"Whew, the plan was a success!"
"Success? You lost, bastard. Why make that Allen guy win? What's the point?" Lilith questioned.
"Lilith, I was never playing to begin with. Also, I improvised my plan midway, so yeah, it was quite rough. I played terribly, but that's because I don't want attention. I need to keep this blinding persona for some time."
"You were never playing? What are you talking about? And that old man what use does he have?"
The referee's voice interrupted the conversation. "Okay, players, I have calculated the bets placed.
Allen Whitaker, you will receive a total of 10,000 coins as there were no bets on any of your cards! As for an additional bonus regarding matching cards: since you had no bets placed, we will multiply the cards by themselves, totaling 210,000 coins."
"210,000?! How come?" the grey-suited man asked.
"Simple. Yushida Susero (Fisherman): 135,000. Kaniko Kumuze (Red Suit): 25,000. Nenza Kumuze (Green Coat): 50,000. Those were the matching cards, multiplied by themselves."
The referee's tone turned grim. "As for Nenza Kumuze, since you only had 45,000 coins, you are completely eliminated from the Oasis."
"Hold on! I'll pay! I have coins, I have a lot!" the red-suited man screamed, but his pleas were in vain as Nenza disappeared into dust.
"Why didn't you swap one of your cards?! You damn fool! You would of disappeared If I won anyways, So what's the matter?!" The grey-suited man shouted angrily
"Sorry, I was distracted I didn't notice forgive me! help me brother please!" he tried reasoning with the grey-suited man.
As he's body started disappearing Into dust.
"Kaniko… survive," were his last words before vanishing into whatever unknown fate awaited him.
"The two of you are dead, just so you know." Kaniko said angrily as he gave Me and Allen a sharp look.
"Yeah, so when you say 'two of us,' do you mean me included? Because I can't really see who you're referring to, you see, it's, uh… a bit confused.."
Kaniko leapt forward, trying to punch me to shut me up, but the referee intervened in a split second. "Fighting in this game space is not allowed. Thus, a punishment will be made. 10,000 coins will be taken from you."
"Mayushiro, this is all your fault, you fool! How could I trust you?!" Kaniko shouted.
"Tsk… It's not me, goddammit! It's that fucking child, I swear!"
"Me again? How could I do anything? I mean, Allen was the winner, but now that's just not very fun. But since I'm such a forgiving person, I'll give you a chance to take everything back."
"Huh? What are you mumbling about? You want your teeth knocked out?" Kaniko growled.
"Hold on, Kaniko, was it? Why don't we play a game? If I lose, I'll leave the Oasis, and Allen and I will give you all our coins."
"A game?" Mayushiro asked, calmly.
"Yes, a simple one. I'll take a fresh pack of cards and shuffle it. I'll show you one half of it and then place it. We each pick a card in turn. The card that we pick must be higher than the former card. You may choose not to take a card, and then I will take one, but if it's higher, you will lose. The first one to take a lower card loses."
"And the stakes?"
"I will gamble all of Allen's coins and my existence in the Oasis. You will gamble our safety."
"Mayushiro?"
"Do it."
"Hold on wait! Why am I not involved? you're betting all my coins all of a sudden? Do you think I'm some fool? Like hell I'd let you!" Allen shouted.
"Shall we say duel?"
"You're not listening?! I said STOP!"
"Allen, calm down. It's all under control, just watch and enjoy."
"Now then. 3, 2, 1, Duel!"
"Referee, a pack of cards, please?"
"Here you go, sir."
"Now, I will shuffle… and here. I will now reveal one half so you can see."
Kaniko studied the cards. "Okay, what do we have here? Four aces. If a king is placed, we win. Not many high cards, mostly small ones. That means the chances are good for us."
"Alright, shall we begin? Now I'll draw the first card."
"Six of clubs. Now, will you go for a higher card?"
"Yes… the eight of diamonds! Yes!" Kaniko shouted.
"Lucky you! But now it's my turn. Let's see… Great, the jack of spades. Now there are only three more cards above this one."
