GET or Be the Fool

Daichi stepped into the Arena of Abyss, his eyes scanning the vast, eerie battleground before him. The place was massive, like an ancient coliseum, but instead of spectators, there were countless lost souls—each engaged in intense games.

Some were playing strategic mind games, others were locked in brutal physical combat. Some won and let out cries of relief, while others fell to their knees in despair.

But what caught Daichi's attention the most were those who lost.

The moment a soul failed, they collapsed, trembling, pleading for another chance. Their voices cracked with desperation as they begged the guards for mercy.

Yet, the guards remained unmoved.

With a single, effortless blow, the defeated souls were struck down—and in an instant, their bodies vanished into the Void.

No screams. No resistance. Just complete and utter erasure.

Daichi watched in silent horror as another soul was erased right before his eyes. His fists clenched, his body stiffened.

This is real.

There was no turning back now.

Daichi crossed his arms, looking at the Warden. "Alright, what are the rules?"

The Warden smirked. "There's only one rule—if you cheat, you'll be sent to the Void."

Daichi blinked. "That's it?"

"That's it," the Warden confirmed with an unsettling smile.

Daichi let out a small sigh. "Okay… So what game am I playing?"

The Warden turned, motioning for him to follow. "Come with me."

As they walked through the arena, Daichi noticed souls finishing their matches, some celebrating while others were forcefully erased into the Void. He forced himself to stay focused—his turn was coming.

Finally, they stopped in front of a man who looked far too excited for a place like this. His grin stretched across his face as he clapped his hands together. "So this kid is my opponent?" he said with a chuckle.

The man stepped forward, his eyes filled with amusement. "Name's Joze Vore."

Daichi met his gaze and nodded. "I'm Daichi Kurusu."

Joze's grin widened. "Alright, Daichi, let's see if you can handle me!"

Daichi exhaled, keeping his nerves in check. "Okay, we're matched. Now, what are we playing?"

Joze turned to the Warden with an eager expression. "Hey, Warden! Can we play a game of my choice?"

The Warden shrugged. "If Daichi agrees, then we'll start the match."

Daichi narrowed his eyes. "What do you wanna play?"

Joze's eyes sparkled with excitement. "We're gonna play 'Keep or Be the Fool.'"

Daichi frowned. "Keep or Be the Fool?" Never heard of it. "How do we play?"

Joze chuckled. "Simple. We each get 10 cards. Your goal is to collect the highest-numbered cards. The one with the highest total wins."

Daichi raised an eyebrow. "That sounds easy enough."

Joze smirked. "But here's the twist. If you get the Joker card, you must hold onto it until the very end. The last person left with the Joker automatically wins—even if their total numbers are lower than their opponent's."

Daichi's eyes widened. "So… the Joker is the real key to victory?"

"Exactly!" Joze nodded. "But there's more! We'll also have the chance to pick a card from our opponent's hand. That means strategy is everything. You have to decide whether to aim for high numbers or take the risk of keeping the Joker."

The Warden smirked. "And to keep things fair, you can shuffle your hand whenever you want to hide your cards from your opponent."

Daichi took a deep breath. A game where high numbers matter, but the real prize is the Joker… This was going to be tricky.

Joze clapped his hands together. "So, Daichi… ready to play?"

The Warden smirked. "The timer will be 10 minutes. So… are you ready to play?"

Daichi grinned, determination flashing in his eyes. "Yeah. Let's go."

"Time starts now!"

The Warden swiftly handed each of them 10 cards. Daichi quickly scanned his hand and felt a small wave of relief—he had some pretty good numbers. But something was missing…

The Joker isn't here.

His eyes darted to Joze.

At first glance, Joze looked as playful as before, but something was… off. A strange aura had settled around him, a heavy pressure that made Daichi's stomach churn.

He has it.

Daichi clenched his fists. Joze definitely has the Joker.

With no time to waste, Daichi reached out and took a card from Joze's hand. His heart pounded as he turned it over—not the Joker.

Letting out a quiet breath, he placed the card on the table.

Joze chuckled and grabbed a card from Daichi's hand, replacing it with another from his own set. His movements were smooth, confident.

Daichi frowned. What's with that look?

He picked another card from Joze and placed one of his own back, trying to analyze the pattern.

Joze, unfazed, casually drew from the deck instead of taking Daichi's card this time. Then, without hesitation, he set down another card from his hand.

Daichi's mind raced. Wait… why is he suddenly using the deck instead of picking from me?

Then, it clicked.

He wants me to focus on his cards instead of the deck!

Daichi snapped his gaze back to Joze, who was grinning mischievously.

"Ahh… Damn it." Daichi muttered under his breath.

He was playing right into Joze's hands.

Daichi narrowed his eyes at Joze. "You're awfully confident, aren't you?"

Joze smirked. "Of course. I can smell the Joker."

Daichi's breath hitched. "Wait—what?" He forced a chuckle. "Are you trying to scare me?"

But before Joze could reply, the Warden spoke up. "No, he's right."

Daichi turned to him, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

The Warden crossed his arms. "Joze has been playing this game for a long time. And before he ended up here, he was a psychologist—someone who could read minds."

Daichi's eyes widened. So that's why he's so confident… He can analyze my every move.

