"So I accepted. And then... Was when I met him. Nothing inside of me felt very transformative, yet I could tell he made something snap within me. He didn't have to tell me anything; he simply held out his hand. I put my hand on his, and at that moment, I understood."

Time left: 1 hour and 45 min.
Player: 10,000
Citizen: 10,000

===Chihaya Korinsu===

He belted out a shrieking laugh, and I covered my ears, flinching. 'What the hell is wrong with that man?'

After he settled down, he rustled his bug of gummies, his voice loud, to filter out the crinkling of the plastic. "Tell me, Chihaya. Why do you still cling onto so much grief for her death? She was an enemy to you, just like I am to you now, isn't that clear?"

"No, we were never enemies." I said, as Hideo continued digging through the bag, the crinkle filling the air. "We were never on opposite sides, just placed into the same unfortunate circumstance."

"You're too oblivious to overlook that she was actively trying to murder you. If she wasn't forced into giving the necklace up, then she would still be alive and you would be dead... You understand?"

"Actively trying to kill me? Really now?"

"Well, not you in specific. You aren't the main character."

"Well no shit. I never tried to be the main character and I never will be."

"You were nothing to Erina. Don't kid yourself with feeling grief, or assuming some leader role." He ate another gummy, then shook the bag. "You seem sad. Would you like a gummy?"

Without waiting for a response, Hideo walked forward, still digging through the bag, leaving his Base unattended, but still close enough so that I had no chance of charging in. When he had walked about a third of the way between us, he tossed the bag, and it landed at my feet.

"What the hell?" I asked, bending down and picking up the bag of candy. Something felt off.

I gasped, as the sound of a footstep came from behind me. I turned around, but was already bent over, and tumbled to the ground. It was Rose, N, and Hanna, each linked together, with N at the lead, leaping forward and snatching my ankle.

It all made sense now, why Hideo drew me in, kept rustling the bag, then made me pause right as I entered back into the labyrinth. It was to put me right where the three of them would have to walk the least to Battle me, and the noise ensured I wouldn't hear them approaching.

"Battle!" The bracelets rang.

Player - 3,300 VS 3,750 - Citizen
-500 ↓ +500
Player - 2,800 • 4,250 - Citizen

"There has been an exchange of points between teams."

Player - 9,500 • 10,500 - Citizen
-500 ↑ +500

"Chihaya had 3,300 points!" Rose shouted. Hideo laughed.

"What the hell is so funny?" I asked, as my bracelet's screen turned off, with a message prompting that it was deactivated.

"Look inside the bag." Hideo said, grinning. I did, and inside was a slip of paper. I unfolded it, and on the sheet were five numbers.

100 - 100 - 3,200 - 3,300 - 3,300

"You lot are too predictable." Hideo said. "Wrote this down the second I saw you coming in. Always the safe route. With this confirmation, I can head out now. One of you watch the Base." Hideo stretched his legs, cracking his neck, before sprinting off.

"Damn it!" I cursed, running back into the labyrinth. I rolled up the bag of gummies, shoving it into my pockets.'3,750 points between the three of them? What could... Wait.' Gasping, I stopped mid-sprint, counting on my fingers, whispering to myself. 3,750 divided by three was 1,250. So it's a possibility that all three of them had 1,250, which would leave 6,250 between Karamu and Hideo. But, if another 1,250 was taken out, it'd leave 5,000. That configuration would be:

1,250 - 1,250 - 1,250 -1,250 - 5,000

But would they leave that many points for the goalkeeper? It's more than possible; but in that case, does Karamu or Hideo have the 5,000 points? Someone would need to battle one of them to find out. I sighed, picking up my sprint again. We would need to strategize again back at the base.

===Ashikaga Koyami===

Another locked container, a pull wasted in vain. I grunted, pulling on the next crate, which remained stationary.

'The citizen team is in the lead... But it's okay. The first battle is no say on the outcome of the entire war. We just need to keep–'

The door opened. I gasped, covering my mouth, before it gave into a short laugh. Without hesitation, I threw the door open, taking a step inside. But from the shadows, near a mounted tablet at its end, emerged Hideo.

I cursed, closing the distance, but Hideo was already right next to the Item. He clicked the button, and the screen flashed, throwing confetti, before displaying a '+500'.

