These last two weeks, we hadn't stepped foot in Dagahra. No document runs, no late-night sneaks. Every waking hour had been consumed by one thing: shooting marbles. Celestina said the game was inspired by something from Earth—a game called pétanque. A French word. I didn't care where it came from. I only cared that it could kill us.
But... I wasn't bad at shooting. Actually, I was good. When I was a kid, shooting marbles was the only thing I excelled at. While Enji or Satoru dominated other games, I could beat them at this one. It was the only thing I could flex back then. Maybe now, finally, it could save me.
The past two weeks passed in uneasy silence. The buzz from the last game had faded, but the tension hadn't. The air in the palace had grown heavier, as if everyone knew what was coming.
Then, that morning, Celestina's voice broke the lull.
"The next game begins today. QueQue."
Her tone was far too casual for a sentence so cruel.
My stomach sank. QueQue. The word had echoed around our training days like a warning bell. Unlike Preempt or Pearl Diving, this one wasn't about speed or breath or reflex. It was about precision. Control. And pressure.
Six players would be needed.
Satoru had selected the team: Me, Satoru, Brother Cheng Hao, Enji, Kei, and Takahashi. This time, Yoko would sit out—her speed wasn't needed. It was our aim that mattered.
"It's time. All players, get ready."
The room fell silent. This was it.
We were taken to the arena. Not a desert or water dome this time, but something worse. An open white circular field, cracked and scorched as if it had seen too much blood. Around us stood two other teams—Team White and Team Purple—each glaring, composed, trained.
The fog hung heavy over the arena, wrapping everything in a ghostly shroud. Towering obsidian pillars loomed like silent sentinels, their shadows twisting in the dying light. The distant, rhythmic ticking echoed, unnerving and relentless.
Celestina's voice cut through the silence, cold and precise. "Welcome to Queque. This game will test not only your skill but your very will to survive."
She lifted the glowing red crystal resting on a pedestal—the Queque Heart. "Your goal is to throw these enchanted iron orbs," she said, holding one up, "as close to the Queque Heart as possible."
Her eyes swept over the players. "But precision alone will not save you."
The ground trembled faintly. "Every missed throw awakens the arena's guardians—spirit beasts born from the mist. They hunt those who falter. If caught, you will vanish. Gone."
A chill ran through the group.
"And there's the Blood Countdown," Celestina continued. "Each of you wears a collar. It tightens slowly over ten minutes—unless you reset it with a successful throw. Fail, and the collar injects a paralyzing toxin. Your time is limited."
She gestured to the Queque Heart. "Every two minutes, it teleports unpredictably. Your aim must adapt—or risk wasting your throw… and awakening more beasts."
She paused, letting the weight of her words settle. "Remember: every mistake costs more than points here. This is Queque. Survive the throw—or perish in the mist."
𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐈𝐒 𝐆𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘 𝐀𝐒 𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐊 𝐀 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐑𝐒
𝐖𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝟑, 𝟐, 𝟏.....
𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓
The arena fell into silence as the Queque Heart glowed a deep crimson, pulsing like a heartbeat in the center of the mist-shrouded field. The obsidian pillars groaned softly, and the ticking began. The countdown had started.
Three teams stood ready.
Team Blue — Me, Kei, Enji, Satoru, Cheng Hao, Takahashi.
Team White — A sharp-eyed warrior girl, two twin brothers, a tall boy with sniper focus, and a lanky strategist.
Team Purple — A former champion, a quiet healer, an aggressive brute, and two cocky, overconfident rich kids.
Celestina's voice echoed:
"Round One. Begin."
The Queque Heart shimmered — and in a blink, it teleported 20 meters to the east. Fog rippled around it.
Kei stepped forward first. Calm. Calculated. Her grip steady as she aimed her iron orb, breath timed with the distant ticking. With a clean, fluid motion, she released.
𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬
Her orb landed only inches from the Queque Heart. A near-perfect throw.
Team Blue cheered quietly. Celestina's eyes flicked, impressed.
Then the ground trembled.
A Team White player threw—and missed badly. The orb rolled into a crackling circle of runes.
A low growl rose from the mist.
A guardian emerged—a massive, fog-formed beast with hollow glowing eyes. It lunged. The player ran, screaming—but too slow. One flash of red.
𝘌𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥
I froze, watching. "They weren't kidding…"
Takahashi, next up, swallowed nervously. His hand trembled, but he remembered his rhythm—*1, 2, release*. The orb arced beautifully—then struck another team's orb, bouncing closer.
Close enough. He sighed in relief as his collar blinked green. Time reset.
Team Purple's brute threw hard—too hard. The orb ricocheted far past the heart.
Another guardian stirred.
This time, it didn't miss.
"Two down." Celestina called out coldly.
One by one, throws continued. Enji, ever the quick-thinker, used a curved throw to bounce off an orb and nudge it closer—laughing in triumph. "That's how you 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚 the game!"
Cheng Hao's throw was perfect. Years of battlefield training in accuracy showed. The orb kissed the Queque Heart, barely touching.
The Queque Heart shimmered—and teleported again.
Satoru's turn. Calm, average throw—but close enough. Safe.
Team White lost another member—mistakenly stepping into a cursed rune while retreating. He vanished instantly.
By the third round, Team Purple was down to one. The ex-champion. His throws were strong, but his time ran out. His collar blinked red.
Paralyzed.
The last guardian claimed him swiftly.
Final round: Team Blue vs. one member of Team White.
I stepped forward last. Heart pounding. All eyes on me. This was my moment. Childhood memories of marbles, laughter, sunlit days, Enji and Satoru's teasing.
I took a breath. "One shot."
I threw.
The orb flew through mist, time slowed, every tick louder—
𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬
My orb landed right beside Kei's.
Celestina raised her hand.
"Game over."
Team Blue stood tall. No losses. No fear. United.
The mist rolled back. The pillars dimmed.
But I didn't feel relief—only determination.
This wasn't the end. Just another step.
The real game was still ahead.
When the chime rang, the screen lit up in golden letters:
𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑 : 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐄
𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐎𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐄
𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐍 𝟔. 𝟐𝟓 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎
𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐎𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