===Benkei Furetchā===

The door slid open, and Ichida immediately charged at me. I yelped, sliding out of the way of his knife strike.

Ichida struck air, and I ran to the nearest capsule—fire—and jumped, climbing onto the top. He struck again, but metal clanged against metal as I pulled my feet out of the way.

"You two! Hurry!" I yelled. Judumai climbed onto the height capsule, grunting as he pulled himself up. Rafferty followed after him, clamoring to the top, but Ichida had already caught up. Rafferty dropped himself to dodge the attack, sliding out of the way, and ducking to the back of the capsules. He grabbed a plank and a spare crate, using the crate as leverage to jump onto the capsule, then pushing the crate out of the way with the plank.

"Acid wheel cleared. Two wheels remaining, the odds will now update."

The top of the capsules were a flat conic shape, with a large pipe in the center leading into the ceiling. I looked up at the pipe, following it to the ceiling, and the vents that it led to. Active effort had to be made to not slide down the sides, so I held onto the pipe.

Ichida tried to climb onto my capsule, but I swiftly kicked his hand away. It was impossible for him to climb up with someone at the top to prevent his ascension.

His breathing was heavy at this point, but he continued, coming to the same revelation. Led onto a new idea by Rafferty, he now turned towards the back, unearthing the piles of rubble.

He got a few rocks, and hurled them at us. The pipe was thick enough to hide most of my body, though I had to shift my weight to dodge the stones.

'Damn. How are we going to disarm him? We don't have any other choice but to get him into the capsule. Solving violence with violence...'

I shuddered, the prospect of having somebody else's blood on my hands haunting my head.

"Ichida, let's just try to work something out!" I yelled, trying to reason with him. "We still have over thirty minutes left, and Rafferty thinks there's a solution to this game!"

Ichida shook his head. "How do I know you guys aren't plotting against me? It's clear the three of you have some sort of connection."

"Distrust, betrayal, that's exactly wh-what games like these are trying to fuel." Rafferty said, peeking from behind the pipe.

"Oh really?" Ichida turned to me, and I flinched. "Benkei, you trust Rafferty, correct?"

"Um..." I turned to Rafferty, then to Ichida. Then to Judumai, who still clutched his chest. "I... Don't know. I don't know anymore. his is only my first day here, and I just want to leave!"

"You're clearly threatened by me, though, correct?"

I nodded.

"Well, just two capsules remain. If you join me, it'll be two against two; we can get Rafferty and Judumai into the capsules."

I immediately shook my head. "I'm sorry. I can't do that."

"Do y-you really think I'd betray you? I swear there is nothing I'm h-hiding, if you want to clear Heart games you h-have to work together. I know that firsthand."

"Bah." Ichida spat, giving a dismissive wave of his hand. "That's what they all say. That's exactly what a character like you said in a previous Hearts game, before stabbing me in the back. Literally."

My gaze switched between the two parties—Rafferty and Judumai, and Ichida. Tori's voice rang out in my head.

"The weakest party in a three-way stalemate is actually the strongest, Benkei. They know they're the weakest, and won't win alone. The loyalty they pledge will determine which of the two stronger parties will eventually emerge victorious. Essentially, both parties will be at your mercy."

"I trust you guys..." I said, turning to Rafferty and Judumai. "But, I'm not sure. I trust you more than Ichida, but I don't know if either of you guys are being transparent."

"Trust them more than me? Do they even remember your name? They haven't called you by your name once Ichida shouted. 

"It's... Benkei. But that doesn't mean anything." I said, turning towards him. "You're just trying to manipulate me."

"Benkei, we won't force you to do anything, we're just saying to try to work with us." Judumai said.

"Yes!" I shouted, throwing out my arms. "The last thing I want right now is more violence, but I don't know who to trust! I don't trust Ichida one bit, but I don't know how much I can trust you guys either! Even then, I don't want to help you guys kill Ichida. As much as it was unforgivable for him to kill Miyara, I don't want another person's blood on my hands."

Rafferty raised his eyebrows. "Wh-Who said w-we wanted to kill Ichida? True, it may be a necessary l-last resort, but trust me wh-when I say I h-hate violence just as m-much as you do." He turned to Ichida. "All I w-want is your cooperation wh-while we look for a solution to this game."

