☆Alice
Hiiiii! My name's Alice—Tengokushi Alice! I'm a cheerful seventeen-year-old girl attending Sagano High School in Kyoto Prefecture!
I'm a lot sturdier than most girls my age. If it weren't for my long red hair, people might actually mistake me for a guy!
I love sports—I'm part of the boxing club. Punching things really makes me feel alive! (Of course, I'm talking about practice, ahahaha!) Though… I don't mind roughing up bullies from time to time. Not that I need to say it, but… they're always the ones who end up crying.
Can't say the same for my academic life, though… Classes are sooo boring… and my grades? Total disaster! I'm hopeless!
"Shiori-chi! Let's have lunch together on the rooftop!"
That's Kage Shiori—my best friend.She's a bit of a kuudere, but super smart. Seriously, top of the class. Let's just say the gap between us is… astronomical. But hey, she's got the brains, I've got the muscles—we're a perfect duo!
I love squishing her cheeks, they're so soft~ Her hair's short and black, and she wears a different ribbon every day. Today's is blue!
"Alright, but if it's crowded, let's find another spot. I don't want to sit near Araki's group," she replied.
Ugh… Araki Shogo. The school bully. And of course he's in our class! Why is there always a bully in every school, huh?
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There he was, up on the rooftop with his gang, always ready for picking on the weaks. Shiori started to turn away, but Araki had already spotted us.
"Hey, you two! Want to have some fun with us?"
"No way," I shot back. Shiori-chi always tried to avoid them, but I sure wasn't scared. I grabbed Shiori-chi's arm and planted us on the opposite side of the rooftop, like a challenge.
We started eating, facing away. The whole time I could hear them snickering behind us. With those pigs, I just knew they were trying to peek up our skirts. Whatever — I don't care. Let them break their necks trying to peek: I wear comfortable shorts under my skirt, and a bit more mobility never hurts. Shiori-chi didn't seem to see it that way, though. I could feel her embarrassment. Now they were right behind us.
I'm not a patient person. I spun around and clocked one of Araki's boys clean in the face with a punch, sending him sprawling.
"Hey, hey, no need to get violent," Araki laughed. His crew closed in on us.
"Araki, please stop, or I'll have to tell the teachers."
The voice behind the bullies was known to every girl at school: Joshua Blitz, the coolest guy in class! Tall, charismatic, dark eyes like night and brown hair — definitely the heartthrob of every girl. But not mine… I hate how he dresses, all in black… My favorite color is bright red; I hate anything dull.
Even though he was part of the student council, he still found time to hit the gym, and his grades were excellent — both academically and athletically. Ugh.
"We weren't doing anything wrong," Araki snickered. "We were just chatting with the young ladies. Mind leaving us alone, Mr. School Idol?"
"Who do you think you're fooling, Araki?" said Joshua's best friend, Harugaki Jin — an over-enthusiast of the Occult Club. His fashion sense was even weirder than Joshua's. Even a monkey would be classier. And that hair… that afro is absolutely the worst!
"I saw you trying to peek under their skirts — I've got proof." Jin flashed his phone, meaning he'd taken a photo.
"It'd be a shame if this photo reached the teachers," Joshua continued. "We won't say anything, promise. In exchange, you won't bother these two girls anymore."
Araki backed off and headed for the stairs. "This isn't over, pretty boy."
When Araki's gang left, Joshua came over to us. "You okay?"
"You didn't have to get involved — I had it under control," I said. Against all those guys I might've gotten roughed up, but I'd certainly enjoy pounding them with my fists.
"Thanks for helping us," Shiori-chi said, making my face heat up with embarrassment.
I should've known — Shiori-chi is totally in love with Joshua. She always has everything in hand; maybe she stayed on the rooftop hoping Joshua would come save her. Was it all part of her diabolical plan?!
"Come on, Shiori-chi," I took her hand and dragged her off, probably against her will.
"Alice… you're stupid…" she scolded me once we'd put some distance between us.
"'Cause I didn't give you more time with your Joshua-kun" I joked.
Shiori-chi blushed. "Because you always get into trouble."
"Hahaha, don't worry about me. I can handle myself. I can't wait to punch that idiot Araki in the face."
"Try not to go overboard," she replied. "I'm heading home—see you tomorrow."
"Don't you have club activity today?"
"Yeah but..."
