04:38

Yukian's stomach dropped.

Shuntaro's smirk widened as he closed the last bit of distance between them.

She moved to dodge—

But too late.

Tap.

A soft, effortless touch on her wrist.

Her phone blared.

BEEP!

The glowing red light on Shuntaro's wrist vanished.

Yukian's wristband flashed red.

The bomb was hers.

Her eyes widened in horror.

Shuntaro chuckled, tilting his head. "Tag. You're it, sweetheart."

Yukian's entire body burned with frustration.

"YOU—!"

She didn't even finish.

Instead, she whirled around and ran.

"ASSHOLE!" she shouted over her shoulder.

Shuntaro's laughter echoed behind her. "Come on, sweetheart. No love for me?"

"SCREW YOU!"

04:27

She had less than five minutes.

04:26

Yukian sprinted down the ruined street, her pulse racing.

The red glow of her wristband felt like it was burning into her skin.

She needed to find someone. Fast.

Then—

She spotted her.

Rika.

The blonde was mid-run, weaving between abandoned cars, looking for cover.

Yukian's eyes narrowed.

Target locked.

She pushed herself forward, closing the distance.

04:10

Rika turned at the last second.

Her green eyes widened.

"You have GOT to be kidding me—!"

Yukian lunged.

Rika dodged, barely escaping her reach.

"OH HELL NO!" she shrieked. "KEEP THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!"

Yukian gritted her teeth. "STAY STILL, DAMMIT!"

03:50

She chased Rika down the alleyway, dodging debris, lunging at her again—

Rika twisted her body, barely slipping through a gap between two dumpsters.

Yukian skidded to a stop.

03:30

Her time was running out.

Rika turned, breathing hard, then smirked.

"Looks like you're running out of luck, sweetheart."

Yukian's eye twitched.

02:50

Yukian's legs trembled, her chest burned, but her will to live was stronger.

She wasn't going to die here.

Rika was still smirking, still confident.

That pissed her off.

Yukian's eyes darted to the ground.

Among the scattered debris, her gaze landed on a rusty, dented can of peas.

Her fingers curled around it.

02:35

She moved.

Faster than before—too fast for Rika to react.

CRACK.

The can slammed into Rika's head.

"GAH—!"

Rika stumbled, clutching her skull.

BEEP!

The red glow transferred.

Rika's phone alarm blared.

The bomb was hers.

Yukian let out a ragged breath, stepping back.

Rika blinked in pure shock. "You—"

Yukian straightened up, shaking out her sore wrist.

"Guess you're it, bitch," she said flatly.

Then—she ran.

Leaving Rika screaming after her.

02:25

Rika's head throbbed.

Her green eyes burned with rage as she clutched her wrist. The red glow pulsed like a death sentence.

The bomb was hers now.

Yukian was already gone, disappearing into the ruined streets.

That bitch.

02:20

Rika gritted her teeth.

She didn't have time for revenge.

She had to pass it. Now.

Her eyes darted wildly through the streets, searching—

Then, she spotted him.

Takashi.

The lazy-looking guy with messy brown hair.

He was jogging at a slow pace, hands in his pockets, like this wasn't a life-or-death game.

Rika's chest tightened.

02:10

She ran straight for him.

Takashi barely turned his head before—

"HEY, HELP ME OUT!" Rika lunged.

Takashi's eyes widened. "OH HELL NO—!"

He dodged last second, barely avoiding her grasp.

Rika skidded to a stop, panting. "STAY STILL, DAMMIT!"

Takashi grinned nervously. "I'd rather not explode, thanks."

02:00

Rika tried again, reaching for his wrist.

But Takashi was fast.

Too fast.

She was running out of time.

And she wasn't ready to die.

01:30

Rika's breath came out in sharp gasps.

Her legs burned, her chest ached, and Takashi kept dodging her.

She was so close—so damn close.

But she couldn't catch him.

And she was running out of time.

01:10

"STAY STILL!" she shrieked, lunging again.

Takashi twisted away, his messy brown hair whipping around as he laughed nervously. "Yeah, I think I'll pass."

00:50

Rika stumbled.

Her body felt heavy.

The weight of death pressed against her skin.

She wasn't going to make it.

00:30

Her eyes darted around wildly.

There had to be someone else. Anyone.

But there was no one close enough.

She was alone.

And she knew what that meant.

00:10

Her legs gave out.

She collapsed onto her knees, her breath ragged, her entire body shaking.

Her green eyes filled with terror.

"No..." she whispered.

00:05

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"

00:02.

00:01.

BEEP.

Then—

BOOM.

A deafening explosion.

A burst of red mist.

Rika was gone.

The robotic voice boomed overhead.

"PLAYER ELIMINATED."
"SELECTING NEW HOLDER."
"20 PLAYERS REMAIN."

BEEP.

A new wristband glowed red.

Somewhere in the city—

Someone else had just become "it."

The game wasn't over.

Not until only 10 were left.