"Sorry, I can't trust you."

Judumai screwed his face. "You're the one who murdered someone in cold blood, and we're the ones who're trying to get you to work with us cooperatively, yet you are the one that doesn't trust us?"

Rafferty shifted, surprised, as if Judumai didn't often release such snide remarks.

"Um..." I quietly began. "There is one thing though... " I toyed with strands of hair. "Rafferty said that the ideal solution was that everyone would go into one capsule, and leave one person not having to go into a capsule. Well..."

Rafferty's eyes flashed, and a smile crept onto Ichida's face. "Actually, yes. Me and Rafferty have both been in a capsule. And now, there's two capsules left. One for you, one for Judumai. With that, there's no more reasons to fight, right? Rafferty said it himself, this is a game of equity–of reciprocity. One person makes one sacrifice each."

My face paled, but I nodded. "This is the only way I can think of to clear this game peacefully at this point."

"Thirty minutes remaining."

"At least we still have some time." Judumai said. "I guess Ichida had a point—it would be hypocritical of us now to not follow our own theorized ideal solution."

"N-Not a solution yet." Rafferty said. "The r-real solution is wh-what I consider wh-when no one has to die. Ichida, if you promise to simply not b-be violent, I promise w-we'll fulfill the c-compromise I proposed at the start of the game."

"Well, isn't the no death solution obvious?" Judumai questioned. "Just get lucky with all your spins? To a point no one has to die?"

Rafferty shook his head. "Certainly a possibility. H-However, surely, there's got to be m-more to this game than blind l-luck and convincing?"

Ichida fiddled with the knife in his hand, then sighed and stashed it into his back pocket. "Okay. Don't make me regret this decision."

Rafferty eyed the ground with apprehension, but jumped down. I kept an eye on Ichida while jumping down next. Judumai was the last person off.

I turned towards the wheels to see the updated odds. It was just as Rafferty had predicted: there was a 75% chance of death now—fifteen red.

"Rafferty, you said you cleared a Nine of Hearts before, correct?" Judumai asked, looking away from the wheels. "What was it like? Can you give us any tips?"

Rafferty furrowed his eyebrows, thinking momentarily. "Yes. It w-was a bit like Russian Roulette, but not exactly. In a w-way, it w-was actually q-quite similar to this g-game. The solution lied in an o-obvious detail we had a-all overlooked. Look around the r-room, everyone, and think back to the r-rules. See if you can connect it to any e-exploits."

I nodded, taking his advice. However, the room was just... Bare. Nothing but ruinous rubble, creeping vegetation, and the capsules themselves. I studied the capsules. While I did that, Rafferty was at the back. Through the gaps between the capsules, I saw him ruffling through some scattered papers on the floor.

Nothing about them seemed different. They still had their screws, painted lines, and aluminum-gray rimmed glass door, with a solid white wall behind the wheel.

"Have we tried breaking the glass?" Judumai questioned.

Ichida turned towards him, and shook his head. "Worth a shot." He picked up a rock, and hurled it at the glass. It didn't crack. Rafferty had picked up a loose pipe from the back and bashed it against the glass—still no results were produced.

I sighed. "Well, we tried.." I continued looking around, and decided to venture towards the back. Sifting through the rubble, I lifted a stone pillar.

"What... Is that?" Judumai said, emerging behind me.

I squinted, pulling out a huge slab of metal. My hand brushed against something soft yet firm—leather. "It's... A car door?"

"Huh." Judumai said. "That's strange." He examined it closer. "And it's one of those old doors too, the one with the crank window."

"What a strange thing to be in a science lab." I turned to Rafferty. "Find anything?"

Rafferty shook his head. "N-No. Just an empty f-fire extinguisher and—w-wait! Everyone, c-come here."

We all rushed over; it was a locked cabinet. "Ichida, you try to get this open." Ichida stepped forward, and Rafferty and Judumai shuffled back.

He grasped the handle, but the door instantly clicked open. The inside was empty. "How could you... Not open that?"

Rafferty shrugged.

"Fifteen minutes remaining."

I cursed under my breath, turning toward the timer. How had so much time passed so fast?

Rafferty turned to me, sighing. "I'm sorry, B-Benkei, but it seems there's n-no other option. I'd be w-willing to go into a-another one..."

