Let the sky fall
When it crumbles
We will stand tall
Face it all together.

Two birds with one stone.

That was my first thought when I found out that Izumi and Niragi were in the same group.

On the one hand, I could keep a better eye on Niragi and fulfill Hatter's orders (or at least pretend to). On the other hand, it gave me the perfect opportunity to ensure Izumi didn't lose her life in this game. Her death would be a setback for my plan, and this way, I might have the chance to intervene in time.

All I had to do was wait for Izumi to draw her number and head to her parking spot. Thanks to Hatter's Joker card, the rest had been a breeze. It had been worth it just to see Izumi's perplexed expression when I appeared out of nowhere and joined her group.

Now she stood still next to me, staring for some time at the metal beams stretched out before us, connecting the two neighboring skyscrapers.

The bridge was about 3 feet wide and consisted of metal plates interrupted by narrow grates. Through the grates, you could see straight down into the depths below. In some places, there were larger gaps between the platforms. In between, there was nothing but two outer metal bars holding the bridge together. There was no railing, no safety measures, nothing to hold on to.

The wind howled continuously around the surrounding high-rises, producing an ominous metallic clatter.

The others behind us had now fallen completely silent. Evidently, they too had realized what was ahead of us.

"Are we supposed to walk across that?" Kiko's soft voice now took on an almost shrill tone. "They can't be serious."

Niragi let out a maniacal laugh.

"I don't know what you're all worried about. Looks like a nice stroll to me, folks."

The door to the roof swung open once again with a loud creak. Everyone turned to see who the final players were.

A tall woman with an athletic build, strong thighs, and a long braid entered the roof.

Next to her was a middle-aged man with shaggy, medium-length hair and a large backpack slung over his shoulder. He looked worn out, as though he had just come from a long, grueling hike. I could see the dark sweat stains spreading across his light blue cotton shirt.

It seemed they weren't strangers to the principles of Borderland either. When the guy with the backpack grabbed the last phone off the table, the electronic voice came to life once more.

Registration is complete. The total number of players is 10.

That much we already knew.

Everyone looked expectantly at their phone displays as the voice continued.

Difficulty level: 10 of Clubs.

Game: Tightrope Walk.

Rules: Get to the opposite building unharmed! All players must pair up, with one player carrying the other. The carried player must not touch the ground during this time ; otherwise, both partners will lose the game. The other side is only considered reached once both feet of the carrier touch the floor of the opposing rooftop. Players who fail to reach it within the allotted time will lose the game. The maximum time limit is 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Warning: The bridge can hold a maximum load of 310 pounds.

When the voice went silent, an uncomfortable hush spread among the players.

Then Niragi broke out into insane, hysterical laughter.

"Did you hear that? A fucking 10 of Clubs, woohoo!"

"These rules are insane. How are we supposed to do that?" asked the girl named Kiko with a shaky voice. She now seemed completely frozen with fear.

My gaze shifted to Izumi, who looked over at me at the same moment. Her eyes met mine briefly, and I could read the unease in them. I looked down at the display of my smartphone, which now showed a countdown ticking down from 10 minutes. Apparently, we had a preparation time before the game began.

"So we have to form pairs and walk across this bridge together?" Hayashi asked the group with a frown.

"Wrong. We have to form pairs, and one of us has to walk across the bridge while carrying the weight of the other," said the muscular woman with the long braid draped over her shoulder. "It only makes sense for the stronger ones to carry the lighter ones."

"But there are five pairs in total," the older woman chimed in. "And we only have limited time. Which pair should go first? That wasn't specified in the rules, was it?"

"No, I think we're supposed to decide the order ourselves," said the guy with the backpack.

Bingo!

That had been my first thought too. They wanted us to agree on which pair would go last and thus have the worst odds of surviving. They wanted us to argue about it until someone eventually snapped.

My gaze focused on Niragi and his equally armed companion.

It was easy to foresee what would happen.

"And how are we supposed to determine the order? Based on what criteria?" asked the handsome guy who had arrived with his sister. He flicked his cigarette to the ground and crushed it underfoot.

"We could draw lots. That would be fair for everyone," suggested the scruffy hiker.

"Do you really think anyone here would stick to a fair draw?" I said scornfully.