Joze grinned wider. "Haha, what now, kid? After knowing that, do you really think you stand a chance?" He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands. "You should give up while you can. If you quit now, you won't be sent to the Void."

Daichi felt sweat forming on his forehead. The logical choice was clear—quit now, and he'd be safe.

But as the seconds ticked by, a strange feeling stirred inside him. If he backed down now… then what was the point of coming this far?

His hands stopped shaking. His heartbeat slowed. And then, Daichi smiled.

"Give up?" he repeated, shaking his head. "Yeah… not happening."

Joze's smirk faltered for just a second.

Without hesitation, Daichi reached for a card from the deck. He flipped it over—not the Joker.

Calmly, he placed it down.

Joze clicked his tongue. "Tch… You're really making a huge mistake, kid."

Daichi simply grinned. "We'll see about that."

Joze reached out, smoothly picking a card from Daichi's hand. The moment he saw it, his grin widened.

It was the Joker.

Daichi's heart dropped.

The Warden, who had been watching closely, let out an amused chuckle. Though surprised, he was smiling. Even he hadn't expected this turn of events.

Daichi's hands trembled slightly. How…? How did he know?!

Joze tilted his head, holding up the card between his fingers. "Didn't I tell you, kid? I can smell the Joker."

Daichi swallowed hard. Now, there was no going back.

His mind raced as he glanced at the timer—4 minutes left.

I can still turn this around… Right?

But as Daichi sat there, his thoughts drifted. He saw flashes of memories—ones that felt distant, yet strangely familiar. Moments of laughter, of sorrow, of regret… and then, nothing. Like his past had been blurred away.

He clenched his fists. No. Focus.

Joze, still smiling, casually shuffled his cards again, mixing them up. His confidence remained unshaken.

Daichi took a deep breath, trying to stay composed, and reached out—choosing a random card from Joze's hand.

Wrong move.

Joze smirked. Poor kid… he really did well. Even his acting was perfect. But…

From the very start, the moment Daichi agreed to play this game, his fate was sealed.

Joze had been faking his moves the entire time—purposely misleading Daichi. He had built up tension, played with emotions, and controlled the flow of the game.

And now?

It was time for the hunt.

Daichi kept picking the wrong cards over and over again. Each mistake piled onto his frustration, his movements becoming reckless.

Joze watched with amusement. "You put up a good fight, kid," he said, confidently shuffling his cards. "But in the end, this was my game."

Then—something changed.

A strange sensation prickled at Joze's spine. The air around them shifted. His instincts screamed at him, but he didn't understand why.

Frowning, he glanced at the timer.

5 seconds left.

Daichi was mumbling under his breath, barely audible. His eyes were locked onto the cards, as if lost in deep thought.

4 seconds.

Joze's fingers twitched. Something wasn't right.

3 seconds.

Daichi's hand moved. His fingers hovered over the cards.

2 seconds.

Joze leaned forward, a strange unease creeping into his chest.

1 second.

Daichi's fingers grasped the Joker.

Joze's eyes widened. "IMPOSSIBLE!"

The realization slammed into him like a freight train. He snapped his gaze toward Daichi—his aura had changed.

The timid, nervous player from before was gone.

Instead, Daichi sat there calm, unshaken, completely in control.

Joze's mind raced. No… no, this doesn't make sense! Everything was in my control! I was the one pulling the strings! I was the one making him dance like a puppet!

But as his thoughts unraveled, the terrifying truth hit him.

He wasn't the one controlling Daichi.

It was Daichi who had made him believe that he was in control.

The entire time… Joze had been the puppet.

Joze stared at Daichi, still in disbelief. "But… how? How did you do that?!"

Daichi leaned back, a confident smirk playing on his lips. "At first, you played the role of a sheep in wolf's skin—pretending to be in control while secretly manipulating everything." His eyes sharpened. "But in the end… I used your own technique against you."

Joze's breath hitched as realization dawned on him.

"I became the real wolf in sheep's skin," Daichi continued. "While you thought you were leading the game, I was the one pulling the strings."

Joze clenched his fists. He's right… Daichi had adapted to his strategy, turned it against him, and flipped the entire game in his favor.

But one thing still didn't make sense. "Even if you outplayed me, there's no way you could've found the Joker! It was impossible!"

Daichi chuckled. "You played well, Joze. But I noticed something off."

Joze's eyes narrowed.

"You placed nine cards in front of you, but you made it look like ten by subtly folding one of them. You hid the Joker at the back of every other card—hoping I wouldn't notice." Daichi smirked. "A smart trick. But not enough to defeat me."

Joze's lips parted slightly, realization washing over him. He saw through everything…

Then, slowly, a smile formed on Joze's face. A genuine, heartfelt smile.

"Haha… You really are a great opponent," he said, his voice carrying admiration. "I wish we could've met when we were alive…"

A single tear rolled down Joze's cheek.

But fate had already been decided.

The guards appeared behind him, their expressions cold and emotionless. With a swift motion, they raised their hands—

And Joze was erased.

No screams. No resistance. Just… gone.

Daichi watched in silence. His fingers curled slightly, but he said nothing.

Then, in a voice so low it was almost a whisper, he muttered, "You wouldn't have wanted to meet me when I was alive… not if you truly knew about me."

With a deep breath, he looked up at the dark sky above Hell.

And smiled.