I understood the message: "Okay, see you tomorrow. I'm going to train."
I started to run toward the gym, but Shiori-chi stopped me. "Alice, are you watching the lottery tonight?" she asked.
"Of course — I entered too, so I'll definitely win!"
We said our goodbyes and I went to the gym.
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The lottery...
Across all of Japan, only twenty-four lucky people would be chosen. Only twenty-four would get to take part in a special game organized by Prime Minister, Shisui Suichiro. The prize was a dazzling mansion on a private island… I'd been daydreaming for days about already living in that paradise.
The minimum age to enter was twelve—if the game could be played by both children and adults, it probably relied on luck. I figured every single person in Japan over twelve had a shot; the entry fee was only 500 yen. Tonight the winners would be drawn, and tomorrow morning they'd be summoned to Tokyo, to the secret location of the game!
They wouldn't tell us what kind of game it would be, and we wouldn't be filmed by cameras. Only after it was over would everything be made public.
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I stayed in the gym until 6:00 PM. I was alone, drenched in sweat and exhausted. I flopped to the floor to catch my breath. Just then the door opened and my coach, Sakamura-sensei, came in.
"You still here, Alice?"
"I was training, sensei," I answered with a smile.
The one person I've never managed to beat — Sakamura-sensei.
"You looked like you were slacking off, actually."
I pushed myself up. "Today I wanted to train for real. If I win the lottery tonight, I want to be ready for whatever the game throws at me!"
"You entered the lottery too?" Sakamura-sensei's face darkened.
"You didn't?" I asked.
Sakamura-sensei turned away.
"It's a game organized by Prime Minister Shisui. I know that man, and I don't trust him at all. I don't want anything to do with whatever that bastard is involved in."
"What did the Minister do?" I asked. I didn't follow the news much — politics especially. Knowing his name was already more than enough for me.
Sensei turned back with a smile. "Don't worry, it's between me and that man."
When he ruffled my hair I felt so happy and safe. I wanted that moment to last forever.
"If your name gets drawn, you have to win!" he said. "And tell that prick Shisui my regards."
"Of course, sensei!"
"Now hurry and change, go home. I'll watch the lottery too."
"Thank you for everything, sensei. Even though my chances of being picked are infinitesimally small, I'll give it my all!"
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It was 9:00 PM when I stepped out of the bath in my robe and heard my mom calling me.
"Alice, hurry! The lottery's starting!"
Without even thinking of putting clothes on, I rushed downstairs and nearly tumbled down the steps!
My parents were already sitting on the couch, eyes glued to the TV.
"They've already called a few names," my mom said.
"Alice… you could've at least gotten dressed," grumbled my dad.
"There's no time for that! The drawing's already started!"
I scooped up my kitten, Kiki-tan, and plopped into the sofa to watch the show. As I stared at the screen, I absentmindedly scratched Kiki-tan under the chin. His reddish fur was so soft and smelled so nice… He purred happily and curled up in my lap.
A few names went by—boys, girls, men, women—but none I recognized. Maybe I really was getting my hopes up too much… I mean, with more than 100 million people living in Japan, what were the chances for someone like me?
And then, right at the moment I glanced away, the announcer—famous sports commentator BeBe—called out a very familiar name.
"Joshua Blitz, from Sagano High School in Kyoto!"
"Whaaaaaaat?!"
I couldn't believe it! That pretty boy actually won the lottery?! How the heck did he do it?!Does he have government connections? Did he corrupt someone?!
"I can't believe this! He's seriously lucky, tsk!" I let all my frustration out in that one line, and my mom burst out laughing.
"Are you sure you're not in love with him?" she teased.
"No matter how hot he is, I could never fall for an idiot like him," I snapped back, flustered and angry.
Then, a few names later, BeBe read another one I knew all too well.
"What a surprise! Another student from Sagano High School—Kage Shiori!"
No way!
"Shiori-chi too?!"
I should've been happy for my best friend… but why did I feel a tiny bit jealous?
"This evening just keeps surprising us! Next up is Ichinose Saya—the internationally wanted terrorist!"
There was a moment of dead silence. Then BeBe continued like nothing had happened: "Well, rules are rules! Anyone can be selected. We'll overlook her crimes and let her participate anyway! Ahaha!"
Even my parents exchanged a glance before turning back to the TV. The fact that a known criminal could join a national competition was... unsettling.
