Night broke, and the blinding morning sun shot straight into the depths of the cave.
The moment the sun rose, the air instantly took on heat, and already an unpleasant humidity and warmth began to hang in the air.
(…In the end, I barely slept at all.)
I let out a small sigh without thinking.
Sleeping skin-to-skin with a cute girl my age-I’d never experienced that even once in my life until now.
The sound of my heart pounding away was so loud I couldn’t sleep deeply.
The very person who made my heart race was still fast asleep, breathing peacefully and comfortably.
How can she sleep so deeply in a situation like this? Is she brave, or just not very cautious? Or maybe she was just that tired.
And to make things worse, thanks to her sleeping position, her red frilled skirt had ridden up a lot.
A black string thong and soft-looking white thighs barged right into my view.
(Ugh…! I don’t know where to look…!)
I desperately turned my face away from the scene in front of me, carefully pulled her skirt back down, and then gently shook her shoulder.
”Wake up, Asuka. It’s morning already…”
”Uuu~… Mommy, just five more minutes… let me sleep…”
”I’m not your mommy. Come on, wake up Asuka. We should get going soon.”
There was a clear reason why I was rushing to wake her up so early in the morning.
The biggest reason was “water and food.”
With what we had on hand, we could only last another day or two at most.
Before that, we absolutely had to reach the Game Starting Point.
And then there was this crazy heat.
Once the sun was fully up, the risk of heatstroke making us unable to move would skyrocket.
”Uuun…. …Yuji?”
”Thank goodness, you’re awake. Sorry to rush you, but I want to leave before it gets hot. So-“
”Kyaaah! Oh no, no way! Is my face totally messed up right now!? Is my hair all messy!? Did Yuji see me without makeup!?”
Before I could even finish my sentence, Asuka bolted upright and started panicking, covering her face tightly with both hands.
”Uh, no…um, you look exactly the same as yesterday?”
”Ehh! You’re totally supposed to say ‘You’re cute no matter when I see you, Asuka!’ Yuji!”
”Huh!? We just met yesterday! You and me! There’s no way I can say a line like I see you every day!”
”Nishishi♪ It’s fine! You’re gonna see my face every day from now on, so get used to it!”
”What do you mean by that…”
”I need to get ready, so wait just a sec, okay Yuji?”
I felt like she’d skillfully dodged the question, but I decided to wait for Asuka to get ready.
And a few minutes later, we shouldered our backpacks and started walking toward the Game Starting Point.
”Alright! Yuji, let’s totally go! Ready, set, go!”
…………
Following the arrow shown on the small Game device’s navigation, we made our way through the desolate rocky mountains. To the Starting Point……8 kilometers.
On flat ground, that’d be about a two-hour walk, but this was an unfamiliar mountain path with bad footing.
…It might take a bit longer.
Asuka, walking beside me, was gulping down water from her canteen.
It was no wonder she wanted to hydrate at that pace.
The heat was brutal enough to hurt your skin.
I was really glad I’d worn my usual outdoor trekking shoes.
If I’d been wearing thin sneakers, my feet would’ve been killing me and I’d have given up long ago.
Luckily, Asuka was wearing thick-soled but sturdy sneakers too, which was a relief.
Still, walking on such a harsh mountain path-it’s been since I did serious mountain climbing with my club that I’ve done this…
”Hey, Yuji. What do you think we’re gonna do from here? Even if they call it a ‘Game made by God’, I totally can’t wrap my head around it…”
”I don’t know what’s going to happen either. But…I’m pretty sure it’s not a prank or some variety show gotcha.”
”Why’s that?”
”They kidnapped us and dumped us in this remote place, then shoved some Game device we’ve never seen at us without any explanation. I’m sure something way out of the ordinary is behind this.”
”Huh? This totally isn’t Japan!?”
”Uh…. That’s where we’re starting from…? I’m pretty sure it’s not Japan. Where did you think this was, Asuka?”
”Hmm? Kinda like, deep in the mountains of Gunma?”
”No no, there’s no way Gunma has a tropical wasteland with heat like this…! What kind of image do you have of Gunma, anyway?”
”So where do you think we are then, Yuji?”
”I’m just guessing, but…maybe somewhere around the Grand Canyon in America, or the Australian outback. The trees growing here are all plants I’ve never seen in Japan.”
