I'm on the highway to hell
On the highway to hell
I'm on the highway to hell
On the highway to... HELL

The other woman, who had introduced herself as Hayashi Sayuri, had settled into the passenger seat.

Niragi stomped angrily over to the driver's door and slammed it shut.

I was anything but pleased that this lawless thug was in control of the steering wheel. Despite my reservations, I climbed into the car and took a seat on the far side of the back row.

Involuntarily, my eyes wandered to Chishiya, who was already reclining with a pair of earbuds in. He looked as if he was about to take a nap, seemingly indifferent to my presence. I wanted to ask him how it was possible that he was here, in my game. The odds of that happening were extremely low...

Is it just a bizarre coincidence?

The roar of the engine jolted me from my thoughts.

"Better buckle up, or I'm not responsible for what happens," Niragi said, shifting into reverse. But he didn't get far-a loud knock on the window made him pause.

A young woman stood next to the driver's door, pounding on the glass. She pressed a piece of paper with the number 9 scrawled on it against the window.

"Please! Let me ride with you!" she pleaded desperately.

Niragi just laughed mockingly and locked the doors from the inside, clearly entertained as she frantically pounded on the window with her fists.

"Please! My visa expires tonight!" she cried, her voice breaking as she neared tears.

Niragi remained unmoved.

"Niragi, open the door for her! There's enough space," I snapped, irritated.

"Silence from the nosebleed section," he retorted.

I groaned.

"I'll do anything. Please!" she begged again, her desperation evident.

To my surprise, Niragi rolled the window down slightly.

"Anything, huh?" he purred, his eyes shamelessly scanning her from head to toe. "I can think of a few things."

For a moment, she froze, but then she nodded hesitantly.

I couldn't believe he was exploiting her situation like this. I didn't want to imagine what kind of favor she'd owe Niragi for this so-called act of kindness, but knowing him, it wouldn't be harmless.

"Get in. But don't forget-you owe me for my generosity," he sneered.

Next to me, I heard a faint snort. Despite his earbuds, Chishiya appeared to be paying close attention to everything happening around him.

The woman didn't waste any time. As soon as Niragi unlocked the door, she climbed in.

Damn, really?

I shifted uncomfortably toward the middle seat, forced to move closer to Chishiya. He, however, remained utterly unbothered, gazing out the window as if the chaos around him had nothing to do with him.

Awkwardly, I clasped my hands in my lap, unsure what to do with them as I tried to avoid touching Chishiya. But in the cramped space, it was nearly impossible.

"Hi, and thank you," the newcomer mumbled softly as she settled into her seat.

"Hey! Izumi Tsuki," I said, offering a friendly smile. "But you can call me Izzy."

I took a closer look at her. She couldn't have been older than 17. She had a button nose, a round face, and a pair of slightly crooked, frameless glasses that sat on her freckled cheeks. She looked innocent and out of place-far too young for Borderland and its games.

"Kiko," she replied shyly, her voice small and high-pitched.

I gave her an encouraging smile, but before I could say more, we were all suddenly thrust back into our seats as the car roared into motion. A panicked scream followed as Niragi hit the gas, careening off the lot at full speed.

His maniacal laughter filled the vehicle, making him sound like a crazy psycho. Even Hayashi, who had screamed earlier, now looked deathly pale.

My stomach churned at Niragi's reckless driving. Most of the time, I was preoccupied with trying to hold myself in place. Sitting in the middle meant there weren't many options to grab onto. As if that wasn't bad enough, the car's speakers blasted an ear-splitting death metal track that was more screeching than music.

When Niragi suddenly swerved sharply into a side street, the car skidded, and my head was slammed against Chishiya's shoulder. Reflexively, I grabbed his arm for support, only to pull back quickly, as though I'd burnt myself on it.

"Sorry," I murmured, laughing nervously as I brushed my bangs out of my face.

Chishiya turned his head to look at me, his gaze meeting mine directly. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks.

