"The Whisper"
---
The Messenger spoke, her voice resonating through the sky like a divine decree.
["The game is simple."]
Her tone was calm, almost gentle, but it carried a weight that made their hearts tremble.
["You have fifteen days to clear it. There are only three rounds. Simple, isn't it? There's no need to panic. All you need to do... is relax."]
Her words were smooth, yet they felt laced with cruelty—as though she found amusement in their fear.
["This nation is divided into eight regions. Each region is further split into several sectors. Every sector will play the same game—the same three rounds."]
She paused, letting her gaze sweep across the crowd. No one dared to speak this time.
["After each round... twenty-five percent of you will be 'removed.'"]
The word "removed" lingered ominously in the air. Everyone knew what it truly meant.
Death.
Some swallowed hard. Others clenched their fists. Shin felt his blood run cold.
["After the third round... those who survive will be free. That is all you need to know. There are no more details."]
Her tone made it clear—there would be no room for questions. No mercy for curiosity.
This was not a test they could understand.
This was a trial they could only endure.
Silence fell over the crowd once more.
But beneath that silence, Shin could hear it—soft, faint, but unmistakable.
Whispers.
Voices, trembling and uncertain, slipping through the cracks of fear.
"A game...?"
"Fifteen days...?"
"Removal... twenty-five percent...?"
Each word carried dread. Each breath was laced with disbelief.
But there was no turning back.
---
Suddenly, without warning, a translucent screen appeared before everyone's eyes.
It flickered into existence—a strange table, glowing faintly in shades of blue and black. It hovered in the air like a projection, but it felt far too real.
Shin's breath caught as he stared at it. His heartbeat quickened, the fear from before still clutching his chest, but curiosity pushed him to focus.
The text on the screen was clear and sharp:
---
[Nation – Japan]
[Population – 123,598,540]
[Region – KAJP-06-S]
[Population – 14,920,317]
[Sector – S9GP002]
[Population – 59,682]
---
Shin blinked, trying to process the information.
Japan... Region... Sector...?
His eyes traced over the lines again, his mind struggling to piece it together. This wasn't some dream—this was reality.
He was in Region KAJP-06-S, specifically Sector S9GP002—alongside nearly sixty thousand others.
His throat felt dry.
Fifty-nine thousand... and after every round, twenty-five percent will be removed...
Shin gritted his teeth.
That's nearly fifteen thousand people... dead... after just one round.
His hands clenched into fists, the blood from earlier dried and crusted over his fingers. But compared to the dread now seeping into his bones, the guilt of his earlier crime felt almost distant.
The Messenger's voice echoed again, cold and absolute:
"The game has begun."
The glowing table faded from view, but the numbers burned themselves into Shin's mind.
Fifteen days.
Three rounds.
Only survivors would see freedom.
And the whispers among the crowd grew louder—dread and despair intertwining beneath the sky that had already begun to change.
The Messenger's voice echoed once more, cutting through the uneasy whispers of the crowd.
["Now... let us begin the first round."]
Her tone carried a chilling calmness, as though she were merely announcing the start of a festival.
["Don't worry—you need no preparation. It's simple. Easy."]
She paused, and then her voice hardened.
["But remember... if you fail—"]
Her gaze shifted toward the spot where the young man's lifeless body still lay, his severed head resting in a pool of crimson.
["—you will die... just like him."]
The crowd tensed. A suffocating fear tightened around their hearts.
Before anyone could react, the sky shifted again. Another projection appeared before their eyes—a massive, floating screen visible to everyone.
The image it displayed was not light blue like before.
It was red.
Crimson, like blood.
And on that screen... was hell.
Screams pierced their ears—the cries of men, women, the elderly, and even infants. People writhed in agony, their bodies broken, bleeding, as they desperately reached for help that would never come. Mothers clung to their children, shielding them in vain. A baby, barely a year old, let out a shriek before its small body was swallowed by flames.
It was a scene of pure slaughter.
Death.
Despair.
No salvation.
Shin's body froze. His mouth opened, but no sound escaped.
The screen showed Australia—a country two hours ahead of Japan. Their "game" had already begun.
And this... was their result.
