Tatics

The stadium was a warzone painted with terror. Players huddled together, forming clusters of distrust, each mind racing with survival instincts. The moment the countdown for the game resumed, Takeshi's team braced themselves.

"Three minutes!" the intercom blared.

The ball was kicked into motion, the field exploding into chaos. Takeshi sprinted forward, passing the ball to Yusuke. Anri took position in the midfield, dodging players who lunged at her. Their opponents, the Red Team, countered aggressively, a brutal clash of limbs and strategy unfolding.

A piercing alarm rang through the stadium.

"Freeze!"

The field became a graveyard of statues. Takeshi stood still, barely balancing on his foot. One unfortunate soul in the Yellow Team flinched, his instincts betraying him. A red laser lined his forehead.

BANG!

Blood splattered across the field as his skull burst open, his brain matter decorating the grass. His name, Haruto Minagawa, faded from the scoreboard.

Screams echoed as another player, Reiko Tanami, teetered and fell on her knees in panic.

"No! Please, I—"

BANG!

Her stomach erupted as a bullet tore through her gut, her intestines spilling onto the ground. She twitched, her last breath gurgling through her bloodied lips.

The intercom crackled. "Game resumes."

The players erupted into motion once again, the trauma still fresh. Takeshi clenched his jaw, eyes burning with fury and determination. Survival meant staying calm.

Yusuke darted past a defender and passed the ball to Takeshi. He charged forward, adrenaline flooding his veins. The Red Team’s goalkeeper, a towering brute named Daichi Kubo, growled as he prepared to block the shot.

"Freeze!"

A sudden stop.

One of Takeshi's teammates, Kenta Sazuki, lost balance.

"No—"

BANG!

His chest cavity exploded as the bullet struck his heart. His body staggered before collapsing like a puppet with severed strings.

Another player, Shiori Megumi, had an itch on her nose. The smallest twitch sealed her fate.

BANG!

Her face was blown apart, chunks of skull and brain scattering into the air. The stench of iron and death thickened.

Five players down.

"Game resumes."

Takeshi suppressed his nausea, forcing himself to move. There was no time to grieve. No time to hesitate. Anri took the ball and sprinted down the left flank, barely dodging a slide tackle. Blood-streaked shoes left trails on the field.

The Red Team retaliated. One of their strikers, Hajime Otomo, performed a bicycle kick, sending the ball toward the goal.

"Freeze!"

Hajime’s landing faltered. His body instinctively flinched.

BANG!

His torso ripped open as a sniper round carved through his ribcage, sending shards of bone flying. His teammates gaped in horror.

Another player, Masaru Iguchi, was trembling. Sweat trickled down his brow. He blinked.

BANG!

His head was erased from existence, leaving a gory stump where his neck once was.

The remaining players were visibly shaking. Some were on the verge of passing out, their legs quivering.

The scoreboard updated. Thirty-seven players eliminated.

Takeshi exhaled sharply. "Stay focused! We have to finish this!"

Yusuke gulped and nodded, passing the ball back to him. The match continued, the tension suffocating.

More players succumbed to fear. Aiko Hoshino, unable to hold her bladder, twitched involuntarily.

BANG!

Her abdomen exploded, painting the field with crimson streaks. Ryohei Nakamura let out a whimper before his throat was punctured by a precise shot, his lifeless body slumping forward.

"Freeze!"

A defender from the Red Team, Shun Kurosawa, jerked his eyes sideways.

BANG!

His head twisted unnaturally as the bullet shattered his skull, chunks of his brain matter decorating the goalpost.

"Game resumes."

Takeshi roared, dribbling through the chaos. He leaped into the air and sent a powerful kick toward the goal. The ball sailed past the goalkeeper.

GOAL!

The buzzer rang. The match had ended. The Blue Team had won.

The survivors collapsed in exhausted relief, their bodies trembling from the adrenaline. Out of 597 players, only 289 remained.

Takeshi wiped the sweat off his forehead, his hands still stained with the metaphorical blood of his fallen teammates.

This The stadium was a warzone painted with terror. Players huddled together, forming clusters of distrust, each mind racing with survival instincts. The moment the countdown for the game resumed, Takeshi's team braced themselves.

"Three minutes!" the intercom blared.

The ball was kicked into motion, the field exploding into chaos. Takeshi sprinted forward, passing the ball to Yusuke. Anri took position in the midfield, dodging players who lunged at her. Their opponents, the Red Team, countered aggressively, a brutal clash of limbs and strategy unfolding.

A piercing alarm rang through the stadium.

"Freeze!"

The field became a graveyard of statues. Takeshi stood still, barely balancing on his foot. One unfortunate soul in the Yellow Team flinched, his instincts betraying him. A red laser lined his forehead.

BANG!

Blood splattered across the field as his skull burst open, his brain matter decorating the grass. His name, Haruto Minagawa, faded from the scoreboard.