"Go for it," he said dryly before leaning back again and closing his eyes, as if nothing had happened. I blinked at him, stunned. For some reason, I'd expected a snarky comment or for him to make fun of me.

"Damn it, can't you slow down, Niragi?" Hayashi complained, her voice barely audible over the blaring music. "I'd prefer to get there alive."

"Don't be such a buzzkill! A little fun never hurt anyone," Niragi replied, flooring the accelerator again.

My heart was pounding, and I was starting to feel overwhelmed. First the awkward closeness to Chishiya, then Niragi's death-defying driving-it was all too much.

Next to me, Kiko had her eyes tightly shut, breathing in shallow gasps.

"Hey, we're going to be okay," I said, trying to sound reassuring. "We'll be there soon."

I wasn't sure if I was trying to comfort her or myself. But Kiko nodded and slowly opened her eyes again.

"I'm still scared," she admitted. "The game..."

I nodded sympathetically.

"We're all scared. But maybe we can help each other," I said gently.

Her shoulders relaxed slightly at my words.

The rest of the ride was a blur of holding on for dear life and willing myself not to throw up. Occasionally, my gaze would drift to Chishiya, who seemed utterly unfazed as he watched the city rush past the window.

It was hard to tear my eyes away from him. Even his profile was captivating-his sharp jawline and high cheekbones seemed almost unreal, as if carved by a sculptor's hand.

When he turned his head toward me and our eyes met again, my heart skipped a beat before racing uncontrollably. Heat flushed my cheeks, and I quickly lowered my gaze, unable to maintain eye contact.

I could feel his eyes lingering on me for a moment longer before he turned back to the window, his expression unreadable. My heart continued to pound as I struggled to steady my breathing.

Niragi continued to weave recklessly through the empty streets, the deafening music blasting through the car. Next to me, Kiko had squeezed her eyes shut again, her face pale and drawn. I placed a hand on her arm in a comforting gesture.

"We're almost there," I repeated, though I wasn't entirely sure if it was true.

She nodded weakly, her knuckles white as she gripped the edge of her seat.

"There!" Hayashi suddenly exclaimed, pointing toward a brightly lit sign in the distance. It marked the entrance to an underground parking garage and flashed directions for the upcoming game.

Before anyone could respond, we were all violently jolted forward as Niragi slammed on the brakes. The car screeched to a halt, veering just in time to make the sharp turn into the garage.

My stomach churned from the abrupt stop, and I clenched my fists to keep from doubling over.

Chishiya, in contrast, sat perfectly composed.

"Niragi, if you're planning to kill us, a little warning would be appreciated," Chishiya remarked flatly, not even bothering to lift his head.

"Shut up, Chishiya," Niragi snapped, his tone dripping with irritation.

The car finally came to a stop, parked diagonally across two spaces. The silence that followed as the engine and music died was almost heavenly.

Without waiting for anyone, Niragi and Hayashi got out of the car. Kiko fumbled with the door handle before finally stepping out, her legs wobbling slightly.

Chishiya powered down his MP3 player with a sigh before casually stepping out of the car. I followed, grateful to be free from the confines of the vehicle.

The parking garage was vast and dimly lit, with only a few weak lights near the elevators providing any illumination. I hugged my arms close to my body, the chill of the underground space biting into my skin.

"Where exactly are we?" Kiko asked hesitantly, her voice trembling slightly.

"No idea. I was too busy trying not to throw up on the dashboard," Hayashi muttered darkly, casting a glare in Niragi's direction.

"At any rate, we are somewhere in the Minato district, near the Roppongi Museum. We drove past it earlier," I vaguely remembered.

"We are underneath the Izumi Garden Tower," I heard Chishiya say. I looked around in confusion, as he had just been standing next to me, but now he was by the elevator door, studying the large sign on the wall with a small flashlight.

Izumi Garden Tower?

Of course.

When you had the same name, you inevitably also knew the building, which also happened to be one of the tallest skyscrapers in Tokyo.

I sincerely hoped that the shared name of the building was just a coincidence and that I wouldn't end up in another game where I played a central, but thankless, role.

