The Red Game's

Chapter 2 part 3

Cresh PoVs

One year ago.

Me, Kei, and Luchifer follow a game called ‘Red Game’ on the orders of researchers including my father. Red Game is a game where we are placed in an area and form a group to survive. In the game it is stated that one group consists of a maximum of five people. At first we only formed a group of 3 people, but ....

“Dad! Why did you include Salsa in this crazy game?” I snapped at the middle-aged man who was in front of me.

“Why, yes? Explain it because he is talented,” replied my father calmly.

“But named it—”

“Are you not sure you can protect her there?”

“Cih, you—”

I was ready to take a single blow to his face. However, Salsa was blocking me.

“Do not! It was my own decision to participate in the Red Game. So, don't hit it.” Salsa tried to convince me.

Although I knew Salsa was just lying, but I couldn't go against her wishes. I reluctantly abandoned my intentions.

“Ah, whatever it is.”

Salsa smile. “Take it easy! I can take care of myself.”

“Alright, but promise me to stay near me when the game starts. I don't want you to get hurt.”

“Yes, Cresh. You must also promise to stay alive.”

“I won't die just because of that game.”

We ended the conversation by promising to stay alive. I left without a word. All the contents of the head felt so chaotic that it wanted to explode. Various emotions mixed with nothing. Inside that worry, a slap shot into my cheek.

“How could I have a friend as weak as you, asshole.” Kei spilled harsh words for the first time at me. “Listen! If you are a man, then you have to face your own problems. Didn't I say that now the strongest is the powerful. To protect the people you love, you must grow stronger in order to do so. Maybe it was a form of your father's recognition of your power, so he included Salsa in the Red Game. I think he did it because he deeply recognized the power of Cresh Vallencius. Therefore, you should prove it.”

“Your words are too long, Kei!” cut Luchifer. “Padalaat you just need to say ‘don't run away from your problem because you have the strength to face it’ like that.”

“You two are too noisy. Who said I'd run, huh? I'm just too excited to get through Red Game.” I paused for a moment. “And again, can you get rid of your flat face, Luchifer?”

“Hmm, I don't think it's necessary. Because if my face is not flat, then this tattoo will look ugly like Kei.”'s

“Do you think your face is canvas?”

“Isn't a flat face cool?”

“Keren. That flat face of yours just pisses other people off and turns you into the unhappiest person.”

“Oh .. so yes.”

***

The next morning, the day was set to be the opening day of the Red Game. The four of us got together to plan a survival strategy in the Red Game. As the appointed time drew near, I felt uneasy thinking about what was to come. One loud pat on my back suddenly made me wake up and scream.

“Sick tofu!”

Salsa slightly laughed after seeing my reaction in surprise. “Your own fault off guard.”

“Yes, how else. I feel so uneasy thinking about something.”

“As expected. You must not be sure of my ability—”

“No, that's not what I mean.”

“You don't have to lie. Everything you think is clearly visible on your face.”

“If you already know. Why don't you go into hiding until the game's over?”

“That's because I wanted to protect you. The person I love the most.”

Salsa's reply surprised me a little. I didn't think he was doing this to protect me.

“Thank you, Salsa. But I'm the one who'll protect you.”

“It looks like you consider yourself better than me.”

Suddenly the sound of a bully at such a romantic moment, sounded in the ears.

“Cih, all those couples always just don't think about their best friend even though it's nearby,” Kei grumbled.

“Too much meddling in other people's affairs is not good, Kei. Besides it doesn't matter, we better get going,” Sahut Luchifer.

“So what are our plans?” I asked directly.

“Weighing time and place, I thought it would be good to hide in the beginning and finish off some enemies who managed to survive.”

“Isn't that a cowardly strategy, Luchifer?”

“I don't care about the process, Cresh. Want to use any means, as long as the latter will be a winner, I will have no problem. Because winning is very different from losing.”

“But it seems very crafty,” cut Salsa.

“Humans have an instinct to survive, which is why humans will do everything they can to stay alive. They do not care about the way used, for the sake of protecting something valuable to them, cunning and cheating will be used if necessary.”

“Ah, well I understand.” Salsa was finally able to obey.

“Yosh, time to go!” exclaim Kei.

