the shadowy corner of the warehouse. An above spotlight switched on, revealing thirty or so metal cuffs, as well as the same instruction that had been taped to the table their phones were on. ONE PER PERSON, it read.
Slowly, the players made their way over and picked up a bracelet each. Nino fastened his around his right wrist, jumping a little when it beeped loudly upon snapping shut. He stared curiously at the blinking blue light.
“Is this a tracking bracelet?” he wondered aloud, tilting his head as he examined the strange accessory. It was thick and made of solid steel, almost like a shackle.
The chance to figure out its purpose was taken away from him when their devices chimed again. Nino looked expectantly to his phone screen.
“Game: Minefield Madness. Difficulty: Nine of Hearts.”
As the correlating playing card flashed on their phones, Nino’s eyes narrowed. “Heart?”
“My speciality,” Yoshitaka murmured beside him.
“Mine too,” he muttered.
Their gazes locked, both their expressions totally unreadable. It was only for a second before Yoshitaka looked back to her screen in anticipation of the rules. Nino returned his focus to his own device. Having his hunch proved wrong, he couldn’t deny the feelings of suspicion and intrigue he experienced simultaneously. He still wasn’t convinced there was not going to be a strong physical aspect to the game but knowing it would not be the defining component brought him some relief. Nine was a high difficulty though and with the notorious trials that hearts games were known for, he couldn’t help wondering what hell was in store for them.
“Rules: Players must seek out as many points as possible within thirty minutes.”
Without warning, their phone screens suddenly switched from the written rules to what appeared to be a map of their arena. It was even bigger than Nino expected. From the blueprints alone, he guessed it had to be at least three times the size of Tokyo Dome. Scattered throughout the map were an assortment of different coloured dots. There were about twenty blue, all gathered together in the same place. Glancing once more at his bracelet, Nino felt it was all the confirmation necessary to know they were in fact trackers. There were a couple of dozen green lights dispersed across the map as well, and easily twice as many red ones.
“Hidden zones are worth one point,” the AI went on, the map not disappearing. “Stealing from another player by touching bracelets will earn three points. Getting another player to set off a mine earns whatever points that player had.”
Looks of unease and mistrust were exchanged between the group as they all questioned just what dangers lurked not only throughout the arena, but right beside them. Nino’s shrewd gaze moved over those standing closest, his curiosity getting the better of him. With the temptation of easy and plentiful points on offer for ruthlessness, he was left to wonder just how quickly a bloodbath would ensue.
“Clear condition: If a player reaches zero points, they will be eliminated. Any player with twenty-one or more points at the end of thirty minutes will clear the game.”
The map zoomed out a little, enough for a tab to pop up at the bottom of their screens. A point tally appeared on the tab beneath the map, alongside a thirty-minute timer. The players’ bracelets beeped in perfect synchronisation and their tallies rose to ten.
The starting bell as the game kicked off brought about a free-for-all of brutality and chaos the likes of which were never before seen. While many of the players took off running at breakneck speed in the hopes of tracking down the nearest hidden points before their adversaries, some were less willing to risk it all by playing with honour. They remained at the starting line as they set their sights on a different target. They threw themselves at their competition, wrists outstretched as they endeavoured to steal from those around them right off the bat.
Nino began to have serious regrets about standing on the outskirts of the group while he watched the madness unfold around him. Despite not having any intention of joining the savage skirmish, he was hardly given much choice to flee either. As the other players engaged in an all-out brawl to steal points from each other, he found himself trapped between the wall of the warehouse and his warring adversaries. He ducked and dodged the onslaught of players swarming each other, doing his best to keep out of the line of fire. He didn’t make it far.
When a body slammed into him from behind, he was sent tumbling to the floor. He barely had time to find his bearings, let alone drag himself up, before the very person who was thrown into him noticed his vulnerable position. His wrist was seized and the next thing Nino knew, their bracelets were touching. His beeped three times as points were ripped from his tally. He could only watch in despair as the opportunistic player who stole from him went scampering off before someone could do the same to him.