”Wow! You can tell stuff like that, Yuji!? You’re super knowledgeable!”
”Well, yeah. I’m in the outdoor club at college. I get lots of chances to camp and hike with my friends.”
”Ooh! I don’t know anything about mountains, so I’m super impressed! Oh, but I do go camping with friends a lot in the summer!”
”Camping’s great! I didn’t know anything either until I joined the club. Chika strongly insisted, ‘Let’s do it together,’ so I joined. Once I tried it, it was really fun. It’s like becoming one with nature…I went to all sorts of campsites with Chika too. I’d love to go again once things settle down.”
”…Is that Chika girl the childhood friend you mentioned yesterday?”
”Oh, yeah. That’s right…”
”Hmm… You and Chika aren’t dating or anything, right?”
”Huh!? Me and Chika!? That’s impossible! Someone like me could never match up with her…. Besides, I’ve…never even had a girlfriend.”
”I see,” Asuka hummed thoughtfully.
(…Then that means I’ve got a chance too! In a situation like this, sorry childhood friend-chan, but I’m gonna go for it for real!)
”Hey, Yuji. This path… it’s super hard to walk on. I feel like I’m gonna trip and fall.”
”Yeah, you’re right. For someone not used to rocky paths like this, it’s probably pretty tough.”
”Right? So… so I don’t fall and get hurt, I totally want you to hold my hand~♪”
”…Oh, yeah. Got it.”
What Asuka held out coyly was a small, pure white hand.
The nicely painted nails were a bit chipped, maybe from yesterday’s earthquake.
I calmed my pounding heart and gently squeezed that small hand.
”Nishishi♪ Now I’m totally not gonna fall, Yuji!”
”Yeah, that’s right.”
I answered, desperately pretending to be calm so she wouldn’t notice my panic.
If I freaked out here, that’d be way too pathetic for a guy.
…Still, girls’ hands are so soft, and small, and warm.
When was the last time I walked holding hands with someone like this?
We kept holding hands as we walked in the direction the Game device showed. How long had we been walking?
When I checked the Game device with my sweat-soaked hand, the remaining distance showed [0.1 kilometers].
The destination, the “Starting Point,” was right around the corner.
”Look, Yuji! There’s an open area! And there are totally other people besides us!”
When I looked where Asuka was pointing, the single path surrounded by rock walls suddenly opened into a vast, clear circular plaza.
In the center of the plaza stood one giant tree, and several shadows were visible in its shade.
Were they…also participants in this Game?
As we quickly approached the plaza, one of the figures in the shade came running toward us.
”Heeey! Yujiii!!”
A familiar voice, waving a hand wildly.
Medium brown hair, and that distinctive smile I knew so well……It’s Chika!
She’d been sent to this unknown wilderness just like me!
”Chika…!!”
”…That girl is Chika…”
The moment I saw Chika, Asuka’s fingers around my hand squeezed tight with strong force.
Chika, out of breath, stopped right in front of us.
”Thank goodness…! You’re safe, Yuji! …Wait, huh?”
Chika’s gaze, as she ran up to us, fell on my and Asuka’s linked hands.
Her expression froze in an instant.
”…Hey, Yuji. Who’s that girl?”
”Huh? Oh, no…! She’s Sakamoto Asuka. I met her on the way here.”
”Hmm, I see…”
Unable to bear Chika’s clouded stare, I instinctively gently pulled my hand away from Asuka’s.
From beside me, a small, lonely “Ah…” escaped from Asuka.
”A-anyway! I’m really glad you’re safe, Chika. We both got caught up in some weird Game, but…”
”Yeah…I’m really relieved you’re safe too, Yuji.”
”…Hmm. So she’s the ‘childhood friend’ you were talking about, Yuji?”
Asuka cut in from the side, looking Chika up and down like she was sizing her up.
”Oh, sorry for the late introduction. Yeah, she’s my childhood friend, Akiyama Chika.”
”Hmm… I see.”
”Hey, Yuji. What’s your relationship with Asuka? Why were you two holding hands and walking so happily just now…?”
Chika pressed in with a strong, almost accusing stare.
”What relationship, you say…we just met yesterday! The path was steep and dangerous, so I was just leading her by the hand!”
