Borderland and bloodbath
The next morning, Enji and Urumi wandered through the desolate streets of the Borderlands, the term people used for this abandoned city. Buildings stood lifeless, their windows shattered or eerily intact. Occasionally, they’d find traces of past players—campsites, discarded phones, or bloodstains marking the pavement.
Urumi was practically skipping.
“This place is perfect,” she hummed. “No rules, no cops, no consequences… Just games and death. It’s like paradise, don’t you think?”
Enji shoved his hands in his pockets. “You would think that.”
They turned a corner and spotted two figures up ahead.
The first was a mountain of a man—tall, broad-shouldered, and ripped. His long caramel-colored hair was tied back, and his shirt barely contained his muscular frame. He looked like a walking gym advertisement.
Beside him was a woman with sleek black hair tied into a high ponytail. She was also fit—not just the lean, toned kind, but the “I bench press people for fun” kind. Her unsettling grin widened as she spotted them.
“Yo,” the man greeted, his voice deep but casual. “You guys new?”
Enji nodded cautiously. “Something like that.”
“Name’s Kyuma,” the man said, crossing his arms. “This is Risa. We’ve been here for a while.”
Risa tilted her head, still grinning. “And you two?”
“Enji Matsushita,” he answered.
“Urumi Aramaki!” Urumi beamed. “You guys a couple or something?” She motioned between them.
Risa chuckled, draping an arm over Kyuma’s shoulder. “Something like that.”
Kyuma smirked. “We watch each other’s backs. In this world, that’s all that matters.”
Enji frowned. “So, what’s the deal with this place? The billboards, the games, the… visas?”
Kyuma’s expression darkened slightly. “Welcome to the Borderlands. The city’s empty, but we’re not alone. There are other players, and the only way to survive is by playing the games.”
He pointed at the deck of cards graffiti’d onto a wall.
“Each game is marked with a card. The suit tells you what kind of game it is.”
He tapped the Clubs symbol. “Clubs are team games. You work together, simple as that.”
Next, he pointed to the Diamond. “Diamond games test intelligence. If you’re not sharp, you’re dead.”
Then, the Spade. “Spade games are physical challenges. Think obstacle courses, races, survival of the fittest.”
Finally, his finger landed on the Heart.
“And these?” Enji asked.
Risa’s grin widened disturbingly. “Heart games are betrayal.”
Urumi’s eyes lit up. “Ohhh, I like the sound of that.”
Kyuma’s gaze hardened. “You shouldn’t. Heart games turn people against each other. They force you to decide who lives and who dies.”
Urumi let out a dreamy sigh. “So romantic~”
Enji exhaled through his nose. Of course she’d be into that.
Kyuma ignored her and continued. “The number on the card? That’s the difficulty. The higher the number, the harder the game.”
“So a 2 of Clubs is easy,” Enji muttered, recalling their first game.
Kyuma nodded. “But a 10 of Hearts? That’s hell.”
Risa leaned in, her voice low but excited. “The games start at sunset. It’s best to find shelter during the day and wait for the billboards to announce them.”
Urumi pouted. “Aww, so we just have to sit around until then?”
Risa chuckled. “Unless you wanna get caught out when the next game starts. Some people don’t get a choice.”
That part, Enji understood. If someone didn’t enter a game before their visa expired… they died.
Kyuma stretched. “We’ve got a place if you guys need somewhere to stay.”
Urumi twirled in place. “Orrr… we could go looking for a Hearts game!”
Enji gave her a flat look. “You really want to get stabbed by someone desperate?”
She laughed. “Only if I lose.”
Kyuma exchanged a glance with Risa. “You two are something else.”
Enji sighed. This was going to be a long day.