Screams echoed as another player, Reiko Tanami, teetered and fell on her knees in panic.

"No! Please, I—"

BANG!

Her stomach erupted as a bullet tore through her gut, her intestines spilling onto the ground. She twitched, her last breath gurgling through her bloodied lips.

The intercom crackled. "Game resumes."

The players erupted into motion once again, the trauma still fresh. Takeshi clenched his jaw, eyes burning with fury and determination. Survival meant staying calm.

Yusuke darted past a defender and passed the ball to Takeshi. He charged forward, adrenaline flooding his veins. The Red Team’s goalkeeper, a towering brute named Daichi Kubo, growled as he prepared to block the shot.

"Freeze!"

A sudden stop.

One of Takeshi's teammates, Kenta Sazuki, lost balance.

"No—"

BANG!

His chest cavity exploded as the bullet struck his heart. His body staggered before collapsing like a puppet with severed strings.

Another player, Shiori Megumi, had an itch on her nose. The smallest twitch sealed her fate.

BANG!

Her face was blown apart, chunks of skull and brain scattering into the air. The stench of iron and death thickened.

Five players down.

"Game resumes."

Takeshi suppressed his nausea, forcing himself to move. There was no time to grieve. No time to hesitate. Anri took the ball and sprinted down the left flank, barely dodging a slide tackle. Blood-streaked shoes left trails on the field.

The Red Team retaliated. One of their strikers, Hajime Otomo, performed a bicycle kick, sending the ball toward the goal.

"Freeze!"

Hajime’s landing faltered. His body instinctively flinched.

BANG!

His torso ripped open as a sniper round carved through his ribcage, sending shards of bone flying. His teammates gaped in horror.

Another player, Masaru Iguchi, was trembling. Sweat trickled down his brow. He blinked.

BANG!

His head was erased from existence, leaving a gory stump where his neck once was.

The remaining players were visibly shaking. Some were on the verge of passing out, their legs quivering.

The scoreboard updated. Thirty-seven players eliminated.

Takeshi exhaled sharply. "Stay focused! We have to finish this!"

Yusuke gulped and nodded, passing the ball back to him. The match continued, the tension suffocating.

More players succumbed to fear. Aiko Hoshino, unable to hold her bladder, twitched involuntarily.

BANG!

Her abdomen exploded, painting the field with crimson streaks. Ryohei Nakamura let out a whimper before his throat was punctured by a precise shot, his lifeless body slumping forward.

"Freeze!"

A defender from the Red Team, Shun Kurosawa, jerked his eyes sideways.

BANG!

His head twisted unnaturally as the bullet shattered his skull, chunks of his brain matter decorating the goalpost.

More eliminations followed. Toru Ishikawa fell after twitching his fingers, his stomach punctured by two rounds. Mai Sakamoto gasped when she saw her friend die, causing her own demise as the snipers riddled her body with bullets. The field reeked of blood and charred flesh.

"Game resumes."

Takeshi roared, dribbling through the chaos. He leaped into the air and sent a powerful kick toward the goal. The ball sailed past the goalkeeper.

GOAL!

The buzzer rang. The match had ended. The Blue Team had won.

The survivors collapsed in exhausted relief, their bodies trembling from the adrenaline. Out of 597 players, only 289 remained.

Takeshi wiped the sweat off his forehead, his hands still stained with the metaphorical blood of his fallen teammates.

This game… was just getting started.

The remaining players were gathered in the center of the stadium. The intercom buzzed with a chilling announcement.

"Congratulations, survivors. You have passed the second game. However, before you rest, an extra round begins now."

A collective gasp filled the air. The already worn-out players turned pale. Takeshi narrowed his eyes. "Extra round? What kind of sick joke is this?"

The massive screens above flickered to life, displaying a new set of rules.

Extra Round: Sudden Death Penalty.

Any injured or exhausted players unable to stand within the next sixty seconds will be executed.

Horrified murmurs erupted among the players. Those who had collapsed in exhaustion struggled to push themselves up.

"One minute countdown begins now."

Desperate cries echoed through the stadium. Kenji Arata, who had broken his ankle during the match, sobbed as he tried to crawl forward. "Please... no... give me a chance!"

BANG!

His skull shattered, pieces of bone and brain splattering across the ground.

More players failed to rise in time. Nobuhiro Daichi, whose legs had gone numb from shock, clenched his fists. "I don’t want to die!"

BANG!

His chest caved in, blood gushing from the massive hole left by the sniper round.

One by one, exhausted bodies were erased. The field became a mass grave.

Takeshi clenched his fists, his gaze fixed ahead. This wasn’t just a game. It was a massacre disguised as entertainment.

The final scoreboard updated. Only 215 players remained.

The intercom crackled again. "Rest well. Your next trial awaits."

Takeshi inhaled sharply. This nightmare was far from over.game… was just getting started.