23 vs 4

“There they are!” Hayato lowered himself down gracefully. Hmm, I’m getting better at this.

Silvia’s eyes popped out. “You seriously want to join that team? We don't even know how many powerful people are out there?” 

“So what? You want to hurt my s— a child?” Hayato was considering dropping her off far away and joining Misuki.  There was a long silence. “No, I agreed with you before. I don't want to hurt a kid…  So I'll join the red team. I trust you.”

Hayato blinked and blushed. Why was she saying it like that? He was happy and giddy that she chose to be in his team. He turned back to find Yuka, nearing a cave.

 “Hey, I want to join the red team!” He called out from above. Yuka frowned, looking around for the voice. She turned her head up. She rolled her eyes as she started running again, changing direction. “God damn it!”

This is the one who wanted to kill me even when we were on the same team. He seemed suspicious. Yuka was out of breath, and her speed slowed down considerably since she started. 

“Oi, I said I want to join your team,” he called out again, casting a shadow on them.

“Really?” Misuki looked up at him happily from Yuka’s hip. “More people want to join my team?” 

“No, Misuki! We don’t want him in our team!” Yuka shook her head, stopping the young girl. “Oh...”

“No, you DO WANT ME ON YOUR TEAM.”

“WE DON’T WANT HIM ON OUR TEAM!” 

What’s wrong with this woman? Was Yuka his best friend? Because she is nothing like before. He looked at the worried Misuki. My sweet little sister… I'll do anything to keep her safe.

He lowered down, landing, watching as Yuka eventually staggered, falling to her knees, breathing heavily. She was not used to carrying someone and running at full speed for such a long period of time. Since she couldn’t win the physical strength, she materialized her gun back. Since he could only fly, she could take care of him. 

“Wait a minute, we come in peace,” Silvia immediately interrupted, getting off his shoulder. 

“Don’t get near us.” Her mouth heaved in and out. 

“If you don’t trust us, how about you turn me red first?” Silvia lowered herself down to the ground as well.

“You are the last one I would trust,” Yuka affirmed. “Clone bitch.”

Hayato felt a little angry that she got to decide whether she wanted them on their team or not. But he knew that between them and Yuka, Misuki trusted Yuka's opinion more. I don't even look the same anymore. I need to calmly solve this, and gain the trust of my sister. “What can we do to gain your trust? Tell us?”

This question seemed to make Yuka think for a moment. I can ask them to kill someone from the green team and present it to me as a sign of loyalty… Yuka looked at the sky: 2:40. There was still a lot of time, and I had killed like four. She did a quick calculation. Twenty-five players left; if she had these two, it would be easier to survive before someone found them. 

“I'll decide.” Yuka pulled herself together, preserving what little rest she could get. She gestured for Misuki to back away, and she took a few more steps away from them. She materialised multiple swords on the ground. She stayed silent, watching them. They shifted uncomfortably in silence before the swords rose high in the air. “I want you, here, underneath the swords.” 

Silvia instinctively held her arms together, her face hunching in. 

Hayato pointed at himself, surprised, taking confident steps into the center. Yuka seemed impressed by his resolve. “Turn around.” 

He followed her instructions as she tapped his vest twice. The color went red. He didn't do anything strange but something about him doesn't sit right with me. But Yuka was relieved that they weren't pulling the rug from under her feet. “You convert her now.” 

Yuka trusted her less because of her abilities. If that woman tried to kill them, the guy would be sacrifice. Yuka made sure she had the upper hand. 

Hayato easily just tapped her twice and she turned red too. He stopped suspecting Silvia long time ago. She was actually a really sweet person. “There you go, we are now a team.” 

Yuka turned to Misuki, who smiled brightly, happy that they had more allies. It would be harder to kill them when there are four of them.

“We will split into two teams. Misuki and I will hide while you two will be our assault team.” Yuka gave them instructions, and Hayato frowned. 

“Why shouldn't we all hide? It’s much easier to solve problems when we are all together.”  He didn't like the plan. “It feels like… you are treating us like sacrifices rather than allies. I don't want to put myself at harm, nor do I want Silvia to be harmed more than necessary.” 

