Hanemia gasped for breath, his body covered in blood and wounds from head to toe.
"Tch… so this so-called Death Game isn't just a simple game, huh…" Fujimiya muttered.
A sudden boom echoed as a fireball shot straight toward him and exploded right in front of his face.
System:
You have died 5 times.Restarting from the beginning…
A few hours earlier…
"Oi, what the hell were you thinking, Fujimiya!?" Lears snapped.
Hanemia tilted his head. "Strange… why do people in this world keep calling me by my first name?" He chuckled lightly. "Anyway, it's simple. I just want to repay my savior."
With that, Hanemia changed his clothes, borrowing the power of another spirit.
"Eh? You can actually use spirit powers? That's unusual for someone summoned from another world," Elsyia said, raising her brow.
Hanemia only smiled."How about we make a deal?" he said, his gaze sharp as he looked at the two of them.
"A deal?" Lears frowned.
"I'll help you pay off your debts and tell you everything about myself. In return, you'll give me information about this world."
Lears opened his mouth. "Wait, we can't just—"
"I agree," Elsyia cut him off.
"…Fine," Hanemia nodded.
"How about we talk while taking a walk outside?" Elsyia suggested.
"Sure," Hanemia replied.
The three of them walked out together.
"Alright then, should I start by telling you about myself, or will you two go first?" Hanemia asked.
"You go first. Information isn't free, after all," Lears said flatly.
"Fine. What do you want to know?"
"There are three things," Elsyia answered."1. Is it true you're from another world?2. What's the difference between your world and ours?3. Who sent you here?"
Hanemia crossed his arms and answered calmly."1. Yes, I came from another dimension. I was just playing a game in my world when I ended up here.2. In my world, your existence is seen as nothing more than fiction.3. I don't know who brought me here."
A woman suddenly approached them.
"Oh, Elsyia-chan~," she greeted warmly.
"Riene," Elsyia responded.
Hanemia turned to Lears. "Who's that?"
"That's Riene Volkafis, a noble… and also Elsyia's childhood friend. She's a master of card-based strategy games."
A sly grin spread across Hanemia's face."Interesting. So… what's the prize if I beat her in a strategy game?"
Lears' eyes widened. "You idiot! Don't you know the stakes!? Every match costs 50% of all your wealth! That's why we're drowning in debt—because we lost too many times!"
Before Elsyia and Riene could continue chatting, Hanemia stepped forward."I challenge you, Riene, to a card game."
The three of them froze, shocked at his audacity.
"Oi, are you out of your damn mind!?" Lears shouted. "She's a card master! You'll end up broke like us, you fool!"
Riene giggled, covering her mouth with elegance."~Ara ara~ You're quite bold. How much are you willing to bet?"
With an innocent expression, Hanemia pulled something from his pocket.
Everyone stared in disbelief. Then—Lears burst into laughter."Pfft—hahaha! This idiot is betting one gold coin!"
But Elsyia quickly covered his mouth. "Shut up. Look at Riene's eyes…"
Lears blinked, confused.
"Game start."
The world around them shifted as they were pulled into a strange arena.
System:
Participant: Riene VolkafisVSFujimiya Hanemia
Watchers: Elsyia & Lears
Game type: UNO (Card Strategy)
"According to the rules, we first place our wagers," Riene said.
She tossed a pouch filled with 50 to 100 gold coins onto the table. Fujimiya calmly placed down a single gold coin.
A glowing die appeared before them.
System:
Highest roll goes first.
Round 1 – Start
Both rolled their dice. Fujimiya got a 6, Riene a 2.
Hanemia began with a red card. The match played out intensely, card after card thrown.
In the end—Hanemia lost.
System:
Winner shuffles the deck.
Riene smirked, shuffling the cards with grace… slipping in a cheat without hesitation.
Round 2 – Start
Hanemia looked at his hand, then smirked."Just as I thought. My hand is pure trash."
"What's wrong, Fujimiya? Scared to play?" Riene teased.
He ignored her words and kept playing.
"You know," he said casually, "in card games—except maybe rummy—there's no such thing as a 'bad hand.' Every card has its use."
"Of course I know that."
"In UNO, most people think lower numbers are useless. But that's only what fools believe."
"Quit talking nonsense and roll the dice!" Riene snapped.
System:
Mini-roll activated.
They rolled again. Fujimiya got 1, Riene 4.
Yet despite that, Fujimiya suddenly played through his entire hand, finishing the round.
Round 3 – Final Match
"Tch, he gets to shuffle this time… no doubt he'll cheat like I did." Riene thought bitterly.
But Fujimiya calmly dealt the cards.
System:
Mini-roll activated.
He rolled again—winning first turn.
Without hesitation, he unleashed his carefully arranged combination, clearing all his cards in one sweep.
System:
Winner: Fujimiya HanemiaGains 50–100 gold coins from Riene Volkafis.
The arena dissolved.
Elsyia was left stunned. "H-how… how did he beat Riene? Did he cheat…?"
Fujimiya only smiled, turning to his two companions."I told you, didn't I? I'll help you pay your debts."
To be continued…