1 In The Game Again

" I won't be barging in your house anymore. . ."

" Eh? Why? You're going to miss Mr. Rabbit."

" . . . If you say it like that, I might kidnap that rabbit of yours"

" HaHa, you mean Rabbit-nap?"

" Well, either way, say goodbye to him."

" HaHa, just kidding, it was fun having a friend home even for a while"

" Yeah, Thanks for having me there for three days even though I'm just a freeloader. . . and I'm going to miss your rabbit"

" It's fin- Ehhh~ just the rabbit. . .?"

" Of course!"

" Uwaaah, how cruel!"

" Heh, if you keep acting like that, I might mistook you for a kid."

" Eh~? that's impossible, your height says the same to you though. . ."

" Hey!"

In an empty classroom, Daniel and Josh fist-bumped after their short conversation, as form of saying goodbye.

(Current time 1:00)

[Transporting complete.]

Instead of grassy or jungle-like space where they were sent last time, they were sent in front of the door, well, not just them, everyone who's part of the game and everyone who's forced inside it is in front of the door of their dorm as well.

And instead of a blue or black transparent screen, it's blood red.

That's not the only surprising thing! the words written in it is the worst one yet.

[ Game locked, Everyone can get in but no one can get out. Stay!, it's not within your choice nor decision, it's an absolute order. The one who dies shall buy a life, the one who dies without money shall mine to buy a life. Unlike The usual game, a player who failed their mission, quests, answers, choices, and kill shall either die or pay, if the player does not have enough money to pay, then dept if not mining, but every day will be hell for them for every day, a loanshark will come to your room and beat you up, if you want to hide from them, stay inside the quest or mission where there are no countdowns. All players, ENJOY A PAINFUL DEATH!]

" WHAT??!!" everyone yelled before starting to laugh, normally, the game always give the players exaggerated or nonsense details and stuff, so for them, it's normal, but some thought it is not a joke, and so, they started panicking and try logging out of the game, sadly they failed.

[Try to log out] another red screen appeared.

Everyone tried and everyone failed, which started to make them panic.

Everyone's so noisy in a giant space full of buildings and rooms with each and everyone's name, partnered to their best friends.

Daniel sneaked a snicker and push a small button. In a giant space where people didn't even feel the two other being getting in, well, since they aren't human, both are confused but both know who was the one that called them there.

[Countdown before the host and system fused: 48h,59m,59s]

Everyone who doesn't have a system started transforming to forms that suits their powers, their power are given randomly so it's on to luck whether they'll be strong or stronger.

All the systems are collected in a giant bottle while the hosts are given two different weapons, a long-ranged weapon and a close-ranged one, either a knife or a bow, a dagger or a gun, a sword or a wand.

Daniel looked at a knife and a gun on his hands, he then look at Josh.

" Huh?" He asked and looked around, thinking that he lost his friend, but Josh is right infront of him.

" Josh. . ." He called with a whisper.

" Sanchez-san?" Josh asked.

" Who are you?" He asked.

" . . .it's me, Mikagura Josh." Josh answered, confused.

". . . . . . . . . . . . . I see" a long pause before the reply from Daniel.

" Eh?? What's wrong?! Why so slow?" Josh asked because of Daniel's unnatural behaviour.

" Look at your reflection on this." Daniel gave Josh the shiny sharp knife he's holding.

Josh looked at his reflection and saw his white silky hair, pair of grey iris that still screams innocence and a white stigma on his forehead on the upper right side that resembles a half white orchid flower.

(White orchids symbolize innocence and purity, as well as elegance and reverence)

" I think you should look at yourself too." Josh gave the knife back.

Daniel looked at himself in it and saw the other half of the flower on his upper right forehead, but the color on his is black.

(The black orchid means bad luck, death, and black magic)

Like them, everyone has their own unique half flowers that either resemble them or describe them that are attached to their forehead...

After that, they're all moved to the next level they're completing...

Daniel and Josh are sent to a white space with two doors.

