𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐁𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 | ɴɪʀᴀɢɪ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ x ᴄʜɪꜱʜɪʏᴀ

| 24 | congratulations. |

No one had time to process the current events that had just unfolded in front of them as it was only then in the midst of the rising tensions of the overcrowded room that kuina appeared, anns arm draped around her as she offered her best attempt to support the woman who began to speak, confirming arisus previous claims and theories,

"IT WAS A REVERSE GRIP.

FINGERPRINTS WITH A REVERSE GRIP WERE FORUND ON THE KNIFE!

THIS MEANS THAT MOMOKA GRABBED THE KNIFE HERSELF AND STABBED IT THROUGH HER OWN CHEST!

SHE IS THE WITCH!"

Shock waves once again rolled through the atmosphere as you in contrast couldn't have been any less surprised in all honesty,

This was a hearts game.

Not one of chance or causing direct violence, but one that had already been established it would play with the players hearts.

Momoka was of no real significance in the entire perspective of things but yet she was the one who appeared dead, meaning that the way this death was to meant to play with the participants heart strings was not who was dead, but rather why, and the assailant themselves.

And in all honesty your biggest strategy when it came to solving hearts games was to think of what conditions or intentions would mind fuck and upset the average player the most,

So for a girl who killed herself because the thought of potentially killing someone else was unbearable to also be the cause of mass meaningless death was heartbreaking alone, not even taking into consideration the fact that this also meant that the witch was in front of everyone the entire time, making it clear that all the violence, death, and betrayal of once close friends was now pointless.

Utterly fucking pointless.

The only reason for the blood seeping from the fresh bodies that once stood happily in this room was simple mass panic and willingness to fall into violence.

That alone could drive someone to wanting their heart to combust from utter disbelief, let alone the fact that most of bodies in the floor belonged to people that most had once considered friends.

Arisu was still pleading with aguni to "not let the innocent deaths go to waste" as you noticed with increasing distaste how the fire had begun to spread throughout the building, all the players now running from the building, watching as the arena they once called home fell into flames.

Even as everyone rapidly evacuated the room you couldn't help but wonder if any of you would truly escape the all consuming fire of judgment,

You doubted it.

Letting chishiyas hand slip from yours you made your way through the rushing crowd, your eyes glued to kuina and ann watching as they struggled to get out with ann seemingly heavily wounded, calling out over the crowd to chishiya who you had assumed was behind you,

"CMON KUINA NEEDS HELP WITH ANN!"

At the outstanding lack of response from him you were finally motivated to turn around, only to be met with swarming bodies. The blatant lack of chishiya spiking your adrenaline as the familiar shiver of dread danced along your spine once again.

Scanning the free flowing crowd your eyes soon caught on the platinum blonde haired man who much to your annoyance was right where you had left him.

Deep in the now burning building.

You didn't know why you did it, but before you could process your actions or the reasons behind them you were sprinting back into the fire infested room without hesitation.

It wasn't long until you were grabbing his hand once again, his eyes meeting yours, surprise written across his features at your reappearance and more importantly the warm comfort of your hand in his once again.

Your expression remained one of playful annoyance as you dragged him behind you, yet again making your way out of the burning building, muttering to him under your breath,

"Really chishiya I never thought you'd be the type that needed to be hand held"

Yet again you received no response, but the warm hand that was intertwined with yours was enough reassurance that he was indeed still following you this time.

You could hear the crackling of wood against the blazing heat of the fire as the both of you joined the continuously growing crowd of the severely reduced population of the beach.

Chishiyas hand tightened around yours as you both found a spot amongst the recently terrorised players, the warmth that his skin provided against yours grounding you, in contrast to the warming flames that seemed to lull you into a state of delirium.

The systematic familiar ring of phone notifications that echoed through the crowd served as no distraction from watching the life that so many had built for themselves go up in flames.

"Game clear"

"Congratulations"

The words seemed painfully hollow as they filled the air, a broken laugh being torn from you as you took in the small electronic in your hands statement,

"Game clear."

Oh how painfully incorrect that statement seemed.

You had heard it time and time again yet here you were once again, facing death as you had before and would undeniably have to do again.

Congratulations your alive!

But in this world was that truly a good thing?