Alice in Borderland: The Cycle Continues

63) Assault

"'Think of the thrill!' I told him. 'Get to experience the old times just for one night!' And he trusted me a lot, you know. He thought I was being genuine, and wanted to push him to experience a source of nostalgia. But an added benefit was that, if he felt his life was in jeopardy, he could take the fall capsule, which would've been a safety net."

===Tezuka Eiji===

All around me, the crowd cheered.

Within the ring, my gloves were raised. A couple of camera lights flickered in the stands. Sweat dripped off my chest, and my breathing was heavy, chest pumping.

Isn't the adrenaline what makes life worth living? The thrill? The being on the edge? Just having fun? Living for today?

It's only on this edge where people's true colors unfold. It's only with death on the constant horizon, where people's rawest hearts are shown–their beauty, or their ruin.

In a way, that's what I've always wanted to see, what I've always wanted to bring out of people. It's in this gray-area between life or death where the best and worst of humanity is able to shine. And, in my opinion, people are innately good; the best is what's usually shown.

The ring brings a small portion of this salvation, of this enlightenment. It's not life or death, but it's certainly for safety, and for glory. People reveal a small portion of their truest selves in this line of adrenaline.

Time seemed to pick up again, as my opponent honed in on me. Breathing in, I charged.

. . .

Walking down the streets, that memory replayed itself in my mind. Indeed, this game has allowed people to achieve this enlightenment. I've seen friends traveling through a blizzard to get resources through the King of Clubs to save survivors. A sick woman clearing the Jack of Spades with her crippled husband to replenish his Visa. A gang of college students–a found family–sticking with each other and not running ahead even as the road around them plunged into itself.

This was what the constant threat of death has done: allow the brightest of humanity to shine. I'm not going to pretend to be a hero; I know my game has killed many. But I hope in the end, I have brought at least one person to their enlightenment.

===Aoyama Tōka===

The concrete beneath me began glowing red. Under the piles of rubber, fragments of rock began sinking into the ground, which grew molten.

"The getaway cars are around the corner!" Kai shouted. "We can't get back to the car you came in, but we have three cars, enough for all of us!"

We ran, the ground turning solid again as we escaped the hazard zone, the King of Spades blimp still looking over us. At the end of an alleyway were the three cars.

"Split the injured folks up!" Kai ordered. One of his men also had a hand that was crushed badly, and another with a severely bleeding abdomen.

"I'll drive!" Kazetani barked. "Ashikaga, you're coming in my car!"

Chihaya got into the passenger seat, and I dropped Ashikaga at the back. Rafferty and Benkei went into another one of the cars, Rafferty driving, with Kai behind the wheel of the final car, taking off first and leading the way.

Kazetani floored the gas pedal, and with a loud screech, we followed, Rafferty's car behind us. In the distance, something rumbled. The shadow of the zeppelin grew, hanging over us. I rolled down the window, pointing my eyes up. The blimp rose higher, the King hanging onto the rope, overlooking the entire avenue.