"There has been a change in the citizen team's points."

Player - 9,500 • 11,000 - Citizen
↑ +500

"Alright, old man, you win." I said, turning around. But before I could exit, a short figure dropped into the exit, extending their arms to each door frame, before closing in.

I yelped, rolling out of the way, but they covered the exit, and snatched my arm. The light illuminated their face, and I was finally able to process the ambush; it was Karamu. "Battle!"

Player - 3,300 VS 500 - Citizen
-500 ↓ +500
Player - 2,800 • 5,500 - Citizen

"There has been an exchange of points between teams."

Player - 9,000 • 11,500 - Citizen
-500 ↑ +500

"Sorry Ashikaga, just playing the game." Karamu said.

"Ugh, you damn–" I squeezed my lips together, suppressing my words, throwing my arms in frustration.

"Insulting a child, are we?" Hideo asked, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Stooping that low?"

"Shut the fuck up, Hideo. You look like an Easter Island statue, and are two hairs away from having a unibrow." With that, I stormed out of the shipping container, heading back towards the base.

'5,000 points? Karamu must be their tank. If their defense has 100 points, then that's 4,900 points left for their three rogues... Just what kind of division do they have?'

A memory flashed, one of Haga programming a crude Pac-Man on a computer he had managed to fix. There was a week-long tournament surrounding the game to see who could get the highest score; people jumped towards any source of distraction from the Borderlands. N won despite her missing hand, it was the one time I witnessed her smiling. She got a massive stuffed panda we had scavenged from a mall.

I shook my head, sighing and pushing the memory out of the way. We were enemies. But still, despite our opposite ends, they were still children, were they not? How much hate could they hold, how much suffering could they cause, despite their position, taking their age into count?

Despite being a citizen, was Karamu still the timid, kindhearted football player? Despite being a citizen, was Rose still a free-spirited acrobat? Despite being a citizen, was Hanna still the diplomatic chess player? Despite being a citizen, was N still a quiet, gentle observer? Again, I squeezed my eyes shut, groaning in frustration and shutting the thoughts all out of my mind. We needed to do this.

Our Base came into view, and everyone else had already gathered back. I leaped over Hideo's regal king costume which still remained sprawled on the floor, making my way to the Base.

"What happened?" Benkei asked, sitting against the Base.

"They tricked me." Chihaya said. "Hideo started this long-winded conversation about... Those who've died, drawing me into lowering my guard. And he kept digging through his bag of gummies, the rustling drowning out the sound of the sneaking footsteps. Rose, Hanna, and N all snuck up behind me, and they won."

"What did their points look like?" Aulia asked.

"They had 4,750 combined." He said. "That leads me to believe they each have 1,250."

"Karamu had 5,000." I said. "I found an Item inside a container, but Hideo had already found the room. He had been hiding inside. Once I stepped in, he claimed the Item, and Karamu jumped down from the container, blocking my exit."

"Wait, Karamu had 5,000?" Chihaya asked. "That means... I think that confirms what their configuration is!"

1,250 - 1,250 - 1,250 -1,250 - 5,000

"I was thinking that too!" Ashikaga said.

"But why would they waste so many points when one of them only needs 100 points to guard the Base?" Judumai asked.

"Adaptability, I'd have to guess." Aulia said. "For us, Benkei and I are permanently out of commission for the whole game, but for them, they can switch and trade roles at any time."

"So Karamu having 5,000 makes me feel certain that this is their division." Chihaya said. "So, if I take my Battle into consideration, then their current points look like..."

Hideo: 1,750
Karamu: 5,500

"So..." I said. "Hideo is their leader, Karamu is their tank, and the rest of them are the rogues."

"You know, when we look at it like that, their Battle strength really isn't that great." Judumai insinuated. "The game is still long from over. Just because we had a poor start doesn't mean we can't make a recovery. It's still anyone's game and–"

A loud clap of thunder interrupted him.

"Huh. More of that thundering." Chihaya mumbled. "But anyways, Judumai's right; this game is just starting, and they lack battle strength. Either they all run around looking for Items, completely exposed to battles, or they have to travel as a trio to avoid losing Battles. Now that Ashikaga and I only have 2,800, they only need to form a pair to beat us in Battle, but they'd still need to look out for Judumai."

