(Viewpoint: Kim Young)
The ball is spinning.
It circulates among us, from hand to hand.
Like a red star in the middle of a sky full of vultures.
Nobody moves.
No one dares.
The countdown doesn't even have time to start before panic sets in.
Suspended in the air like a blade.
The sphere passes between us.
Main.
Shoulder.
Chest.
TAK! .
B-02 touches it reflexively.
Error.
The red light activates.
Her eyes widened.
– NO !
He tries to tear it off.
More
AL-05 holds him back and the others move aside.
Nobody wants to die
He looks at his partners, then at us.
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"You too risk dying," he whispered.
The countdown begins again
So they retreat.
Even their perfect training can't do anything about it.
Then the ball comes back towards me
NO!
He throws it.
At random.
It travels through the air.
And landed on the ground.
– COVER UP
BOOM!
The explosion ripped away an entire section of the gymnasium.
A pillar gives way.
The ceiling is screaming.
Dust is everywhere.
– kkof! kof!
I have a cough.
My ears are still ringing when the mechanical voice crackles in the speakers.
[BALL THROWING]
POF.
A new sphere is launched.
Obviously.
Because this game was never designed to stop.
But none of us were relieved.
The ball flies.
She walks through the smoke.
TAK!
Ji-Yunwoo the rattrap.
As if it were natural.
As if he was waiting for this.
He looks around him.
His eyes scan the room.
Analyse.
Calculation.
He is not stressed.
He is… happy.
Then…
He throws it away
– Formation.
His voice is low.
But his group immediately understands, they rush forward and emerge from the dust.
Jun Seo was already running in his place
to the right of Ji-Yunwoo.
Jae runs behind, limping and struggling to keep up.
Like predators.
BOOM!
Another gust of wind sweeps us away before we even have a chance to recover from the last one.
AL-05 is trying to regroup as quickly as possible.
But their circle is broken and VI-03 was no longer there.
Perfect.
[BALL THROWING]
POF!
Ji-Yunwoo catches the ball in his hand.
The countdown starts and he passes it to Jun.
"Fuck," I murmured.
–… stand up …
My back is killing me and my team was oblivious.
That shitty doll is completely nuts.
But Ji-Yunwoo isn't waiting.
BOOM!
He is already salvaging parts from another body.
And the tremor of the explosion ran through my body.
Another explosion.
I grit my teeth.
Pulling my hair
– This guy is really crazy…
– I'm fed up with this game, she doesn't even respond anymore
Kang is panting next to me.
– We're losing too many people.
I know that, but I can no longer see my coins passing by on my watch.
Our coins are melting.
AL-05 is accumulating.
Ji-Yunwoo is racking up the points.
And me…
I'm stuck in the middle.
The mechanical voice is still crackling.
[BALL THROWING]
POF.
The new sphere appears.
This time…
Directly on me.
My legs are burning.
I jump.
My fingers touch the sphere.
TAK! .
I have it.
The countdown begins.
The players reacted immediately.
They're all rushing in the opposite direction.
– Let's follow them!
It's cold.
Kang and the others disperse and hunt down the fleeing ones; I follow them at the rear, crossing through the debris.
But they won't last long.
I'm looking at Ji-Yunwoo.
He's looking at me too.
I smile.
- Sorry.
I throw the ball.
TAK.
She clings to…
Silence.
Everyone stops.
CRIIIIIIKKKK!
The voice returns.
Stronger.
Colder.
[NEW PHASE ACTIVATED]
The black screens in the gymnasium light up.
For the first time since the beginning of the game
Is it over?
Pause.
[THE CUBE CARRIER]
[ALL MEMBERS OF HIS GROUP DIE]
Silence.
Total.
Then…
All eyes turn towards me.
Slowly.
– bastard …
I hold the cube in my hand.