And then, a few more names later, it happened again. "Harugaki Jin—yet another from Sagano High! This is unreal! Even I don't know what's going on here, ahaha!"
Now I was getting seriously annoyed. Even that occult freak Harugaki?! How is he getting in too?!
Only one name left to go—the twenty-fourth.
"Great, now all that's missing is that idiot Araki," I muttered, turning to go upstairs and finally get dressed. But then—
BeBe's voice rang out one last time: "Everyone, who the heck shuffled these names?! Yet again we have a student from Sagano High School! Tengokushi Alice!"
My heart stopped for a moment. Then it started pounding again.
"M-Mom… Dad… who was the last name?"
They both looked just as stunned as I was.
"Tengokushi Alice… That's you, sweetie!"
I stood there in a daze for several seconds—caught somewhere between awe and disbelief—as Kiki-tan meowed softly in my arms...
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I rushed straight to my room and slammed the door shut behind me. Tossing off my bathrobe, I grabbed my phone and immediately called Shiori-chi.
"Hello?" she answered in her usual quiet voice.
"Shiori-chi! We both got picked! I'm so happy—I'm SO happy! One of us could actually win!"
I screamed all my excitement into the phone, totally ignoring whatever she was saying.
"Alice, calm down!" she said, in that usual cool-headed tone of hers. "I'm happy too, really—but this won't be easy. There are still 22 other participants, and they'll be just as determined as we are. Don't forget about Harugaki and Joshua either."
"Tsk, just leave it to me. Whatever the challenge is, I'll beat every last one of them—and then I'll face you!"
"Do you realize that if it's a logic-based game, you'll be the first one out, right?" Shiori-chi said, laughing.
...Crap! I hadn't thought of that... I suck at logic! I really would be the first one to lose...
"Shiori-chi, don't say stuff like that—let's try to stay optimistic!"
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Anyway, we have to go all the way to Tokyo tomorrow. If you want, I can ask my parents to take us both to the station."
Aww, I love this girl! My parents are super busy with work, and getting a day off would be nearly impossible for them.
"Shiori-chi, thank you so much—you totally saved me!"
"Then it's settled. See you tomorrow. Make sure you get plenty of rest—we have to be ready for anything. Good night, Alice."
"Let's give it everything we've got! Good night, Shiori-chi!"
I thought about giving Sakamura-sensei a call, but he'd probably already watched the drawing.He'd already told me everything I needed to hear.
With a huge smile on my face, I put on my pajamas and slid under the covers.
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The next morning, I woke up early. Shiori-chi's parents were going to take us to the station; once we got to Tokyo, we'd be on our own.
I'd barely slept last night , so the moment I got on the train, I passed out. I dreamed of a thousand possible challenges we might face… History quizzes, math puzzles, maybe even speed trials or boxing matches.
I felt Shiori-chi poke me in the cheek with her finger.
"Alice, we're here. We've arrived in Tokyo."
I slowly opened my eyes and let out a huge yawn.
"Already? I'm still so sleepy…" I sat up with what felt like the strength of a dying warrior.
"Hurry up, Alice, or we'll be late."
Shiori-chi looked seriously cute today. Her ribbon was a beautiful shade of red—my favorite color!
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We dashed out of the station and headed for the taxi stand.
"What a coincidence — look who we have here," someone said.
I didn't even bother to turn and look at the face of the one who'd spoken so smugly. "Blitz Joshua and Harugaki Jin — what a coincidence," I replied.
"You can just call us Joshua and Jin," Blitz said.
"The same goes for us," Shiori-chi chimed in.
"Pleasure to meet you here, Shiori-san, Alice-san! Hope we all have fun together during the game," Harugaki laughed.
"Don't take liberties," I snapped.
"Are you a tsundere or something?" Joshua whispered in my ear.
That got me so mad I shouted in anger. I spun to hit him, but he'd already moved.
"Sorry, sorry — I was just kidding," he laughed.
"Try saying that again and you won't live long enough to meet the Minister!" I shot back. But the anger melted away fast. I was far too happy to be bothered by a little teasing.
"Shall we all share the same taxi?" Shiori-chi suggested.
"Great idea. My treat for everyone," Joshua offered.
I kept my mouth shut — otherwise this stupid conversation would have never ended.
