Chapter 21: Jack's Gambit
The ruined basketball arena loomed under a deepening blue sky, a neon J♠ pulsing red, its hum vibrating through the cracked asphalt, making Kirito's teeth ache. His sweat carried a metallic tang, his phone a nervous weight in his pocket, its faint thrum a secret tell. Usagi kicked a shard of concrete, her scar pulsing angrily, her boots scuffing the ground with restless energy.
"A Jack of Spades. Logic and physical stakes. This guy's gonna outthink us and outfight us," Kirito thought, his sarcasm masking the fear knotting his gut.
[SYSTEM: HOST STATUS.]
[STRENGTH: 8. AGILITY: 15. STAMINA: 7. SYSTEM POINTS (SP): 1285.]
Arisu clutched his sketchpad, his charcoal-smudged cheek streaked with dirt, his eyes dissecting the arena's layout. Kuina's cigarette glowed, her grin tight but defiant, her jacket dusted with ash as she scanned the ruins. A figure emerged from the central rubble, dressed in a tattered suit jacket, his grimy fingers shuffling a deck of cards with eerie dexterity. The Jack of Spades, his eyes glinting with sly amusement, fixed on Kirito, his grin cold and predatory.
"Welcome, players. Card Sequence, a logic puzzle. Guess the next four cards in my deck's sequence, or one of you gets an exit visa."
The arena's walls warped, the card suits painted on them flickering wildly, the air buzzing with digital chaos. Kirito's phone throbbed, a warning of instability.
[SYSTEM: WARNING: ARCHITECTURE INSTABILITY DETECTED. SYSTEM GLITCH INTENSIFIES. RISK: LOGIC CASCADES.]
"Great, the System's having a meltdown," Kirito thought, his grin tight.
"Arisu, focus on me," he said, stepping forward. "I'll run a cheat. You find the pattern."
[SYSTEM: QUERY: ACTIVATE 'PUZZLE OVERCLOCK' (COST: 50 SP)?]
"Boost his brain. Now," Kirito commanded.
[SYSTEM: PUZZLE OVERCLOCK ACTIVE. TOTAL SP: 1235.]
Arisu's eyes sharpened, his focus cutting through the flickering suits. "The flicker's a distraction. The pattern's in the discarded pile's edge wear."
The Jack chuckled, his gesture grand as the floor slid away, revealing spiked pits. "A guess isn't enough. Step on the wrong square, the answer changes."
Arisu froze, his logic faltering under the new variable.
[SYSTEM: ALERT: TARGET PANIC DETECTED. LOGIC OVERLOAD. RECOMMEND: BREATHING. SP COST TO ABORT: 500.]
"Sassy System's got jokes," Kirito thought, adrenaline overriding fear. He gripped Arisu's shoulder. "It's a double-bluff. The sequence hasn't changed. Find it. Usagi and Kuina will keep us safe."
Arisu's breath steadied. "Seven of Clubs, Ace of Spades, Two of Diamonds, Three of Hearts."
Usagi sprang back, tackling Kuina as a pit opened beneath them, her boots kicking up ash. "Stay high, Kuina! We'll guard the exit!"
"Got it, bunny," Kuina replied, crushing her cigarette, her stance protective.
Arisu's answer echoed, the Jack's grin faltering. The neon J♠ sputtered out, the floor locking into place.
[SYSTEM: J♠ VICTORY. VISAS EXTENDED: +10 DAYS. SP GAIN: +150 SP. TOTAL: 1385.]
The Jack melted into the shadows, the arena silent.
They fled to the wasteland, the silence heavy, their visa wristbands ticking softly. Arisu sketched absently, his face streaked with dirt. Kirito checked his phone, the SP total a fleeting comfort.
[SYSTEM: CURRENT STATUS: STRENGTH: 8, AGILITY: 15, STAMINA: 7. SKILLS: DICE REROLL (50 SP), LIE DETECTOR (0 SP), AGILITY LEAP (50 SP), METEOR ECHO (50 SP), STAMINA BURST (50 SP), FULL FORK (100 SP). SP: 1385.]
"Too close," Usagi murmured, rubbing her scar. "The System's glitching. If it breaks, we lose our edge."
Kuina's warmth cut through. "We're tougher than glitches, Usagi. We beat a Jack and a Queen. We're unstoppable."
Arisu slammed his sketchpad shut, his voice loud with adrenaline. "We don't need the System. We found the pattern with logic. If the Borderland's rigged to collapse, we'll build our own escape."
Kirito tossed them each a protein bar, the gritty taste grounding them. The dawn's glow warmed their faces, the ruins a silent witness. Kirito's phone projected a map of the System's vulnerabilities.
[SYSTEM: PUZZLE INITIATED. COST: 0 SP. OBJECTIVE: MAP SYSTEM VULNERABILITIES.]
"The glitches are the Borderland breaking," Kirito said. "The next game's a face card, maybe a King. We counter the instability."
Arisu's eyes were grim. "The Watchman's watching. He'll use the glitches."
[SYSTEM: PUZZLE COMPLETE. VULNERABILITIES MAPPED. SP GAIN: +50 SP. TOTAL: 1435.]
Kirito's quip sparked resolve. "We'll debug fate before it deletes us. Let's take on the King."
Their footsteps crunched toward the neon's pulse, their unity a defiant flame against the Borderland's chaos.
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