[...Yuko was approaching Mouse in the middle of the city, extending her right hand towards him with slow steps, her face a mixture of astonishment and relief, as if she had finally found something resembling truth in this world full of deception. The night around them pulsed with lights, blue and red neon dancing on the facades of tall buildings, and the cold air gently brushed their faces with a strange softness. But Mouse did not share the same dream.
He didn't hesitate. He pulled a small black pistol from his pocket, raised it steadily towards her, and without a single word, pulled the trigger.
The gunshot rang out like the sound of silence itself breaking.
It hit Yuko directly in the chest.She stopped for a moment, looked at him with wide eyes as if she couldn't believe it, then fell to the ground without a sound, without resistance, like a doll from which the last string had been pulled. Everything was still after that, except for the city lights reflecting on her body lying in the middle of the road.
Mouse didn't move. No trace of remorse or surprise showed on his face. He stood for a few moments, looking at her, then raised his gaze towards the artificial sky with its glittering fake stars. He whispered to himself:
"Who's next."...]
The night atmosphere was exactly as described in the old books; cold, vibrant, filled with the noise of life. Humans moved around him with wide smiles and relaxed faces, as if living their best days. Yet, not a single one of them was a real person.
Mouse walked among them coldly,his eyes following the blue arrows that appeared on the building facades, flashing as if leading him towards a predetermined fate. He felt no surprise, as if it was all expected.
He passed by a long street lined with cafes and shops. For a moment, he stopped when he spotted his family on the other side of the road. They were there, all of them, exactly as he remembered; his mother, his father, his little sister. They were laughing and walking hand in hand.
He didn't flinch.He didn't scream, didn't run to them. He just looked, with a faint gaze, then continued on his way without a word. This was not a vision of solace, but an open wound he realized wasn't real.
------
In the same city, Team 11 was scattered across its different parts, each member having woken up in a strange place.
Ryuji opened his eyes onto a wide street lit by an artificial moon,surrounded by towering glass skyscrapers. He said, looking around in astonishment:
–Am I in the Upper Dimension?
××××
He approached a resident and asked him confusedly,but the man just gave him a cold look and continued on his way as if nothing happened.
------
As for the old man Hiroshi, he saw nothing clearly. His eyes were dead, but his senses were sharper than ever. He felt the heat of the crowd, heard the sounds of people talking and laughing around him. In front of him, he sensed his students walking... his heart heard their voices, but his senses perceived that they were not what his heart believed them to be, as if they were created solely to deceive the old man or give him false hope.
In another corner of the city, inside a dark alley, Yuko stood motionless. Suddenly, she saw her mother a few meters away.
Her mother was standing at the end of the alley,smiling a faint smile, then turned and walked slowly towards the light.
Yuko tried to scream,to move, to reach out her hand, but her body was completely paralyzed by the game's rules. Her tears streamed down silently as she whispered:
–Mom... don't go...
But the mother didn't look back.
All of it was nothing but a trick.An elaborate trick by the game maker.
Even Mouse himself was initially a victim of it.Or perhaps not. But from the first glance at the sky, he realized the stars weren't stars, just a shaded ceiling lit by smart lamps. He understood that the entire city was merely a simulation... another test.
Mouse began walking towards the glowing arrows that appeared for him, just as they appeared for Ryuji, Shinji, and Hiroshi in different places. They were called the "Main Players," as the arrows were visible only to them. The rest of the team were on the opposite side of the city, inside narrow, dark alleys, knowing nothing except that any unauthorized movement meant death.
The four of them entered different shops, all gleaming with the same sign:
"Choose the weapon you want."
The shops were filled with old weapons:rifles, swords, daggers, and even sniper rifles. Everything there seemed too real.
Mousechose a small pistol and raised an eyebrow without comment.
Ryujichose a similar weapon.
Hiroshicarefully took a samurai sword.
As forShinji, he chose a huge machine gun without hesitation and with a wide grin.
Suddenly, the lights went out for a few moments, and then the Master appeared before them—or rather, his automated replica, but with the same old tone "His voice was too human for a machine, and too empty for a man".
He said in a cold,metallic voice:
[–Welcome to the game of pursuit.....]
Everyone fell silent, looking at him as the robot spoke identical words in different shops simultaneously.
The robot continued in a measured voice:
–The rules are simple.
1- For the half carrying weapons, a person from your team will appear and approach you. If they touch you, you win.
2- But beware… they might not be human, but merely a disguised automaton like me. And if the automaton touches you, you die instantly.
You can shoot them to avoid being touched,
3-but there is one risk… you might shoot your real teammate. So focus well, and let's see how strong your friendship is.
Silence filled the room.
The Master smiled and then said:
4- If all eight of you win, you get eighty points each. If seven win, seventy, and so on. To win, you must all gather together… or whoever remains of you.
Mouse showed no surprise. He looked at his pistol, twirled it in his fingers, aimed it at the automaton and fired a shot in its direction, then walked out of the shop with steady steps without asking anything.
On the other side of the city, the situation was different.
Kenji, Katsuro, Yuko, and Mikowere in a dark alley covered in thick steam. Their voices were muffled, their hearts beating fast. The instructions they received were clear: "Any movement means death."
ButKenji wasn't entirely convinced.
He began moving lightly in his spot,twisting, testing the boundaries. He didn't die. He smiled confidently and whispered:
–He meant the alley itself, not precise movement.
And suddenly, the Master's voice boomed in the sky, an echo coming from everywhere:
[ __The game is simple. Raise your right hands, and go touch your friends. Don't speak, don't lower your hands, don't make any sudden movements or even change your expression or you will die. Just touch… and you will win three points.]
Kenji laughed and said sarcastically:
–That's it?
The Master replied in an emotionless tone:
–Yes, but your opponents this time are: Mouse, Ryuji, Hiroshi, and Shinji.
Then he added in a sharper voice:
–The "Touch" game begins now… Go!
Suddenly, the entire city turned into a huge hunting ground.
The lights dimmed,the fog thickened, and the arrows began to disappear.
Ryuji looked around and said in a faint voice:
"I'm counting on you,friends."