The air in the purple room hung heavy, thick with a malevolent energy that seeped into every corner. It was a tangible pressure, a suffocating force that drained the very life from the six contestants trapped within. Their hearts pounded against their ribs, a frantic rhythm against the pulsing, otherworldly glow of the walls. High above, a sinister grin stretched across the face of Zeyrix Veynith, who watched from his towering 35-foot pillar, a puppet master delighting in the suffering of his playthings.
Globally, millions of viewers were glued to their screens, witnessing the spectacle live. Makoto Katsuragi, a member of the Seirei Exorcist Group, stood alongside his fellow recruits, his expression a mask of defiance despite the growing weakness in his limbs. A voice, amplified and dripping with theatrical glee, echoed through the chamber. "Welcome, everyone, to today's main event!" Zeyrix announced, his arms wide in a mock welcome. "The first game is a simple one—a coin toss!"
He gestured to a specially designed mat on the floor, its surface glistening under the eerie light. A wall nearby was lined with a shimmering array of coins, awaiting their use. "Here's how it works," he continued, his tone a sinister parody of a game show host. "Pair up into teams of two. One will toss the coin, and the other will guess—heads or tails. Guess correctly, and you'll advance. Fail, and you'll go back to the beginning." The smile on his face widened, a cruel promise of what was to come. "You have 15 minutes. If you don't escape before time's up... Boom!" He clapped his hands together, the sound sharp and final. "The whole world gets a front-row seat to their demise!"
The six recruits, their bodies trembling from the oppressive atmosphere, exchanged nervous glances. Takumi Enatsu, clutching his chest, looked particularly pale. It was then that Makoto noticed Yana. She seemed less affected by the room's energy, a peculiar resilience that set her apart. "Yana," he called out, his voice firm despite his exhaustion. "You don't seem as affected. Why?"
Yana's lips twitched into a nervous smile as she avoided his gaze. "It's not that bad, I guess. But I'm still feeling it, just like everyone else," she said, her voice wavering.
A flicker of suspicion crossed Makoto's face. He knew his friend was hiding something, but the truth eluded him. Then it clicked. Yana's Standz pressure, the very essence of her spiritual power, must have been exceptionally high. It was the only logical explanation for her endurance.
"Alright, pair up!" Zeyrix's voice sliced through Makoto's thoughts. "Time is wasting!"
Reluctantly, the teams formed. Rin and Haruko, Miwafe and Yana, and Makoto with a visibly struggling Takumi.
Takumi, his body shaking with fatigue, took the first coin. His hand, trembling uncontrollably, tossed it into the air. Makoto's eyes followed its arc, his mind a whirlwind of calculations. "Heads," he declared, his voice cutting through the tension. Takumi opened his hand, revealing a perfect heads. They advanced.
The other teams also found early success. Haruko's tosses were precise, and Rin's guesses were consistently accurate. Miwafe and Yana moved forward steadily, though Miwafe's exhaustion was becoming more apparent with each step. But the oppressive aura of the room was relentless, slowly sapping their strength and mental focus.
On their third toss, Makoto guessed incorrectly, and he and Takumi were sent all the way back to the starting line. A similar fate befell the other teams.
"Twelve minutes left!" Zeyrix's voice boomed, laced with mocking amusement. "Tick-tock, my little contestants."
Takumi sank to his knees, his face pale and clammy. "I can't... I can't do this," he gasped, his voice barely a whisper. "I'm useless."
Makoto knelt beside him, his gaze unwavering. "We don't have time for this," he said, his voice a low command. "I'll take over as the tosser."
Zeyrix, intrigued by this new development, raised an eyebrow. "Switch roles? Hmm. I'll allow it, as long as you stick to the rules."
Makoto took the coin, his fingers steady. He tossed it into the air, but this time, his focus was on a different kind of analysis. He watched the coin's spin, memorizing the side that faced up just before catching it. "Tails," he instructed Takumi calmly. Takumi, though weary, repeated the word. Makoto revealed the coin—it was tails. They advanced.
From his perch, Zeyrix's smile faltered. "What trickery is this?" he demanded, his voice now laced with genuine curiosity.
Makoto smirked, turning to face one of the hidden cameras. "You never said I couldn't tell the guesser the answer," he said, his gaze defiant. "I analyzed the coin's spin. Before it hit my hand, I memorized which side faced up. Simple."
Across the world, the broadcast erupted. Familiar faces, like Renji and Airi, stared at their screens in disbelief. "Isn't that... Makoto?" Airi murmured, her voice trembling with recognition.
In another part of the broadcast, a group of seven figures watched the feed intently. The fifth-ranked figure spoke first, a note of admiration in his tone. "That kid's sharp." The seventh rank, more skeptical, muttered, "The bastard doesn't even have a Standz. That's odd."
The third figure, a woman, watched with a thoughtful expression. "He reminds me of Kyoka," she mused.
Back in the purple room, Makoto and Takumi finally reached the finish line. Their success, as it turned out, automatically advanced everyone else. The expression on Zeyrix's face was a mixture of frustration and grudging respect. "Fine," he sneered, "I'll let it slide this time."
As the group regrouped, Makoto noticed that Yana was finally beginning to show signs of fatigue. Her earlier resilience was waning, and she was now struggling just as much as everyone else.
A table with six cards appeared before them, signaling the start of the second phase. Zeyrix, his grin wide with renewed glee, explained the next game. "Charades! A classic. But with a twist."
Haruko, ever the optimist, groaned. "I love charades."
Zeyrix ignored him, continuing his explanation. "Two players will participate. One will draw a card and act out what's written without speaking. The other must guess. But!" His eyes gleamed with a sadistic light. "One wrong guess will result in instant death for the guesser. Then the next person in your group will step up to guess. If they fail, they'll die too. And no outside help!" His gaze locked onto Makoto, a silent challenge.
Makoto's confidence was unwavering. "This one's easy," he said, his voice calm and steady.
His declaration unsettled the group, but he quickly explained his reasoning. "Yana and I will handle this round. Everyone else is too weak."
Despite their initial protests, Makoto's logic was irrefutable. Yana was still the strongest among them, and he was the only one who could maintain his composure under such extreme pressure. "Trust me," he said, his gaze sweeping over his friends.
Yana stepped up to the table, her face a mask of determination. Makoto selected a card, reading its contents carefully. "Let's begin," he said, a silent promise in his eyes.
From his perch, Zeyrix chuckled, his voice a low hiss. "You think this will be simple? I can't wait to watch you fail."
Makoto's determination burned brighter than ever. He would not fail. He would save his team, and in doing so, he would save the lives of everyone watching. No matter the cost.
The room seemed to pulse with tension as the clock above their heads began to tick, the merciless beat of a countdown to their potential doom.