"Hold on, Kaniko," Mayushiro whispered. "It's only two cards: king and queen. Since it can't be spades, he doesn't want us to take that risk. He will win easily. Take it. Take a card."
"We will take a card… It's a queen! The queen of diamonds!"
The crowd around them grew larger. "Quite the crowd formed," I thought to myself.
"So, are you going to tell me your plans now?" Lilith asked.
"Mhmm, later. Now I gotta take a card, don't I?"
"Alright, let's see. What shall it be… The King Of Clubs! Well then, only one card remains. Are you brave enough to aim for an ace?"
Kaniko without a second of thought. "Hahaha, I'll sta—"
"Stop, Kaniko!"
"Why? We know there is no ace!"
"He's playing a trick on us. I know it. He shuffled it that way and put it back somehow. I know. He did something. That bastard! Like that last game of Bindu, he bet insanely high, made irregular plays. He's playing us like dolls."
"Kaniko, I will avenge your brother. Take a card! Trust me one last time."
"Tsk… I'm taking a card goddammit you better be fucking correct."
Mayushiro's face lit up in shock.
"It's… the three of diamonds? I…"
"You fool! I clearly showed you all four aces were on that side! Why did you take a card?!" I chuckled a little.
"Ma… Mayushiro? MAYUSHIRO, YOU FOOL! WHY DID I TRUST YOU?!" Kaniko roared.
"Just.. Who are you really? How? I… Everything was going according to my plan but..? You..? How did you know? It's as If you could see my cards…"
I smiled faintly. "Good question. I wonder as well. But sometimes we don't have answers, do we? Now then, if you will excuse Me and Allen."
"Heh? hold on, who said I'm with you??"
"Oh come on we're friends right?"
"Hold on." Yushida said.
"Oh yeah you also lost a bunch of money no? How much do you have exactly...?" I asked.
"Me? Oh don't worry... although you did create quite the dent you made me lose more then this entire session In one game don't think I'll let you off easily" Yushida smirked.
"An entire session??" I laughed. "Just what exactly were you all betting? hundreds of coins? Are you all a bunch of scaredy cats? I guess none of you really want your wish, do you?"
"EVERYONE! I WILL PAY YOU 25,000 COINS IF YOU KILL THESE TWO!" Yushida shouted.
Allen... Hold my cane will you?
Uhh yes... of course…
"Yushida, your greatest mistake was trying to fight me."
" So who am I up against 15-20~ People. oh right hey Mayushiro, Kaniko aren't you supposed to help me you lost right?"
"Tsk.. that bastard, Kaniko I'll get him. when this is over."
"Just shut up you fool, His eyes were red. I'll kill all of you. I don't care whether you die. I will kill everyone and then you blind bitch."
"You see, Yushida, you have money. but I.. Have a monster."
"Kaniko Leaped forward to one of the people "RAAAAH!" Punching him with a clean left hook, knocking him out In a single punch"
"Go, my little monster, Hahaha." I laughed.
"With a swift turn to the right, a spinning left hook sent another person flying, crashing into the barman and shattering all the liquor bottles."
"It wasn't martial arts. It wasn't even sheer strength. It was simply rage, pure, unrelenting rage flowing inside Kaniko."
"That.. Bastard! He's not feeling a thing just who the hell Is he?"
"Ohh Yushida-san Hes coming for you~"
"Crap, I'll pay you STOP! NO! I'LL DO ANYTHING HAVE MERCY PLEASE. NOOO PLEASE!"
"Kaniko rushed, grabbing Yushida with his right hand and Kicking him with a flying knee kick."
Kaniko took a deep breath before turning his head looking in my direction "I did the end of my contract now I'll end you."
"Sure go ahead, I stepped out of the game space."
"Hold on, he will kill you, you dumbass come back Allen shouted"
As he leaped forward jumping towards me, Like a beast hunting Its prey. But I was no prey. I was the predator.
Taking a weird stance.
"This stance? It's Close quarter combat? Shit his aiming for the heart." Mayushiro noticed.
"KANIKO WAIT" He shouted.
"I'M NOT LISTENING TO YOU, YOU BASTARD! RAAAHHH!"
