The next day, Ayano went straight to the club. It was the first time she had skipped school. When she arrived, Tadashi was standing outside the club waiting for her.
Ayano: "Hey."
Tadashi: "Oh, hello."
Ayano: "Why are you standing here? Isn't the first round held inside?"
Tadashi: "No, not here. The match locations are all secret."
Ayano: "Why?"
Tadashi: "They're trying to keep the club secret. Do you really think this café is the only branch?"
Ayano: "I see..."
A waiter came out from the café and approached them.
Waiter: "Ayano Sechelle and Tadashi Yuzo, right?"
Tadashi: "Yes."
Ayano: "Here."
The waiter took out blindfolds.
Waiter: "Now, please put these on."
Ayano: "Wait, why is this necessary?"
Tadashi: "Didn't I tell you? The locations are secret."
Ayano: "Secret even from the players?!"
Waiter: "They are."
Ayano: "Fine then..."
The waiter tied their eyes and led them toward a car. They both got in and were driven to an unknown location.
Upon arrival, they were escorted inside to an unfamiliar location. When their blindfolds were removed, they found themselves in a vast complex resembling a military base—filled with numerous doors and corridors, easy to get lost in. They were not alone; hundreds of other players were present.
Ayano: "So many people..."
She was clearly anxious about the overwhelming crowd.
Tadashi: "Something's wrong. We're not supposed to all be in the same place."
Even Tadashi seemed a bit worried.
Then, suddenly, a masked figure appeared on the platform. Dressed in pure white from head to toe, his identity was hidden behind a blank, featureless mask.
???: "Welcome, everyone. Welcome to the secret gambling club's tournament—Rosemaze."
Ayano: "Wait... isn't that—?"
Tadashi: "The boss. Their king."
As soon as he appeared, all players began whispering and speculating.
Random player: "Is that really the one we've heard about?"
Random player 2: "He doesn't look as scary as they say."
Random player 3: "Maybe we've wasted our time."
Doubt and chatter filled the hall like a rising tide. Watching in silence, the King lowered himself to the ground, resting one hand on his knee. With the other, he snapped his fingers—a deep, unsettling sound echoed through the room, silencing the crowd and drawing every gaze back to him.
The King: "Listen carefully. I don't care if you doubt me. I have a tournament to supervise. So shut up and listen well."
Everyone focused back on him.
The King: "The rules are as follows: You will exclude each other until twelve players remain. Those twelve will play the real tournament. The winner among them will play against me. Understood?"
No one said a word.
The King: "Good. Now, there's a problem—there are too many of you this year, so..."
He snapped his fingers again. Suddenly, trapdoors opened in the ceiling, and a shower of weapons rained down—all of them standard pistols, identical in design and deadly in intent.
The King: "Kill each other until the number decreases."
A massive wave of shock swept through the participants.
Ayano: "This can't be real..."
The shock was written all over her face, but before she could finish, Tadashi grabbed her hand and ran.
All the players grabbed weapons and scattered around.
The King: "Well done. Let the game begin."