Hauling himself off his stomach, Nino saw out of the corner of his eye as another player came charging at him. He narrowly rolled out of the way in time to avoid their bracelets touching and scrambled to his feet. He zigzagged his way through the flocking players, doing everything he could to avoid their attempts to snag points from him as he rushed past. He clutched his bracelet protectively and held his arm to his chest while he ran. Making a mad dash down the nearest aisle, he didn’t look back for fear they were following him.
He only just made it past the first container before someone ambushed him. They rounded the corner at the same time, crashing into each other head-first. As he lost his balance a second time, his heart was thundering with both adrenaline and terror when he heard the pounding of footsteps coming towards him. On instinct, he spun on his tailbone, striking out with his leg to trip his assailant before they could get close enough to tap their bracelets. His fear of having to face another rival so soon was diminished when he saw the face in front of him. A small smile worked its way onto his face and he scoffed, pulling himself upright. At least there was one player whom he was confident he stood a chance against.
“You fight like a girl,” he sneered.
“You took the words right out of my mouth,” Yoshitaka retorted, unchanged by her staggered landing from his counterattack.
Not giving Nino a chance to process the insult, she pounced forward. She threw out her left arm in front of his face, the shimmer of her bracelet causing him to recoil instinctively. Anticipating his attempt to dodge, she quickly changed course. She ducked beneath the arm he raised to block her and slipped behind him instead, seizing his wrist as she did. She gave his arm a sharp twist to throw him off balance and tackled him to the ground. Nino winced when he felt her knees digging into his waist. Another spasm shot through his spine when she yanked his arm up that little bit further, the unnatural angle keeping him easily incapacitated.
The clink of metal sounded, followed by the noise of more points vanishing from his tally. Nino gritted his teeth in frustration. Hearing her amused chuckle only infuriated him further.
“Better find some more points,” she whispered teasingly against his ear. “You’re starting to run low.”
She held him a minute longer, as if purely to taunt him, before finally letting go. Nino cringed at the pins and needles he could feel ricocheting up his arm even after she released him. Seeing the satisfied grin adorning Yoshitaka’s face as his points finished transferring to her, he gave a low growl. She didn’t give him the chance to return the favour as the moment his three points were hers, she spun on her heel and sprinted away. He chased her for a few metres but quickly lost motivation when it became clear he would not catch her; he watched in a mix of awe and irritation when she leapt onto the lower railing of one of the shelving units, scaling the gantry with apparent ease before vanishing into the upper levels.
Shaking off the embarrassing encounter, Nino turned tail and retreated in a different direction before someone else decided to show up and take advantage of him while he was distracted. He glanced at the map on his phone to ensure he was truly alone before looking at the number listed beside his player icon. He clicked his tongue when he saw he was down to only four. With over fifteen points to reclaim and just over twenty-five minutes left to do it, it would be an uphill battle for sure.
He referred to his map again and pinpointed his own location. Zooming in on the nearest hidden point, he checked his bearings before turning around and working his way through the labyrinth-like warehouse in its direction. While he knew the bigger points were by far more appealing than scavenging an immense playground for one reward at a time, he also knew it was a smarter option than punching above his weight. A lot of his fellow players far outclassed him in terms of physical strength and speed, and his recent ambush only confirmed this ego-bruising fact. Until he had a few more points to spare on gambling in one-on-one battles of thievery, he would have to hone his skills of tracking and evasion if he was to stand a chance at surviving this brutal game of cat and mouse.
For the most part, following the map was a simple albeit time-consuming task. Nino had a decent sense of direction and once he’d figured out where he was, determining the whereabouts of the hidden points was fairly straightforward. It didn’t escape his notice that there were fewer green points on the screen than there was at the start of the game. A few near the front of the warehouse seemed to no longer exist on the map; the reason why became clear when he found the object of his desire some minutes later.
