No Winners, Only Survivors

"I will live," Rei muttered, staring at the red stick in her hand.

It was her chance. After Saeko and Shizuka had both drawn blue, she had beaten the odds.

Takashi exhaled, relief washing over him. Of course, he was happy Rei was the girl he liked.

"Now, the last one," Orochimaru said, turning towards him.

Best of luck. Takashi steeled himself, stepping forward.

Unlike the others, he didn't hesitate. His fingers closed around a stick.

Red.

Rei hugged him immediately, her voice trembling with emotion. "You will live." Tears welled in her eyes.

Takashi blinked, still processing. Then, he turned to Orochimaru. "Can we go?"

He had no intention of staying here a second longer. Nor was he interested in pleading for the others.

The truth was, he had only hesitated before to ensure he didn't pick wrong. Survival was all that mattered. Now that he had his answer, he didn't care about the rest.

Although they had formed a group, he hadn't known Saeko or Shizuka before all this. And between Saya and Rei, his choice was obvious. A full cut-off.

Orochimaru smirked. "Of course."

That was all Takashi needed to hear. He turned to Rei. "Let's go."

She hesitated, glancing back at the others.

But Takashi wasn't about to throw away his chance at survival by saying something stupid.

She understood.

Living in reality mattered more.

And survival came first.

Without wasting time, they both left.

No turning back.

Orochimaru watched them disappear, then turned to the three who remained.

"Now… how do you feel?" he asked, voice smooth, almost amused.

Saya's hands clenched into fists, her body trembling. Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

Saeko stood silent, her expression unreadable, but the tight grip on her sword spoke louder than words.

Shizuka swallowed hard, her usual airheadedness nowhere to be seen. Her lips trembled, but no words came.

Orochimaru chuckled, tilting his head. "Ah… speechless? I suppose that's to be expected."

Saya gritted her teeth, her breath shaky. "You...You let them leave just like that?"

"Of course." Orochimaru spread his hands as if the answer were obvious. "They won the game. Fair and square."

Saya's nails dug into her palms. "And us? What now?"

Orochimaru's gaze flickered to the red sticks still clenched in their hands. A slow smirk crept across his lips.

Nobody had won the game.

Every time someone came, they only had one option their choice had already been decided.

He didn't let them go out of mercy.

It wasn't that he hesitated to kill them; he simply wanted to see how fate played its hand.

Turning his attention back, he answered, "You will work for me now."

The girls' eyes widened.

"You're… not going to kill us?" Saeko asked, suspicion lacing her tone. She didn't believe for a second that Orochimaru was acting out of kindness.

Neither did the others.

"No," he said simply.

Saya narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

Orochimaru's smirk deepened. "In this group of three, you're the smart one," he said, pointing at Saya. Then, his gaze shifted. "She's the nurse," he continued, motioning to Shizuka. Finally, he turned to Saeko. "And she's the fighter."

"Since there was chaos outside, finding another useful group would just be a waste of time."

The room was dead silent.

"You get it now, don't you?"

Saya let out a shaky breath, wiping at her eyes. "You were never gonna let us leave."

"Maybe." He smirked. "But at least you're still breathing."

"See, I could've killed you," Orochimaru continued, taking a slow step forward. "But I didn't."

"Yet," Saeko said, voice cold.

He laughed, eyes gleaming. "Yet."

Shizuka swallowed hard. "What do you want from us?"

Orochimaru tilted his head, considering. Then, he smiled.

"Simple. You work for me now."

Saya's breath hitched. "You.....you're making us your prisoners?"

"Prisoners?" He laughed again, amused. "No, no. That sounds so… cruel."

His grin widened.

"Let's call it a job offer."

Saeko's eyes narrowed. "And if we refuse?"

Orochimaru shrugged. "Then you'll die. Horribly, I might add. But that's your call."

Shizuka let out a shaky breath. "We don't really have a choice, huh?"

"Not if you want to live," Orochimaru said easily.

Then his smirk widened. "Now, to make sure none of you get any bright ideas about running…"

He stepped forward.

Shizuka blinked. "Eh? What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, Orochimaru moved toward Saya.

She tensed, instinctively taking a step back but he was faster.

His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist before she could escape.

"What—?" Saya gasped, trying to yank away.

She expected pain. A punch. Something brutal.

But Orochimaru just held her wrist, fingers pressing against her skin.

Then—

Heat.

A burning sensation spread through her arm, deep and unnatural.

Saya's breath hitched. "It's… hot," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Orochimaru let go, and she immediately pulled her arm back, staring at it.

Her eyes widened.

A red mark.

The moment she saw it, an overwhelming wave of nausea hit her just for a second then faded.

"What… what the hell is this?!" she demanded, heart pounding.

Orochimaru chuckled. "Insurance."

Saya looked up at him, fury and unease swirling in her chest. "You—!"

"Don't worry," he said smoothly. "It won't kill you. But let's just say… disobeying won't be pleasant."

Shizuka gulped. "D-Disobeying…?"

Orochimaru nodded, glancing at the mark. "Those who wear this experience… extreme discomfort when they ignore a order."

Saeko's eyes darkened. "Tch."

Saya clenched her fists, trying to ignore the lingering warmth on her skin. "You bastard—"

Orochimaru smirked. "Care to test it?"

Silence.

They didn't need to.

Shizuka hugged herself, biting her lip. Saeko stayed eerily still. Saya glared, but she didn't speak again.

Orochimaru tilted his head. "That's what I thought."

He turned away. "Now then. Shall we?"

***********

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