3
The four survivors of the Dead or Alive game trudged through the silent streets, seeking shelter. Tokyo, once a vibrant city, now felt like a corpse—buildings standing but lifeless, neon signs glowing but without an audience.
They found an abandoned apartment, furnished but eerily untouched. Chota collapsed onto the couch, wincing as his burned leg pulsed with pain. Shibuki, her arms crossed, surveyed the room.
“This isn’t a dream,” she muttered.
Arisu looked up from the dead phone in his hands. "What do you mean?"
She hesitated, then sighed. “Before I ended up here… I was working at a big company. I did everything I could to climb up the ranks. Even…” she trailed off before shaking her head. “I spent the night with my boss, hoping for a promotion. But when I went to shower, the lights cut out. When I came back, he was gone.”
“Gone?” Karube asked.
“No blood, no sign of struggle—just vanished. Then, suddenly, I was in a game. I survived, barely. And the next thing I knew… I was in the Dead or Alive game with you.”
Silence filled the room.
“Who the hell is behind this?” Karube muttered.
They had no answers, only theories. But one thing was clear—this was controlled. Every piece of technology, from their phones to the city’s power grid, had been disabled. Someone, somewhere, had orchestrated this.
As night fell, the billboard flickered to life again. GAME START. LOCATION: APARTMENT BUILDING.
Chota groaned. "I can't move with my leg like this."
Shibuki, surprisingly, sat beside him. "I'll stay with him," she said. "I don’t trust you idiots to take care of him."
Arisu and Karube exchanged glances before nodding.
“We’ll be back,” Karube promised.