Doublechecking the map to confirm the location of the hidden point supposedly some metres ahead, he saw a pallet stocked high with assorted raw building materials. He headed over to it with swift yet cautious paces. Using the smaller piles nearby as a foothold, he climbed onto the top of the pallet and discovered the device sitting in the middle. It looked like some sort of digitised scanner. Tapping his bracelet against the screen experimentally, Nino tried not to flinch at the static shock that shot through his wrist at the same time the screen beeped. The noise was reminiscent of a barcode scanning. When he looked at his phone again, he was delighted to see his tally increase by one. His interest piqued as he watched the green light overlapping his own blue suddenly disappear.
“Guess once a point is found, it belongs to the person who found it,” he mused to himself, staring at his bracelet. A quick count of the remaining points on the map left to be discovered confirmed his fears-their numbers were dwindling by the second.
Not wasting another moment lest he miss his chance to reclaim his lost points altogether, Nino hastily jumped down from the pallet and continued his way through the warehouse in search of the next closest green light. It was with much frustration that he saw it vanish only some metres before he reached it. His feeling of exasperation grew when the same thing happened again and again. Dumbfounded, he watched various players as they disappeared with his stolen victory, leaving him at a loss as to how he was supposed to build his tally when faster thieves lurked around every corner.
Doing what he could to push his annoyance aside, he turned his focus to yet another green light that was around the corner to where he was. Not stopping to dwell on the mysterious crimson light that was positioned right near it, he picked up the pace before he lost his shot at getting this one too. Seeing another pair of blue lights headed in the same direction as him, he broke into a jog as he fought to get there first. He pushed himself harder and faster, his frantic gaze flicking back to his phone continuously in his desperation not to let opportunity slip through his fingers again.
His efforts were in vain, however. As he skidded around the corner, he nearly tripped over his own feet when his paces came to a screeching halt. Both players he’d seen approaching on the map had managed to outrun him and were racing each other to be first to the scanner that was sitting on the ground beneath a cantilever rack at the end of the aisle. Though torn over whether a single point was worth the risk of them turning the attention on him as a target instead, Nino’s hesitation was fleeting as his determination not to lose again had him charging after them despite their head start. Neither of the players seemed to notice him behind them, too busy fighting with each other to reach the scanner first. They pushed and shoved as they kept pace with one another.
Nino noticed the player on the right glance briefly at the phone in his hand; as the latter pulled back slightly, Nino’s own pace faltered at the same time. His competitive spirit was smothered by a powerful instinct screaming at him that something was amiss. All he could do was look on as the player who had slowed deliberately fell into perfect pace behind his rival. With a hard push, the other man was sent staggering forward; at the same time, the player who pushed him threw himself to the ground with his arms sheltering his head. The reason for his actions became immediately clear.
There was a thunderous boom that caused the very air to shake. In a blinding flash, everything before Nino’s eyes was swallowed whole while the force of the blast blew him off his feet. His face screwed up at the bruising landing, the ringing in his ears making it impossible for him to hear a thing. As Nino lifted himself up of the ground, coughing to rid his lungs of the dust, he startled at the damage before him. Pallets had turned to splinters; a nearby container had a huge dent in it from the explosion, while one of the shelving units had completely collapsed to block the path forward. With eyes wide with dread, he pulled out his phone and scanned the map. Both the red light near his location and one of the blues was gone. His heart began to pound as he looked to all the remaining red throughout the arena. The warehouse was littered with them, each one a dangerous mine waiting to blow them up. Needless to say, he now understood the name of the game perfectly.
A cough sounded ahead of him. Nino squinted through the haze and debris to make out the form of the other player, who dragged himself up from beneath the mass of rubble. He had acquired a number of grazes from the blast and had somewhat of a limp when he walked, but he was alive. The same could not be said for the other player. What was left of the man who’d been closest to the hidden checkpoint was splattered all over the surrounding space. Nino gagged at the chunks of fleshy remains. The surviving player stepped over the pieces of his deceased rival as he made his way towards the checkpoint.
