Chapter 3: The Rules of the Cage
Kaito couldn't tear his eyes away from the glowing screen. The words "Welcome to Death Zone" pulsed with a faint red light, their ominous message filling him with dread. A soft chime echoed through the air, followed by the screen's flicker as new text appeared.
"The Rules Are Simple."
Kaito swallowed hard, his fingers gripping the bars of the cage so tightly they ached. More words followed, each one digging deeper into his mind:
"You are now a player in Death Zone.
Survive the challenges to earn your freedom.
Fail, and your cage will drop."
His stomach churned. He tried to steady his breathing, but the height and the weight of the words made his head spin. Below him, the city stretched out endlessly, a cold reminder of just how far he would fall if he failed.
A robotic voice crackled to life, cold and emotionless, breaking the silence.
"Players will compete in a series of matches. All actions in the game have consequences in reality.
Each match determines your survival.
Trust wisely. Betray strategically. Win or die."
Kaito's heart raced as the screen shifted again, displaying the next message:
"Match begins in 30 minutes. Prepare yourselves."
Kaito lowered the BIO and sat back against the cage wall, his hands trembling. He glanced at the small table in the corner of the cage, noticing a few items neatly arranged: a bottle of water, a protein bar, and a folded blanket.
Bare minimum for survival, he thought grimly. The cage was barren aside from these essentials, the cold steel walls offering no comfort.
His eyes flickered back to the other cages. The BIO allowed him to zoom in on the others. Most of them looked as disoriented as he felt, pacing or clutching their own devices. But one figure stood out—a woman in her late twenties, her sharp eyes scanning her surroundings with a mix of suspicion and determination.
Kaito hesitated, then raised the BIO again, focusing on her. Her voice crackled through the device.
"This can't be real," she was muttering to herself, her hands gripping the bars. "This has to be some kind of experiment. Or a nightmare."
Kaito hesitated before speaking. "Hey." His voice came out hoarse, unfamiliar even to himself.
The woman froze, her gaze snapping toward him. "Who are you?"
"Kaito," he said. "I woke up here, same as you."
She studied him for a moment, then sighed. "Mika. Mika Tanabe." She glanced at the BIO in her hand. "This thing's weird, but I guess it works."
"Any idea what's going on?" Kaito asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Just what the screen said," Mika replied. "Death Zone. Matches. Survival. I don't even…" Her voice trailed off as she shook her head. "I was working on something before I got here. Investigating disappearances. Guess I found my answer."
Kaito wanted to ask more, but his attention was drawn to another voice cutting through the static.
"—make this stop? I don't want to do this!" The voice was high-pitched, panicked. Kaito turned his BIO toward the source, zooming in on a younger boy, no older than sixteen. He was frantically shaking the bars of his cage.
Mika frowned. "Poor kid. He's not gonna last if he keeps that up."
Another voice joined in, this one calm and deliberate. "Everyone needs to stay quiet and focus."
Kaito shifted the BIO to find the speaker. A woman with cropped hair and a no-nonsense expression leaned against the bars of her cage, her arms crossed. "We're not going to figure anything out if everyone's panicking. Let's start with the basics."
"That's Reika Nakamura," Mika said, her voice low. "I've seen her face before. Former military. She's the real deal."
Kaito's head spun as he tried to piece everything together. A soldier. An investigative journalist. A terrified teenager. And him—a washed-up gamer with nothing left to lose.
Why us?
Before he could dwell on the thought, another chime echoed through the air. The robotic voice returned, sending chills down his spine.
"Match will begin shortly. Players, prepare your BIO devices. Instructions will be provided upon deployment."
The cages began to tremble. Kaito's breath hitched as the movement jolted his body, the swaying making the vertigo worse. He clung to the bars, his knuckles white.
"What's happening?" Mika shouted, her voice barely audible over the mechanical groaning.
From the corner of his eye, Kaito noticed something descending from above—a drone, sleek and silent, carrying a small capsule. It stopped just outside his cage, releasing the capsule onto the floor with a soft clink before retreating.
Kaito stared at it warily before crawling over and opening it. Inside was a single item: a small, futuristic wristband.
The screen flickered again.
"Equip your Band. It will serve as your lifeline in the game."
Kaito slipped it on reluctantly, feeling the cold metal tighten slightly around his wrist. The screen on the band lit up, displaying his name.
Kaito Ishiguro – Rank: Unregistered Player
Before he could process it, the voice returned one final time.
"Deployment in 5… 4… 3…"
The cages began to shift, their metal groaning as they moved closer to the skyscraper. Panels slid open in the walls, revealing dark, cavernous tunnels that seemed to lead into the heart of the building.
"2… 1… Match Start."
The floor beneath Kaito's cage gave way, and he fell.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone