Laters better than never.

Chapter 6 (lightbulb 1/1)

Arisu and Usagi were abruptly awakened as their heads were forcefully freed from the confines of the bags.

"Morning!" A voice called out, belonging to a woman with flowing black hair.

"I beg your pardon for this impolite greeting," the man with the glasses beside the woman remarked.

"Our lookouts had informed us that there were individuals spying on us," he continued.

"Why have you come?" inquired another woman, her short black hair framing her face.

"I was informed that... I could discover answers here," Arisu replied.

"Such as... what is this game? And where is everyone?" he added.

Suddenly, the door beside them swung open, causing them to turn their heads.

A man wearing a vibrant robe entered.

"Indeed, where?" the man exclaimed loudly.

"We possess the answers you seek," he continued.

As he approached Usagi and Arisu, he leaned on the back of their chairs, leaning in and saying, "Welcome to the oasis, also known as... the beach!"

He chuckled and pointed his arm forward.

"Here lies the first answer," he declared, snapping his fingers.

Two men approached the wall at the back of the room and began to move it, unveiling a wall of cards, some marked with x's and others untouched.

"Let me shed some light on this matter," the man stated upon noticing the puzzled expressions on Usagi and Arisu's faces.

"These cards you see before you are the key to escaping this nightmare! To complete the game, you must gather all the cards," he explained.

Arisu raised a question, "Gather all the cards?"

Usagi added, "If we gather all the cards, will the world we once knew be restored?"

The man turned to face Usagi and replied, "It's not the world that will be restored, only one person can return to the real world."

"Only one?" Arisu asked, his voice filled with uncertainty.

"It's impossible for just one person to clear all the games and collect all 52 cards. They would never be able to do it alone," the man replied.

"That's like a suicide mission," he added.

"That's why we have come together as a united front, to allow one person to escape. That is our ultimate goal," he continued.

"I've heard that you have good cards. So from now on, let's play together as a team. Let's collect the remaining cards together," he proposed.

"What if we refuse?" Arisu questioned.

"You can't refuse. Your visa expires today. It seems like you have no choice but to join us, right?" he said.

"If we help you, does that mean we can end the game?" Usagi interjected.

"Will this nightmare finally be over?" she added.