As he scanned his bracelet, the sound of the shifting rubble drew his attention to where Nino stood. His presence finally realised, Nino swallowed hard as he locked eyes with the unnamed player. The man’s expression was cold as he glared at Nino from afar. A dangerous glint could be seen in his eyes and it was enough to send a shiver up the former’s spine. But before either of them could move, there was a sequence of beeps on the man’s phone as close to twenty points were delivered straight to his tally. He glanced at his device, then back to Nino. His expression, while still unyielding, lost its threatening undertone. He cast Nino a look of utter indifference, as if realising pursuing his meagre points was no longer worthwhile, before walking away in silence.
Only after he’d been left alone amidst the debris and dead body did Nino’s heart start beating again. He retreated from the violent scene with cautious steps and worked his way back through the warehouse, his pursuit of points somehow becoming the last thing on his mind. Though he tried to push the incident to the back of his mind and refocus on the game at hand, he couldn’t shake the shock of how close he’d come to having his own blue light snuffed. Had he not been too slow to reach the checkpoint, he would have been the one to run straight into the mine or else fall victim to another player’s lethal tactic. But as horrified as he was by his close call, he couldn’t help feeling somewhat excited. He mightn’t have won any points but he’d earned himself a lead in this game. In sparing his life, that other player had given him more than just a shot at survival. He knew now what the mysterious red lights represented and, more importantly, how to use them to his advantage.
As he found himself standing before his next hidden point a few short minutes later, his cautious gaze swept his surroundings to pinpoint the exact location of the two red lights he saw blinking up at him from his screen. According to the map, the scanner was behind the huge pallet ahead of him, but there were mines on either side of it. The materials atop the pallet were stacked at a height of at least two metres and easily towered above his head. He carefully sidestepped the obstacle but rather than going around, he hugged the nearby shelving instead. He climbed up the unit, manoeuvring his body through and around the railing like a child on a jungle gym until he reached the necessary height. He doublechecked the map before attempting the jump. Inhaling sharply, he kicked off the shelf, leaping about a metre across to the top of the pallet. He stumbled with his landing but managed to catch himself before he tumbled over the side. Ignoring the slight twinge in his knee, he crawled across the lumber and peered down over the edge. He could see the scanner sitting on a podium just below; on either side of it were two slightly darker marked floorings.
Stretching his upper body down over the edge of the pallet, Nino reached his wrist out to scan his bracelet. He felt that familiar shock of his reward and pulled himself back from the brink of danger. His satisfaction at having successfully evaded the mines was only made that much sweeter when he heard the echoing boom of a distant explosion. He glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the noise, the corners of his mouth twisting upwards in the beginning of a grin even as he checked his map for his next target. His focus shifted from the dwindling green lights to a nearby cluster of blue. As his gaze flickered fleetingly to his tally, he felt a fire ignite in his belly, a strong ambition making his very skin tingle with excitement. He was done playing safe.
Scampering across the pallets like they were stepping-stones, Nino made his way towards the group of blue lights. It didn’t take long for him to spot them in person. He counted at least four different players that were spread out in the vicinity; each of them was racing back and forth between the aisles in their quest to find where the hidden points were stashed away. Despite being in proximity to one another, it was obvious to him that the players, though aware others were near, were mostly ignorant to just how close they were courtesy of the tall obstacles blocking their view. The paranoid manner in which their gazes were darting about assured Nino that they were all on edge and knew it would only take one unfortunate encounter to bring about a brawl like that he’d been involved in at the start of the game.
Keeping his presence hidden from them, Nino peered around the corner as he scanned the ranks for an ideal target. Most were moving too hastily for his liking as they raced in between the pallets, almost as if they were policemen seeking out a fugitive. But there was one player who caught his interest. The man was moving at a much more controlled pace than the others as he ambled across a low overpass. While it gave him the advantage of height to survey his surroundings, it also left him easily exposed. Above his head hung the scanner of everyone’s desire.