The rest of the group joined Chishiya to also take a look at the massive sign. It listed the facilities housed in the skyscraper, including a hotel, several restaurants, apartments, banks, and a variety of shops and medical offices.

Chishiya turned away without a word and pressed the button next to the elevator, which immediately lit up yellow. The indicator above the door displayed the floor the elevator was currently on. After a short wait, the doors slid open, revealing a spacious, modern glass elevator.

Chishiya went in first, and the others followed him.

"Woah, 659 feet!" I said in amazement as I looked at a large monitor mounted on the wall of the elevator, which displayed a detailed, three-dimensional model of the tower. The diagram also revealed that the skyscraper was multi-leveled, consisting of different heights and thus equipped with multiple elevators serving those levels.

According to the diagram, we were in Elevator C. I tapped it on the screen and received some useful information about it. Our elevator led to one of the higher levels, specifically the 30th floor, located approximately 439 feet above the ground.

"So high?" Kiko whispered, who hadn't left my side by even a millimeter since we got out.

Welcome, players. Please proceed to the top floor!

The emotionless voice made me jump. Everyone stared at the speaker from which it had emanated.

Chishiya was the first to react, pressing the button before the words of the computer voice had even faded. Slowly, the elevator began to move, ascending from the basement level.

As we left the gloomy parking garage behind, the glass walls of the elevator revealed an impressive view of the nighttime city. I stared out, captivated, and could see the bright red laser beams of the other game locations in the distance. There were disturbingly many of them.

"Why does it have to be so high up?" Kiko asked ominously, clinging now to the railings attached to the wall.

"Why so scared, little Kiko-chan? Are you afraid of heights? How sweet," Niragi mocked smugly.

I glared at him angrily.

"Leave her alone, you deranged freak," I hissed, well aware that it was pretty foolish to insult Niragi, given that he had a gun and I had nothing. But my big mouth had rarely been stopped by such considerations before. No matter how dangerous the situation or how much my mind urged caution, my tongue always seemed faster than my survival instinct.

Niragi froze for a moment, then slowly turned his head in my direction. Then he broke into maniacal, psychotic laughter.

"Really cute, Curly," he sneered, placing a hand on the rifle slung over his shoulder. "If I were you, I wouldn't run my mouth so much. I'd hate to blow that pretty little head of yours to bits. Would be a shame, really." He grinned broadly, then took a threatening step closer to me. "So choose your words wisely when talking to me."

I held his gaze firmly without blinking once. Everyone present seemed riveted, waiting for something to happen.

"Niragi, can't you go a single minute without your ridiculous macho attitude? It's mildly entertaining but eventually just tiresome." Chishiya's voice sounded bored as he detached himself from the wall he'd been leaning against and slowly approached us. "We all know you've got the biggest toy of all."

Niragi narrowed his eyes, his face contorted with rage, but Chishiya's unflappable calm seemed to disarm him. With one last intense look at me, he took a step back and spat on the ground.

"We're not done here, Curly."

I exhaled in relief. At that moment, the elevator doors opened. Chishiya went ahead. As he passed me, I whispered a barely audible "Thank you." He turned briefly and met my gaze with a small, mocking smile. That alone was enough to lift my spirits.

How many times had he gotten me out of trouble by now?

I had stopped counting.

I'd probably never be able to repay this debt.

Once we exited the elevator, the lights above us turned on. We found ourselves in the middle of a sprawling shopping arcade. Confused, we looked around.

"There," Kiko noted, pointing to a screen hanging in the window of an electronics store.

A black arrow displayed on it pointed the way to the game. We followed the signs and arrived at a stairwell that had originally served as an emergency exit. The arrows led us up a narrow metal staircase. When we reached the top, we stopped in front of a single door.

A red-and-white warning sign on the door read: Roof Access - Authorized Personnel Only. Below it was another sign that said: Warning: Enter at Your Own Risk.

Kiko, still beside me, stared at the warning sign in horror, her eyes wide with fear.

