Hope Always Dies Last | Chishiya [English]

When the gods send lightning

The sour taste hit my tongue again and I looked away.

The man was dead. Shot by a laser.

I wanted, no, couldn't believe it! What would happen if we lost, would someone shoot through my head too? Would-

"You're still here," the woman was back and threw another piece into the box.

The mice brought a piece of cheese into their nest! Cats, be on your guard!

"He's dead...", my voice sounded beeping, and I lowered my eyes. She patted me on the shoulder. "You'll have to get used to it. By the way, I'm Heiya Akane," she just introduced herself? "Shiraishi Neiru," I choked out and she smiled slightly before grabbing my arm and pulling me along roughly.

Who knows, maybe that was the push I needed. Because as soon as I had left the playhouse, my adrenaline took over. The thrill was there, the sounds of the cats jumping through the undergrowth made my senses go to 180, so it made me extremely sensitive. Every sound made me cringe, and each time I crouched in the next best hiding place. One could speak of luck that this playground was so overgrown! If it had only been the playground equipment that was here, I would have had a serious problem.

The mice brought a piece of cheese into their nest! Cats, be on your guard!

Fifteen pieces of cheese were still missing. I let my gaze wander over the square and... saw something yellow flash. There was number six! I dashed off, grabbed the piece, and ran to the building. Rushed, I threw the part into the box.

The mice brought a piece of cheese into their nest! Cats, be on your guard!

Damn, it was a no-brainer! So why did it drive me into despair?

Because it was a matter of life and death.

It was as if human life was worth nothing. It felt like I could lose it at any moment.

Yes, I wanted to live. That meant I wasn't allowed to die here. I had to survive this to be able to go home!

The mice brought a piece of cheese into their nest! Cats, be on your guard!

A man had also found a piece of cheese. He looked at me briefly before returning to the lion's den. I swallowed again before doing the same.

There are 35 minutes left!

Only 25 minutes had passed. Somehow the time had felt longer!

A crackle made my eyes focus on the person behind me.

Cat.

Fuuuuuuuck. Why did I always have to wander with my thoughts? The young man grinned as he pounced on me.

"Always remember. If an attacker approaches you, you have it in your hands. There are three options: 1. Dodge. 2. Frontal kick. 3. Roundkick. What you use, however, is to be decided according to the situation."

I hated that my professor, of all people, he was haunting my thoughts at that moment. But did I have another choice?

He really came head-on towards me. If my assumptions were correct, he was relatively muscular and taller than me. A round kick would only throw me off balance. Front kick? No, he would just push me away. So only the first option remained open.

I dodged.

His eyes widened slightly as he staggered past me unexpectedly and then lay down on his nose. I took advantage of the time that presented itself to me and fled.

The mice brought a piece of cheese into their nest! Cats, be on your guard!

Eight pieces of cheese. Twelve more were still hidden here somewhere. Now it was up to us to find them.

The mice brought a piece of cheese into their nest! Cats, be on your guard!

Where would I hide something? What made sense, but was so simple that you didn't think of it? My gaze slid over the grounds, and I discovered a play tower. And lo and behold, something yellow glittered on the roof of the slide tower.

Risky considering that there were no real escape routes. But since the cats tended to stay on the ground...

I hit a hook to head for the new direction. Now I had to cross the large, open area in order to be able to climb up.

The mice brought a piece of cheese into their nest! Cats, be on your guard!

A cry rang out.

Squeak! A mouse has fallen victim to the cats! Mice, be on your guard!

Now there were only seven mice. And we were still missing ten pieces.

There are 25 minutes left!

My eyes fixed on the slide tower, then I ran. My footsteps echoed again, and I prayed that the cats were busy elsewhere. The area was large enough, but still small.

I know my logic is a little confusing again.

My hands reached for the wood, and I began to pull myself up by the rungs. My muscles protested a little because they hadn't climbed for a long time, but I ignored it for now. I could complain later.

The mice brought a piece of cheese into their nest! Cats, be on your guard!

Nine pieces of cheese! It was almost over!

I reached the last rung and then reached for the roof part. Now I just had to pull myself up, then I had arrived at my destination.

I felt my head turn a little red under the tension. But without any problems I reached the goal and was able to reach for the yellow object. It felt so good in my hand!

The mice brought a piece of cheese into their nest! Cats, be on your guard!

I let my eyes wander over the playground again. My pupils stuck in others.

Oops, I had made eye contact with that annoying cat again. He grinned before moving in my direction.

Well, shit.

Now it was time for me to get off this lousy roof, or it could get dicey.

"I see you!" the voice practically engraved itself into my bones and I wondered if this man was still in his right mind.

My feet touched the ground, and I took off. If I stopped now, I was delivered!

My quick start slowed down abruptly, and I landed on the ground. The piece of cheese slipped out of my hand and remained two meters in front of me. But that was the least of my worries: I should concentrate much more on the guy who was pushing me to the ground.

10 seconds...

I had exactly two seconds to create a shitty plan so that the laser spared me!

What kind of condition is that?!