"Rafferty, no." Judumai said, a fringe of finality in his voice. "You sacrifice yourself and your safety too much. And plus, you've already risked your life once."

Rafferty shrugged. "Wh-What other ch-choice is there?"

"We keep looking." Ichida muttered. "But once we hit the three minute mark, no more waiting. We can't risk you guys taking too long to spin or having to wait through the intermissions between each spin."

My heart was racing; I ran back to the rubble, uncovering any potential ideas.

"It's not j-just about looking for a potential c-clue," Rafferty pointed out. "It can also be about analyzing the rules f-for loopholes."

I rested my hands against the wall, the adrenaline having dampened the ache of my leg. I cast a quick glance towards it; the wound had likely started scabbing.

"What is there to analyze?" I asked, shrugging my shoulders. "The rules are just... rules!"

I leaned against the wall, looking at the piles of debris. The time kept dripping down, and soon the five minute reminder rang out.

"You guys have to get going." Ichida said, pointing at me and Judumai. "Fire and water, which'll take some time to kill you, if it lands on red. We need to get started now. Who's it going to be first?"

Judumai and I made eye contact. None of us said anything.

===Rafferty Bucke===

"If you guys don't make a choice I'll choose for you." Ichida said, walking towards the two of them.

He grabbed Judumai's collar. "Why don't you go first? Any objections?"

"Okay! Okay! I'm going now." He walked towards the water capsule, his breathing heavy. Me and Ichida tailed him. He pressed the button, and took a final deep breath, taking a glance at me. I nodded at him.

He snatched Ichida's hand, and the older man gasped. He stumbled forward, and I shoved him, his body making impact against the back wall.

"I KNEW IT!" He lunged at us, but the glass wall closed before he could strike.

"It didn't h-have to be this w-way." I said, as the timer started ticking down. "You struck first. You killed Miyara, in a-absolute cold blood. You took every opportunity t-to backstab us. This is simply an eye f-for an eye."

Ichida pounded on the glass a few more times, but gave in. "Damn it!" He yelled, bracing his hand against the wheel. "I swear to god. This time..." He got out his knife. "I will attack and push the first fucker I come into contact with."

He pushed the wheel with no hesitation. It spun, cycling through the colors.

This time, death was not so merciful.

There must've been some pipe or drain in the capsule's ceiling, as water soon started streaming from the top, at first a trickle, then gradually expanding into blasts of water.

Ichida pounded on the glass once again. The scorching hatred in his eyes was now replaced with a haze of fear. The fear I've seen before—the fear in someone's eyes when they know they're about to die.

"HELP! DON'T JUST STAND THERE!" He hollered, pounding on the glass. His fists turned purple as he continued beating the glass. The water was up to his chest at this point.

Soon, he could no longer stand on the floor. He swam to the top, and his pounding grew weaker. He was panting, and his hair was slick.

"I've seen your type." He gasped, his legs kicking furiously against the water. "You think yourselves morally superior. You hold yourself and everyone around you to your own moral code. How arrogant is it to think your own set of morals is objectively correct?

"And then, to anyone who defies your own morals, you'll kill them. And you think yourselves justified."

Ichida held on to a small ledge at the top of the capsule, and turned his head to face up. The water was at his chin even at that height, and Judumai averted his gaze.

"Look at me, you bastard." He spat at Judumai. "If you have the courage to kill me, you can have the courage to watch me die."

We remained silent. The water enclosed Ichida's head, and he gave one final punch against the glass. But the water slowed all momentum, and the sluggish punch was reduced to a mere tap. His struggling gave in, and he opened his mouth, as a chorus of white bubbles escaped his mouth, floating to the top. His body sank.

Benkei looked at us. "How...?"

Judumai pulled a piece of dirty paper from his pocket, which was scratched with writing, and Benkei let out a quiet 'oh' as his eyes flashed with a sense of realization.

"The c-cabinet was never locked. Didn't you see me sifting th-through some of the dirty papers? And I h-had let everyone know I had a pen. I w-wrote the plan into the paper, and th-then passed it to Judumai when you and I-Ichida were preoccupied with the cabinet."

"Water wheel cleared. One wheel remaining, the odds will now update."