"But there's something more." Benkei said, as me and Chihaya touched the Base, resetting our bracelets. "It's ironic for a team like us, but this is a Clubs game, and we should be working together. I think we've spread ourselves too thin, which has opened ourselves to too many surprise attacks."

"If Ashikaga and Chihaya travel together, they can beat any of the rogues, as Ashikaga calls them," Aulia said, "regardless if they're alone, in a pair, or in a trio. Judumai can beat a single or pair, and can outrun a trio. He'll be fine alone."

We exchanged a glance, and nodded, latching hands. "Well, we'll be off, then." Chihaya said.

"Same." Judumai said.

"Good luck, to all of you." Benkei said.

"Stay safe." Aulia said.

We bid each other good luck, and ran off, me and Chihaya linked up by our hands. We ran down the networks of shipping containers, and in my head, I tracked our position. "The good thing is that the longer the game goes on, the more areas we can eliminate that don't have Items." I said. "After we potentially gain some points and do another sweep of our general area, we can report back to Judumai and combine what we know."

"Sounds like a good plan." Chihaya nodded, as we began searching through the shipping containers.

"Do you think the constant thundering has something to do with the King of Spades?" I asked. "Maybe one of his decrees is for lightning to strike a certain spot."

"I don't know." He said, as we attempted another crate. "When we hunted him down in that group, he never used a decree like that."

"It's so eerie, I can't help but feel like there's something off about that lightning." I murmured.

"There has been a change in the player team's points."

"Hell yeah!" I said, pumping my fist. "That must be Judumai!"

Judumai: 3,200 → 4,200

Player - 10,000 • 11,500 - Citizen
+1,000 ↑

"We're closer now! We're making a comeback!" Chihaya shouted. We gave each other a high-five, turning into another corner. Down the alleyway was a short figure.

It was Karamu. Me and Chihaya met eyes, as our hands traveled downwards, locking together. Our bracelets let out a short ring, as our points combined.

"Hello there." He greeted, waving his hand. His other hand, the one with the bracelet, remained in his pocket.

"Good to see you too, Karamu." Chihaya said.

"We beat him." I whispered. "It's 5,600 versus 5,500. Should we close in?"

Chihaya hesitated, before tilting his head, surveying the area. "Let's clear the area first. Make sure there's no surprises."

There was no one around—that we knew of, anyways. I led him aside, farther from the top of the crates to our left.

Karamu walked up to us, closing the distance, but still remaining much out of reach. "So, have you encountered my teammates yet?"

"I don't know, have we?" Chihaya asked.

"Kudos on closing the gap." Karamu said, a weak smile forming.

"We should act fast." I whispered, tilting my head away from Karamu. "Battle or no Battle?"

"Are we sure he's touched his Base?"

I gasped. "That's what I was forgetting. But wait—we can't just use that as justification for not battling! It's a constant possibility for both sides throughout the whole game, and he could be wondering the same about us regardless."

Chihaya sighed, pulling out the bag of gummies from his pockets. "Kid, want a gummy? I don't know—that's what Hideo's been offering us this whole time. I don't enjoy these very much either way."

He shook his head. "No thanks. It was Hideo's gift to you."

"Can I have the bag?" I asked. Chihaya handed it to me, and as I opened it with my hands, he moved his hand to my shoulder.

"Karamu, are you sure your Base is still defended?" Chihaya asked, smirking.

"It is defended." He said, his expression firm. "I trust them with my life."

"Can I ask you another question?" I asked.

"Sure."

"Okay... Catch!" I sprinted forward, throwing my arm back, before launching the bag at his face. He gasped, pulling his hands to his face, blocking the impact.

And, at that moment, his bracelet was exposed. It was blank, no inactivity symbol on it. I gasped, stepping back and yanking Chihaya forward by his collar before he could react.

He stumbled, yelping, as his body was dragged along while I leaned forward. Karamu ducked aside, but I propelled myself forward, extending my arm and clasping his shoulder as I fell. He was slammed backwards into the ground, as me and Chihaya face planted.

"Battle!" Our bracelets rang.