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We arrived at the designated location just in time. A huge crowd of reporters and onlookers were snapping photos from every angle. As soon as Joshua asked if we could get through, they started photographing us, too.
"Please let the contestants through."
At that command, the crowd shifted aside—but the cameras didn't stop clicking. We walked through the sea of people until we reached the other participants.
BeBe himself came to greet us.
He was seriously short and round, with deeply tanned skin and completely bald. He looked to be around fifty years old. He wore flashy sunglasses like he was headed to the beach and had massive headphones hanging around his neck. His smile was so wide I started wondering if it was fake—a rubber mouth glued on or something.
"You finally made it! You're the last ones! Come on, the Minister's waiting!"
I glanced over at the other contestants. All their eyes were fixed on us. I didn't recognize a single one. I started counting them.
There was a tall, incredibly muscular man with a thick black beard—almost as wild as BeBe's. He was wearing a police officer uniform.
There was a blond-haired guy with foreign features, dressed in an elegant green suit, standing next to a girl about my age. She had straight, shoulder-length brown hair. Our eyes met, and she smiled at me. I smiled back.
Two shady-looking guys were staring at us hard. One had blond hair, the other dark. I knew that look well—it was the same kind of stare Araki and his gang used to give. I knew exactly what they were thinking.
"Aren't you Erik Weiss and Hans Strauss? From that European circus troupe? I saw your show on TV a while ago," said Harugaki to two other guys. One was tall and thin with dark hair and sharp features, a deep scar over his left eye. The other was shorter and even skinnier, with snow-white hair—obviously dyed.
"That's right, kid. You're the only one who's recognized us," replied the shorter one. "We're not a big troupe yet, but we've started performing worldwide. I'll give you an autograph later."
"Thank you, Hans-san! I'm a huge fan!"
Harugaki was obsessed with anything related to the occult. Stupid as he was, he probably believed circus tricks were actual magic.
Two girls were also looking our way. They weren't standing near each other, but both were giving us the same look of pure contempt. The slimmer one had loose brown hair and wore a cap, while the stockier girl had dark hair tied into two long braids.
I turned to look in the other direction and saw a gorgeous girl dressed in a traditional shrine maiden outfit. She had her arm linked with a tall boy with long, dark-red hair—even deeper in color than mine.
Not far from BeBe stood a young girl with chestnut hair braided down her back, wearing a formal-looking dress. She was accompanied by a guy in his twenties dressed in plain clothes—worse than even Harugaki's.
Off by herself was a woman with short hair somewhere between blonde and brown, twirling a red rose in her hands. She looked to be around thirty.
Two other teens were chatting cheerfully. The boy had a hairstyle similar to Joshua's, but with brown-chestnut hair, and the girl beside him was tiny and cute like Shiori-chi, with messy blonde hair. Awww, I seriously wanted to hug her!
The last pair was a well-dressed middle-aged woman and a black-haired girl about my age, with short hair that fell over her left eye. The girl was sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall.
"BeBe-san, excuse me, but weren't there supposed to be twenty-four of us? I only count twenty-two here," I asked.
"Oh right, the other two arrived earlier. One of them couldn't handle the heat out here, so we let them go on ahead. They're already waiting for you with the others," BeBe replied. "Now, follow me!"
With the others...?
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BeBe led us into a large building. It could've been the most famous structure in the world, and I still wouldn't have known the name of it. Not wanting to sound like an idiot, I kept quiet and just followed the others.
We went down into an underground level, and BeBe opened a door for us. Inside, there was a single train car—but it was spacious enough for all of us to fit.
As soon as we got on board, everyone took a seat.
"Did you notice?" Shiori-chi asked.
"Notice what?" Harugaki replied.
"Some of the contestants seem to know each other, just like us. Maybe the game is team-based, but in the end, the player with the most points wins?"
"BeBe-san, could you tell us what kind of game this is?" asked the girl dressed like a shrine maiden.
"Just a little more patience, my dears," BeBe said with a chuckle. "The Minister himself will explain everything very soon. Good old BeBe wouldn't dare spoil the surprise now, would he? Ahahaha!"
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No one spoke for the rest of the ride. We spent half an hour in silence, aside from the sound of the moving train. Finally, when we arrived, BeBe started yelling.
"Come on, everyone! The grand moment has arrived—the Minister is waiting for you!"
BeBe ran up a flight of stairs and we all followed behind him.
