Alice in Borderland: The Cycle Continues

61.1) Side Story 6 - King of Diamonds [1]

For readability purposes, all numbers in this game will be expressed in standard form.

"I hope that all of them together can see the game for it truly is: a bluff. A bluff meant to fool a god. A simple trial, with layers of fluff to imitate difficulty. But beneath it all... Is a simple trial of endurance."

===Zakū Raisunei===
High School Student
Specialty: ♢

– – – – – –

My body was thrown against a shelf, the force punching the air out my lungs.

I laughed.

"God damn! You piss me off so fucking much!" Kazato spat, his two goons behind him.

"Oh, well, at least it's mutual." I shot back, my eyes darting to the ceiling, flashing an eye roll.

He raised his fist again, but I pulled my hands up, in a surrendering motion. "Hey, can't knock me up too hard, or else I can't help you on next week's chemistry test. You've already gotten me pretty bad–any worse, and even your dad's money won't be able to keep you from expulsion."

"He's right, Kazato." One of his friends said from behind him. "We've already done a pretty hefty number. We should give it a break."

He hesitated for a second, before dropping my collar. I fell to the ground, brushing the hair out of my eyes, as they walked away, no one saying another word.

I sighed, standing back up and brushing off the dust on my shirt, then tore a piece of paper from a towel, dabbing up the blood that ran down my chin; my lip had been busted.

It was a typical Friday, with the typical routine. Kazato would take out his frustration on me–my inability to yield to him, my lack of fear, lack of intimidation by his mere presence, unlike anyone else at this school.

Why was I like this? Was it courage? Was it confidence? No–it was simply apathy. I couldn't care less about his presence. He, however, did not like that, and would make an example out of me each week.

Now, I would've taken my own measures long ago, if it weren't for the fact that both my parents are employed under one of the firms his dad owns. A step out of line, and they could both be fired under Kazato's wish. This was no ideal life, but again, all I felt towards this was apathy.

Whether I keep living, whether I die tomorrow...

All just a sense of apathy.

I opened the door, hands in my pocket, the other closing it again.

"Oh!" The headmaster said, as he passed by the hall. "Young man, you're not supposed to be in there."

"Don't act like you don't know my name." I said, walking away from him. "I was inside getting beat by the boy you refuse to expel so your pockets and keep being filled."

Ignoring his additional comments, I turned the corner, yelping as a short figure crashed into me.

His backpack fell to the ground, a couple wooden blocks and a black mask tumbling out. "Oops, sorry about that, I–"

We made eye contact–it was Charī Kasutoro. He gasped upon seeing who I was, silencing himself, packing up his materials and briskly walking away. He wore gloves–it was forty degrees today.

'What was that all about? Why was he carrying those wooden blocks, and why is he wearing gloves in this weather?'

I shrugged, pushing it off my mind; most people feared me too, that interaction with me would associate them into Kazato's radar. Walking through the falls, I ran my hands through the various scars and healing cuts: healing bruises on my knees, a dark maroon scab on my elbow, and various light scratches on my arms and ankles.