Pivot's Game

— Please take your seats, passengers. We are heading to Tokyo.

The passengers were confused.

— Eh, seriously? Isn't this an emergency?

— I thought the engine had exploded... are we going to land in the middle of the city? Where are the safety protocols?

Iroko: "The plane is working as intended. There won't be an emergency landing."

— Don't mess with me! What if the plane explodes?

Kuroki: "I can assure you that's not going to happen."

— And what did you do? That was obviously a magic trick!

Some passengers were filming the green grid and Kuroki.

Kuroki: "Hey! I won't allow any of you to record this incident! If you don't obey, I'll kill each and every one of you personally. I have the power to do it."

Iroko: "Yeah! It is illegal to film someone if they don't consent!"

He looked at Iroko, who was secretly filming him just in case.

Kuroki: "Including you."

He shuddered, slightly surprised by Kuroki's murderous gaze.

Kuroki: "Listen carefully, everyone. Don't tell anyone about this incident, or things will get ugly. And remain silent until we land."

Iroko stood there, watching the passengers to make sure they didn't do anything drastic. He was doing his usual job, albeit a little more chaotic. But that no longer satisfied him. He wanted a power and would do anything to have that opportunity. But he had to wait until landing, and Kuroki didn't want to be disturbed, so he waited...

I've never felt this bored up here...

Time passed until they were about to land.

Iroko: "Alright everyone, please remain in your seats. We're about to land."

— What about the hole in the wall?

Kuroki: "It won't open again until after landing. But the grid will disappear soon after, so you have to get off the plane quickly."

— What about our luggage?

Kuroki: "The attack probably didn't affect them, but if it did, there's nothing I can do."

— But you can fix things!

Kuroki: "Temporarily. When you leave the plane, they will disappear."

— But we're carrying important stuff! Please fix them just until we can find a replacement!

Kuroki: "No can do. You see something beyond human comprehension and the first thing you do is cling to it? I'm doing my part, but I'm nobody's babysitter."

Iroko: "Everyone, the plane is going to land in less than ten seconds, so please stay calm, or things may get worse."

His heart raced at the thought that the grid might malfunction or disappear, but he needed to stay calm and smile at the passengers so they wouldn't do anything stupid.

The wheels touched the ground as smoothly as ever. The pilots didn't see the damage to the hull, which allowed them to work more calmly. The landing was a success. The plane stopped and connected to the airport access walkway. When the door opened, people rushed out.

Iroko: "Please, slow down, everyone! We still have time before the grid goes out-"

Where is he? Where is Kuroki?!

He rushed past the passengers, even though his job was to assist them. This opportunity mattered more than the job, so he didn't care about being fired. He entered the airport, but people made it difficult for him to find Kuroki.

That bastard! He ran away to save his ass...

Iroko wandered aimlessly, wondering where Kuroki could be.

You're not going to get away that easily... You don't want people to recognize you, right? The first thing you'd want to hide would be your colored hair.

He knew that airport better than any other, as it was his hometown and he used to fly from there. He ran to the nearest clothing store. They sold caps and hats, as well as hoodies and other similar items.

Unfortunately for you, I'm pretty good at spotting colored hair from a distance.

He approached the barely disguised green-haired man and touched his shoulder. Kuroki jumped back, startled.

Iroko: "Look, I'm sorry for filming you. I just wanted to make sure I found you, but only because I want a power, nothing more. I'll delete the video if you recruit me."

Kuroki: "Stop following me around! Didn't you hear what I said before? I will kill anyone who shares my picture!"

Iroko: "You only said that to intimidate the regular people, so they wouldn't reveal your identity to the public. But your power has limits. You couldn't have killed them there, even if you weren't at risk of being arrested."

Kuroki: "I still have an advantage in fights."

Iroko: "Then why don't you kill me? Take me to a secluded spot."

Kuroki: "Unless you plan to hurt me, I have no reason to consider you my enemy."

Iroko: "See? You're a good person. I know what it's like to hide your true self behind a facade. I wear a smile, you stare at me with murderous intent. In the end, we're the same."

Kuroki: "Are you sure you're not a player trying to gain my trust?"

Iroko: "If I had a power, I would have used it already. You saved my life, so I am indebted to you. Please let me join your cause."

Kuroki: "I don't really have a cause. And you're just using me to get a power."

Iroko: "It's called mutualism; I promise I'll help you. If you want confirmation, you could, I don't know... remove a piece of my brain and replace it with your power? Then you could kill me remotely whenever you want."

Kuroki felt disgusted by his idea.

Kuroki: "Is that the first thing that comes to mind? If you intend to go that far, I don't want any confirmation. Besides, it would be exhausting to keep you alive for long."

Iroko: "So you intend to let me live? I knew I could trust you!"

Iroko put his arm around Kuroki's shoulder and gave a smirk, making him uncomfortable.

Kuroki: "D-Don't get used to this. Let's talk somewhere else."

They went to a nearby coffee shop. Iroko stopped at one of the tables, waiting for his friend to choose it. Kuroki, however, went to the most secluded corner. Iroko followed him, confused but not surprised. They sat down. The waitress came to take their order.

— Welcome.

She placed the menu on the table with a kind smile. Iroko flipped through the pages, excited to try something different. The waitress was still standing there.

Kuroki: "Do we really have to..."

Iroko: "Come on, choose something! You wanted to try this, right?"

Come on, take the hint... We must look like regular people.

Kuroki: "Eh? Of course not, I never said that."

Iroko: "Miss, two cappucinos, please!"

— As you wish.

She picked up the menu and left.

Iroko: "Come on, man, loosen up a little. This is what I call a facade."

Kuroki: "What? So you didn't want a cappucino?"

Iroko: "Of course I did. I need some energy for the rest of the day, now that you've accepted me. So, where do we begin?"

Kuroki: "Sorry, I was a little paranoid. You're right, let's act naturally."

He took a deep breath and adjusted his new cap. He brought his face closer so as he could whisper.

Kuroki: "First of all, it's called the Pivot's Game. Nobody knows where the name comes from, or if Pivot is a person, but the information circulating is that it's a killing game with powers."

Iroko listened attentively and curiously, so as not to interrupt him.

Kuroki: "I can send you the link to download the app, but it's a one-way trip. Only death awaits you, so you still have time to think."

Iroko: "You're still alive, which means it's possible to survive."

Kuroki: "Yes, and I've been trying to find a way to shut down the game, without success. I still don't have any relevant information about how it started. Therefore, you should expect death as the most likely outcome."

Iroko: "I like adventures."

They exchanged blank stares.

Kuroki: "What? That's your motivation?"

Iroko: "Hey, you're making fun of my tastes again!"

Kuroki: "Do you really mean it? I'm sorry, I didn't mean it as an insult."

Iroko: "I'm simple-minded. But how about you? What motivates you?"

Kuroki: "My family... they were all brutally murdered."

Iroko: "I'm sorry to hear that."

Kuroki: "I play this game to have the power to help people."

Iroko: "I don't know how you feel, but have you tried revenge?"

Kuroki: "I have no clue where to start. I joined this game to learn more about the world and about myself."

Iroko: "Wait, you joined after that happened?"

Kuroki: "Yeah."

Iroko: "I'm sorry, I thought they went after your family because you're a player..."

Kuroki: "Nah, the murderers were just some random gangsters, probably. I don't care much about the past now. But I want to prevent this from happening to other people."

Iroko: "Are you really okay with this? We can search for them together."

Kuroki: "Let's get back to the matter at hand, this is more urgent."