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CHAPTER SEVEN,
boiling death

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༇ "RULES: If you escape the arena before it collapses, you clear the game."

Baya doesn't waste a second. Her eyes dart around the gigantic baseball field. Escape. Collapse. Clear.

It's going to collapse.

Not long after she realizes the way out is the same way she went in, she starts running, leaving dozens of confused people behind. After playing three games, she has gotten the hang of it.

You can't waste time. You need to think straight but you also can't waste time thinking. You can't show what you're feeling. Survival needs to be the first thing on your mind.

It's just a seven, she reminds herself as she sprint. It doesn't exactly make her feel better. Seven means that it's hard—yet she's almost at the exit. It feels too easy. 

Just as Baya reaches the edge of the field, a deep rumbling shakes the ground beneath her feet. She stumbles, barely catching herself before falling flat on her face.

BOOM. Water erupts from the center of the field, a massive amount of the liquid shooting into the air. A second later, another explosion bursts open near the edge, then another by the bases.

Screams erupt as players scramble in every direction. Some are too slow. Baya watches in horror as a man is engulfed by one of the geysers, his body vanishing in the steam.

The field is turning into a boiling death trap.

Her heart pounds. She needs to move. Now.

The exit is still ahead, but if the geysers keep bursting randomly, she might not make it. Her eyes scan the ground, searching for a pattern, anything to tell her where to step next.

That's what Chishiya would do, and it's undeniable that he's good at these games. Really, really good.

Baya focuses on the cracks. Dark, jagged lines snake through the dirt, spiderwebbing outward from certain points. That must be where the next eruptions will happen.

Dodging left, she sprints past one of the cracks just before a new geyser blasts up behind her. The heat sears her skin, but she keeps running, weaving through the gaps in the ground.

More players aren't so lucky. A woman shrieks as hot water engulfs her legs. A man tries to climb onto a fence, only for another blast to send him flying.

Baya doesn't look back.

The exit looms ahead. Just as she's about to reach it, a geyser explodes directly in her path.

She skids to a stop, heat scorching her face. The tunnel leading out is just on the other side—but now there's a boiling river of death between her and the thing that's currently most important to her.

Baya spots a chunk of fallen bleachers nearby. She dashes toward it, climbing onto the tilted metal.

It's slippery and unstable. She grits her teeth and takes a deep breath before jumping. No hesitation.

For a terrifying moment, she's flying through the air, nothing but steam beneath her. The heat creeps up her legs. It already almost feels like death.

The girl crashes down onto solid ground, rolling to absorb the shock. Her calf unites with a puddle of water.

Agony spreads through her entire leg. The burn sinks into her muscles, melting into her throbbing skin. When she begs back up, every step sends a flash of blinding pain up her spine.

But she doesn't stop moving. Another geyser erupts, splashes of it hitting her arms. It blazes straight through her clothes. It dissolves into more burns.

She scrambles forward, pushing through the final few feet—

And then she's out.

The moment she crosses the door, her phone pings.

"GAME CLEARED."

She stumbles to her knees, gasping for air. Behind her, the stadium groans. Then, with a deafening crack, the entire field collapses inward, geysers swallowing everything in their path.

But she made it.

It's hard to believe. For a minute, she just lies there, staring at the collapsed stadium. Then it starts to hit.

The adrenaline floods her veins, through the pain, through the exhaustion, through everything.

She made it.

A breathless laugh escapes her, almost hysterical. Every muscle in her body is screaming, her skin is scorched and aching, but none of it matters. She outran a boiling death. She saw people fall and burn and die, and yet, she made it.

Without Aguni's help. Without Tatta's help. Without Chishiya's help. And she did it in less than five minutes.

A rush of something indescribable floods her chest, tightening around her ribs. Every nerve tingles. Despite her burning leg and wounded arms, she stands up. She should be shaking in horror. She should be breaking down. Maybe that will come later. But right now, she feels like she has already beaten every card game out there.

