Chapter 15- Last Breath

After escaping the last game 'Hide and Seek',Yoshio,Tomoki,Rinku and Nihonshu was all taken and placed in a cell altogether.James Thorne congradulated them for surviving the first game but warned them that next time won't be as easy as what happened today.

Yoshio: ''Easy??? That was an easy game???''

Nihonshu: ''Unfortunately he is right Yoshio,this by far was the easiest game considering there was other teams.Normally when he calls you from your cell it's just you and you alone..''

*Nihonshu randomly pulls out a bottle of alcohol*

Tomoki: ''What the? Where did he get that?''

Rinku: ''Hello??''

Yoshio: ''Hi"

Rinku: ''No you idiot!! Are we forgetting the main question here? ''

Tomoki: ''How he got the bottle of alcohol??''

Rinku: ''NO YOU DUMBASS!! WHO THE FUCK IS THIS GUY?? AND HOW DOES YOSHIO KNOW HIM??''

Tomoki: ''Yeah come to think of it...Who are you?''

Nihonshu: ''My name is Nihonshu.I was born in the Westwind.I love women with big boobies"

Yoshio: ''Hey!! That was the town we were heading to until....''

Nihonshu: ''Until you ended up here and I should know...Sutter's Mill is a hot spot for capturing slaves,that's probably how you guys ended up here''

Rinku: ''Are we just going to ignore the boobies thing?''

Tomoki: ''But they were so friendly...''

Nihonshu: ''That's what they want you to think but that place is actually full of bandits working for James Thorne.Their goal is to make people feel welcome and when they fall asleep,they knock them out and bring them to Runner's Up''

Rinku: ''Seriously guys...Are we ignoring that?''

Yoshio: ''Yeah about that...What is exactly...Runner's Up?''

Nihonshu: ''Runner's Up as you can see is no ordinary town.This place is hell itself...Runner's Up use to be a place for horse racing,A lot of the higher class folks often brought their own horses to compete in the 'Grand Stallion Race' (an event where all their horses competed to win money put together by every town participating in it )It happened almost every year..All of the higher class folks (mostly mayors from different towns) brought their horses,they gave their share of money and hoped their horse won so they could take home the prize which was literally all of the other mayor's money''

Yoshio: ''I don't get it..How did that simple race turn into what we have now?''

Nihonshu: ''I was getting there...You see...I myself am a higher class person.''

All 3 of them: ''WHAT!!'

Rinku: ''Then how did you end up like this?''

Nihonshu: ''Can you please let me finish the story so you can know!!''

Yoshio: ''Uhh...Yes...Continue...(Bitch)''

Nihonshu: ''After an incident over 10 years ago,Runner's Up was taken over by James Thorne AKA 'The Dealer' and ever since then...It lost it's spark.Every week he captures travelers so he can make them play these sick games,betting their lives just for his own personal entertainment''

Yoshio: ''Can't the Government do som-...Yeah who am I kidding...They probably in on it as well''

He was actually right by the way.

Tomoki: ''So is their any way you can escape?''

Nihonshu: ''You can't..You have to play his games until you die...People are going to bet money on you every...single...day.It's never ending.Each game..cruel as the last one.We are merely pawns for the rich''

Everyone remains quiet in the cell.Not a glimpse of hope among them.Is this the end of Yoshio's journey?Are the Western Rebels going to spend every day trying to win only to lose?

Yoshio: ''You know..Pawns can become any piece if they make it to the other side..''

Nihonshu: ''What do you mean?''

Yoshio: ''I mean,we don't have to always remain here just to suffer.Who generally cares if the odds are against us? Just because it's a challenge,doesn't mean it's impossible''

Tomoki: ''Impossible till proven possible"

Yoshio: ''Excatly!! Listen Nihonshu,I don't know your life and I don't even know what your goal is but trust me.We are breaking you out of Runner's Up,even if we die''

Rinku: ''Then you really wouldn't be breaking out more like breaking your promise''

Yoshio: ''Point is..You got us now.You are not alone in this''

In that moment...Something switched inside of Nihonshu's mind.Is it really possible? Could he finally be free from this horrible place? He was never a believer in fate but for the first time...It felt as if fate brought Yoshio to hold on to that last bit of hope.

Nihonshu: ''I'm glad I met you Yoshio! I knew from the papers that you wouldn't kill the mayors in the previous towns for nothing.Speaking of which..Why did you kill them? Surely you must have some goal in mind?''

Yoshio: ''My goal is quite simple Nihonshu...I want to find my mother and free her from Higher Palace.''

Nihonshu: ''HIGHER PALACE???''

Yoshio: ''You know something about Higher Palace?? Because honestly we was going to the Westwind to ask people on the dark side of town''

Nihonshu: ''Know Higher Palace?Yoshio,I've been to Higher Palace..''

*All 3 of the Western Rebels stand there with their mouths wide open (flabbergasted)*

After all this time...Not only did the Western Rebels want the location of Higher Palace but they found someone who has been to the actual place.Only a few amount of people have seen Higher Palace,let alone enter it.This was fate...

Yoshio: ''Y-You've actually been inside one of the most forbidden places in the country??''

Nihonshu: ''Yes..When I was younger,my father was invited into Higher Palace for a very important meeting.I was still young at the time so my memory of the journey is still a bit blur but regardless, Higher Palace is a place where you try so hard to forget but it remains carved inside your brain.''

Rinku: ''Okay yeah yeah,it's scary..Can you please tell us what is in there?''

Nihonshu: ''Inside Higher Palace is-''

Suddenly the doors burst open and 5 masked guards opened the cell and dragged Nihonshu.The Western Rebels thought he was about to be murdered for leaking information about Higher Palace but however that was not the case.Just then 'The Dealer' entered the prison and handcuffed Yoshio,Tomoki and Rinku.

James: ''Follow me''

Are they going to be hanged or is it something much worse? Sure enough it was...James Thorne brought the Western Rebels to the spectators seats where they could observe Nihonshu part-take in a game.The crowd was roaring,throwing coins and cash all over the arena,men were drinking,women shouting,even the children was causing chaos.

Tomoki: ''This is madness"

James: ''No...This is life..''
''ATTENTION LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,CHILDREN OF ALL AGES.PLEASE ALL RISE AND GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO OUR FAVOURITE CONTESTANT....NIHONSHU!!!!!''

The crowds cheers grew louder and louder.Was this even appropriate for how they acted?Nihonshu entered the arena,standing by the starting line.The Western Rebels grew anxious.The only person who they knew who had information about Higher Palace was about to play a game to determine whether he lives or dies.

Yoshio: ''Okay let's not panic...I'm sure Nihonshu will be fine considering he has been here longer than any of us''

James: ''That maybe true but Nihonshu has never played this game before...''

Rinku: ''What do you mean?''

James: ''Nihonshu has been here longer than anybody in this place and honestly..I'm fucking sick of him.He drinks all day but somehow manages to survive all the games but not today for I have created a new game that will test Nihonshu's limits..Hope he enjoyed drinking all that booze because today is going to be his Last Breath....''