As soon as the ship returned to its original position, the sky was clear again; Estre could use the hot sun to dry their body, even though they had to wait a long time. Fourteen piers stick out from the mainland's cliff again, generating a large earthquake on the mainland of Nightmareland. The pirate skeleton robot waited for the Estre to release their already unlocked seat belts, instructing the 'official pirate ship crew' to line up neatly before being guided to the mainland.

Relief, tension, joy, fear, pride, anger were drawn on the faces of those who managed to survive. The look on their faces didn't change even though they were finally able to regroup with familiar faces. Not a single mouth that can utter a single word, except for one person.

“That was hell of a ride! The game made me feel how good it is to survive. It really cracked me up! GHAHAHAHAHA! " A stocky old man named Farkas laughed himself firmly in the middle of the crowd. He got the safe seat in the third stage, only losing luck to other Estres.

Farkas took off his brown fedora to shake his head fiercely like a dog, trying to dry his wet hair. Despite making a lot of noise, not a single eye glanced at him, “What the hell are these zombies? Ooooiii~ This isn't a dead city, is it? Huh… Not really fun… Wait, where are my friends?"

From a distance, Farkas saw a young man in his work uniform walking limply toward him. His eyes stared blankly ahead, walking oblivious to his surroundings, crashing his body into many people. His face was shabby, muddled, paler than anyone in the world. He also hasn't removed his hand from his ribs.

"Damn, what's wrong with your face? Were you watching dead people-” Farkas covered his mouth, already understanding what Grey had gone through as a result of his careless welcome. After several weeks of hanging out with Grey, he understands how broken the heart of this altruistic young man can be if he sees someone die, especially in front of his eyes. Therefore, he just kept silent and refrained from commenting anymore. His only communication was a bitter smile and a pat on Grey's shoulder.

Grey's arrival was also tinged with an unpleasant odour that pierced Farkas' nose.

“W-Wait, why does it smell like urine here? H-Huh, Grey c-could you be…!” Farkas found Grey's jeans were wet not because of the rain.

The ground trembled violently again, this time for the last time. The perpetrator of this earthquake was none other than the mechanism that made the piers hide back into the mainland. The fake sea now leaves a big stage in the middle and the fourteen rides without passengers.

Realizing this, Grey rushed back to the edge of the land, anger but also sadness shrouding his eyes.

You guys hid the piers?! Then what is the fate of those who fell into the lake?!

Grey charged and pushed his way through the crowd of Estres, didn't care how many people there were and how dangerous the figures were.

“Ah, hey, you were the one throwing the basketball! Your 'handling' of that burly man is commendable!”

*THUD!* Grey nudges Makoto who is praising his heroic action.

Now in front of him stood a large man with long, flowing pink hair. Grey shifted his body full of dry muscles forcefully, getting him out of his way. “Aiya~ Be careful pwease!” He replied in a feminine tone, "You're really rude, SON!" Then he shouted in his manly voice.

Elio joined Estre's line blocking Grey's path, he had been standing there for a long time, but Grey didn't notice. However, Grey is not surprised by Elio's 'sudden' presence and doesn't care about his existence.

Grey continued on until he finally stood at the very front, on the edge of the land, and looked down at the figure that was swarmed with crows all over him in despair. Before Grey questioned the statement from one of the executives that 'losing the game didn't mean Estre's death', Revon smiled sarcastically at him and pointed to a staircase that was right beside him. Estres can use the cement staircase to return to the mainland after swimming in the lake.

Grey was actually suspicious of the crow tamer who had been mute all this time, not 'welcoming' the Estres' victory. However, now he realized the reason behind it. The game isn't over yet, not yet for those who plunged into the lake. The game will only end when the defeated Estre returns to the mainland or their death.

In other words, the victorious side is forced to watch the defeat struggles with the bull shark.

Grey can see several Estres floating in the lake, as well as bull shark fins sticking out of the water. Grey's eyes were too blurry and too tired to recognize the swimmers. However, he wanted to save all the lives of those defeated, and especially he aimed at the burly man. Even if they lose and have to suffer the consequences in the real world, at least they can find another job again. But they can't find another 'life'.

Grey took a deep breath and exhaled loudly along with the words that came out of his mouth.

“Oh, a nut that doesn't forget its shell, or a crewman who doesn't leave his comrades behind? Oh, how beautiful." These words were closed by a shriek of laughter, followed by the laughter of crows perched on his body. “But how pitiful it is…”

It was just an empty scream. No one can hear what Grey's said.

