Alice in Borderland | Transmigration

Chapter 18

If you had the energy to flip him off, you would have done so right about now.

"What would you know?!"

A punch straight into Arisu's jaw sent him flying, and you were quick to turn your attention back to Arisu. You felt a flare of anger directed at Aguni for hurting him.

Multiple people rushed at Aguni to stop his rampage, Usagi and Karube included.

Aguni powered on, aiming, kicking, punching Arisu despite him already being on the ground.

You grit your teeth.

Arisu was bleeding profusely, his head lolled and you were unable to pinpoint exactly where all the blood was coming from because it was smeared everywhere.

It could have been a trick of the light, but you could have sworn you saw tear streaks painting Aguni's cheeks, "what...would you know?"

"I understand the pain in your eyes," Arisu panted, "I also lost a precious friend–"

"Shut up!" Aguni threw Arisu onto the ground, not too different from flinging a ragdoll.

A random person from the crowd muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear, "if that's true, then Aguni wanted to kill everyone regardless of the game?"

Murmurs arose, you caught snippets of 'you're joking' and 'we went along with that'?

"Just who is the witch?" Usagi was on the ground, desperation etched into every corner of her expression.

"I know who it is." Arisu started from the floor, "the identity of the real witch. You can always see the game master's characteristics in a game. In a Hearts game, it always makes a fool out of everyone."

Usagi helped Arisu up, who struggled to stay sitting, "maybe... there really was a way to end the game without killing everyone. A solution where no one has to die."

"That's impossible," a girl from the crowd stated, "we have to hunt down the witch and burn them in the Fire of Judgment, right?"

"No. There's a witch candidate that makes it possible."

Tense silence.

"It is possible... if the witch is Momoka herself."

Disbelief immediately became a prominent emotion in the room.

"Momoka struck the knife into herself?"

"Yes. If I were the game master, I would come up with this idea."

Aguni's temper flared. "What a joke! I'm the witch! It's me!"

The lobby was thrown into a state of panic, Aguni losing control and thrashing everyone left and right.

You were slightly concerned someone would be tossed into you and further aggravate your wounds, although the fleeting thought left as fast as it came.

Asahi ran into the middle of the lobby, bracing herself before she screamed, "Listen up everyone!"

Like magic, the entire lobby was reduced to low murmurs.

You knew exactly what was about to happen. Something skin to empathy and resignation stirring in your gut. Sad to know this is her end, helpless to the fact you can't do anything about it.

"I'm...the dealer of this game!"

Immediately a laser aimed at her head, firing as her body became limp.

Her eyes were still open, her corpse a heap on the floor, and you wondered if her life could have been saved if you had just been useful in this damn game.