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"Rest," Tatta commands, attempting to sound stern but failing miserably. "You need to rest! The skin of your leg is—ew, gosh, don't show it to me!"

"I can't rest," Baya complains. "I'm genuinely excited for these games now, Tatta. Like, don't you feel full of power after finishing one?"

"I feel grateful I survived until I remember my only award is living for a few more days," her friend responds dryly. "So, no. But really, you should rest! If you put pressure on that leg, you might start limping even more."

She allows herself to sink into the mattress, sighing. They're in their bedroom at the Beach, a small spot far away from the party.

"You're safer here than you are at that party," Tatta adds, sticking another bandaid to her arm. "I mean, Niragi will probably look for you there, not here."

Baya shudders. "Why does he have to look for me? Is his life so boring that he must do this?"

Tatta stops moving. "Wait a minute—explain who this Kaito guy is."

"One of my coworkers. We'd sell together at the black market and I lived with him for a while."

"Niragi also knows him. Did you know Niragi before this?"

"I don't think so..." Baya's eyelids drop closed as she tries to recall her memories. Kaito wasn't often around, nor did she try to connect with him. Now and then, she'd walk out of their apartment because he'd be annoying others, but other than that—

"Ohh," she realizes. 

Tatta's eyes wide. "What? You remember?"

"I think he was Kaito's... victim?" It sounds more like a question than a statement. "Kaito tended to bother other people. He wasn't the kindest."

"Like, bully? Because when the Beach just started, Niragi killed this guy. He never fully admitted why he did it, but Chishiya saw it happen, and then told Kuina what he thought of it, which lead to Kuina telling Asahi, and Asahi telling me."

"I have two questions. One: what's with the gossip? Two: what did Chishiya think of it?"

"Who doesn't like gossip? And Chishiya thought Niragi got hurt by that man in the past. Kaito confirms it. I guess he got bothered by them. He recognized you at the Beach, because you were near the bully situation now and then. Now he wants revenge."

"But I didn't bully him. Do you think that if I call him out on it, he'll be so shocked he won't bother me again?"

"I think he'll painfully kill you."

Her shoulders slump. "Yeah, you're right."

A short silence falls. Tatta removes the leftover trash of the bandaids while Baya stares at the ceiling, trying to keep her mind off... everything.

"What do you think he'll do? Like, genuinely?" she wonders, her voice quieter now.

"He won't kill you, so... the other thing. But maybe if we go tell Hatter and Aguni—"

"Woah, why haven't we thought of that before?"

"Probably because neither of them will do anything about it."

"We can try." Baya shrugs, though there is no hope in her voice. "I don't know, Tatta." 

Tatta is silent, his fingers pausing mid-air as he throws the last of the bandaid wrappers into the trash. He stares at the floor.

"I'm serious, Baya," he says finally. "You can't keep running from this. We need to do something before it gets worse."

Baya's mind is a whirlwind. Niragi, Kaito, these games, and now the Beach. Everything's getting tangled up.

"I'm not running from it," she mutters. The pain in her leg pulses with every thought, but it's nothing compared to the gnawing dread growing in the pit of her stomach. "I just don't know what to do anymore."

Tatta exhales sharply and sits down beside her. "Whatever happens, we stick together, okay?"

Baya looks at him, his familiar face almost a comfort. "I don't know if we can stop him, but thank you." She takes a deep breath. "But what about Chishiya?" she asks suddenly. "You said he saw Niragi kill someone. If he knows something, he might be able to help."

Tatta looks uncertain for a moment, then frowns. "Chishiya? He's not exactly the type to get involved in other people's problems unless it benefits him. But..." He hesitates. "Maybe you're right. If anyone knows how to deal with Niragi, it's Chishiya. He's got his own methods of handling situations like this."

Baya nods slowly. "I'll talk to him."

Tatta raises an eyebrow. "You can't properly walk. Besides, you and Chishiya don't exactly... get along."

"Who said anything about getting along? I just need him to help me."