Grey's voice was hoarse and lost; not a single letter was conveyed to the Estres in the lake. Grey clutches his throat, shocked in disbelief as his voice runs out. Indeed, Grey damaged his vocal cords too much by screaming in despair as the ship capsized in midair. But he kept trying to get the sound out of his throat and kept screaming meaninglessly.

“ALL OF YOU WHO ARE ALMOST BECOME SHARK'S FEED, LOOK AT ME! DO NOT PANIC!" This time Grey was surprised because his voice turned into a slightly heavy man voice. Grey fiddled with his throat; maybe he swallowed a bug or something.

"Oh, his friend helped him. Huh, what a beautiful friendship. It was the man who had previously asked me excitedly about Montre's miracle. He helped the defeated even though he also let someone fall before his eyes? Isn't that called two faces?” Revon now keeps himself busy by playing with one of his pets.

“Stop it you fool, don't touch your tonsils with your fingers! That's my voice." Farkas embraced Grey warmly, "I will help you, son."

“DON'T SPLASH WATER LIKE A DOG! KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE SHARK LIKE LOOKING AT YOUR PARTNER AFFECTIONATELY! THEN THE MOST IMPORTANT, SLOWLY BACK UP TO… Eh? Where should they head to, exactly?” Grey pointed at the stair that was directly under Farkas' feet, “HERE, TO THE MAINLAND! RIGHT UNDER MY CROTCH, THERE IS A STAIR! REMEMBER! DON'T TAKE YOUR VIEW OF THE FISH, AND DON'T BE HURRY!”

"Is that what you wanted to shout, kid?" Grey nodded excitedly. He never thought that Farkas would help him. A bond between Grey and Farkas was formed even closer.

Now it's just a matter of waiting anxiously, hoping that the instructions Farkas (and Grey's, indirectly) give can save lives.

Grey suddenly remembered someone else more important. His head continued to probe, his eyes scanning every corner of the crowd. But he couldn't find the person.

“Wh… er… Sher…?” Grey said something Farkas couldn't understand. Even Farkas thought Grey was praying. However, Farkas realised something with Grey's slightly wide eyes and his hands gripping his coat very tightly.

“OH SHIT! My other son!” Farkas narrowed his eyes and pointed them towards the lake. He made sure not to miss anyone swimming.

“I don't know if this is good or bad news, but I couldn't find him in the lake…”

Having not found Sherwyn's figure anywhere, the two of them could only hope for Sherwyn's safety in silence.

***

The defeated had already started climbing the stairs. Revon glanced towards the mainland, noticing how lucky the defeated had someone who still cared. One by one, they had returned to the mainland, but they all remained silent and stared blankly at the crowd. Meanwhile, Grey was counting and paying close attention to each drenched body that was still tense. It was already the fourteenth, but he couldn't find the one-eyed and also Sherwyn.

“You sirs and madams, just stayed quiet after being saved?… Shameless. You should at least thank the young man.” Said the crow tamer while feeding the birds before finally one of the birds flew away in surprise at the notification on the monitor. “Oh, today is really full of surprises!”

A loud ripple suddenly appeared in the middle of the lake, right between ships number 7 and 8. A riot occurred in the lake. The loud splashing sound invited the Estres to look towards the lake. The commotion didn't stop for half a minute before finally ending abruptly, leaving an eerie silence.

Before long, the beautiful sapphire blue colour of the lake turned bloody red. Not only around the ripples but the whole lake. All eyes that looked made to shudder in horror. The ripples must have been the result of a bull shark ripping its prey fiercely. Whether he was the most muscular man in the world, whoever it was would definitely not survive.

Indeed, there are casualties from this game. However, the capacity of the blood in one body is not enough to make the entire lake turn into a sea of ​​blood. It's just an additional effect provided if there is a shark victim as a dramatic and hyperbolic effect. Actually, Revon was almost disappointed because the blood-red show that he had prepared long ago was wasted due to Grey's heroic action. His gloom was now back into a radiant smile.

The large monitor already showed the Chronosseum's population count without the government. Most of Estre's now shifted their attention to the large monitor, watching the dwindling numbers and the framed face of one of Estres.

Current number of Estre: 98 → 97

Estre Number 81, Dio, deceased.

Farkas sighed with his hand touching his chest, “Sigh… Good thing it's not Sherwyn. Then where is the child? I can't find the bridge of his nose."