Nino decided to seize the opportunity given to him. He waited until the coast was clear before scurrying between the loads. He kept low to the ground as he allowed the tall stacks to hide him from sight. Like a tiger stalking its prey, he closed in on his oblivious target. When he reached the overpass, he skirted the stairs and flanked the side of the bridge instead. The man above remained unaware of him as he instead noticed the scanner dangling overhead. He reached up to gain the point, but his arm proved too short. As he grabbed the railing to give himself a necessary boost, Nino acted immediately. He sprung up, revealing himself as he threw his arm out towards the other player’s. Their bracelets collided and as the beeps of his three new points sounded like music to his ears, Nino grinned widely. He didn’t stick around to witness the shock on the other player’s face.
Even as he heard footsteps pursuing him, he could only smile as he pushed himself to run that much faster. He weaved in and out of the obstacles, following the routes on his map to avoid accidentally running into any of the mines. He sprinted up the stairs of one of the mezzanines. As he ascended to the higher levels, he dove down and crouched in the shadows of the scaffolding. He was breathing heavily as he watched the player who he’d just stolen from ran on by. The thrill of his successful ambush had him on a high, even more so when he checked his phone and saw his tally was just shy of half his goal. A few more ambushes and he would reach twenty-one points in no time.
His gaze moved from his current score to the map. There was a moving green light close by to where he was but as curious as he was to its motion, he was more interested in the blue he could see up ahead. Standing, he surveyed his surroundings. The motorised hoist whirred as it towed a load of materials across the warehouse. As it shifted across his line of vision, he saw the player of his desire behind it. The older man rounded the corner of the aisle, looking around in a haste for the elusive point. Nino squatted by the edge of the railing. His acute gaze narrowed on the device he could see atop the moving load; he checked his map for confirmation, his brain already concocting a plan as he looked between the hidden point and the clueless player below.
Slipping through the gap in the railing, Nino dropped onto a nearby pallet. He seized a small batten from the pile and assumed a crouched position. He closed one eye, drawing his elbow back as he aligned himself with his target. Once certain his aim was true, he flung the batten towards the moving checkpoint. It smashed squarely into the apparatus and knocked it to the ground. The player startled at the noise. He spun around, making his way over to the scanner with tentative steps. Using his distraction to his advantage, Nino leapt down from the top of the pallet and closed the distance between them with swift albeit silent paces. Approaching him from behind, he waited until the moment the other bent down to claim his reward before making his move. He charged forward when he saw the man flinch from the static shock of his newly won point. His tally had but half a second to settle on its new total before Nino tapped him; both the point he’d just claimed and two of his own were transferred to the latter.
Nino sped off as quickly as he’d come, disappearing into the depths of the warehouse before the older player had the chance to truly process what just happened. Hidden amongst the inventory, he watched in amusement as the man’s blue light attempted to pursue him. It was only for a few metres before he relinquished his thirst for retaliation. Nino, on the other hand, was spurred on by his successful deceit. As much as it disappointed him to have given up the hidden checkpoint for the sake of his play, he knew it was but a small sacrifice to pay for the triple points he just earned himself. Upon seeing his tally, now at twelve, he felt his confidence further grow.
Spying another blue coming down the other side of the aisle he was in, Nino licked his lips. His lust for victory was stronger than ever and it had him daring to sneak a quick look at his latest competition. The middle-aged woman’s gaze was mostly fixed on the top of the pallets around her as she scoured them for any hidden points that might be there. Seeing her so oblivious to the danger that lurked right around the corner, Nino couldn’t help himself. He ducked back behind the wall before she spotted him and perched himself right at the edge. He watched his phone with barely concealed anticipation as he waited the perfect moment to launch his ambush. When she was about two steps from him, he rounded the corner himself with much haste, deliberately running straight into her. She gasped and startled at the sudden collision. Nino hastily grabbed her arm to steady her.
“Ah, ah, sorry,” he stammered.
He touched her shoulder gently with one hand and gave a winning smile, his every word laced with charm as he feigned an apology for having bumped into her. The blush he saw spread across her cheeks was highly satisfying, especially as in her distracted state, she failed to notice him touch their bracelets. Not giving her the chance to process the subsequent beeps of the transferred points, he bowed his head in a final gesture of chivalry before taking off.