The lights in the last wheel flicked off, then back on. Nineteen red, and one green—falling perfectly in line with my predictions.

Benkei looked at the clock. "Three minutes left." He ruffled his clothing, and his breathing became intense. "Wha—what do we do now? All that's left is the fire one; it's the most excruciating capsule and death is basically guaranteed!"

Judumai shook his head. "We... we should've allocated our odds better. Spent all the most painful capsules when the odds of survival are the highest. But now, the spin with the highest odds of death is left for the capsule with the most painful death. How did we oversee this?"

I solemnly looked at both of them. "So? Who's it going to be?"

Benkei's eyes shifted toward his feet. "Let's just... Do Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide. No best of three bullshit, just one round—whoever wins first."

Judumai nodded. He walked up to Benkei, and held out his held.

"Okay.." Benkei said, his voice slight. "Rock, paper, scissors...

"Shoot."

They both threw out their hands. Judumai played rock. Benkei played scissors.

He shuddered. "Okay. Here I go."

"You s-sound quite calm, just like—" I paused, scratching the site of my piercing. "Th-The first guy."

"I'm just sick of this game. The past few hours have been hell. Maybe this is all a dream, and this is when I'll wake up."

He pressed the button, and stepped into the capsule.

"One minute remaining."

Something didn't add up. I racked my head once more, reiterating the rules and compounding everything we had seen. The empty cabinet, the scattered papers, the door with the crank window...

'Wait.'

I gasped. Benkei paused, staring back as the glass door slid shut. "What?" He asked. Judumai leaned in, expecting a revelation.

"The car door." Was all I said.

"Huh?" Benkei said.

"The c-car door belonged to an old car—it still had a crank w-window."

Judumai gasped. "Oh my god, Rafferty! You're a genius!"

Benkei raised his eyebrows. "Um... I don't quite follow..."

"Benkei. You s-spin the wh-wheel, but don't let go."

"That's..." he let out a short, quiet laugh. "That's still spinning. That's why the door was there, as a hint..."

"Thirty seconds remaining."

Benkei gripped the wheel, and rotated it without letting go. Once the arrow was pointed to green, he stopped. The door opened.

"Fire wheel cleared. All wheels have been cleared. It's Game Clear to all surviving players. They may now leave the room."

With a creak, the doors opened. We ran out, and were only a few steps out when they shut again, and an explosion sounded from within.

Red light drowned the hallway as the foundation of the building shook, causing small fragments of the ceiling and dust to rain down.

The light of post-sunset Tokyo filtered into the hallway, the darkness of the lab making even the light of night look as bright as the sun in contrast.

Outside, the Game Clear register was placed beside the sidewalk. And next to it, a woman with dark brown, blue streaked hair wearing a denim jean jacket. In her hand was a Two of Diamonds playing card.

"Benkei?" Her eyes widened.

He gasped. "Tori!" Benkei charged down the steps, sorting it to Tori at full speed, and hugging her in a tight embrace. The impact lifted Tori slightly and Benkei spun her around for a second, before yelping at the sudden pressure on his ankle and falling, dropping them both into a puddle. Tori laughed, dusting off her jacket.

"You're alive!" Benkei stammered, brushing his hair out of his face.

Tori nodded. "Mine was a Two of Diamonds, a game of intelligence. It wasn't that bad, only one person died." She looked back, her curious gaze boring into my own.

"I cleared a Three of Hearts." He replied.

"Hearts?" She questioned, her face twisting slightly in shock. "A game of betrayal and psychology? On your first day? And you survived?"

He nodded, and chuckled nervously.

I grabbed two of the cards from the register, and handed one to Benkei.

"Here's y-your card." I said, smiling.

"Thank you." He took a deep breath. "Tori, this is Rafferty and Judumai. They're the reason I'm still alive. Rafferty, Judumai, this is my good friend Tori. They go by she/they."

Judumai nodded his head, and smiled. "Nice to meet you, Tori."

"Nice to meet you guys too." She said warmly. Her face grew serious, and she turned to Benkei once more. "Benkei, what do you know about this place? And I've heard Hearts are very deadly, how was your game."

Benkei stuttered for a bit, and I took over. "I assume this i-is both your first day h-here, correct?"

They both nodded.

I sighed. "W-Well, there's a lot of d-details about this place..."

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