Meanwhile, Grey sat languidly on the ground. It was the burly man earlier. Grey clenched his fists tightly, almost making his palm bleed even though he had no long nails. He bit his lip really hard; his heart was definitely a mess. Grey is no longer able to express his emotions by screaming. He can only hurt himself to calm down.

What the heck is the no-one-dead-before-my-eyes?! I couldn't even save one life! It's all my fault!

Just a little more until Grey's lips bleed as a dwarf figure approaches him, looking at the sea of ​​blood with her gentle smiles and eyes.

“Son,” the short curly-haired granny called, “If you are bothered by the dead man, even if you do nothing at that time, no one knows if he will survive. You only do what you think is right.”

Grey looked at the old figure with teary eyes. In a situation that began to become tumultuous, private space was formed between the two humans of different generations. They are like talking one-on-one even though there are a lot of humans walking around them.

“But what is clear is that if you didn't save me then, I might become the shark's prey by now. So thank you."

Grey spoke silently, desperately trying to reply to the granny's words. For him, if he didn't interrupt at that time, surely everyone on his ship would be safe, even if it cost him his life.

The granny understood even though Grey spoke like a muted radio. She then bent down and aligned herself with the young man. "If you die too, won't it all be for nothing?" Grey swallowed an air. It was the same as the woman figure's words in his imagination. However, the figure itself wasn't the granny.

"His death wasn't your fault. The guy was just unlucky. You've done your best to save people, there's no need to be sad about it. In a competitive survival game like this, it feels like you're the only one who ever thinks about a stranger's life. I'm really impressed with you."

“Now, forget it all. Hold your head high and open your eyes again. I'm sure you're a pretty smart person, must have realized this. If you want to break this chain of madness, it's not the death of the players that you have to avoid, but them that you have to stop, right?”

Grey followed the direction of the granny's head to find the crow tamer in his hazy eyes.

One of the crows came from the mainland, again perched on Revon's stomach. He heard the report from the black bird and then struggled with a tablet pc he had hidden under his coat.

“'If the young man didn't come, maybe her life won't be saved', she said? You are no longer young, stop talking lies. What you mean is that the young man saved you from killing the man by yourself, didn't you?”

[ESTRE NUMBER 56]

NAME: Mallory

PREVIOUS OCCUPATION: Royal Special Forces

Grey's eyes have returned to the light. He has returned from his slump thanks to the help of the old figure. Grey had more than accepted that maybe he couldn't save everyone. In this country, no one knows how long a person can live. Even so, he will make sure and do everything so that there are no casualties in the games he participates in. However, he would no longer sacrifice his life for others. He must return to his feet bravely, alive, and victorious in this country for one purpose and one purpose only; Overthrow the Chronosseum government. That is, he will rebel against this country.

Grey returned to his feet to thank the granny. But the figure had already disappeared into the crowd. Therefore, he looked back at the blood-red lake with the weight already off his shoulders, waiting for his future in this country. He then closed his eyes and clasped his hands together, praying for peace for the deceased Estres. He will make sure the deaths of the Estres are not in vain in his mission to unravel the mysteries of this country.

“Sherwyn, why… You…”

Grey's solemnity is interrupted by Sherwyn's sudden arrival. Farkas' pair of eyes widened at his appearance. Splattered blood covered Sherwyn's body in splattered blood; his eyes bulged, almost leaving his eye sockets.

“YOU MUST HELP ME! BEFORE… BEFORE THAT PERSON DIE!” Sherwyn gripped the collar of Farkas' coat. It was the first time that Sherwyn, a fairly quiet person, had screamed so loudly and was in such a panic. Something serious must be going on.

Grey and friends ran towards the crime scene that Sherwyn was referring to. It seemed that Grey and Farkas were too busy with the rescue operation to notice the presence of another, busier crowd.

Grey broke through again and charged in, for the third time, leading his comrades to the front row of the silent crowd. They found a scene that was no less gruesome than the crows shredding before.

A man lying with his head almost crushed. Meanwhile, another man sat on his chest, holding up a boulder with blood still dripping fresh. Even though his face was already covered in blood splatters, Grey recognized the superior male roughly the same age as him. He had seen his face plastered on the internet with the label 'fugitive'.

It was Gill, the serial killer who always took his victim's heart out and left a bite mark.

Meanwhile, a girl with hair dyed white on one side and red on the other, hugging Gill tightly from behind. It wasn't a hug with the intention of stopping; it was a hug full of love and pride for the person he was holding.