”Muu…! Even so, looking so happy like that is unfair! I was so lonely and it was so hard for me getting here too…!”
”Hey, don’t get so mad at Yuji. Yuji had it super rough too, you know? He put his body on the line to protect me in the cave!”
”…!? P-protected…!?”
Chika’s eyes went wide, and her expression tensed up all at once.
”Why…why is Yuji always like this!? Any cute girl will do!? And Asuka, why are you suddenly calling Yuji by his first name!? That’s weird, you just met yesterday!?”
”Huh? Whether I call Yuji by his name or not is totally none of your business. I don’t think how long you’ve known someone even matters~. Why do I gotta be ordered around by you like that?”
”What…! Who do you think you are…!”
……Asuka and Chika.
Blue sparks flew between the two, and a dangerous, explosive mood filled the air.
”Hey, both of you, calm down…! This isn’t the time to be arguing about that kind of stuff! Look, everyone in the plaza is watching us too… I’ll listen to whatever you have to say later, okay?!”
”…I’m sorry, Yuji. I lost my cool.”
”I’m sorry too… Yuji.”
”Nah, it’s fine. As long as you understand. With a crazy situation like this, of course you two would be worried. That’s exactly why we need to work together and make absolutely sure we get back to our original world!”
””Yeah…!””
After calming the two of them down, we walked toward the center of the plaza.
In the plaza, there were exactly ten of us gathered together, guys and girls included.
We introduced ourselves and shared what we knew, but sure enough, everyone had the same story – “before I knew it, I’d been sent to this scorching land.”
And everyone had been gathered here by following the instructions on a small handheld game console… the ‘God Boy.’
”This Starting Point works like this: by placing your God Boy on the red stone monument, each person gets their own individual rule revealed. You two should check yours as well.”
The one who told us that was Shikijo-san, who had apparently come here together with Chika.
She was a woman in a school uniform with black hair flowing and a dignified way about her, and she seemed to have a calm, sharp eye for observation.
Asuka and I followed her lead and set our God Boys on the red stone monument in the center, checking our own rules.
With that, all ten people’s rules were revealed, and based on the information presented, the discussion about what to do next began.
As the rules were revealed, the mood in the air grew heavier and heavier.
That even if you cleared this Game, you couldn’t go back to your original world.
That only the last person standing could return to the original world…
And more than anything, that depending on how things went, you could lose your life – that this was a cold, cruel “Death Game”…
(That’s exactly why… this isn’t the time to be fighting. We all need to survive together and escape this insane Game…!)
I clenched my fist tight and made a firm resolve in my heart.
As a result of the discussion, it seemed we needed to choose a Route from four options – ‘Food, Tools, Weapons, Information’ – in order to advance to the next Checkpoint.
I chose the Route where you get ‘survival tools’ without any hesitation.
Because I figured that if I combined the knowledge and gear I’d built up in my college outdoor club, I could raise our chances of survival the most in this environment.
”I’m going with Yuji too! With Yuji’s survival know-how, it’s the safest bet!”
”I’m tagging along with Yuji too! We’re totally in this together, Yuji♪”
Chika and Asuka both chose the same Route as me like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Their intense stares gave me a bit of a stomachache, but…
Having my precious childhood friend and the comrades I’d decided to protect by my side was more reassuring than anything.
The participants in the Food Group and Weapon Group, with a heavy mood hanging over them, had already hurried off toward their respective paths.
We were just about to step into the red gate for ‘survival tools’ when it happened.
”Um… excuse me, please wait.”
A calm, clear voice called out from behind us.
When we turned around, two high schoolers were standing there.
One was Shikijo Yuna-san, with her dignified bearing.
And the other was a quiet boy who had barely said a word the whole discussion and had almost no presence at all… Kageyama Manato-kun.
”Uh, what’s up with you two?”
”Sorry to stop you. Before you leave, there’s just a little something I wanted to tell you.”
”Something you wanted to tell us?”
”Yes. To you all… or rather, mainly to Akiyama-san…”
”Hm? What is it, Shikijo-san? Is it about that thing from before? Don’t worry, I can keep a secret. I haven’t told anyone.”
Chika nodded like she understood.
Apparently the two of them had shared some kind of secret between themselves.