"I... I don't know if I can do this," she croaked, her voice trembling slightly. "The roof... it's so high. And what if we..."

Her voice trailed off.

"Don't worry," I said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We'll get through this. Together, okay?"

Kiko looked at me, still not entirely convinced, but she eventually nodded slowly.

"Okay," she murmured.

"Come on already, Curly. I don't want to grow roots here," Niragi complained behind me. My eyes involuntarily flicked to Chishiya, who gave me a brief nod, as if to encourage me.

I took a deep breath and then resolutely opened the door. A cool gust of wind greeted us as we stepped out onto the roof of the building.

We looked around, but there wasn't much to see at first glance. We stood on a nondescript but oversized flat roof, with nothing but bare concrete beneath our feet. As soon as we got there, the surroundings were lit up by numerous spotlights. Shielding my face with my hand, I squinted against the bright light.

When my eyes adjusted, I looked around more closely. The floodlights only lit half of the roof, the side we were currently on.

No one else was visible. Niragi headed first to the illuminated white table, where several smartphones were lined up as usual.

"Looks like we're still missing a few players," Niragi said as he grabbed a phone and its display lit up.

I also glanced at the table and silently counted nine phones. Including Niragi's, we were still five players short.

I took a deep breath and grabbed one of the phones as well. The others followed my example, and the table quickly emptied.

A soft cracking sound echoed, and all heads turned toward the door, which abruptly swung open.

Three more people stood there. Two women and a man.

One of the women was older, perhaps around 50, but she appeared athletic and youthful. She walked purposefully to the table and grabbed a phone.

The other two seemed to be together and gave off the impression that this wasn't their first time participating in a game. They greeted us with nothing more than a nod.

The man was tall, slim, and handsome, though he looked more like someone who spent his time filing paperwork rather than engaging in sports.

The woman, presumably around 30, was short but had curves in all the right places. She struck me as a bit overdressed for what lay ahead. Her outfit, in particular, didn't seem practical: a skimpy pair of shorts, a questionable leather top that revealed more than some bikinis, and killer high heels. The ensemble was topped off with dark-tinted sunglasses that reluctantly reminded me of Hatter.

Niragi whistled appreciatively as he saw her and flashed a suggestive grin.

"Wow, what hot chick," he said loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Got a weapons licence for those two impressive arguments?"

I shook my head in disbelief. The woman, however, seemed to completely ignore Niragi. Instead, her male companion suddenly strode toward him, his expression deadly serious.

"One more dumb remark about my sister, and I'll shove you off this roof, you little piece of shit," he growled acidly.

Niragi merely grinned smugly.

"Hey, it was just a compliment for your sister," he called after the man as he and the woman moved off to a corner, where the man casually lit a cigarette.

My gaze wandered to the side, and I immediately noticed that Chishiya was missing. Frantically, I looked around and spotted him on the other side of the roof, still shrouded in darkness. He stood near the outer edge of the building, close to the railing, staring thoughtfully at the nighttime scenery.

Curious, I walked over to him, folding my arms tightly around my body. The wind up here was chillier than I had expected.

"What are you up to?" I asked curiously, stopping beside him to follow his gaze.

It was only then that I understood what Chishiya had been looking at.

Out of the darkness, a narrow walkway emerged, stretching straight across to another building. The faint light from the city barely illuminated it, making it appear thin and ominous, like a fragile thread stretched over an abyss.

"Oh my Gosh. What is that?" I croaked, my heart once again beating faster. Helplessly, I looked at Chishiya, who stood utterly relaxed beside me, his hands buried in his pockets as usual. A faint smile played on his lips.

"This game might actually be interesting," he said, his eyes glinting faintly in the light.

At that moment, as if on cue, the remaining lights around us turned on.

The long walkway stretched out before us, gradually lit by small lamps that glimmered in the darkness like tiny fireflies. The narrow bridge, which had previously been nothing more than a shadowy outline, now revealed its ominous extent.

Note: You can now find Kiko's profile in the "Character profiles" chapter.