SQUABBLE - NOBARA K.

Golden Prize

Eight points. Eight points his friends were worth to the pseudo-getou. Along with all the sorcerers already fighting inside the battle-zone barriers he created for his culling games.

And that only leaves himself.

"Of course I wouldn't stoop you so low, mad sorcerer." He smiles happily. Kei's eyes narrow, complete disgust written all over his face. He hates that title he gave him. Stitched to his lineage, sure, but he doesn't want to associate from it no matter what.

A finger points at him from mastermind himself,

"Kei Murasaki, you are worth one hundred points!"

"What?" Dread filled the air and gasps from the group can be heard. Nobara looks at his back and can see his shoulders start to crumble. He's the golden prize. Whichever zone Kei walks into, he'll be the number one target. He'll be the one everyone will want to kill. And they all know every sorcerer down there won't play nice.

"No. No way!" The blonde shouted with a grimace. "I am not playing your stupid game. I'm going to kill you right here just to avoid it.

A small 'tsk' slips out the fake getou's lips, swinging the darted finger in the air and shaking in disapproval.

"This isn't how it works. Even if you do kill me, the game will continue. Only one will be the last one standing."

"This is bad." Yuji muttered next to him. "If we were to fight, only one of us here could leave the game. And so that means.."

"We'd have to fight each other." Megumi frowned. "Fight to the death, so to speak? This might be more complicated than I thought."

"But there is a way to have all of us leave the games safely, right?" Nobara chimes in the group, glancing at Kei and at Megumi. "Perhaps maybe when we reach a hundred points, we could change the rules to the games?"

"Hm.." Megumi pondered.

"She's right," Yuta began. "If we can somehow get a hundred points in a short span of time, we can change the rules to end the game."

"We can't end the game." Kei interjected with a frown. He wasn't trying to be pessimistic. It was the truth. When he got his invitation, the rules on the note stated they could not end the game using their points.

"Even so, there are loopholes to this game." The second year continued to theorize and this made Kei a little relieved. Yuta was smart and having him on his side made him feel safe. "Or perhaps we can make the rule to maximize the winners of the game. Make more than one winner?"

"I say that's our best shot." Yuji grinned with enthusiasm. Unlike everyone else, Yuji had hope. Despite all what's happened to him he was glad things had begun to resurface in better circumstances. Like Kei returning to his senses and Nobara back in action, he felt confident with his friends around.