“Oi!”
Nino quickened his pace when he heard her affronted cry. As much as he would have appreciated seeing the priceless look on her face at having fallen victim to his ploy, he hastily disappeared into the aisles before she could catch him. He saw a couple of nearby players on his map and hastened to lose himself amongst them. It was with much amusement that he observed the blue of her light stall at the edge of the aisle before his; after another minute, it retreated back the way it came as she gave up the pursuit.
As Nino went to move on from his hiding place, he pulled back in alarm when he heard several loud voices shouting close by. He tentatively peered around the corner. There were two men locked in a tussle in the middle of the clearing ahead. They were pushing and shoving with brutal force as they both attempted to get a one-up on their opponent. As each of them tried to knock the other off balance enough to touch their rival’s bracelet, they swayed and swung around, crashing into the surrounding containers.
Nino was prepared to walk away and leave them to their primitive brawling but seeing the tempting glisten of their accessories so blatantly on display, he felt greedy. He studied their position with meticulous care as he weighed up the probability of a successful theft in this situation. Their arms were locked together, their strength perfectly matched. Both men were undeniably bigger than him and far from a target he would normally consider, but with neither one of them willing to release the other, they were evidently trapped in a stalemate. It made for a unique opportunity. It seemed so simple, like he could just run out there and ambush them both while they were busy fighting each other. Nino felt his heart flutter with nervous excitement at the mere thought of doing just that. It was a high-risk plan but if he succeeded, he would gain all the points needed to bring his total to twenty-one.
As he was contemplating the best timing to make an attempt on their points, he saw the taller man twist his wrist sharply. The friction his action caused brought about a nasty flesh burn on the other player’s upper arm; he gave a pained yell and inadvertently drew back. His opponent didn’t waste his chance. Smashing their bracelets together with way more force than necessary, the brawl concluded in a single moment. The other man fell to his knees as all three points were taken from him. With a twinge of disappointment at having missed such a lucrative opportunity, Nino readied himself to leave the scene, only to get distracted when he noticed a flicker of colour on his phone. One of the lights on the map began to change; its colour deepened, going from a bright blue to burning red.
Nino’s eyes widened. Diving to the ground immediately, he threw his hands over his head to protect himself when a familiar blast ricocheted through the atmosphere. He felt the ground tremble violently as the explosion shook the warehouse. Only after the tremors stopped and the heat from the blast died down did Nino dare to peel his arms away from his face. Brushing the dirt off himself, he turned his attention back to the clearing. The smell of blood and ash hung in the air as the player with zero points lay in pieces. Nino grimaced at the sight of the arm that had been severed from the charred remains of the rest of the man’s body. The taller player, while still alive, lay gravely injured among the wreckage of the explosion. His shirt was in tatters; there was a large shard of debris penetrating from his upper thigh, while he had second and third-degree burns adorning the left side of his torso. He coughed harshly, a mix of blood and saliva bubbling up from his lips.
Nino approached him warily. The man squinted hard as he gazed up at him. His lips parted, though nothing more than a wheeze sounded. He startled when something hot suddenly grabbed his arm. Nino stiffened when he looked down and saw the man’s hand had been reduced to a blistered mess from the blast, his skeletal fingers curled around his wrist in a silent plea for help. What remained of the bracelet had turned to shrapnel that was welded to his charred hand.
Nino bent down beside the injured player, his expression solemn. He held the other’s gaze for a few drawn out moments, watching the light slowly fade from his eyes. Only when the movement of his chest went from hitched to utterly still did Nino unpeel the burnt fingers from his wrist. He gently placed the player’s arm down on his stomach before sitting back on his heels, unable to breathe himself. The tiny moment of intimacy he’d shared with the stranger caught him off guard, reminding him once again that this whole thing was more than just a game. It was their lives.
