Jacob knew they had already won long before it began, mainly because this was the final game, and the Queen of Spades knew it. He could see in her eyes the sheer need to play and nothing more.
She had been playing before she died.
Looking at the screen, Jacob showed no impression of what was happening, as everyone had made their choices in life.
The worlds he travels to already have a beginning, and the only thing that can change on certain occasions is the ending, but here he couldn't do anything since this was a game with a beginning and no end.
Jacob knew that somehow all games are surpassed, but he liked at least being able to have fit something from this world. He didn't know what changed, what decisions he made that altered this world. But deep in his heart, he knew something had changed.
The meaning of life is strange; everyone is born and dies for a purpose, but Jacob until recently had none. Returning to the world that was the first he entered and having a life with Katniss were his wishes, the motivation to move forward and think about what he wants.
Still, he knew he was selfish and a broken man from the start. But he changed, and now he accepts his mistakes and if he suffers in this world, he hopes that's his punishment. Will it be enough, or must he suffer more?
When he owns the orb, he hopes to keep it by his side for a long period of time before it seeks another master and begins another journey. But until then, he'll do the best he can without asking for anything in return.
"[The first round has ended!]"
"How many players did we lose in the first round?" Jacob asked with a bit more flexibility.
"We lost fifteen players, all of them are now on the other team," Arisu said with a cold expression.
"Very well, let those in motion take care of recovering the lost players, and if we can bring a player from the queen's team to ours, it will be a gain." Jacob watched as the next round began and players ran back and forth.
"[Round 9 will end in 2 minutes!]"
The games progressed as Jacob watched attentively the outcome of the rounds; for now, his main team stayed on the sidelines while other players did their best to maintain balance within the game.
So far, the balance had tipped in favor of the red team, but as long as they touch the Queen of Spades, the game would end in their favor.
"Alright, it's time to begin!" Jacob said as he saw that round fifteen had ended.
When Jacob said that, all his players within the blue team moved at full speed. In his calculations, by keeping the strongest, fastest, skilled in combat, and with their energy maximized, he could optimize the hunt at a speed five times faster than the Queen of Spades.
"Will you be okay?" Usagi asked as she approached Jacob.
"I'll be fine, focus on eliminating the majority of enemy players." Jacob reassured Usagi, instilling a confidence that should keep her at ease as she plays this final game.
"Take care and don't die!" Aguni looked at Jacob and he nodded in her direction.
"I hope you don't get tired; muscles sometimes work against you." Jacob smiled and then watched as everyone hurried down as the round was about to begin.
At this point, Jacob walked to the center of the highest platform and asked, "What are the odds of winning with my plan?"
"[Master, the chances of winning against the Queen of Spades' team are 98.55% according to the simulations I've conducted!]"
It all depended on the players who wanted to win this game, as the main problem with the Queen of Spades was that nobody would want to stay on her team. If played with that logic, once the best players from the blue team start playing, the chances of them winning are minimal.
"[The blue team is now the hunter!]"
"[Round fifteen is about to begin!]"
"[Start]"
Red team: 37 players
Blue team: 13 players.
Seconds passed, and those players who understood the plan allowed themselves to be defeated relatively easily, and then it was the moment when the blue team counterattacked.
"Are you so confident about winning?" At that moment, the voice of the Queen of Spades came from the other end where Jacob was.
"Actually, I've already won from the very beginning, and you know it." Jacob looked at the Queen of Spades; indeed, she was a beautiful woman.
"It's a shame, unlike the others, I would have liked to spend a bit more time with you," the Queen of Spades said with a smile.
"This is the final game, so you know from the very beginning that you've lost. Why keep playing?"
Upon hearing Jacob's question, the Queen of Spades said, "I play to not die just like you, but unlike all of you, my view on death is relatively different."
While they spoke, the numbers dwindled on the side of the Queen of Spades' team, and she clearly saw it.
Even her team, all of them were on the winning side, which was the red team, and in just two minutes, most of the players became part of the red team.
"How boring, I wish my game wasn't the last..." The Queen of Spades knew she had one round left, but she no longer felt the urge to continue playing.
"I can't quite grasp your purpose of winning, nor the reason you all fight to return to your original world, but in the end of all this, you will understand." She walked to the edge of the platform and looked at Jacob. "I really wish my game wasn't the last."
"Me too..." Jacob watched as the Queen of Spades leapt off the precipice, and moments later, a bolt of lightning pierced through her in a way that she died in midair.
"I won..."
"[... Generating missions to complete...
Main missions:
1: Survive the first phase of the games
Completed!
2: Defeat a King
Completed!
Secondary missions:
1: Participate in a game of each type
Not completed!
2: Find an ally
Completed!
3: Participate in numerous games:
Completed!
4: Survive to the end:
Completed...]"
"[Congratulations for completing the special tasks of the second world you traveled to. Remember that these missions are special to allow you to experience the world you visit!]"
"[Qualification of visited world...
World D: Alice in Borderland
Difficulty level: ☆☆☆☆
Class Ratings: S...]"
"[Traveling to the waiting world... Three... Two... One... Success!]"