MC POV

The next morning

I wake up with a not-so-great surprise. Sand, just sand everywhere in places that it will never get out for the rest of this lifetime. When I look at everyone else though, I’m the only one dealing with any problems.

Disgruntled I feel the need to at least comment on it. “Is anyone else having issues with the sand? I have it like, everywhere.” This causes the girls to giggle a bit.

Togo seems confused. “Hmm? No why would we? We only rested here for a bit it’s not like we went out in bathing suits or anything. You must have just been unlucky.”

Great so I’m immune to every story trope not just the positive ones like being able to actually hit the MC. Is that why I was the only one that needed a bathroom break yesterday? I just assumed everyone else went when I did. I guess I also actually have to deal with sand in places when I go to beaches. I wonder if the cleaning skill would be worth it one day…

“Well thanks… I’m going to go try to get as much sand out of my pants as possible, send out a radar ping occasionally to look for people. Send two if you notice someone other than me in the forest alright?” I waddle my sandy ass pants into the forest clearing a little after pinging for anyone nearby.

Once inside the forest I take off my pant and act like I’m cleaning them a bit. In order to clean them I store them underneath a cloth then move the cloth around for a while before taking it out of storage clean under the cloth again before putting them back on. Super convenient, I hope I get this thing again or get to keep it.

Once I clean all of my clothes, moving around feels a lot better. I’ll need to remember not to sleep on a beach again though. I start walking my way back when my chip makes an odd sensation go up my spine, like a high pitch whistle inside my mind before I hear a voice in my head.

“CONGRATULATIONS! It’s the morning of the 3rd day and we already have a group with seven chips! If one of them wanted, they could just stay at the beach pinged on the radar while them and someone will be dispatched to pick them up! We at Tyrannos games congratulate Shimada Hitomi, Heitaro Togo, Yoko Higuichi and Emilia Mikogami on collecting them so quickly!” They then go through a lengthy process of physically describing all of us.

I already start making my way towards the group. “Damn, they really are watching us, aren’t they? I haven’t seen any cameras though… The beach is dangerous now, we have to get the hell out of here!” I feel the radar ping at the beach the group is at. But rather than a person I feel the whole beach like a plane of land marked in my mind.

Finally reaching the group the area tense as everyone stares at each other. Togo and Higuichi stare at Himiko everyone has their BIM bag at hand but not quite reaching into them yet.

“We don’t have time for fighting each other! They just Pinged our location to everyone on the island! They know we have enough chips for them to LEAVE! MOVE YOUR ASSES, WE ARE GETTING AS FAR FROM HERE AS POSSIBLE!” I run up grabbing some of our supplies as I start running along a trail along the side of the beach. This seemed to snap them out of it as they also start to scramble for following. We don’t have much, but every little resource is worth it.

It doesn’t take long before the first radar ping hits us from somewhere off to our left. We react with our own but don’t get any results likely standing still or something else we haven’t figured out yet. No helping it, we just need to get out of here.

“Shit we don’t have time to deal with them!”

“I’ve got gas BIM’s! I’ll toss one that way!” Himiko responds. I lick a finger and test the air feeling the wind blowing inland but we are moving diagonally away so it should be fine.

“Nice, the wind is blowing away from the shore, so we won’t be swept up in it moving at an angle. GO FOR IT! Higuichi you should also throw one!”

They both throw gas BIM’s causing a massive cloud to start to form. Stretching across the landscape behind us. Making us run just a little bit faster as a bit of it moves our way.

“Man, I hope the creators of this game were smart and made unattended chips found by radar or this game will be impossible!” I yell while running.

Off in the distance a programmer starts to scramble realizing that they forgot to add that.

“Shit shit shit shit! I knew I forgot something in the last patch! I commented it out!”

He begins rapidly scrolling the long list of programmed data trying to find the section he needs. He realizes that the investors are also watching Shimada and his group, so they definitely heard his comment. If it’s not in, then they will be sorely disappointed.

“Let’s keep going! We should be able to get away from that team! If we run into another one we should be far enough away to-“ The giant cloud of gas turns into a second sun in the sky, the blazing ball of fire scorching the very air sending out a wave of heat. Our vision disoriented and slightly off we continue on. Off in the distance I hear screams of pain and a cry for help. Likely from those too close to escape the blast.

“Good to know gas BIM highly flamable like a dust explosion but tamer.” I sweat a little realizing how close that was to burning us too. Rather than a dust explosion it seemed like massive flash paper not even a trail of smoke left but still likely left burns on those too close.

After moving for a long distance, we finally are far enough from the beach to hopefully not be drawn into any direct conflicts. The rest of the group are gasping for air while I’m feeling slightly winded myself.

Taking out a bottle of water I take a quick drink. “Haaa shit, that was probably the most threatened I’ve been so far. Damn, I should practice with BIM a bit more. I guess with my knives still lodged in that dumbass I’ll have to.” I don’t want people to know I have another one yet. Espeshally since they are watching us somehow. I don’t want them to strip me down when I leave in case I attack.