The Messenger's voice rang out once more, unfazed by the horrors playing behind her.
["Do you understand now?"]
Her gaze swept over the crowd, eyes burning with cold authority.
["This is not a choice. Survive... or perish."]
The screen remained—forcing them to witness every death, every scream—reminding them of what awaited those who failed.
And for Shin Kuroda, the whispers of the crowd were drowned by something louder—
Suddenly, a new window flickered into view before Shin's eyes.
It was different from the earlier blue-black table. This one was sharper—ominous—like it was carved from the very concept of life and death itself.
The letters glowed faintly, but the words carried a weight far heavier than their simple appearance.
---
[Life & Death Survival]
Category – E
Quest – FIND THE FLAGS
Details: There are a total of 80% flags available. Find and collect at least one flag. The more flags you collect, the higher your rank will be.
Failure – You are not worthy of anything.
---
Shin stared at the window, his breathing shallow.
Find... a flag?
His fingers twitched. It seemed so simple—too simple. But the scenes of slaughter on the giant screen were still burned into his mind. Those people had likely faced a task just as "simple"... and they had died screaming.
He bit his lower lip, trying to suppress the rising anxiety. His thoughts raced:
80%... That means there aren't enough for everyone. 20% will fail—20% will die.
His eyes drifted to the blood on his hands.
I killed someone... and now, if I don't act... I'll die too.
The Messenger's voice rang out again from above, her tone laced with chilling finality.
["Let the first round... begin."]
The window before him dimmed slightly, but the words still lingered in his vision. There was no turning back.
This was survival.
Life and death... decided by a flag.
Shin's eyes darted around desperately, scanning the area.
Where's a flag...?
His gaze landed on a blue flag waving slightly in the distance. Relief surged through him—only to be crushed a second later.
Someone else had already snatched it.
Damn it...
He bit his lip and kept searching.
Every time he thought he spotted another, someone was already a step ahead, grabbing it before he could reach.
Why is it so hard? It's just a flag...!
His heart pounded faster, frustration and panic clawing at his chest.
Suddenly, a window appeared before his eyes.
---
[Time Remaining – 00:24:45]
---
Less than twenty-five minutes left...
Shin's breathing grew heavier. His palms were sweaty. His thoughts tangled into knots.
What do I do...? If I fail, I die.
Just then—he spotted it.
Through the glass window of a cafeteria nearby, a small blue flag stood on one of the tables.
Without hesitation, he rushed inside. His footsteps echoed through the empty space. Chairs were scattered, plates left behind—like everyone had fled in haste.
He reached out, his fingers wrapping tightly around the flag.
Got it...!
The second he held it, his racing heart slowed—just a little.
But now a new thought crept into his mind.
What now...? I need to hold onto this for another twenty-two minutes... but—should I try to find more?
His eyes narrowed, gripping the flag tighter.
The window said my rank increases if I collect more... What does that even mean? Would it help me later? Or is it just status?
He exhaled slowly. Then, another thought chilled him to the core.
If someone fails to get a flag... they'll die.
He pictured the screen showing Australia—the cries, the flames, the bodies.
This is real... If someone fails, they'll die...
He swallowed hard.
I can't afford to lose this one...
He forced his breathing to steady.
Don't panic. Survive first. Think later.
His decision became clear.
I'll hide. Just for twenty more minutes.
Carefully, he moved toward the back of the cafeteria, slipping into a storage room. He crouched behind a stack of boxes, holding the flag close to his chest.
The whispers outside grew louder—desperate voices, footsteps of others searching for their chance to live.
Shin closed his eyes for a moment.
Just survive.
The countdown continued.
Time slipped away, minute by minute.
Shin remained hidden in the cafeteria storage room, his back pressed against cold metal shelves. His hand gripped the small blue flag tightly, as if letting go for even a second would mean death.
Faint voices echoed from outside—the frantic shuffling of people scouring every corner for their own chance to survive. Some were lucky, gathering multiple flags. Others sounded desperate, their footsteps growing heavier with panic.
How big... is this sector?
Shin's gaze drifted to the half-open door. He had no idea where the boundaries were.
What happens if I cross the sector by mistake? Do I die?