Feeling exposed where he was on the ground and unwilling to share the man’s fate, Nino crept over to a nearby mezzanine and ascended to the upper levels once more. He knew that with the advantage of being able to see the entire arena, he would better be able to scope out his next target. Turning to get his bearings, he froze when he spotted Yoshitaka on the same platform up ahead. Their eyes locked and for a second, neither of them moved. When he saw her look fleetingly to his bracelet, her lips twisting in a coy grin, his quickly spun around and ran for his life. The rapid thumping of shoes hitting metal was deafening as she chased him down. Nino pushed himself to run faster, unwilling to risk going another round with her.
In his desperation to shake her, he practically leapt onto a nearby ladder and scaled it with utmost haste. He came to a skidding halt when he realised the stairs to the next storey were fenced off. He jostled the fencing with both hands and cursed under his breath when it refused to budge. Knowing Yoshitaka was not far behind him, he looked nervously to the railing. The scaffolding below was much narrower and more treacherous than he felt comfortable with but there was little choice in the matter. Biting his lip, he carefully stepped over the side. He could feel his hands shaking as he clung to the railing. He dared to look down, regretting it instantly when he realised the magnitude of the steep plummet and the mines that littered the ground below. Memories from the three of spades flashed in his mind. He winced as he remembered the feeling of falling and the way Ohno had rushed to his rescue, plucking him out of the sky. He furiously shook the thoughts away. It would do him no good to think of those things now, not when he knew he had no more friends to come to his aid.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Yoshitaka behind him. His moment of nostalgia-induced hesitation was all she needed to close the distance between them. Taking a deep breath to gather his nerve, he let go of the rail and fell a heartbeat before she reached him. He staggered to catch his balance on the narrow scaffolding and hastily worked his way across it to the next mezzanine. He felt the structure tremble as a second weight hit it. Yoshitaka was not nearly as reserved about the dangerous route as he; she climbed straight over the railing and jumped down after him with barely a second of hesitation.
Nino had only just reached the other platform when he heard an anguished shriek. He turned back, his breath catching in his throat when he saw Yoshitaka dangling from the edge of the scaffolding.
“Ninomiya-kun!”
The sheer panic in her voice had him clambering back over the railing of the mezzanine. He dropped onto the narrow structure once more and moved towards her cautiously. Every creak, every step, had him terrified that he too would lose his footing. He managed to maintain his balance long enough to get to her.
Nino reached to grab her hand, only to falter when he caught the pleading look in her eyes. He drew back slightly as a feeling of unrest overcame him. Something didn’t add up. Remembering her impressive feat of strength at the start of the game when she’d overpowered him, he was struggling to believe she truly needed his help now. He hadn’t seen her lose her footing; it was possible she hadn’t fallen at all, but rather was acting out a complex ploy. Playing the part of a damsel in distress, the moment he let his guard down to save her, she would betray him.
“What are you waiting for?” Yoshitaka cried. “Help me!”
“You stole my points,” Nino pointed out. “If I save you, how can I be sure you won’t deceive me again?”
Yoshitaka shook her head desperately. “I won’t, I swear. You can have the points back, I don’t care, just pull me up! Please!”
Nino stretched his arm, tapping their bracelets to reclaim what was his. But despite his reward, paranoia continued to wreak havoc on his mind. Even if it was to barter for her life, Nino couldn’t believe she would so willingly give up points that she needed to ultimately save herself anyway. Much in the same way he’d sacrificed a single point to earn three earlier, he wouldn’t put it past her to use these three points as a way to lure him into a false sense of security so that she could stab him in the back later on. She had already admitted to being an expert at hearts games, so he wasn’t convinced she wouldn’t use such underhanded tactics.
“I can help you win more than just this game,” Yoshitaka went on, sensing his prolonged doubts.
Nino narrowed his eyes, a flicker of curiosity crossing his gaze at her proposition. He grabbed her hand to keep her from falling but did nothing to pull her up. “I’m listening.”
“We could help each other,” she said. “You know I’m good at the games. If we team up, we would be unstoppable.”