We caught up to him at the end of a long, dim corridor, in front of a large, ornate door. "Please, go right in!" he said, holding it open.
Inside, everything was brightly lit—it looked like a grand ballroom. The room was packed with guests, and they were all wearing strange animal masks. Probably to keep their identities hidden. Each of them was seated in front of a powered-off console, but their eyes were all focused on us.
Even the Minister was watching us, seated at the center of a long table at the far end of the room. He was tall and incredibly thin, with silver hair—but not a single wrinkle on his face. He looked around the same age as Sakamura-sensei. His eyes were an unnatural shade of yellow—and they were staring straight at me.
"You're finally here. I was starting to get bored, ahahah!" laughed a man wearing a donkey mask.
We all exchanged confused glances, but the Minister stood up and silenced the crowd by raising one hand.
"Welcome, welcome. Most of you probably already know me, but allow me to introduce myself anyway. I am Shisui Suichiro, Prime Minister of Japan, and I congratulate all of you for being selected as the winners of the national lottery!"
The masked guests all applauded.
"Enough with the chatter—let's start the game already," said the man in the donkey mask.
"Calm down, two people are still missing," replied someone with a bull mask.
"My apologies," said BeBe, stepping aside to let in the final two contestants: a girl in a school uniform with long jet-black hair, and a tall man, dressed in black, wearing a strange and creepy iron mask; his face completely covered except for two narrow slits for his eyes and one for his mouth. He looked like a butler from a gothic movie.
Minister Shisui turned to address us again.
"Well then, now that we're all here, I'd like to begin by saying this: each of your families has already received one million yen as a reward for you making it this far! However, only the first-place winner will receive the ultimate prize— a mansion on a private island!"
The contestants began to murmur among themselves but, with a single clap of his hands, the Minister quieted everyone again.
"Now, let's move on to the part you're most interested in: the game itself. BeBe-san, would you kndly bring here the table?"
BeBe rolled in a cart with 24 bottles on it. Each bottle was different from the others in colours and shapes, and each had a unique drawing on the front.
"These are special infusions, created by the finest scientists in the country. Each one will grant the person who drinks it a formidable ability. Each of you must choose one and drink it. At first, you will lose consciousness as your body adapts, but when you wake up, you'll have gained a magnificent power. Naturally, I won't reveal the effects of each bottle—this is to ensure that the selection is completely random. Don't worry—we've tested these infusions thoroughly. The only side effect occurs just after you drink it. Our goal in this game is to test your abilities and only the best among you will claim the final prize! Now, choose your bottle. I will explain the game's rules once you awaken."
The Minister sat down again, and all of us looked around.
No one wanted to go first. We all just stared at the bottles without touching them.
My eyes landed on a red bottle with a boxing glove drawn on it. Was that a sign of destiny? I looked around—the others were still hesitating.
Suddenly, the man with the iron mask stepped forward and grabbed a black bottle with confident hands. He brought it up to the mouth-slit in his mask and drank it all in one go.
We all watched as he began to writhe, then collapsed to the ground seconds later.
"This is a common side effect," said the Minister calmly. "I assure you with absolute certainty—none of you will die."
Boxing was my life! There was no way I was going to let someone else steal my destiny right out from under me. Without thinking another second, I grabbed the red bottle, unscrewed the cap, and began to drink.
It was way too sweet! I almost spit it out, but I couldn't. These infusions probably cost a fortune. If I wasted it, they'd probably kick me out of the game right then and there.
So, despite everything, I swallowed it...
"Alice!" It was Shiori-chi's voice—but I couldn't bring myself to look at her.
I stared down at my hands. They were enormous—and they hurt like hell! The pain shot up through my arms. It felt like every single muscle in my body had contracted all at once.
The pain only lasted a few moments. Then my vision blurred. My strength faded. And I collapsed...
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I woke up inside what looked like a metal capsule. It was completely sealed, and I had no way of seeing what was outside. I had a bracelet on my wrist and a strange collar around my neck.
"Where am I?"
I pushed myself up—my head was spinning; that nasty taste from the stuff I'd drunk was still in my mouth.There was a backpack next to me. I opened it and rummaged through it. I found a bottle of water, a sandwich, and some bandages. I dug deeper until my hand hit something hard and cold. I clenched my grip and pulled it out.