"Shouldn't we first determine the pairs before deciding the order?" Izumi reasonably pointed out. "The bridge can only support a maximum of 310 pounds, which means only one pair can cross at a time, right? We should choose the pairs in a way that doesn't exceed the weight limit."

"Does anyone here weigh more than 155 pounds?" I asked, addressing the group.

The tall, athletic woman with the braided hair raised her hand.

"165," she said.

Given her height and muscle mass, it was hardly surprising.

I nodded.

"If everyone else is under 155 pounds, then she just needs to pair up with someone lighter than her."

All eyes immediately turned to Kiko, who was not only younger than everyone else but also more petite. The athlete nodded and walked over to her.

"How much do you weigh?" she asked Kiko.

"101," she replied softly.

"Well, that's our first pair. The rest of you are free to choose your partners, as long as someone volunteers to be the carrier," I said with an amused grin.

This game promised to be entertaining.

5 minutes until the game begins, the computerized voice cheerfully reminded us.

The others had already paired up. The handsome guy with the cigarette stood protectively in front of his sister. Niragi teamed up with Hayashi, which wasn't particularly surprising. He was still grinning smugly. In fact, I was somewhat surprised he hadn't yet inserted himself into the discussion.

The hiker with the backpack hesitantly approached the older woman standing nearby. She seemed quick to agree.

As I felt Izumi's gaze on me, I turned my head. Her cheeks were once again visibly flushed-a rather inappropriate time, considering we might soon be going to death together. But I couldn't help thinking about my plan and how perfectly everything was falling into place- almost literally.

"Looks like it's just the two of us left," I stated the obvious, amused as she tried to avoid eye contact with me.

How infatuated she was. It was almost sweet.

"Well, then, which pair should go first? What criteria should we use if we're not drawing lots?," asked the athletic woman, raising what was probably the most important question to the group.

An almost ominous silence spread among the players.

"We could go by age, so maybe the youngest pair goes first?"

Izumi was the one who made the suggestion. I raised my eyebrows at her.

Was she really so selfless as to propose someone else besides us?

"Oh, yeah? So the little girl here should get an advantage just because she's still in school? It's not our fault we're older."

It was the older woman who said this. Of course-if we went by this system, her team would undoubtedly go last.

"Well then, what criteria do you suggest, Granny?" asked the woman in high heels, adjusting her sunglasses.

"Granny?" the older woman asked indignantly. "What do you think you're saying? My name is Furukawa, and I have no grandchildren."

"But compared to us, you're an old hag and in the minority here. So unless you have a better suggestion, you should probably stay out of this."

"Impertinent brat," Furukawa muttered bitterly.

But her teammate raised his hands in a conciliatory gesture.

"Please stop! This isn't helping. There must be a way to resolve this diplomatically."

Diplomatically, sure.

With his hiking backpack and eco-friendly outfit, he even looked like a saintly Samaritan who wanted to please everyone and save all of humanity with his altruism. But he was right about one thing: this wasn't getting us anywhere.

The argument escalated within minutes. Everyone wanted to voice an opinion, and it wasn't long before everyone was talking over each other, and no one was listening anymore.

Izumi had given up trying to contribute and instead covered her ears. She seemed overwhelmed, but maybe she was just trying to think in peace. Kiko had also gone very quiet.

My gaze lingered on Niragi, whom I had been watching from the corner of my eye. He had exchanged a few words with Hayashi, and judging by his confident expression, I was sure something was about to happen.

The argument was still raging when Niragi reached for the gun slung over his shoulder. He pointed it skyward and pulled the trigger.

A deafening bang echoed through the city like a ripple. Everyone flinched, and the talking ceased immediately.

"Well then, everyone listen up!" Niragi said with a smug grin, now pointing the shotgun at each player in turn. "How about I diplomatically decide that me and this hot lady will go first?"

Exactly as I had expected.

Suddenly, everything was completely silent. Only the wind and the metallic clatter of the bridge could be heard.

"Any objections?" Niragi asked again, while Hayashi stood beside him with her pistol drawn, making it clear she wouldn't hesitate to shoot someone on the spot if they opposed them.

Some shook their heads; others just stared at him in dismay.