Every action seemed like a potential death trap. His heart told him to stay put—but his mind was restless.
He checked the faint window hovering in his vision:
---
[Time Remaining – 00:10:08]
---
Ten minutes left...
Shin exhaled slowly. His chest felt tight.
Ten more minutes... and I survive. Right...?
But doubt clawed at him.
What if there's something else? What if holding this flag doesn't mean survival? What if this is just another trick?
He gritted his teeth, trying to steady his thoughts—but his mind began to wander.
The blood on his hands had dried, but it was still there—stained deep into his skin, a reminder of what he had done just hours ago.
Am I... worthy of surviving?
His breathing grew shallow.
The man he killed—was there another way? Could he have called the police? Could he have stopped it without taking a life?
Regret intertwined with fear.
I killed someone... and now I'm here, trying to save my own life...
His fingers trembled around the flag.
Suddenly—a faint glow caught his eye.
A flag appeared in front of him, right beside the stack of boxes.
What...?
It hadn't been there before. He was sure of it.
Are the flags... spawning? Are they changing locations?
His confusion mixed with hesitation.
Is it safe...? Should I...?
A beat later, his instincts pushed him forward. He reached out and snatched the flag.
The fabric felt the same as the first—soft, but unnaturally smooth, almost like it wasn't meant for this world.
Another one...
He now held two flags.
Before he could process what it meant, the window in his vision updated:
---
[Time Remaining – 00:06:56]
---
Less than seven minutes...
Shin tightened his grip on both flags. His thoughts were still tangled, but one thing was clear:
Live first. Regret later.
He pressed his back to the wall, forcing his breath to slow.
The dim light in the storage room flickered faintly. Shin tightened his grip around the two flags in his hands, his heart racing as the countdown in his vision continued to tick away.
[Time Remaining – 00:03:12]
Every second felt heavier. Just three minutes. He was so close.
But then—
Footsteps.
A shadow appeared at the entrance of the storage room.
A man.
His clothes were tattered, his face drenched in sweat. His eyes—wide, desperate—locked onto Shin. He was older, likely in his late thirties, with a trembling voice that barely concealed his panic.
"Please... Please... Give me your flags... I need them... I—my wife, my two kids—they don't have any... If I fail, they'll die... all of them... Please, I beg you!"
His voice cracked, his eyes pleading.
Shin froze.
Is he telling the truth? Or... is it a lie?
His mind spun.
He wanted to believe him—no, part of him did believe him. A father protecting his family. That was what Shin had lacked growing up... He knew the pain of being alone.
But the clock was ticking.
[Time Remaining – 00:02:46]
Shin's grip tightened on the flags.
"I... I can't give you both..." His voice was shaky but firm. "I need at least one to survive... If I give you both, and I can't find another in time... I'll die."
The man's face stiffened.
"Please... just one is not enough! If I fail, my children will suffer—do you understand? They will scream and die—right in front of me!"
Shin's heart twisted.
But he had already made his choice.
"I—I'm sorry... Take one... That's all I can give."
He stretched his hand forward, offering one of the flags.
But in that instant—
The man's eyes changed.
The pleading softness disappeared, replaced by something sharp—cold—like a cornered animal.
Before Shin could react—
A swift kick to his chest.
"Gah—!"
Shin staggered backward, crashing into the metal shelves. The air was knocked out of him.
Before he could recover—a punch to his face.
His vision blurred as pain exploded in his cheek. He felt his body hit the ground, his back scraping against the floor.
Through the dizziness, he saw the man snatch both flags from his hands.
"No... Wait—!" Shin's voice was weak, but it didn't matter.
The man was already gone—bolting out of the room like a starving animal clutching stolen food.
Shin lay there, gasping, pain pulsing through his ribs and face. His hands were empty.
Both flags... gone.
He stared at the timer.
[Time Remaining – 00:01:33]
Desperation surged through his veins.
One minute and thirty seconds.
I'm going to die...
His body trembled.
Move.
His mind screamed.
MOVE!
With what little strength he had left, Shin pushed himself off the ground.
Bruised. Bleeding.
But still alive.
And he had to stay that way.
The countdown continued.