[Prove that you're worthy, two doors for two people. The bad thing(s) you said or do secretly that dis your friend will be seen and heard by them now, but if they did nothing wrong to you, your most embarassing and most mind-blowing memory that will make you ask whether you're good enough to be their friend will be the thing you'll see, endure and exit the room WITH problem and a reward will be here awaiting, Fail by not finishing the challenge on the given time limit and a punishment shall be given]

[4:59:59]

[4:59:58]

[4:59:57]

" Then I guess I'll take the second one, see you later." said Daniel, waving goodbye as he walk towards the second door casually like everything is under his control.

" W-will we be okay?" Josh asked, a little worried.

" Probably depends on how you trust me and yourself." Daniel answered with a shrug as he continue walking towards the door, he opened it and he was sucked inside.

Inside the space he was sucked into is full of beauty and elegance of nature, the breeze that calms you down, the small waterfalls that gives off a calming splashes of water and sun that gives a warm feeling that one could describe as "love".

Daniel closed his eyes and sat in the middle of a small bridge as he inhale the realistic air of the game. The peaceful place, little by little turned into a horrifying place. Not that it's messy by trash but it's a dark place, raining blood and giving off a very hefty atmosphere, it became full of horrifying monsters and terror.

Even so, Daniel remained his eyes close and stayed sitting on the bridge that turned black from brown.

As the space keeps on getting scarier and scarier, a short fragment of memory barged inside his head.

(" Hey, hey, don't you think the ice prince is getting colder?"

" Right!, He became cocky of sorts, he study alone, eats alone, and plays alone!"

" Buhaha maybe he thought being a loner would be cool to girls!!"

" Right Mikaguwara-kun?" the three asked Josh.

Josh didn't answer.

" RIGHT MIKAGUWARA-KUN?" they yelled at Josh, threatening.

" Y-yeah" Josh stuttered, he couldn't even try to correct them his name, how can he fight?, he's outnumbered, besides, agreeing is the easiest way out. )

[Stop being his friend, he's a traitor!]

[Stop being his friend!, He betrayed you!]

[Stop being his friend, he's a traitor!]

[Stop being his friend!, He betrayed you!]

[Stop being his friend, he's a traitor!]

The memory stopped and those words keep on repeating until he's convinced, but it never happened. The memory only has one, it means that that's the only bad thing Josh has ever done wrong to Daniel.

The space turned back to its state when Daniel went in.

" Well, that's unsurprisingly short." he stood up and stretched his arms then opened the door to exit.

A chair was created near the other door where Josh went in, he sat on it and wait.

An hour and a half has passed and Josh finally stepped out of the room.

He certainly look horrified, that made Daniel think what he did to dis Josh to make him look like that, but the only answer was that: he used Josh to do all the labor he, himself could do . . . since he's lazy . . .

" Josh, are you alright?" He asked while helping Josh stand.

" . . . I-I-I-I'm sorry, I'm not suited to be your friend . . . I did something wrong in the past!, I don't want to do it again in the future, It's better if you just leave me alone!!" Josh sobbed as he push away Daniel with all the strength left on him.

" Ha???" Daniel wasn't surprise that he was hated but to think that he was being pushed away because Josh thought he was too good for him to be his friend. How ironic.

" Look, if you have the time to think about the past and the future, atleast give a gap and think about the present a little, will you?" Daniel said but instead of making Josh calm, he was the one who got the heavy weight get lift off while Josh become even more horrified.

". . ."

[ In order to comfort your 'friend', you need to tell those words to yourself to ensure that the words came through three gates, which is:

IS IT TRUE?

IS IT NECESSARY?

IS IT KIND?

It's like looking in the mirror while you cheer yourself but instead of you feeling the cheering, your 'friend' will be the one to feel it. But of course that's a joke!. COMFORT YOURSELF TO COMFORT YOUR 'FRIEND'] the game showed another bloody red screen, Freaking late as usual.

After reading an absurd instruction, he sighed deeply and long.

" . . . . . . I'm so troublesome." he murmured. As the creator of the game, he sure is regretting making a one heck of a game.