Alice in Borderland: The Cycle Continues

29) Eight of Clubs [5] ✮

Content Warning: This chapter contains depictions of torture.

===Chihaya Korinsu===

"The hell are they doing over there?" I gasped, facing their direction.

"It can't be good." Zakū replied, taking his hand off the doorknob. "Let's get Judumai and get the hell over there!" We ran down the stairs, myself nearly stumbling as I swerved into the second floor, crashing into Judumai.

"You saw too?" I asked, taking his arm out of instinct as we flew down the remaining steps.

"Yes! Let's hurry!" He shouted, sprinting behind us. The plaza came into view, as did the group of players confronting Niko. I peered upwards, a weight lifting from my shoulders at the sight of no coins, meaning that they had been stowed away in the ceiling and hadn't been found. Just to confirm, I checked my glove; both our team and Kazetani's team were at zero.

"Hey!" I shouted, "what's going on?"

"The coins." One of the men said, turning to face me. I recognized him: he was one of the climbers earlier from Team A. "We know you have them."

At that moment, I took a good moment to take in the condition of the players. It was all of them that remained, except for the buff man from Team C. They each had a knife pulled out, the knife that was provided at every apartment. "Wait a second..." I said. "Team C has zero coins too. Does that mean you guys have put all your coins into one base?" We turned to Team A's base. Sure enough, the man that was missing guarded their base. "Hold on..." I muttered. I had been so preoccupied with Team C having zero coins, I didn't even bother to look at Team A's value.

They had 5,440 points.

"Damn." Zakū cursed. "Why didn't we think of that?"

"Just back away." Niko said. "We'll tell you our secret if you no longer present yourselves as a threat."

A woman snorted; it was the friend of the woman I had accidentally killed earlier. "Oh please. You guys are the sleaziest bunch I've ever come across. All you plan to do is trick and scheme. We don't buy it. You're hiding the coins somewhere. And we're going to do what it takes to find them. It's you guys or us, and we have no other way to win but to team up to make sure you guys lose." They all tensed, preparing for a bloody conflict.

"Let's talk." Zakū said, his old attitude returning. "I'm sure—" But before he could finish, Niko also reached for his knife.

'Wait.' I thought, a gasp escaping my lips. 'They're all preoccupied. That means Nobira doesn't have to guard his base. He can help us!' I turned around, but he wasn't at his base anymore. 'What? Where is he?'

"Wait a second." Someone from Team A interjected. "Those ceiling tiles. Could they potentially be pushed open?"

My heart sank, and Niko's expression darkened, giving away the facade. "So it must be!" The woman shouted, as she and another pulled the table backwards. Niko raised his knife, as one of the attackers swung his blade, with the three of us sprinting in weapons raised. A fight brimmed on the edge of overturning, when a noise stopped the engagement in its tracks.

It came from Team A's base; Nobira and the guard were now in a confrontation. It all clicked: Nobira knew everyone was preoccupied, and that he could take on the guard, so he seized the opportunity.

"The coins!" One of the players shouted.

Judumai gasped. "Kazetani's base!"

"Get into the ceilings of Team D and B!" The Team A climber—his role as the leader now apparent—barked. "Guard Team A, and kill who you have to! The less to deal with later, the better!"