This Is Not Fun

The voice spoke over the intercom again. “If everyone may please form into groups of 5. For the first game, we will be hosting a non contact game. There will be no killing from others. You may only earn points from a death. One unlucky person from each team will not be gaining any points. Once you form a team, please head through the open doors and onto a different platform from each team. This will raise you to the top floor. Thank you for your participation.”

Izumi: “Oh! Welpen, we can be on the same team! Let’s team up with your friend. Now, we need two more people. Who should we get?”

The young girl and crocodile from earlier approached them asking if they could join. He wore a ripped white tank top and a silver necklace with the letter Z on it.

Izumi: “Of course! We needed exactly two people. Perfect! Come on, Welpen. Let’s go to the doors.”

The two looked at Astro cockily. They had murderous intent in their eyes. He thought, ‘Great. Everyone even wants to kill me in this world.’

Welpen: “Hey Izumi. You’ve played these games before, right? Have you died? Have you…killed people?”

Izumi looked sad. She looked as if she didn’t want to answer that question.

Welpen: “Oh, sorry, sorry. You don’t have to answer. That was too personal. Sorry.”

Izumi: “No. You’re fine. Actually, I have played a few times, and I have died a lot. This is true. It’s also true that…I have killed someone. I panicked my first time playing and didn’t know what to do. I had a knife with me and poked it out and killed the man. Sure, he revived very quickly, but it was traumatizing. Never again. I play these games for tokens, but I will do that my own way and die how I choose.”

They made their way to the platform that took them to the top of the building in the clouds. They were unable to see the ground though. At the top was a singular device.

No other teams were up top. Astro assumed that some type of magic was manipulating the space and allowed for different scenes even though they were all in the same tower. Otherwise, they were the first team to go. Before them stood a wooden device with stairs leading up to it. It was big. It covered about half of the building’s layout.

Up the stairs were large floating scissors with a purple coat of mana around it, 10 ropes connected from top to bottom, and a target platform on the left hand side.

The voice came over the air. “Welcome! Welcome! This is the first of seven games. This game is very special. It’s more like a warm up than anything. It’s all up to luck. Doesn’t everyone love that?! As you can see, it’s a very simple game. There are 10 ropes before you. By random order, each of you one by one will step onto the target platform and choose a rope. The scissors before you will hover to that rope and cut it. There are 6 ropes that are dangerous and 4 that are safe. If your rope is safe, then the target will not launch you into the air and you may return to the back of the line. The last person standing will not receive any death tokens. For this round, a death will result in 5 death tokens due to a warm up round.”

The crocodile figure raised his hand to ask a question. “First off. I’d like to know your name. This is my fourth time playing these games and I still have never seen you or know your name.”

“Oh, sorry, sorry. You may call me Death Bringer. I don’t have an official name myself, but that seems to fit the mood, right?”

“Okay, Death Bringer. And what happens when we fall off this building? I obviously want to lose, but where do I go once I fall down to the bottom?”

Death Bringer: “Oh, don’t worry about that. You won’t fall all the way down to the ground. We wouldn’t want the partiers down there to mess around with your bodies while you regenerate. There is a larger platform down about half way that will bring you back inside and eventually down to the main room where you may take a seat again and wait for the next game. Now, if everyone may please step up to the stairs. I will now announce the order by random drawing. Up first, Miss Violet Kocho. Second, Mr. Astro. Third, Miss Izumi Kamiko. Fourth, Mr. Welpen. Finally, last will be Mr. Hoshi Boa. Everyone please line up in order.”

Violet: “I guess I’m first. Let me show you how its done losers. Lovely. I choose…The rope all the way on the right.”

The scissors moved over to the end and shifted themselves forward to cut the rope. The rope snapped in half as Violet awaited on the target without a sense of regret or anxiety. She wanted to be sent to her death. However, nothing happened and the scissors reset to the middle. Violet walked back to the end of the line sighing.

Violet: “I am just so unlucky. You all better not take all the good ropes.”

Hoshi: “Hahaha! Don’t act like you’ll make an enemy of us Violet. Sure. Go ahead and kill me in the next games. I’ll just gain more death tokens.”

Violet: “Oh really? Why don’t I just stab you endlessly and not let you regenerate? Or how about I strangle you with snakes again and not release them? You won’t get any tokens then will you?”

Hoshi: “Tch! Shut up. That was a representation of the games. Plus, I got death tokens for it, so I’m not complaining. Go to the end of the line like a good girl. Get behind me. Show her how it’s done guys.”

Astro stepped up to the target platform. He didn’t really care about the outcome. He thought, ‘Not like I haven’t experienced death before. My power has drawn from that, however I have a limit. I wonder how it works here. And anyways, you regenerate here. I need to try and take away a rope so that Welpen doesn’t get thrown off. I guess I’ll try to lose and get whatever this death token is.’

Astro: “I’ll take the rope right next to the right end of the one that just got cut.”

The scissors shifted over and forwards to the rope. It cut swiftly. Suspension built up as Astro awaited the outcome on the platform. The bottom clicked ever so slightly as if to hint to Astro to prepare for what was about to happen. He smiled.

Astro: “See ya on the other side Welpen.”

The target flung up and launched him into the sky and down the side of the building.

Welpen: “ASTRO!”

Welpen ran over to the side of the building to see him fall down through the clouds and out of sight. Once again, he shouted his name, but it didn’t matter.

Welpen: “Ast…ro sir...”

Izumi: “Oh. I guess I’m up. Don’t worry about it, Welpen. He’s fine. Okay. Here we go. I’ll take the one all the way on the left. Let’s shift up the sides.”