"Fine. Whatever you say." Tatta jumps up. "I'll get Chishiya and Kuina. I saw them enter the room right across from this one, so you'll be left alone for a second only." He walks over to the door.

Just like the first time she saw Niragi's face, he appears the exact second Tatta opened the door, as if he also wanted to open it.

Her heart sinks. Tatta automatically steps back. "Get away!" He peeps—

Niragi presses the tip of his gun to Tatta's throat, a grin glued to his lips. "Glad you're here. Give me a hand."

The gun remains stuck to Tatta's skin as Niragi drags him towards Baya, who's frozen in shock. Just fight. She survived that game. She felt powerful. Right now, she can do the same. She should feel the same.

"W-what?" Tatta stammers.

The gun shifts from him to Baya's calf, pressing lightly. She clenches her teeth to keep herself from hissing.

"Aw, that hurt?" Niragi's head tilts to the side. "Tatta, the legs are already stuck, but why don't you hold her arms?"

"What?" He asks again, his voice abnormally high with fear.

"You heard me." Niragi points at Baya's arms with his gun. "Hold her."

"No! N-no, I won't," Tatta protests.

The gun presses against his temple now. "It wasn't a request." Tatta barely has time to react before Niragi shoves him forward, forcing him to stumble onto the mattress where Baya lies.

Her eyes tell Tatta that it's okay. There isn't a lot they can do about this. She knew this would happen eventually. The more they resist, the worse this will— never mind. Screw that.

Baya impulsively reaches forward, jumping on top of Niragi with such force that he falls flat on his back.

He grunts in surprise. Baya doesn't hesitate. She scrambles to pin his arms, her injured leg screaming in protest. Niragi recovers fast, faster than she expected. He twists sharply, using his greater strength to throw her off.

She hits the mattress hard, gasping. Niragi is on her in an instant. His knee presses into her burned leg, drawing a cry of pain that she tries to choke back. His hand clamps around her throat, not enough to strangle but enough to remind her who's in control.

Baya thrashes, but he holds her down effortlessly. His grip on her throat tightens with every ounce of resist she shows. Tatta shouts something.

"Move and I'll blow your brains out," Niragi warns Tatta without looking away from Baya. "Now, hold her down like I said."

Tatta's hands tremble as he hesitates. His eyes dart between Baya and Niragi. His chest rises and falls rapidly, his fear recognizable.

"Tatta..." Baya wheezes, trying to reassure him, but her voice is weak under Niragi's grip.

Niragi shifts his weight, forcing Baya's arms above her head. His breath is hot against her cheek as he leans in closer.

Baya's mind races. She clenches her fingers around the sheets beneath her. Summoning all the strength she has left, she drives her knee upward, slamming it into Niragi's ribs.

He curses. It's enough. Baya jerks her head forward, smashing it into his nose.

Blood spurts instantly. Niragi grunts, fury replacing amusement as he reels back. The gun wavers in his grip.

Tatta takes his chance, lunging at Niragi, trying to wrestle him away. Niragi grips his gun again, and slams it on the side of Tatta's head.

The thud of his limp body falling to the floor sounds like the intro of a horror movie for Baya.

She's still on helplessly on the bed when Niragi looks back at her. Blood spatters paint the white mattress. It gets worse when Niragi wipes the blood from his nose with the back of his hand.

Baya glares up at him, refusing to look away, even as a terror spread through her whole body.

He'll be on top of her in no time, she notes. That will be the perfect opportunity to fight him again. There is no one else to help Niragi.

Nor is there anyone to help her, but still. She just needs to—

He connects the gun with her temple, so hard that she loses all power of her body, as well as consciousness.

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🂱 — A/N: Ewww

Okay, so I spread awareness about this before, but once again; please reach out if anything like this has happened/is happening to you, and stay safe <3

The next chapter will contain heavier themes of SA but I will not write any graphic detail. Either way, please skip it if you don't feel comfortable.

Anyway my grandma called Niragi a zombie 💪

Have a good day!!
x Vera