In the middle of the Klaurius family's estate, an old palace where the Red Game was held, there were countless young people who had been the result of experiments. A protector enveloped the palace before the match began. Each team is placed in a different room. Our team was stationed at the very top of the palace, which meant we were lucky enough not to have to fight at the start of the game.

“Before the game starts, I Rech, will provide information and rules to all participants. For information, in the Red Game this time around fifty teams were already placed in all parts of the palace. The rules are quite easy, you just need to survive to the end and win the prize of being the Sovereign, so. Game starts.”

Maybe most people in this game is to become the Ruler, so it can be separated from being an object of experiment. They all know how the world works. In this world, the victor is the strongest and can feel pleasure, whereas those who lose will be the loser who can only obey. Therefore, they all hold the same principle. ‘Victory is everything’.

“Salsa,” I said to the woman next to me. “Do you think being a winner can guarantee that we can be happy?”

“What's wrong with you? Suddenly asking that?"

“Last-lately I just thought. Will I be happy when I become a winner even though I lose those who are valuable to me.”

“Entahlah. I don't know if I'll be happy or not. It's just, I'll probably feel empty.”

Maybe it will feel empty, yes ....

I guess I don't like that kind of thing. If I was going to feel empty, it would probably be better if I lost and just disappeared.

“Why does your face look like that, Cresh. You piss me off.”

“I wonder at you, Luchifer. Under these circumstances, you can still be as calm as ever.”

“Yes, however I have fifty percent confidence that we will win.”

“Fifty percent?”

“This is a gamble, Cresh. We're here as the last boss, which means we have equally great gains and losses. If you are in the game, you have two options to beat the boss. The first way, we fight against another group to fight against the boss. While the second way, we make alliances with other groups to fight the boss. That's why I said that this is a gamble.”

So that's why Luchifer says he has fifty percent confidence to win this game. But do we really have to bet? Is there no way not to bet?

“Do we have no other options?”

“You mean, possibility to hide or so on?”

“Ya, there you go.”

“Sweetly it's impossible.”

“What do you mean if it's impossible?” Salsa, who had been listening, immediately cut off the conversation.

“The king will be finished.”

“But can't we hide.” I cut.

“You're stupid, huh? In this situation, we don't know where it's safe. So, inevitably we have to bet.”

“And it seems like it is too late to hide too,” Kei said as he saw some people starting to get into the room.

Luchifer casually walked over to those people. When only a few steps were taken, quickly one of them attacked him using a sword. Luchifer stopped his steps, then flicked a finger, and right in front of him, the person who was about to attack stopped moving. It was one of Luchifer's Shadow Controlling Techniques.

“Suddenly directly attacked it, disrespectful you know,” taunted Luchifer calmly and expressionlessly.

“Hah? You think I'd care about something like that? No kidding! I don't care how, as long as I can be a winner and not a loser,” said the person who attacked Luchifer.

“Ya, whatever. Before we fight, I have a good proposal.”

“Good proposal you say? Heh, you think I'll fall into your ruse?”

“I propose to make an alliance with you to face the enemy that is coming here. Until finally, only our team remains. Nice right? Or maybe you choose the second option.”

“You said you had a proposal, but you made a choice. How could I possibly believe. You must just want to use us to fight and you call it an alliance to get us stuck.”

“There is a possibility that the team that will storm here later has formed an alliance, which is why I made a proposal to ally with you.”

“Since the past there have been no allied teams in Red Game to beat the teams at the top.”

“Ya, and that's why the team at the top is always the winner.”

“Then?”

“You said you'd do anything to win. It was possible that there was such a person as well and finally decided to attack here by forming an alliance.”

“I can't believe it.”

“Alright, I'll tell you the secret of the technique I used so you can trust me." Luchifer sighed. "Within a certain distance, I can stop the movement of people as I wish and there is no limit to using it for any number of people.”

You really are a liar, Luchifer. Whereas to use that technique, you need some requirements that must be met. First, you can only stop the movement of one person, and that person has to touch the ground, meaning it cannot stop the person flying. Second, you have to be quiet to defend it, meaning you can't attack when the technique is used.

“Useless. We will take second choice.”

“Darlingly, the second option is that you will die right now. Clear, Kei, Cresh.”