Player - 5,600 VS 5,500 - Citizen
+500 ↓ -500
Player - 6,100 • 5,000 - Citizen
(Ashikaga: 3,050 | Chihaya: 3,050)

"Yes!" I screamed, pumping my fists while getting up. Chihaya laughed, giving me a high five.

"There has been an exchange of points between teams."

Player - 10,500 • 11,000 - Citizen
+500 ↑ -500

"We're almost tied now!" Chihaya cheered, pulling me into a hug. "We have a shot!"

"There has been an exchange of points between teams."

And, like that, we were silenced as both our gazes averted to the scoreboards in the distance. This could only be Judumai.

Player - 10,000 • 11,500 - Citizen
-500 ↑ +500

Karamu sighed. "Well, it seems you've lost the closing gap." He said. "That's unfortunate. I'm sorry."

I sighed, shaking my head. "No, it's only 1,500 points." I muttered. "We can still recover."

"If he lost, then it must've been all three of them!" Chihaya said, turning to Karamu. "Because 4,250 is higher than 4,200, isn't it?"

"So... You've figured out our point distribution. Good job." He said, eyes pointing towards the ground. "Well, you guys should probably go back to reset your bracelets now." He hesitated, tilting his head up, before turning around and climbing onto the shipping containers, his hands gliding across the surface in a smooth elevation upwards.

"Damn... Forgot that kid was a parkourist." I murmured.

"Let's just head back to our Base." He said, turning around. "We can talk to Judumai about it when he gets back too."

"But something feels off." I said, following him and picking up into a sprint. "How did Judumai get into a Battle with three of them? He's no athlete, but I know for a fact that three kids linked together couldn't possibly catch up to him."

"Maybe they ambushed him."

"But when the three of them are linked together, how could they be agile enough to ambush him?" I asked.

"I wouldn't put it past them." He said. "These children have the advantage of underestimation, but it's clear their creativity and strategy are beyond strong."

We reached the clearing surrounding the Base, and the two guards perked up. We stepped over Hideo's old king costume, as I dusted off my hands, resetting myself at the Base, as did Chihaya.

"For a second, we were tied..." Aulia said. "But we're behind again now."

"Only by 1,500!" Benkei said. "That's only two Battles! This is still very much anyone's game, there's literally ninety minutes left."

"Where's Judumai?" Chihaya asked. "He should be back by now."

Aulia shrugged. "Maybe he's in the middle of something. Maybe he's spying on them? Or is caught in a conversation with them following their Battle."

"Also, it's likely Judumai is further in the venue," Benkei said, "since he can cover more distance as a solo-runner."

"That's true." Chihaya nodded. "But I still would like to try to find him and find out how they managed to Battle him. It must've been through some ambush, because how could three people linked together catch up to one person running?"

Benkei nodded. "Good luck, then. We'll be... Just guarding here. As we have been."

Aulia chuckled, as we waved farewell. Me and Ashikaga's hands joined again, running into the path Judumai took.

"I don't think we have to look through these containers." He said. "Judumai likely already went through these."

I nodded. "You know, I think so far, we make a pretty good team."

"I didn't really know you prior to the King of Spades, and thought you were just some ditzy gamer girl. Turns out you're surprisingly reliable."

"Thanks." I said, keeping my sights forward. "You seem to have an archivist's mind. Where have we been and can eliminate from having Items? I've searched the area immediately to our Base pretty well."

"I've searched one of the western paths to their Base, and some of the areas around there. Most of their territory is uncharted."

We made another left turn. "Wait." I said. "I think we're going in circles. This is the path I took to get tp the 500 Item container, the place I got–"

The container door opened, and four people emerged. Everyone except Karamu.

"Hello, players." N said, waving her hook hand.

"Shoot, we should probably run." I said, gripping Chihaya's shoulders. "How many points are they each at?"

Chihaya pulled out his fingers, calculating under his breath.

Hideo: 1,750
Karamu: 5,000
Rose: 1,583
Hanna: 1,583
N: 1,583

"Carry the three... Yeah that sounds right." Chihaya whispered. "But if this Item has been claimed, why are they..."

Hideo smiled. "Good to see you again."

"Don't you want to come get your friend?" Hanna asked, playing with the door, opening and closing it again while leaning against it.

"...They've got him trapped." Chihaya hissed.