Michael barely made it to the bathroom before vomiting.
The hospital toilet bowl swam in and out of focus as he gripped the stainless-steel rail with his left hand. His right arm—or where it used to be—twitched like a phantom limb trying to punch the memory out of his skull.
Himari. Sucking. Pus. Swallowing.
"Nope, nope, nope—" He dry-heaved again, forehead slick with sweat. The fluorescent lights buzzed like angry flies overhead.
The game had no right to make something that gross look so real. He could still see the yellow goo glistening on her lips, the way her throat bobbed as she—
Focus. You need to focus.
He flushed the toilet and stumbled back to bed, wiping his mouth with a shaky hand. His phone lay facedown on the sheets, the screen still glowing. The app was waiting. Always waiting.
New Alert!
[Enemy Detected: Tatsuya (Kagekiri - Level ??)]
[Purchase Full Profile? $19.99]
Michael stared at the notification. The pixelated red skull icon pulsed like a heartbeat. A cold knot tightened in his gut.
This is just a game. A messed-up, overpriced gotcha game.
But Aiko's face flashed in his mind—her scars, her broken voice, the way she'd curled up in that tent like a scared animal. He'd dragged her into this mess by "summoning" that earthquake. Now some elite assassin was hunting her because of him.
His thumb hovered over the purchase button.
Remaining Balance: $1,088.07
[TATSUYA - SHADOWCUTTER]
Rank: S-Class Kagekiri (Elite Ninja/Exorcist Hybrid)
Age: Unknown
[CORE STATS:]
[Strength: 98]
[Agility: 145]
[Intelligence: 87]
[Endurance: 76]
[Spirit: 103]
[Weapons: Twin Kodachi (Cursed Blades "Mist Cutter" & "Bone Drinker")]
[Abilities:]
[Silent Movement (Undetectable by sound/scent)]
[Shadow Step (Short-range teleportation)]
[Demon-Slaying Runes (Effective against spirits/humans)]
[Weaknesses: None Documented]
[Arrival ETA: 24 hours. ]
Michael's blood ran cold.
This was who Himari had hired to hunt down Aiko.
Aiko, whose stats were all reduced to 1 because of that curse.
How much hate do you harbor for your sibling to do something like this?
"She's dead," Michael thought to himself. "If this guy finds her, she's dead."
He tapped back to Aiko's tent view.
The night had passed, and morning sunlight filtered through the canvas. She was still asleep, her chest rising and falling steadily.
The map showed no red dots nearby—not yet. Yet now she was being hunted by a level 10 assassin while she lay helpless.
24 hours. Guess he still had some time.
Michael's thumb jammed against the phone screen. Four red dots pulsed on the Environmental Scan like hungry predators.
Tatsuya? Already?!
But wait—the assassin's ETA was supposed to be 24 hours. These blips were moving too fast. Crashing through the forest like a stampede instead of the silent approach a ninja would use.
Not Tatsuya. Then who?
He zoomed in, but the radar only showed vague red markers. No names. No profiles. Just danger closing in from all sides.
Aiko was still asleep in her tent, unaware. Michael's hospital room felt suffocatingly small as he leaned closer to the screen.
"Wake up. Wake up!" he muttered, jabbing the [WAKE AIKO] option.
He tapped the tent. A dialogue box appeared:
[WAKE AIKO?]
[YES / NO]
Michael hit [YES] without hesitation.
On screen, Aiko stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, confusion crossing her face as she took in the tent's interior. She sat up slowly, the blue yukata rustling as she moved.
"Kami-sama?" she whispered, looking around. "Are you there?"
Michael's thumb hovered over the screen.
This time, the app gave him no way to answer freely. No text box. No voice command.
Just four cryptic symbols glowing where dialogue options should be:
[1. Tree]
[2. Fire]
[3. Warning]
[4. Sword]
"What the hell is this? Hieroglyphics?" Michael's left hand gripped the phone tighter.
Okay, think. It's like charades. I have to guide her using… whatever these mean.
Onscreen, Aiko knelt on the futon, her fingers brushing the tent's canvas walls.
"Kami-sama? Did you… bring me here?"
Michael tapped the tree symbol.
The screen zoomed out to the forest map. A pulsing green path lit up between two pine trees outside the tent.
Aiko tensed as the tent's entrance flap suddenly rippled—though there was no wind.
She crawled forward, peering outside. Morning sunlight filtered through the trees, dappling the forest floor.
A deer stood frozen in the distance, its ears twitching toward the path Michael had highlighted.
"Is this… a sign?" Aiko whispered.
Yes! Follow the deer! Michael thought wildly. But the app didn't translate his panic.
Aiko stood, squinting at the deer. "Are you telling me to leave, Kami-sama?"
No! Wait—
She bowed toward the tent. "This unworthy one understands. I'll depart immediately."
No, dumbass! There's a ninja death squad coming! Michael mashed the Warning button.
The screen flashed red. Aiko gasped as the lantern inside the tent flared bright, casting frantic shadows. Outside, the deer bolted.
"Danger?" Aiko spun, hand flying to her hip—but she had no sword. "Where?"
Michael switched to the Environmental Scan.
The radar showed the four red dots moving swiftly through the forest, still miles out but closing fast. Too fast. Rivers and cliffs that should've slowed him didn't. The enemies were slicing straight through the terrain like it was pavement.
Back in the tent view, Michael slammed the sword icon.
The woven basket tipped over, spilling fruit. Aiko jumped as a glint of metal rolled into view—a small knife hidden beneath the apples.
"A blade?" She snatched it, testing the edge with her thumb. "You want me to fight."
No, I want you to RUN. Michael switched symbols, mashing tree and warning together.
The tent's poles creaked. Outside, branches snapped as something heavy crashed through the undergrowth—not Tatsuya, but a wild boar startled by the Scan's pulsing signals.
Aiko gripped the knife. "I'll face whatever comes."
You'll DIE. Michael's shirt clung to his back with sweat. The Environmental Scan showed someone leaping a ravine with unnatural agility. 3 miles out. 2
Think. Think. The fire symbol—maybe start a fire to scare animals, create smoke signals? No, fire would reveal her location. Wait. The tent.
He tapped the tent itself, dragging his finger away from the approaching dots. A notification popped:
[Move Shelter? Cost: 50 Spirit Orbs]
[Spirit Orbs: 0]
[Purchase 100 Spirit Orbs for $4.99?]
Of course. Michael groaned. "Premium feature, my ass." He bought the orbs, wincing as his balance dropped to $1,083.08.
The tent shuddered. Aiko stumbled as the entire structure dematerialized in a swirl of pixels, then reformed 200 yards northeast—deeper into the woods, near a stream.
"Kami-sama… you moved the sanctuary?" Aiko whispered, clutching her knife. "Is the enemy that close?"
YES.
The four dots paused on the Scan, then altered course.