“Sigh… You're still alive? Truly undying soul...” Gill exclaimed when he could still feel the air going in and out of the poor man's throat, “This really takes a lot of energy. If only there was a knife, he definitely wouldn't be tortured like this. This country is troublesome huh, making humans much more invulnerable. But it's interesting, too. So I can't decide."

"Well, with this it'll definitely be over." Gill again raised the large rock he was holding.

*BASH!*

The head was finally crushed; shards of his brain were scattered everywhere, and pools of blood hid the eyeballs and the remains of the skull. The TickBit that was worn on his right wrist suddenly broke, making all the watching faces startled.

Current number of Estre: 97 → 96

Estre Number 83, Alan, deceased.

Gill tilted his head slightly and looked at his victim with a sad look, “This human has no heart…”

Grey wanted to run and rage seeing the behaviour of the serial killer. You're the one who has no heart!

Farkas stopped him with the excuse of not wanting to stand out in the eyes of such a vile person. Farkas accidentally grabbed Grey's broken ribs, so Grey accidentally punched Farkas back in the D.

However, a serial killer has five sharper senses and instincts; he could sense someone who wanted to approach him, his eyes saw the slightest hidden movement, his ears were sensitive, and he could hear Grey's voiceless screams. Therefore, Gill immediately looked at Grey and friends with piercing eyes.

“…It's his own fault for not keeping his promise. I just want to be an enforcer of justice and punish the heartlessling. Am I right, hey you with that baseball cap over there?” Sherwyn's hair stood on end, and he gritted his teeth.

Although the person who had just died was unrecognizable by his face, Grey recognized the person by his clothes. It was the person who established cooperation in his ship earlier in the game. Sherwyn explained that the man was cooperating with bad intentions, and at the right moment, he snatched one of the safe seats. As a result, they split up, and in the end, only five survived on Sherwyn's ship; now 4, because that person is dead. While the other two are still in shock after escaping from the shark.

Grey is now faced with another reality that the Chronosseum and how this country works can bring out the 'malicious' side of humans. His rage and action before were only one of them. There are indeed some laws to follow, but nothing restricts human behaviour unless the game rules do so. Grey is now aware; he is not only fighting against the government but also fellow players who are equally crazy. Grey must be careful in choosing friends and foes.

It wasn't long before two other people came from the crowd's direction, walking with heavy strides toward Gill and the girl with red-white hair. It was a large man wearing a '70s face-hugging mask and another girl who kept hiding behind the large figure. It was now clear to Grey and company; it was a group they wouldn't dare to nudge against in the slightest.

“Alright, ladies and gentlemen! With that man's head smashed, I think our opening and gathering in the country today has finally-"

The entire Estre saw the whole amusement park become distorted and bumpy. Their bodies felt like they were floating fast after that, and some of them saw their most important things in real life. It all just happened in their minds. After that, the 96 Estres fell hard. They fainted. It was time to return to the mortal world.

“H-How dare you guys bother me again—wait, if this happened, then the one who should take the blame is—LUCIIII! IF THERE IS A GOD IN THIS WORLD, I WILL BEG HIM TO MAKE YOU AS A FEED FOR MY CROWS!”

All the crows perched on Revon's body flew scattered into the wide sky, frightened by the vengeful radiance of his tamer, thus revealing his true body. He didn't care by now as there were no other living souls than his birds and himself. The man was emaciated and frail, just like skin attached to the bone. He does not have human legs; instead, a long wooden stick is used as a means of movement. If Grey could see his figure, he certainly wouldn't be able to stop commenting that he looked like a scarecrow.

Revon scratched his temples, “Well, whatever information I want to give all they can look up on TickBit later. Finishing faster than the schedule wasn't bad either, huh. There's no need to talk much." Revon's voice stuttered, and his lips trembled. His hands were also shaking non-stop. Revon turned out to be stage fright.

“Goodnight!" He shouted into the mic, even though the sun was still shining brightly. The black birds once again perched on Revon's body somehow and carried him flying somewhere in the Chronosseum. Along with the departure of Revon, the Estres also disappeared, taken between space and time to go back to their hometown.

While the monitor is still brightly lit even though no one is watching.

[OVERALL STANDING]

1. TEAM 3 - 55 CT*

2. TEAM 14 - 53 CT

3. TEAM 1 - 51 CT

*CT = Chrono Tokens