Himiko takes a drink from her own bottle. “The BIM are a lot like the ones from btooom, If that’s the case there should be an implosion and fire cross one, and stupid trap ones…” She trails off for a bit thinking of the different ones from the game.

Thinking about it some of the stuff from the game should be applicable here too, right? “Ah right, that game I play it sometimes, mostly just with Miho and her brother though. I didn’t really go deep enough to know everything about the game. It always just seemed so limiting. Like they don’t have much imagination! I understand it’s real life but if there are magical shields and black hole implosion grenades then at least make them more interesting. If I were them, I’d add some sort of Ice BIM that expanded into cover or froze people. They could also just make a bouncy BIM that explodes when close to a person other than the thrower, kind of like a reverse homing but bouncing BIM’s could be great for indoors or city areas. It would add a whole new dimension to the game other than tossing at the other person which has the same result regardless of which BIM you’re using.” Looking around Higuichi and Togo seem to have just checked out of the conversation. Likely not being into games.

“Well, the game is more than just tossing BIM at each other! There is strategy involved!” Himiko defends the game despite being forced to play in it to her death.

“Like what? Teamwork? Most of the top players are there because they fight alone rather than being top ranked because of their team skills. The game has much more limited controls then in real life I know for a fact the gas BIM didn’t explode from fire or follow wind in game.”

Himiko nods slowly face looking conflicted. “It’s just… it’s not simple! It’s a complicated game that has hundreds of thousands of players!”

“Awww your just upset because you like the game a lot! Don’t worry it’s still a decent game after all. I just don’t like it all that much.”

“Can you both just shut up? We are here to survive not to bicker about how interesting a game is! Can you take this seriously? I understand you can kill but that doesn’t mean it’s any less jarring for all of us normal people!” Higiuchi seems to finally snap while glaring at me.

I raise my hand to retort but the look she gives me and the look I’m getting from Togo makes me reconsider. I just slowly close my mouth and play with a BIM.

Tossing a homing BIM up and down in my hands I stare through it around us every once in a while, to keep an eye out for things. Off in the distance there is a group of two one running ahead and the other lagging behind.

“Damn, we didn’t feel a radar, it looks like someone has some actual tracking skills. Prepare for a fight guys!”

Himiko looks a bit shaken. “That’s probably the guy that was with me on the first day… He’s dangerous, he has a knife… He tracked us for hours through the forest without the radar.” She looks off and clutches one of the bags. “He killed one of the others that was traveling with us. But didn’t kill the fat bastard…” Oh the French mercenary guy she mentioned. This should be interesting then.

“Well let’s not let him wait anymore.” I lick my finger and test the air, no wind so a gas BIM would just expand towards us too. Unless I chuck it far but then they could just get into melee with us which is what Himiko said he is likely to do with a knife…

“No gas, watch out for a knife, try to use homing on him now and prepare impacts.”

“If…if you’re going to fight him… use this…You’re probably able to use it much better than I can…” Himiko hands me a personal handheld taser from her skirt pocket.

Looking it over I smile at it. “I already used it once before so its charge might be running out, but its better than nothing since you lost your knife before… be careful…” I take it and pretend to put it in my pocket when really I place it in my bracelet.

Everyone prepares for the incoming threat. Using the homing BIM I lock on to the guy lagging behind and toss it as hard as I can straight up. It skyrockets up out of view. Higiuchi tosses a homing up slightly and it heads towards the incoming knife user.

BOOM

Checking with my next homing in hand he is still fine, likely threw something to detonate it early damn… someone smart.

“Togo, Himiko get ready!” everyone’s spread out with me at the front. Togo and Himiko on the sides and Higiuchi in the back to toss homing BIM.

A dark-skinned man with dreads and a trench coat with camo fatigues walks out of the forest. He has a sadistic smile spreading across his face. “Hmm you’re not incompetent at least. But you didn’t even try to cover your tracks from your previous location so you’re not military trained.”

I didn’t even think to cover tracks, but in hindsight I probably still wouldn’t have if I’d thought of it. Getting out of there was more important and most of the people here have no training. This guy is the exception not the rule.

I chuckle slightly. “Well honestly, I didn’t think anyone here would be trained. I figured everyone here was nominated by some civilian. What would a nameless soldier have done to be nominated by name?”

He gets a dangerous glint in his eyes now. Staring at me ready for a fight. I still haven’t seen the guy that was moving with him nor has my homing BIM landed yet. “HAAHAAAA I like you… see that’s how it would be usually.” He smiles at me raising his knife to his mouth, slowly licking the side of the blade. “But I liked torturing you see, hearing their screams, let’m them know exactly who did it to them.” Himiko is shaking as he says this.

“You…you scum!” Both Himiko and Higiuchi blurt out.

