Chapter 11: Hearts' Deceptions
The ballroom was a cold, cavernous trap, its air thick with anticipation, the neon 7♥ pulsing a dangerous rhythm above a stage of warped wood. The card suits flickered on the walls, their patterns a hypnotic dance that made Kirito's skin prickle, his sweat stinging his eyes. His heart raced, the Visa Clock's red glow ticking relentlessly against his wrist, each beat amplifying the stakes.
"A trust game. Like playing chess with a guillotine," he thought, his inner sarcasm a fragile shield against the dread coiling in his gut.
[SYSTEM: HOST STATUS.]
[STRENGTH: 10. AGILITY: 10. STAMINA: 10. SYSTEM POINTS (SP): 50.]
[SYSTEM: GLITCH ALERT: HIGH-LEVEL DECEIT DETECTED. PUZZLE FLICKERS. MAP #11 ACTIVATED.]
The game was a brutal test of truth versus lies, ten players tasked with rooting out the liar through deduction. Kirito's team—Arisu, Usagi, and Kuina—stood close, their breaths uneven, their eyes scanning the other players, a mix of nervous strangers and cult loyalists.
[SYSTEM: QUERY: INITIATE 'FEAR MASK' (COST: 50 SP)?]
"Make me look like I've got this, or we're done," Kirito thought, his pulse spiking.
[SYSTEM: FEAR MASK ACTIVE: HOST APPEARS CONFIDENT. INTERNAL FEAR SUPPRESSED. TOTAL SP: 0.]
Kirito stepped forward, his voice smooth despite the panic screaming in his chest. "The rule's simple. Someone's lying. We find them with brains, not blood."
Arisu's eyes flickered, his mind racing, but a misstep slipped out, his voice dazed. "So, everyone has to… murder their partner's lie?"
Kuina slapped his back, her grin sharp, her voice slicing through the tension. "Whoa, Sketch-pad! We're surviving, not going full cult maniac! It's disclose the lie, not murder it!"
A ripple of uneasy laughter spread through the group, easing the strain, but a nervous man—a cult spy—pointed at Usagi, his grimy sweat gleaming, his sly grin betraying his intent. "It's her! She's the liar! I saw her with Hatter!"
[SYSTEM: QUERY: INITIATE 'LIE DETECTOR' (COST: 50 SP)?]
"Confirm it. Now," Kirito urged, his focus narrowing.
[SYSTEM: LIE DETECTOR ACTIVE: SPY'S STATEMENT IS 100% FALSE. INTENT TO DEFLECT BLAME CONFIRMED. TOTAL SP: -50 (DEBT).]
The spy's accusation was a flimsy ploy, his intent clear as day. As he lunged toward Usagi, his knife glinting, Kuina moved like lightning, shoving him to the floor with a swift tackle, his blade clattering away.
"Not today, creep!" Kuina shouted, her eyes blazing, her cigarette still clenched between her teeth, its ember flaring with her defiance.
The team's deduction held, the other players following their lead, voting out the spy in a tense, unified call. The neon sign dimmed, the game won.
[SYSTEM: GAME CLEAR: 7♥. REWARDS: 7 DAYS VISA EXTENSION FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS. 70 SP GAINED.]
[SYSTEM: TOTAL SP: 20.]
Relief crashed over them, a heavy tide that softened their ragged breaths, the neon's hum fading to a dull throb. They climbed to the hotel rooftop, the starlight cool on their skin, a quiet reprieve from the ballroom's tension. The city's haze dimmed the stars, but their hard-earned trust glowed brighter, a fragile shield against the Beach's chaos.
Kirito leaned against the railing, his voice crisp, his grin masking the lingering debt. "They'll keep sending spies. We're too loud. We hit their assets next."
[SYSTEM: QUERY: INITIATE 'PUZZLE' (COST: 0 SP)?]
[SYSTEM: PUZZLE INITIATED: MAPS KNOWN SPY LOCATIONS. PROCESSING…]
Arisu bit his lip, his voice low, his sketchbook clutched tight. "More betrayals… I hate this. We can't trust anyone here."
Usagi's voice was blunt, a steel thread of resolve. "We fight or we die. We don't stop. We make them fear us."
Kirito's grin sharpened, his eyes glinting with defiance, the System's nudge a faint spark in his mind, urging action. "Spies can't outsmart us if they can't find us. Arisu, map the core facility. Usagi, Kuina, you're the muscle. I'm the brains. Let's move."
The dawn light crept over the horizon, painting the shore in pale gold as they descended, the crowd's chants rising, the neon signs pulsing with oppressive energy. The Beach's main stage loomed, Hatter's voice a distant boom, but Kirito's focus caught on a faint glint in the crowd—Ryuji's dice, his silhouette a lingering threat.
"This is it," Kirito said, his voice low. "The Queen cull's coming. They won't send spies to a face card game—they'll let the game break us."
Kuina adjusted her stance, her voice calm but fierce. "We're tougher than them. Four against a cult. Let's make them regret it."
Their footsteps crunched on the sand, a unified rhythm as they moved toward the next arena, the promise of a face card game a dark shadow on the horizon.
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