I took a small step forward, shifting my weight onto my leading hand as Kaniko charged toward me, his presence like an unstoppable force. His rage was palpable, but my movements were calculated and precise.
As he got closer, I leaned in, positioning my open palm inches from his chest, right over his heart.
In one fluid motion, I closed my hand into a tight fist and struck.
His momentum carried his arm forward, but just as he was about to land a devastating blow… he stopped, his body locking in place as though frozen in time.
"Heart strike," I murmured, my voice calm and steady, as Kaniko's furious advance came to an abrupt halt.
Kaniko stopped moving, falling onto the floor unconcious.
"I'm really pissed off... Now let's go, Allen," I said in a sharp, cutting tone.
A Few days earlier, Mayushiro's arrival to the oasis.
"So this is the Oasis," I muttered to myself. "I'll get that damn wish. With 315,000 coins in my possession, I'll surpass everyone." I, Mayushiro, am the greatest!
*Shouting nearby*
"What's this noise...?"
A crowd had gathered, voices buzzing with excitement. I pushed through the throng to see what the commotion was about.
"What is this? A boxing arena?" I muttered, my curiosity piqued.
Someone nearby overheard and turned to answer. "Oh... we're betting on who can win!"
"Betting?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah!" they replied enthusiastically. "You just tell the referee the amount and the player, and voila you're in! It's crazy, though. That Kaniko guy hasn't lost a single fight."
I looked toward the makeshift ring just in time to see a devastating blow land.
BANG!
Another opponent crumpled to the ground.
"Nice, Kaniko! Thanks for the win!" someone in the crowd cheered, clutching their payout with glee.
I crossed my arms, intrigued by the scene. "Interesting..."
"Your name's Kaniko?" I asked, stepping closer to the fighter as the crowd dispersed, still buzzing from his latest victory.
Before he could respond, someone else stepped in, placing themselves between us. "Mhmm. What do you want with my brother?" the person said, their tone protective and laced with suspicion.
I raised my hands slightly, signaling no harm. "Hold on, I'm just here to make a deal," I said calmly, my voice carrying a confident edge. "I'll pay you both 30,000 coins to work for me."
The air between us grew tense as they exchanged a glance, weighing the offer.
"30,000 Coins?" the older brother asked, his voice carrying a hint of skepticism.
"Yes, precisely," I replied confidently.
He narrowed his eyes. "What do we have to do?"
"Oh, nothing too difficult," I said with a smile. "Just be my partners, help me cheat, and assist me in getting what I need. That's all."
The two brothers exchanged glances, an unspoken conversation passing between them. After a brief pause, the older one stepped forward. "We'll do it," he said firmly, "but once the Games actually begin, we're leaving you."
"Sure, sure… That's fine," I said, waving a hand dismissively. "So, let's get formal. I'm Mayushiro Juntaka. And you are?"
The older brother spoke up first. "Nenza Kumuze."
"And I'm Kaniko Kumuze," the younger one added.
"Well then," I said, sizing them up. "You both need to look the part. Buy yourselves some nice clothes you need to look professional."
Nenza furrowed his brow. "Ain't that a waste of money?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Just do it…"
After a moment's hesitation, Nenza shrugged. "Sure. I'd like to buy a red suit and a green coat."
"There you go, Kaniko. A red suit for you," handing him the neatly folded attire.
I raised an eyebrow. "You bought that for him yourself? Well, that's brotherly love, I suppose."
I chuckled lightly. "Tell me, what do you want to wish for? How did the two brothers end up here?"
Nenza glanced at Kaniko, then back at me. His expression turned serious. "Our wish is simple: to survive. We're homeless. We took whatever odd jobs we could to get by, but we were on the brink of starving when we got this opportunity. We had no idea what it entailed, but it was the only way we saw out of our situation."
I nodded, impressed by his honesty. "You're well-spoken, Nenza. I must say."
"Thank you," he replied politely. "And what about you? What's your wish, Mayushiro?"
I paused for a moment, my expression darkening slightly. "My wish? I want to avenge someone."
Nenza tilted his head slightly. "I see. So that's why you're going this far… even hiring us."