Ultimately, negotiations failed. I gathered the power in my right hand and turned it into a purple chain, then attacked the person Luchifer was holding.

As the attack got closer to the target, a fireball crashed into the attack and exploded. A plume of smoke covered the blast site, and soon Luchifer and Kei left. The sword Kei was holding was already covered in blood. Then fire gushed towards us, Luchifer just kept quiet as if nothing had happened. He seems very sure that I will hold him.

I spread my strength around and concentrated. And activate the Purple Cube Technique.

A giant cube was created by my power to protect us from fire attacks. After the fire attack ended, the Purple Cube had reached its limit and disappeared. Then the attack came again, this time an awful lot of knives were attacking from all directions. It's really bad, if we continue to defend like this, we will most likely lose.

“This is really bad.” Luchifer complained.

“You still complain in this situation.” I directly snapped at him.

Ignoring me, Luchifer took out his Shadow Rope Technique. Black ropes came out from where he stood, then towards the attacking knives and pulled them. Again the enemy attack was defeated.

“I'm fed up with them.”

“You always complain in every situation. Noisy knows,” I say.

“Salsa, do something against this fire.” Without even bothering me, Luchifer immediately ruled Salsa.

“OK,” reply Salsa.

Again I was neglected by them.

Salsa unleashed her Water Ball Attack Technique to extinguish the still burning fire.

“Come!” a spiritless order was thrown from Luchifer's mouth for Kei.

Kei and Luchifer immediately ran to attack the enemy. Surprised by the surprise attack, three men from the enemy issued their own attacks, namely fire, wind, and weapon controllers. With a single swing of the sword, Kei managed to neutralize all those attacks. Without waiting for long, Luchifer used the Shadow Puncture Technique on them. Now only an enemy is alive as it runs away from battle. He tried to get out of the room, but Luchifer made him unable to move, then Kei slashed his neck. Ordinary people may feel guilty about doing that, but we're used to it.

“They are both very great, yes.” Salsa commented.

“Entahlah. I feel like they are required to be strong. Even they got isolated just to be strong.”

“Yes, but I think they are very happy because you are allowed to be their best friend and closest person.”

“I'm not sure. They are only taught to always win no matter what. Emotions or ties, they shut themselves out of it. That was why Luchifer never smiled or grieved, and Kei always used his fake smile. I hope I can color their unfortunate fate with cheerfulness.”

That's what I was thinking, until finally the worst possibility that Luchifer said happened.

Almost all the participants surrounded and urged us. Because of the attack, Salsa died and I went on a rampage to remember nothing more. When I woke up, the blood pooled like water. My body was covered in blood and corpses scattered everywhere. On top of the pile of bodies, I saw Luchifer bathed in blood, and then he disappeared somewhere.

***

Kei PoVs

“So, do you think the trigger Luchifer committed a massacre?” my many.

“Maybe because his twin brother died,” replied Cresh.

“I'm not sure. Can you tell me why, why his brother could die?”

“He saved me. When I go berserk and lose control. I think Kei used his Penetral Technique to calm me down. But ...”

“That technique has a condition to use it.”

“Ya, to neutralize the great power, Kei needs to touch its users. Maybe it was—”

“You killed him and the story is finished.”

“Hey, don't you think about Cresh's feelings?” said Vany.

“Past time cannot be changed. So why keep thinking about it.”

“Tapi—”

“Key! Are you Kei Klaurius?” ask Cresh.

“There is no way to prove it. Whether I am Kei Klaurius or not, let it be a mystery.”

“There's a way to prove it.”

“Eh?”

Suddenly Cresh attacked me with his chain. I immediately jumped backwards quickly, then used the Acceleration Technique to run and lash at Cresh.

“I think I'm Kei Klaurius.”

“Do not joke. A surprise attack would not scratch Kei Klaurius in the slightest, even if he did not move. After all, he doesn't use Acceleration Techniques like you.” Cresh grumbled as he stood up.

“Oh.”

“Terlarah. Now get the hell out of here.”

“Boring. I thought there would be a love triangle between you.”

“It's not a soap opera, fucking bottom.” Cresh clucked in annoyance.

“Yes, I think you forgot something.”

“I did not forget. Next time we'll talk about it.”

“Oke.”