The room was still filled with the lingering smell of drying acrylic paint. Some canvases had been removed, but traces of the art match had not completely disappeared. There were no cheers, no applause. Only soft whispers and glances that slowly shifted direction.
Kazuhiro stood near the wall, staring at the blank screen that had yet to display anything. Since the match ended, he hadn't felt at ease. Something felt off. Not with the scores, not with the system—but with the people.
Raditya stood beside him, arms crossed. "You feel it too?" he lowered his voice. "Something's been weird since earlier."
Kazuhiro nodded slowly. "Yeah. Especially during the evaluation of that empty canvas."
Raditya turned quickly. "You were thinking the same thing?"
Kazuhiro narrowed his eyes. "Paint doesn't just run out on its own."
In another corner of the room, several participants began to form small groups. Some whispered while glancing in one direction. Others pretended to clean brushes that were already useless. Among them, Inaya stood calmly. Her face was blank, as if none of this had anything to do with her. Her hands were clean. Her clothes neat. Nothing suspicious—at least on the surface.
But someone was watching her for far too long.
Rizky stood not far from Inaya. His gaze was sharp, his jaw clenched. He clearly remembered the thin smile Inaya wore when another participant panicked. A smile that shouldn't have appeared in a situation like that. And Rizky knew one thing others didn't.
She was his ex.
"Why are you so quiet?" whispered an NPC beside Rizky.
Rizky didn't answer. His head was filled with fragments of small incidents he had ignored before. The way Inaya moved, the way she turned her face away, the way she always slipped through untouched. This time, he was sure.
Not long after, a faint light appeared in the center of the room. Ayaka had not appeared yet, but the large screen above slowly lit up. All conversations stopped.
ATTENTION!!
The words appeared without sound.
"Post-match evaluation is in progress."
The atmosphere turned cold. Several participants swallowed hard. They knew evaluation in the world of しあい — shiai — was not just about numbers.
Rizky stepped forward. His voice trembled, but he forced himself to speak."I want to report something."
All heads turned.
"During the art match," he continued, "there was sabotage."
Inaya slowly turned her head. Her gaze met Rizky's. There was no anger. No panic. Only a quiet sentence slipped from her lips.
"Nanishiteruno?"
Rizky exhaled. "You took other people's paint. Red and green. You used them up."
Whispers rippled through the room. Several participants immediately recalled the empty canvas incident. Faces that were once uncertain began to change.
Raditya turned to Kazuhiro. "Damn…"
Kazuhiro said nothing. His eyes were fixed on Inaya.
Inaya let out a small laugh. "Proof?" she asked lightly. "Or is this just personal revenge?"
Before Rizky could answer, the screen above flickered. A short recording played. The camera angle was blurry, but clear enough to show a hand pulling two paint tubes from the side of another participant's table.
Silence.
No ELIMINATED text.No countdown.No warning.
Inaya looked around. "This is just a game—"
Dark light suddenly wrapped around her legs. Her hands moved reflexively, but her body froze. No scream. No time to think. In a single silent pull, Inaya vanished from where she stood.
As if she had never existed.
Some participants collapsed to the floor. Some covered their mouths. Others turned their faces away.
Ayaka finally appeared among them, standing calmly."Sabotage is a serious violation," she said flatly. "No waiting period. No reflection."
The screen lit up again.
ART MATCH RESULTS – FINAL POINT
Names began to appear. Numbers rose.
ATTENTION!!
"All remaining participants receive POINTS according to evaluation."
Several participants breathed in relief as their numbers increased. But at the bottom of the screen, three names were dimmed.
"Two participants with the lowest total points are eliminated," Ayaka continued. "One participant is eliminated due to a violation."
No names were spoken.There was no need.
The screen shifted to the top.
RANK 1 – UPDATE
The name Raditya Narendra appeared at the very top.
Raditya froze. "Me…?" His voice barely came out.
Kazuhiro turned to him. There was a faint smile, but his eyes were serious."Protect it. Rank one isn't a reward. It's a target."
Ayaka smiled slightly."Congratulations. But remember—this world is never fair. You're only surviving… for now."
The light dimmed. The room felt emptier than before.
The game was not over.
And suspicion… had only just truly begun.
Episode 4–5THE END