I simply smiled. "Exactly."
Back to present.
"All right, well, I'll see you later. Mayushiro, was it?" I said casually, already walking away. "I'll probably forget you, though, so don't think of anything and then expect me to remember you."
"Hahaha," Mayushiro chuckled darkly, turning toward the Unconscious Kaniko. "I'd like to buy a knife." He said, his voice filled with hatred.
"Are you joking with me?"
Mayushiro stepped forward, his expression twisted with anger as he kneeled next to Kaniko, his voice dripping with malice. "Your father ruined my reputation, my business, EVERYTHING!" he spat, his hand shaking as he clutched the knife. "So, I ruined his. I made you homeless, I waited for the perfect opportunity… and now, finally, I can finish my revenge. You fuckers! Ahahaha!"
"Lilith, I'd like to buy a needle."
That will be 25 Coins.
"Ehh, could be worse."
Right before Mayushiro could carry out his vile act, I acted swiftly. With precision, I threw the needle, watching as it sailed through the air and sank deep into his carotid artery.
A gasp escaped his lips as blood spurted from the wound, his body collapsing in an instant. Mayushiro's eyes widened in shock, but it was too late. His grip on the knife loosened, and he fell motionless to the ground.
"I'll never change, will I?" I muttered, staring at his lifeless body for a moment as he started disintegrating into dust. The blood staining the ground reminded me of my path, there was no turning back.
"Let's go, Allen," I said, turning to him without a second glance.
"Hold on, what the fuck? I'm not going with you, you murderer," Allen snapped, his voice filled with disbelief and anger.
I sighed, giving him a steady look. "Allen, relax, slow down. All I did was protect that guy. It's simply self-defense. I hunt the bad guys. And you must remember, in this world, there are no friends like you saw just there. If you don't want to come, it's fine, but I'm giving you a chance. A chance to fulfill your wish. Will you take it or not?"
Allen hesitated, staring at me as if considering his options. The tension in the air hung thick between us until he finally spoke up.
"What do you want?"
I paused, locking eyes with him. "Can you buy us a carriage? I want to get out of here quickly, to the closest city. We need to prepare for the start of the main event the gems."
Allen took a deep breath, his expression softening. "You saved me and helped me, so I owe you."
I nodded, relieved by his decision.
"I wish to buy a carriage."
As we climbed into the carriage, I glanced over at Allen, who was sitting across from me, his brow furrowed in thought.
"Who's going to drive?" Allen asked, breaking the silence.
I smiled, my plan already forming in my mind. "Why don't we play a game? And let the referee drive."
Allen looked at me, puzzled. "How?"
I leaned back slightly, grinning. "Say 'duel' on three. Three, two, one, duel."
In a moment, a referee appeared from thin air, his voice booming as he greeted us.
"Hello, I'm referee number-"
"Just cut it. We want to gamble," I interrupted, cutting him off before he could finish his introduction. "Listen, it's simple. We each bet 100 coins on whoever can last on this carriage the longest. That's all. Nothing more. We need you to just drive us."
The referee blinked, momentarily thrown off guard, but quickly nodded in understanding. "Got it. Let the game begin!"
"So, where are we driving?" The referee asked.
"Give me a map, referee," I said calmly.
The referee quickly handed over a rolled-up piece of paper. "Here you go!"
I unrolled the map and pointed to a route, my finger tracing along it carefully. "See this route?" I said, showing him the path I had in mind. "Just go there. Once we reach the city, the game is over. If no one leaves, it's a tie."
The referee nodded "Alright, let's get moving then!"
"Hey, you're not blind, are you?" Allen asked, a skeptical edge in his voice.
"Oh, you caught me finally," I responded, smirking. "Now, Allen, the reason I chose to help you is because I want you to help me. Listen, you're a key part of my plan to get a gem. And also a second one... so, I need you."
"Me?" Allen asked, confusion creeping into his voice. "What am I gonna do? I repaid my debt already with this carriage and-"
I interrupted him, cutting to the chase. "Let me cut you off here, Allen. What's your wish?"
"My... wish?" he echoed, his voice laced with uncertainty.