The scissors once again shifted over to the left side of the ropes. 8 remained. 5 were still good and 3 were bad. Although, in this situation, everyone thought it was the opposite. The scissors snipped the rope and nothing happened. An anticlimactic event right after Astro had been sent off. Welpen still stood over by the side of the building.

Izumi: “Welpen. Come on. Get back in line. Don’t worry. It’s part of the game. He will survive. You have to accept that. Keep your head up.”

She said this all with a smile on her face. Welpen knew this would happen, but it affected him more than he thought. He walked back to the line trying to get prepared to play. His body shook even though he knew he would survive no matter what. He was up. He walked up to the platform. Izumi took him by the shoulders.

Izumi: “You got this!”

Welpen walked over onto the target. He looked at the ropes in front of him. This was the first time ever that he had really felt fear. He was isolated his whole life, but this was the journey that he decided to take. He just wanted to get out of here as soon as possible though. He stuck with the pattern of what everyone was doing. He chose the next rope all the way on the right side. After a few moments went by, the loaded target didn’t go off. Welpen sighed.

Welpen: “Ahh. One more rope to cut. That was scary. A lot of new things lately for me. This is exciting and scary.”

Hoshi Boa took the stage next. He was the last person to go.

Violet: “Why don’t you show me how it’s done idiot.”

Hoshi: “Whether I cut the correct rope or not, you’re going to say I lost. Just zip it and play the game already. Or, are you just madly in love with me that you have to talk to me?”

Violet: “You’re insane you idiot. Hmph. If I ever loved someone like you, shoot me.”

Hoshi laughed, then thought, ‘6 ropes remaining eh? The one on the right was just safe, so let’s keep that going. The next one should send me off.’

Hoshi: “I’ll take the next one all the way on the right.”

Before he knew it, the spring at the bottom made a noise and the platform triggered. He flew into the air and before falling he shouted, “Your move, Violet! Hahahaha!”

Violet: “Tch! Stupid idiot. This is a stupid game. I’m up, right? Get me off this dumb platform already. I pick the middle rope.”

A few seconds passed and nothing happened. “Goddammit!” she screamed out. Welpen was bewildered with the fact that these people wanted to win. He questioned how good these death tokens really were. ‘Maybe I can buy ice cream with these,’ he thought. ‘It must be some really good ice cream.’

Izumi: “Hmm…I guess I’m up. Welpen, why don’t you pick for me?”

Welpen: ‘Huh? No, no, no, no.”

Izumi: “Don’t worry. I couldn’t care less about the outcome. I just want a friend to pick for me. If I fall off, that’s okay. I get rewarded anyways. I don’t want to pick it all by myself.”

Welpen: “Well…Okay. We are friends. I’ll try my best, Izumi! I think the right one right next to the one that was just cut is safe.”

Izumi: “Okay!”

She put her thumb up in the air and then motioned her pointer finger to the rope that Welpen had selected. The scissors cut and without much time passing by, the spring clicked and sent Izumi flying.

Izumi: “Don’t worry, Welpen! Just keep playing! Thank you!”

Welpen felt horrible for what had just happened, but he reassured himself that there was no problem. In fact, she won an award for dying as opposed to not winning anything, but winning the game. He convinced himself of this to move on.

Welpen: “I’ll buy my own ice cream elsewhere.”

Violet: “Huh?”

Welpen: “Nothing!”

He stepped up onto the platform once again. This was likely the last time he would choose a rope. Only 1 was left that would send him flying. After that, it was up to Violet what would occur afterwards. Welpen quickly chose the last rope on the right hand side without thought and closed his eyes nervously. Nothing happened. He was safe.

Welpen: “Yes!”

He quickly ran behind Violet.

Welpen: “Umm…Miss Violet. Can you please pick the bad rope?”

Violet: “Ha! You’re funny. Usually I’d kill you for saying something like that, but I’ll let it slide. After all, you’re pretty young and naive. Plus, I want the rope that sends me dying. That’s not the bad rope, that’s the good rope. Got any ideas which one it could be?”

Welpen: “No. I don’t.”

Violet: “Well, I like my odds. 50-50 seems pretty good to me. I picked the middle one before, so the one next to it likely should be it considering how this game has gone, however…I don’t follow what other people do. I’ll take the last one on the left.”

Welpen looked nervously ahead, awaiting the response of the spring underneath the target platform.

Nothing happened after several seconds.

Violet: “Agh! Just my luck of course.”

Right after she said this and before she stepped off the platform, the spring clicked underneath.

Violet: “Oh?! Yes! I won! I was right! Yes! Yes! Send me to my death!”

Violet licked her lips left and right. Her facial expression told it all. She wanted to die. She was used to this before. She enjoyed the thrill of the games.

The spring sent her flying in the air and she continued to lick her lips as she fell down the side of the building.

Death Bringer: “Congratulations sir Welpen. You win. Normally this would be a devastating defeat as you missed out on a large bonus of death tokens, however, this seems to be the outcome you desired. You may exit through the platform in the ground. Jump down and you will land on a large padding that will prevent your fall. Please make your way back to the main room and take a seat in your chair.”

Welpen jumped down the hatch in the roof and fell multiple stories down. He screamed on the way, but also laughed out of enjoyment of the fall, knowing he would be okay. Like Death Bringer had said, he landed on a large cushion. A door opened across the way and he exited through it and down one more flight of stairs until eventually returning to the main room. He looked around for his seat. He didn’t remember where he sat, but he had hoped to see some familiar faces. His eyes lit up as he surveyed the room back to where he was somewhat comfortable in these new surroundings…