He seems confused for a moment before laughing. “Oh no no no I didn’t touch’m that way… I just cut them until they felt nothing but despair, I don’t discriminate. All are equal under the blade.” His eyes are going a little crazy at this point. “NOW LETS SEE WHO’S BETTER BLADE OR BIM!” he rushes towards me. Himiko looks like shes about to throw an impact but hesitates because I’m nearby. Togo throws one but aims it behind the guy throwing up rocks shooting towards us and him. Thankfully my frame is small, so his silhouette shields me from the shrapnel.

He seems hardly phased by the rocks as he continues his charge. “Gah small stuff that was nothing HAHA!” he closes the distance fast and I move into a stance as well tossing my BIM to the side. They are useless in an up-close fight and would only serve to be a easy thing to grab and pull me.

“Oh?” just as he lunges towards me, he has a smile on his face. I attempt to land a kick into his face to meet his charge, he attempts to stab into my foot only to be surprised when the shoe is metal lined, knocking the knife out of his hands from the unexpected resistance.

“Ha, how about this. No knife, No BIM we settle this like men. You obviously have some training, right? I noticed that stance, not military you’re too young and not trained enough to be a child soldier. So, let’s duke it out and see who’s got the most fight in them. If you win, who knows maybe I even have enough chips to get you out of here?” He smiles staring at the girls. He tosses the blade in between the two of us on the ground.

Not even glancing behind me I know he could easily kill either of the girls. I don’t know about Togo though. Just in case I should tell them to keep out of this. “Alright, GUYS! DON’T INTERFERE, GO HANDLE THE OTHER GUY! I’VE GOT THIS!” he looks somewhat surprised I actually agreed then his smile morphs to be even more alien on his face.

“GOOD! FINALLY, SOMEONE TO CHALLENGE ME HERE! I DIDN’T WANT TO PRATTLE WITH CHILDREN THE WHOLE TIME. NOW COME!” He gestures towards himself.

We both circle each other slowly; he has a significant reach advantage. He also has a lot more training than I do. He seems to be at least in his thirties and seems battle obsessed. So even with my learning speed bonus I’m likely not a match for him in skill.

I put all of my attention into this. Both my mind and my parallel mind focus entirely on the problem before me. Mental me is trying to plan out a method of attack without distracting me.

“Come ooooon! Stop pussyfutting around and come at me!” He growls at me. Holding both fists to his side in no real formal stance likely not taking this seriously at all. I’ll make him regret that.

Eventually he seems to lose his patience. “GRRR fuck it! I’ll just come to you!” He lunges again at me this time going past the dagger, he was likely waiting for me to reach for it before lunging. I don’t know much Judo, but I’ve picked up enough from my time learning to know some throws.

Right as I attempt to grip his arm for the throw, I feel a pain in my shin. Instead of putting his all into his fist it was a feint. His foot is smashing into the side of my front leg. Twisting my leg out of stance and slamming into my smaller frame with nearly full force.

Pinning me down he starts laughing in my face. “HAHAHA! Just like I thought, trained for being in a dojo, not for combat…” Just before I pull out my knife and stab him in the ribs, he gets up off of me kicking me hard as he does. He walks to the other side of the knife again. Almost like hes having fun with this and feels so superior that he doesn’t need to end it in one blow.

“Hooo now I’ve got to make the most out of this now. I doubt anyone else will put up much of a fight. Kind of sad when your best source of fun is a child. BAH oh well, beggars can’t be choosers. NOW GET UP OR I’LL KICK YOUR HEAD IN!”

I stagger up, spitting out some blood that’s pooling at the back of my throat. “Gah you’re a tough fucker… I haven't fought someone officially trained in hand to hand yet.” Could Haru fight him? He’s fought people like this before but always had overwhelming might and practice… But with this life I don’t have any of that practice just what I’ve seen from that skill being performed.

“HA and what? You think if you had something else you could beat someone better trained? Please, I thought you were more skilled from your placement and response but if you’re just some teenaged blackbelt in a couple martial arts that’s never seen death you’re sadly mistaken.” The once almost fervent smile is slowly morphing into a frown on his face. Like I’m not supplying enough fun to him.

We go for another exchange, he attempts to grapple me, but I slip out of his grasp and land a small blow to his lower ribs before retreating. I was only able to land the blow with my off hand otherwise I’d have stabbed with a knife. Right as I pull back, I feel another impact smashing into me. His further reach knocking me back on my ass. I have some trouble breathing it feels like something broke.

“Hah, that tickled. You’re, not very strong but you’re a fast slippery little shit aren't you? Well, I’ll get you down. But the next time you get up I won’t hold back anymore.” He’s still smiling again playing with me. He’s stronger than me, more skilled at hand to hand and has more reach.

I feel like I might die. I try to think of how to fight him right here. Should I throw a rock from the ground? Would he react in time? Should I throw the knife at his face?

I’m so paralyzed with thought I hardly notice something in my mindscape move that I’ve ignored for so long. A single silhouette in the white door moving towards the table. My mental me is pulling at his hair to try to plan to live.

“Let me have a crack at him kid… It’s not our time to go down yet.” Mental me looks up and sees the aged face of Haru standing there. He's in the same outfit I last seen him in over 17 years ago.