He looked her down, and Yuka looked him up; they were both challenging each other, an electric light sparking between them. 

“I would have gone myself but I don't trust you two around Misuki, so you two need to fight.” Her fingernails dug into his chest, her head reaching his shoulder. “Othewise, there is no point if all of us hide and wait for people to find us.”

He pulled her hand away. “What's the point of being a team if you treat us like this. I don't want anyone to harm Misuki either. I see her like... a sister. So none of us would hurt her.”

“As if I would believe that.” Yuka's snarky remark almost triggered him. She really knew how to get on his nerves.

Suddenly, the birds in the trees flew away, and the ground shook. A high frequency sound filled the air; they all held their ears, blood leaking. 

“Where does this sound come from?” Misuki fell to her knees, clutching her ears. 

“There is someone nearby,” Silvia informed.

“Do you know where they are?” Hayato asked as the sound got louder, piercing their eardrums.

“My clone reports that he is watching us from a tree.”

“Which tree?” Hayato asked.

“Oh, it's very far.”

“Which tree?” Yuka insisted.

“You see the shadow of a hill? It's the three trees in that area, the furthest and smallest tree. He is sitting on a branch, holding a hanging vine.” Silvia clutched her eyes, trying to suppress the annoying sound.

Someone is approaching. His voice warned him.  It's targeting the one you like.

“Is that right?” Yuka held her ear and raised her right hand.

“It's too far.” 

“Not far enough for me.” The recoil of the gun pushed her hand slightly forward. There was a sudden silence, but not for long, as another player raised her leg up, aiming for Silvia. 

Hayato threw a kick, pushing her out of the way. She dropped to the floor, her long green long locks on the ground. “H-how?”

Yuka, Misuki and Silvia were surprised to see another one. What's this? I didn't even see her? 

She's attacking upfront. Hayato blocked. She is fast? 

Yuka’s eyes widened; she was moving in a blur yet he was able to keep up. 

Left, right, right, and left. He raised his left arm, then right, kept his arm up, and then back to his left. The attacker took a sharp inhale. “What the hell? How are you keeping up?” 

“Kill her now!” Yuka yelled.

“I… don't want to kill,” he admitted, surprising all of them. Yuka grimaced in disgust, rolling her eyes.

This time he was punched right in the face. He held his face as a barrage of punches rained down on him. What? Why can't I predict what coming anymore? 

Before it went to the next target, Yuka. Her face was being beaten black and blue, unable to see the attacks.

“I guess he was lucky,” the attacker muttered as she backed away. “The child is easy to kill later, so I'll go for the strongest.” 

She aimed at Hayato, a hidden, short, hair pin aimed at him, stabbing him in the chest. Then aimed at the neck but the pin wasn't stabbing in; there was a green glow on his neck. Everything blurred as she stabbed him multiple times in the chest instead. 

“You still won't kill?” Yuka watched, arms crossed, as blood dripped from the holes in Hayato. He tried to hold her movements, but she was disappearing from sight before he could catch her. Silvia tried to stop her by attacking in his direction, but all she got was hugging the air. She let out a cry as she stabbed her on the back with the pin. Silvia bit her lips, holding her shoulders, trying to swing but was stabbed again on her hand. 

“I'm too fast for everyone! Hahaha, you can't catch me,” she laughed wickedly as she attacked both Silvia and Hayato simultaneously. Hayato used his body to protect Silvia as she looked up, surprised by his protection.

Yuka watched, unable to follow the fast movements, but she was seeing a pattern. She could try shooting, but she might accidentally kill the two idiots she had in her team. She materialised small, sharp, spiked objects, makibish, on the ground and watched as the enemy stepped on multiple of them because they were going too fast to stop themselves in time. 

“AHHH!” She staggered, turning her feet to see what she stepped on. A bullet went through her head, and she fell down lifelessly. 

Yuka let out a big sigh. “This is going to be a long round… for me.”