"Very good," Niragi said, visibly pleased, licking his lips. "That's settled then. Wasn't so hard, was it?"

No one responded.

It took a while before someone spoke up again. To my surprise, it was Izumi.

"I volunteer to go last," she said, though she looked briefly uncertainly at me. "That is, if you're okay with it."

Her gaze fell on me. I closed my eyes and sighed softly.

Oh, Izumi, your selflessness will get us killed for sure.

Still, I just shrugged. Maybe because time was running out and a decision needed to be made, no matter how it turned out. If we wanted to survive, this endless debate had to end soon.

"Sure."

"Impressive, you've got guts," the athlete said, clearly impressed.

My guess, however, was that Izumi wanted to protect the young girl. I didn't know why, but she seemed determined to do whatever it took to ensure she made it through the game unharmed.

"I'm liking you more and more, Curly," Niragi said, clearly amused. "Shame you'll soon be plunging into the abyss. We could have had so much fun together."

Izumi ignored his words and instead looked seriously into the faces of the others.

"This is kind of like a Hearts game, isn't it? Ultimately, it's about whether we can keep a clear head in extreme situations and how far we're willing to go to save our own lives instead of others'. They want us to decide whose life has more value. But that can't be measured in numbers. Every life is equally valuable, don't you think? But still, we have to make a decision that's fair to everyone. Otherwise, this will end in complete chaos, and we'll all die."

Every life is equally valuable? Damn, she really was as naive as she looked.

Once again, an awkward silence spread among the players after her speech.

"She's right," I finally agreed. "We have to make a decision. That way, we have the highest chance of everyone making it across safely."

Izumi looked completely baffled when I glanced over at her. She clearly hadn't expected me to agree with her.

The game begins now!

Everyone looked at their smartphones to check the timer, which now showed 1 hour and 30 minutes. At first glance, the time seemed more than sufficient, but I suspected it would get tight toward the end.

Crossing the bridge alone couldn't be done in 5 minutes, let alone with someone else to carry. The additional burden of safely carrying another person added a significant challenge.

It wasn't a 10-difficulty game for nothing.

"Well, have fun tearing each other apart. We'll just go ahead," Niragi said confidently, turning away from us to climb the metal stairs leading to the bridge.

We watched as he slung his gun over his head like a necklace and crouched down to let Hayashi climb onto his back.

"Can someone please push this jerk off already?" the older woman asked through gritted teeth as he took the first step onto the metal platform.

"No one's getting pushed here," Izumi countered firmly. "We all want to survive, don't we?"

"And who goes next after them?" asked Miss High Heels.

The hiker and Furukawa whispered to each other. Then the former hesitantly raised his hand.

"We'll go second to last," he informed us, then glanced at the remaining pairs.

"How very noble of you," said Miss High Heels with a fake smile. "Then my brother and I will go second."

The athlete sighed heavily. Kiko looked at her uncertainly.

"Fine. We'll go third. It should be doable."

Kiko, however, looked anything but reassured.

"Don't worry," the athlete said with a slight smile. "I used to be an acrobat in the circus. I'll get you safely to the other side. My name is Kagura Hana by the way. What's yours?"

"Kuroki Kiriko. But Kiko is fine," she replied, sounding slightly more at ease now.

"Good. So everyone agrees on their placement?" Izumi asked cautiously.

A murmured chorus of agreement was heard.

Then everyone's attention turned back to Niragi and Hayashi. He had her piggybacking and was carefully taking one step after the next. The distance to the other side wasn't huge-about 80 feet, I estimated. But the additional weight on his back visibly affected his balance.

When Niragi came to a halt at the first gap in the grates, he glanced down for the first time and wobbled slightly. The other players watched the scene with rapt attention.

Well, if anyone deserved to fall down there, it was certainly Niragi. At least we'd have one less problem at the Beach.

But of course, he quickly regained his balance and took a large, lunging step forward. However, I didn't miss the way his legs shook uncontrollably under Hayashi's weight.

As entertaining as it was, I honestly wasn't keen on taking the role of the carrier.

"Do you still want us to go last?" I asked Izumi, who could barely tear her eyes away from the sight before us.