I jumped. It was a gun— not a toy, a real pistol! There were also several little boxes of cartridges.
"What am I supposed to do with this? I hope it's something like target shooting. Didn't they have a sport like that at the Olympics?"
The bracelet on my wrist buzzed and activated on its own. BeBe's voice was unmistakable.
"You're all awake at last—about time. For now, you're all sealed in capsules, but don't worry, we'll let you out as soon as I explain the rules of the game."
I loaded the pistol and clipped it to my skirt belt, leaving the rest in the backpack. I had a really bad feeling.
"Each of you has a backpack containing food, water, bandages, and a random weapon with a set number of bullets. Consider it our parting gift. Now, on to the real purpose of the game, ahahah!"
I stayed silent, waiting for BeBe's voice. I thought of Shiori-chi, Joshua, and Harugaki. They were in capsules too—where, I wondered. Near or far?
"The purpose of the game is for you to kill each others!"
"K-kill each others?" I stammered.
Animal avatars—the same ones who'd worn the masks at the reception—appeared on the bracelet.
"What are you saying, BeBe? What do you mean we have to kill each other?" I shouted.
"Calm down, kid," the donkey avatar snickered. "Kill or be killed—that's the game, ahahah."
"I'll kill you, you bastard!" I swung useless punches at the avatar's hologram while the person hiding behind it laughed without end.
"You'd better shut up and listen to BeBe's advice if you want to survive — though I doubt you'll make it, ahahah." I gritted my teeth and tried to ignore him, focusing only on BeBe's voice.
"There are several ways you can kill an opponent, but we've given you two in particular: the first is the random weapon each of you received at the start; the second is the power you gained by drinking the infusion. Each of you can check information about your power by pressing the blue button on your bracelet. The collar around your neck will explode if you try to remove it or if you try to leave the arena."
I tried to press the blue button, but nothing happened — I figured the broadcast was still active. I was far too scared to touch the collar.
"Also, I must warn you: hybrid mutants have been released into the arena — subjects used to test the infusions before they were perfected. Be careful, they'll attack at the first opportunity. Some of them might even be able to use abilities like yours, so use any means necessary to avoid being killed. If you need to rest, find the areas with green flooring — hybrids can't approach those zones because of a powerful toxin that would kill them instantly. The toxin affects only the hybrids, not you players, so those zones are only relatively safe."
I was gasping for air, breathing too fast. This had to be a nightmare, right? Any moment now, I'd wake up in my bed, ready to leave for Tokyo with Shiori-chi to take part in the real game! Or maybe I had been dreaming since the night before, when I was selected by the lottery? None of this could possibly be real.
"Now let's move on to the victory conditions," BeBe continued. "As you've probably noticed, each of you has been selected along with someone you know. The reason is simple: if both of you survive, you both win! However, if one of you were to die… the remaining player can win, but only alone. You can confirm your partner's identity by pressing the red button on your bracelet."
Once again, I tried pressing the colored button, but nothing happened.
"To ensure a fair start, all capsules have been scattered across the arena randomly. Each of you will have to find your partner once the game begins. With that said, I wish you all good luck and hope you enjoy yourselves. Do your best—ahahah!" BeBe concluded.
"Don't disappoint me, I placed a bet on you," said a gruff man with a caterpillar avatar.
"Shut up, asshole," I snapped back.
The hologram faded. Immediately, I pressed the red button, and an image of Shiori-chi appeared. Just as I thought—she was my partner. I then pressed the blue button, and a pre-recorded video of BeBe began to play.
"Boxer: This infusion grants the user superhuman strength in their hands. Smashing through a wall—or a skull—will be a piece of cake!"
The capsule opened, and I was blinded by the sudden light. I stepped out: I was in an area with a green floor, dimly lit by a nearby lamp. I looked up and saw nothing but darkness. No stars, not even a sky. I had to be deep underground.
Dozens of roads branched out from where my capsule had landed, forming a kind of maze. Behind me, there was nothing but a wall.
In the distance stood a massive concrete pillar, so tall it vanished into the shadows above. My first instinct was to head for it—it could be a way out. I knew that if I tried, the collar would kill me, but I didn't want to hurt anyone. All I wanted was for us to escape this death trap together.
BeBe's voice rang out from loudspeakers scattered throughout the arena, echoing in the underground chamber.
"Let the games begin!"