The quiet peace they had found in the teachers' lounge was short-lived. The night passed in silence, but none of them truly rested. There was always an undercurrent of fear that kept everyone on edge. Yuuto leaned against the barricaded door, eyes heavy but alert, still thinking about everything that had happened.
His childhood hero, Christian Heartfelt, had come and gone, saving them but leaving behind no promises of survival. The system, the rules, and the monsters were still beyond his understanding, and he knew their fight was far from over.
As dawn broke, a familiar chime echoed through the room, snapping everyone awake.
DING.
A voice, emotionless and cold, filled the room once again. The same voice that had announced their arrival into this twisted world, the same voice that had begun the nightmare.
"First game: Survival. Complete."
The group exchanged uneasy glances. None of them felt victorious. They had survived, but at what cost? They had lost so many classmates, been hunted by unrelenting monsters, and faced death at every corner. This didn't feel like a game. It felt like they were pawns in something far more sinister.
Yuuto stood, gripping his Phantom Edge tightly as he listened.
"Second game: Betrayal. Commence."
"Betrayal?" Aya whispered, her face pale as she hugged her knees close to her chest. "What does that mean?"
"Nothing good," Naoki muttered, standing and pacing in frustration. "They're playing with us. Making us turn on each other now."
The room grew tense as the implications of the new game sank in. If the system wanted betrayal, it meant that trust—already fragile—would become even more scarce. Suspicion, fear, and paranoia would tear them apart.
A new notification appeared in Yuuto's vision, blinking ominously in the corner of his eyes. His stomach dropped as he read it.
"Game 2 Objective: Eliminate one player to advance. Failure will result in elimination."
"Eliminate one player…?" Yuuto murmured, barely able to believe the words.
Akari read her own notification, her face draining of color. "Does this mean… we have to…?"
"We have to kill someone," Kazuki finished coldly, his voice barely above a whisper. "That's what it means."
The tension in the room grew unbearable. Everyone exchanged glances, unsure of whom to trust. Who would strike first? Who was willing to betray them to save themselves?
"There's no way we're doing this," Yuuto said firmly, standing in front of the group. His voice was louder than usual, almost commanding. "We've been through too much together. This is just another one of their twisted games. We can find a way out without killing anyone."
Aya nodded in agreement, her eyes wide with fear but hopeful. "We don't have to play by their rules. We can outsmart them, like we've been doing."
Kazuki, however, was less convinced. His hands were clenched into tight fists, his knuckles white. "What if there's no other way? They'll kill us if we don't follow the rules."
"You're seriously thinking about this?" Akari asked, her voice filled with disbelief. "We can't turn on each other now."
"It's not about what I want," Kazuki snapped, his frustration boiling over. "It's about survival! If they're telling us to eliminate someone, it means they're going to force our hand eventually. What if one of us dies regardless?"
"We can't start thinking like that," Yuuto countered. "If we do, they've already won."
Naoki stood up, rubbing his temples in frustration. "Look, we need a plan. If this is another sick game, then we have to play smarter, not harder."
Yuuto sighed, knowing Naoki was right. They had to think carefully. But no matter what, he wouldn't let the system force him into killing one of his friends. Not after everything they had been through.
Suddenly, a cold draft swept through the room, and the lights flickered. The barricaded door creaked ominously, and the group stiffened. Something was coming. Or someone.
A loud bang reverberated through the room as the door shook violently.
BANG!
"Yuuto!" Aya cried out, rushing to his side.
The door banged again, the force growing stronger each time. Whatever was outside wasn't going to wait for them to make a decision.
"It's happening," Kazuki said, his voice tense. "The second game has started."
Yuuto gritted his teeth, moving to the center of the room. "We're not going down without a fight."
With one final bang, the door burst open, splintering the barricade. In the doorway stood a figure cloaked in shadow, its presence sending chills through the room.
The figure stepped forward, revealing an unsettling grin. Its eyes were unnaturally bright, filled with malice. This was no human—it was something born from the system's twisted games, a puppet meant to push them toward betrayal.
"Only one of you can survive this game," the figure hissed, its voice dripping with cruelty. "The rules are simple: kill or be killed. Let's see who will betray first."
Yuuto stepped forward, brandishing his Phantom Edge, the spectral energy surging to life. "We're not playing your game."
The figure laughed, a cold and hollow sound that echoed in the room. "Oh, you'll play. You'll see. When the stakes are life and death, everyone plays."
The group backed up, forming a loose circle as they stared down the figure. The tension was palpable—everyone was on edge, not just because of the figure but because of the new, cruel rule hanging over their heads.
"We have to stick together," Akari said, her voice barely above a whisper. "No matter what happens, we can't turn on each other."
"Agreed," Yuuto said firmly, but even as he spoke, doubt gnawed at the back of his mind. The system wanted them to break. And if the first game was any indication, they wouldn't make it easy to resist.
The figure took another step forward, its grin widening. "Let the game of betrayal begin."