Her worried eyes flitted over to me. To my surprise, she nodded slowly.

"We don't have a choice."

"We did, but apparently, you're either stupid or craving death. I'm guessing the latter."

She bit her lip hard.

"I-I just... wanted us to come to an agreement. Otherwise, we'd still be arguing. And someone had to start."

I sighed.

"Well, then you should probably prepare yourself for falling. It might be a bit more unpleasant than a heart attack."

"Well, I'm just trying to stay optimistic," she said, forcing a carefree smile.

I gave her a doubtful look.

"Is there even the slightest chance you'll be the one carrying me across?"

She blinked at me in surprise.

"I-I... w-well, I could try," she stammered, her cheeks turning red.

I snorted.

"You'd actually do it, huh?"

"Well, I can't assume you have to carry me just because you're a man."

"But you were hoping for that, weren't you?"

"I honestly just don't think I'd be able to do it physically."

"Probably not. But I'm hardly an athlete either. You should know that. Choosing me as your partner wasn't the smartest decision," I reminded her.

"Maybe not, but I trust you," she replied confidently.

I gave her a surprised sidelong glance, but her expression suggested she meant it entirely sincerely.

Our attention turned back to Niragi and Hayashi, who were now nearing the end of the bridge.

Even though I would've loved to see Niragi fall into the abyss, we now knew that the task wasn't impossible.

We watched as Niragi and Hayashi climbed the last few feet of the bridge. You couldn't see Niragi's face, but his posture made it clear he was straining. Meanwhile, Hayashi clung to him almost desperately.

When they reached the other side, a loud signal confirmed their success.

"There you go," I murmured. "It's doable."

Izumi nodded, her eyes shining with determination.

"We can do it too."

"I hope you're right."

Niragi roughly let Hayashi down from his back.

"Yay, I did it!" he cheered from the other side, sticking out his tongue. "Good luck copying that, losers!"

"That guy really wouldn't have been much of a loss," the athlete said bitterly.

The siblings had already started preparing. I shook my head incredulously as the handsome guy lifted his sister as if carrying her over a threshold. At least he quickly realized that this technique offered no stability on the unsecured bridge.

"Proper carrying technique is crucial for balance," the hiker said as we watched the siblings. "The way that Niragi did it was relatively safe, but there's a way to distribute the weight even more evenly across the shoulders. I was a military paramedic, and we used this technique to carry people out of danger zones. I just can't remember the name, but I can show you if you'd like."

"Fireman's lift" I interjected.

"Yeah, that's it," he replied excitedly.

"I agree that the weight is distributed more evenly across the shoulders," I said calmly. "But you haven't thought it through. For the person being carried on the back, this position could be uncomfortable given the height we're at. With their head facing downward, they'd have a direct view into over 400 feet of nothingness, which might easily cause panic. Normally, this method is used when the person being carried is unconscious or severely injured, which isn't the case here."

The hiker stared at me, slightly bewildered.

"W-well, I... I didn't think of that," he stammered, sounding visibly disappointed.

Amateur.

"So should we just stick to the way Niragi did it?" Izumi murmured to me.

"I think that's the best option," I said, folding my arms across my chest.

By now, the siblings had agreed to use the piggyback method. The handsome guy lifted his sister onto his back and carefully began taking his first steps onto the bridge.

The wind howled around the buildings, and the ominous clinking of the metal grew louder again.

When they were about halfway across the bridge, the wind suddenly picked up. A strong gust came through, causing the bridge to sway dangerously. The handsome guy struggled to maintain his balance, but the unpredictable wind made it difficult.

Reaching a critical point, a particularly fierce gust sent him reeling. His sister panicked, letting out a scream as she clung to him tightly, which only further destabilized his balance.

His right foot suddenly slipped into one of the gaps between the grates. His hands grabbed at empty air, and then both of them tumbled into the depths.

A bloodcurdling scream echoed as they fell into the void below.

Then an eerie silence fell over the rooftop. Only the distant howl of the wind and the metallic clatter of the bridge remained.

The game had claimed its first victims.

I noticed Izumi swallow hard beside me, her eyes wide with shock.

"That... that could've been us," she whispered, sharply inhaling.

"Yes," I replied tonelessly. "It could have."