”Thank you. But regarding that matter, you’re welcome to tell the people in your same group. Also… in this Game, the clear rate should go up if we cooperate as much as possible. I’m not sure how the other groups will act, but at least let’s cooperate among ourselves, shall we?”
”Yeah, I think that’s a great idea! Yuji, you’re fine with cooperating too, right?”
”Of course! If anything, I’d be the one asking you. If you have any trouble, just tell us. We’ll help as much as we can.”
”That’s right! It’s super worrying to have just two high schoolers going off on your own. If anything comes up, don’t hesitate to lean on us!”
Asuka puffed out her chest with a big-sister kind of smile.
Shikijo-san gave a polite bow in return.
”Thank you. …Also, one piece of advice. At the first Checkpoint, I think it would be wise to keep the items you share with other teams to the bare minimum.”
”Huh…? Why’s that? I think it’d be better to split whatever we get equally among everyone…”
”That only applies if the other side is also honest and hands over all their supplies without lying… If they’re trustworthy, that is. …Those Food and Weapon teams from earlier – pardon me for saying so, but they seemed to lack any spirit of cooperation. They’ll most likely give false reports about the amount and contents of the supplies they get.”
”So basically… the only ones who end up losing are the good-natured teams who honestly hand over everything, huh.”
”…Exactly as you say, Akiyama-san. So please just think of this as a small warning from us.”
Shikijo-san’s calm, cool analysis of the situation made cold sweat run down my back.
It was true that not everyone in that plaza was necessarily a good person.
”But… won’t you two be okay then? The Information Route doesn’t seem like it’d get you food or tools directly…”
”Hehe, don’t worry. We have various plans in mind for that. …Well then, we should be heading off soon too. …See you later.”
”Oh, yeah. Thanks! Let’s both be careful and do our best.”
”Yes! Thank you. …Come on, Manato. At least say goodbye.”
”Sure. …Thanks.”
Kageyama-kun, nudged by Shikijo-san, gave a slight bow, and the two of them disappeared down the ‘Information’ path with steady, unwavering steps.
(…What a strange pair.)
As I watched their backs as they walked away, I felt a strange unease in my chest.
Even though they’d been suddenly thrown into a life-or-death Death Game, there wasn’t a trace of panic or fear on them.
Especially that boy, Kageyama.
His bearing was listless and easy to miss, but somehow he gave off a sense of overwhelming… composure… that I couldn’t put into words.
What on earth was that…?
”…Alright! Let’s go too! We’ll gather our tools and survive!”
””Yeah!””
As if to shake off the doubt that had flickered through my mind for a moment, I raised my voice and, with Chika and Asuka in tow, stepped forward into the Survival Tools Route glowing red.
Trivia:
- Yuji’s observation that the trees are plants he’s never seen in Japan hints that the Game world may be a real location on Earth rather than a fantasy realm, a detail that will matter later when the stakes of the Game are revealed.
- Asuka’s immediate panic about her appearance and her quick recovery into flirtation shows she is used to controlling how others see her, which makes her later loss of composure around Chika more revealing.
- Chika’s reaction to the word “protected” is far more intense than simple jealousy, suggesting she knows something about Yuji’s past or has her own trauma around being unable to protect someone.
- The God Boy being placed on a red stone monument to reveal individual rules suggests the Game is personalized per participant, meaning each person may face different conditions or win criteria that could conflict with each other.
- Shikijo’s warning about dishonest supply reporting implies she already knows or suspects the Food and Weapon teams have a reason to hoard resources, hinting at deeper Game mechanics that punish trust.
- Kageyama’s overwhelming composure in a Death Game foreshadows that he may not be an ordinary high schooler, possibly someone who has experienced similar life-or-death situations before.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ Localization note: the capitalization signals it is a proper in-world system term for the designated meetup coordinate, not just any starting location.
2 ↩ Localization note: the source uses “Game機” (Game-ki), a made-up term for the handheld console-like tool issued to participants. Rendering it as “Game device” keeps the in-world terminology consistent without adding invented branding.
3 ↩ Localization note: the phrase echoes the Japanese light novel convention of god-run deadly games, where the “God” figure is often a capricious entity rather than a religious one. The capitalized “God” reflects how Asuka treats it as a proper title.