Death Game of Venice Part 2: A riddle

Tetsuka woke up hovering in the air. Her wrists and ankles were shackled to chains while she was gagged with a cloth rag.

“Think you can split me into pieces? Think again!” Tetsuka thought as her body turned into metal and she slammed to the floor. She then forcefully snapped the chain binding her right arm and ripped her gag off. She then freed her other arm before sitting up and eating through the chains binding her legs.

“Not bad, though could taste better,” Tetsuka shrugged as she munched on her shackles.

“Congratulations! You’re the 2nd person to escape!” Piazzo’s voice rang out.

“Wait? You’re keeping track? And who’s the first? Doka?”

“No, a woman trapped beneath the canal that smoldered her prison in a flash. She is a solo player like you. Why don’t you roam around outside. There might be strong foes to fight.”

“Well Doka’s gonna be pissed she’s not first, but fighting? That’s my type of party.”

Tetsuka ran up the stairs and arrived outside. She then spotted some rough looking guys running towards her.

“You looking to fight?” she smiled as she cracked her knuckles.

                                                                             …

Serika awoke to the sound of pouring water. She quickly realized she was restrained in a water tank much like the one she had been trapped in 9 days ago on March 15th.

“It’s even in a hotel bathroom esque room? Well, Miss Ginkawa probably noticed our training,” Serika thought as she reached for her tools concealed in her jacket’s wrists.

“I’m not losing again dammit!”

Serika freed one of her arms and quickly freed the other as the water level reached her ankles.

“Easy, the restraints aren’t even fully submerged yet,” Serika happily thought as she quickly freed her legs and began climbing out of the chamber.

Once she was free, she ripped the tape off her mouth, crumpled it up, and threw it at the tank.

“Take that!” she smiled as she exited the door.

Serika was surprised to find herself back in the plaza, and that she had been held in a tiny standalone structure.

“Congratulations! You’ve escaped, though now that over 10 have escaped, I’m putting forth a new rule. You must now kill one other to save the one you love,” Piazzo’s voice rang out.

“Kill!? The hell’re you- “

“Ah, Killing for you should be no problem. Now as for your lover, go to a place with ties to those from the land that brought her despair.”

“What the hell!?”

Serika stormed off, unsure of how to perceive Piazzo’s words.

As she was repeating the riddle to herself, she ran into Tetsuka.

“Osu Rika! Whatcha muttering?” Tetsuka asked.

“Oh it’s you Tetsuka. Piaza or whatever his name is gave me a riddle on where to find Emeri.”

“You got a riddle? He just told me to go bash some heads, now he says you gotta kill to save your lover. Well Ka-san really knows where to find the good performers. I’m not smart so I probably can’t help, but I guess it couldn’t hurt to tell me the riddle.”

Serika told Tetsuka the riddle.

“Land that brought her despair? Might be a country then.”

“A Country? “

“Yeah, can you think of a country that brought her despair?”

Serika could think of just one.

“Greece.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. As for the first bit, maybe a church,” Tetsuka theorized.

“You’re so knowledgeable on this,” Serika said as she pulled out her phone.

“Heh, well I do pick up on things throughout my globetrotting.”

“San Giorgio dei Greci! That’s the result that came up. Thanks Tetsuka!” Serika yelled as she ran off.

“No problem! Now let’s find someone strong,” Tetsuka smiled as she leapt into the air.

                                                                         …

As Serika headed for her destination, she was stopped by a desperate looking man.

“Heh, I’ll kill you! Then she’ll be free!” He yelled as he charged at Serika.

Serika kicked him in the gut, sending him flying towards the ground unconscious.

“You must kill, not simply defeat. If you don’t kill at least one other, you won’t be able to leave,” Piazzo’s voice rang out.

“Shut up! I ain’t killing anyone!”

“But you killed Zerin Nakayama and Mochika Myouchi with ease.”

“How… No… You’re with Illumous aren’t you!? Serika said as her face went pale.

“BRAVISSIMO! Yes, though I’m part of the faction the public knows not of.”

“What do you mean!? Wait? You’re just announcing this publicly!?”

“No! Only you can hear me right now. Hmm, a shame. It seems your family will not get their dues, considering you will be consumed here. Well, not like they can oppose the captain.”

“Captain!? Who the hell is that!?”

“Sorry, that’s all you will know. Ah, I forgot to mention poison gas will spread throughout the place Emeri is held in hmm 9 minutes.”

Serika immediately bolted off as she struggled to process Piazzo’s ramblings.

“I’ve never heard of someone called captain, nor did that bitch ever mention someone like this pizza shit. Who the hell is he?”

                                                                                     …

Serika arrived at San Giorgio dei Greci and slammed open the doors. Emeri was crucified and gagged inside. As Serika ran in, the doors slammed shut, and a gas slowly began to fill the room.

“SHIT SHIT SHIT! This is bad!” Serika thought as she covered her face with her at and ran up to Emeri.

“Nailed to the cross!? That sick bastard’s gonna get it,” Serika thought as she frantically ripped the nails out of Emeri’s arms and legs and slapped her face.

Emeri slowly opened her eyes as Serika frantically looked for a way out.

“Cover your face with your hat, and hold mine on my face while I carry you,” Serika ordered as she princess-carried Emeri.

Emeri had no idea what was going on, but nonetheless complied. Serika then ran at top speed towards a window and jumped out.

The two fell to the ground and coughed as they gasped for air.

“You alright?” Serika asked.

“More or less,” Emeri replied.

“BRAVISSIMO! You saved your lover, but you still haven’t killed. Now you will need to kill two. One per person if you wish to escape,” Piazzo’s voice rang out.

“KILL!? What is he talking about!?” Emeri shouted.

“I’ll explain all I know, but we should try and reunite with everyone first, especially Tetsuka,” Serika stated.

“Why Tetsuka-chan above all else?”

“Because she might be the only one capable of taking down that monster.”

                                                                         …

Madoka frantically ran through the alleys as she searched for Yuni.

“No, No! Where is she! I’m running out of time,” Madoka thought as she ran into a plaza.

Suddenly, a chill went down her back. She turned to see the frightening dark dragon beast with a fixed grin from the dinner casually approaching her.