There was a hopeful light in her eyes as she watched him consider her pitch. It grew when he leant further down, his hand squeezing tighter around hers. Her proposition intrigued him. She would indeed make for a worthy ally; smart and physically capable, he could see the two of them striking up a powerful alliance that would dominate in these games. He found himself agreeing. He clasped her hand in a strong grip and hoisted her up towards safety.
“You’ll see,” Yoshitaka encouraged. “Together, there’s nothing we can’t do!”
His expression turned dark and steely. An echo of his friends’ sentiment, it brought everything crashing down in an instant. He leant forward, far enough to whisper in her ear.
“I work alone.”
Fear contorted her pretty features the moment she heard his cold echo. His thumb stroked the back of her palm, his touch oddly soft. He watched the dread flicker in her gaze when she saw the vicious glint appear behind his eyes. Then he opened his hand.
“Ninomiya!”
He walked away without bothering to watch her fall. Her petrified screech was all he heard before it was drowned out by a deafening explosion. A wall of heat struck him from behind but unlike last time, he was steadfast as he continued to walk calmly from the scene. He didn’t even look when he heard his bracelet beep repeatedly with the addition of the seventeen new points he’d acquired. But rather than the points themselves, there was something of much greater value to him still to be collected.
He descended the mezzanine and sauntered over to Yoshitaka’s body. Having only clipped the edge of the mine when she fell, her remains were not nearly as mutilated as others Nino had witnessed in the game so far. Her left leg and right arm were both amputated, but her body was otherwise mostly intact. With apathy painted across his face, Nino crouched down beside her. He let his gaze drift over her form for a few moments before reaching into her pocket, her reaction after the three of clubs fresh in his mind. He knew that, like himself, Yoshitaka was a collector; competitive to the point of being ruthless, he knew the bounty she held would not disappoint. He was pleased to discover he was right. Pulling out close to ten cards from her pocket, Nino could only smile.
“Thank you, Yuriko-san,” he said with a maliciously polite tone.
There was not an ounce of regret in his heart when he walked away from her body, caressing his brand-new trophies with every step.
A loud broadcast sounded through the warehouse speakers as it was announced there was only a minute remaining. Nino smirked when he heard the chaotic cacophony that followed as many remaining players spiralled into a state of total panic. He climbed back up the ladder and perched himself on the edge of the high platform. Letting his legs dangle, he folded his arms over the railing and watched with much amusement as players darted in and out of the aisles in a final attempt to track down the points they needed to secure victory for themselves. The more the seconds ticked away, made more dramatic by the audible countdown coming from the speakers, the more desperate everyone became. Those with less than twenty-one points were darting about frantically, throwing caution to the wind as both their morals and strategies went out the window, while those who had obtained the necessary tally were doing everything possible to keep a hold of their points until the last second. Several blinding flashes occurred throughout the warehouse as mines were set off, either deliberately by players betraying other players or accidental by those too careless to check their map for the perilous red lights.
As the last ten seconds were counted, Nino reached for his phone. He watched in both horror and fascination as more than half of the remaining blue lights turned glaring red. They began to flash on his screen and as the countdown reached its end, a series of explosions went off throughout the warehouse.
Nino reflexively tightened his grip on the railing as everything around him shook violently. His view was obscured by the succeeding flashes and thick smoke that polluted the air. He covered his nose and mouth with his elbow and descended to ground level before he choked on the hazardous particles that filled his lungs with every breath. Half-blind, he felt his way back to the entranceway. A horrible squelching sounded underfoot as he trod through the remains of other players, though he did his best to ignore it and focus on not slipping over instead.
There was a sliver of light coming from up ahead. Like a lighthouse beacon on a foggy night, it showed him the way out of the arena. He was the first to reach the outside. Collecting his latest prize first and foremost, he then turned to see if anyone else had survived. It took several minutes before another person finally came stumbling out through the doorway. Of the twenty-odd players who started the game, less than five remained. Nino exchanged stern looks with his fellow survivors; their expressions were all rigid, their eyes lacking something akin to a soul in the wake of their unspeakable actions in the game. With not a word spoken between them, they each turned and walked away in a different direction, never to cross paths again.