Red lights in the sky

"We're already there." Said Usagi as she supported Jacob, who was exhausted and injured in his left shoulder. It's a pity that his vest didn't cover the bullet impact, but at least the wound isn't too serious.

They had parked the car at a considerable distance from the game zone, so no one could have taken it. Besides, none of the twenty players survived this time. They had already gone through two games where all the players had died, except for Jacob and Usagi, so they must question whether it's luck or if they are truly skilled.

Upon reaching the car, Usagi went ahead to open the door for Jacob and then rushed to the driver's seat. "Let's go back to our shelter. Tonight, I'll sleep like a log..."

Jacob turned on the car's interior light, unfastened his bulletproof vest, and with Usagi's help, placed it in the back of the car. As he tore his shirt on the left side, he saw the bloody wound and the damaged skin. He only took some clean gauze and applied pressure to stop the bleeding for now. Since Usagi was driving, he could only do this until they reached their shelter.

"Don't drive too fast, there's no need to hurry," Jacob turned off the light and then said, "She seemed interested in my life outside of this world, or whatever you want to call it, but my relationship with my family is anything but rosy."

Usagi slowed down and listened attentively to Jacob's words, who seemed willing to verify his story with her.

"In some states in the United States, the law allows action even against minors, so as a child, I was on the verge of going to prison because I defended my brother from abusers, and one of them died. It was really absurd how things unfolded, but what hurt me the most was that my brother turned his back on me, and my mother didn't believe me."

Jacob paused and pointed out, "But it's certainly my fault. Although I had a difficult childhood due to certain behaviors of mine, I learned to overcome it, and by the way, I didn't go to prison as they considered it self-defense."

"Did you ever think about ceasing to exist?" Usagi had gone through something similar, which led to suicidal thoughts.

"I did..." But before Jacob could finish his words, Usagi intervened and said, "I did too."

"While I can't fully comprehend the pain you felt, instead of my family, it was society that turned their back on me. They only care about what they find interesting, and if a rumor reaches their ears, they won't stop talking and spitting without the slightest idea." Usagi gripped the steering wheel tightly and said, "There are still occasions when I'm glad they all disappeared. They deserve it."

"Hahaha... Usagi, it seems we're much more similar than we would have thought. To be honest, since I closed that chapter of my life, there's no reason to go back, but I'm curious about what this world holds." Jacob tightened his grip on his wound.

"I'm aware that many people here must not suffer, but others deserve to die in the worst trials and suffer greatly." Usagi's words were sincere; she knew Jacob would understand and didn't mind that she had such thoughts.

"Let's stop talking about dark things. We survived a really tough game." Jacob sat up in his seat and asked Usagi, "Since we've come to this point, do you have the letter?"

"Yes, I have it." Usagi nodded when Jacob asked her that question.

The journey back to their shelter was uneventful. The streets were empty, and midnight was approaching. So after arriving at the building where they took refuge, Usagi drove the car into the parking lot and helped Jacob out.

...

"We're here..."

"[The area is clear of enemies, master!]"

Jacob held onto his wounded shoulder as adrenaline still coursed through his body. The bullet had grazed his skin, leaving a deep wound but not penetrating his shoulder. Although the pain was sharp, his mind remained focused on what he had to do, and that was to heal the wound.

As he entered the building with Usagi, they made their way to their shelter and he collapsed onto the floor. Urgency compelled him to act immediately. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself and concentrate on the task ahead.

"Bring the first aid kit..." Jacob asked Usagi for help.

"I'm coming!" Usagi quickly ran to where they kept their important belongings and brought a large first aid kit.

With a trembling hand, Jacob opened his backpack and took out a first aid kit. He quickly examined its contents, searching for the necessary supplies to clean and treat the wound. He found a water bottle, sterile gauze pads, bandages, and a packet of antiseptic.

With care, he poured water over the wound, letting it flow gently to cleanse any dirt or residue. He felt every drop of water stinging in the wound, but he knew it was necessary. Then, with delicate movements, he used a sterile gauze to dry the skin around the wound.

The next step was to apply the antiseptic to prevent any infection. Jacob knew this would be painful, but he also understood the importance of disinfecting the wound. He took a deep breath and gently poured the liquid onto the wound, feeling a sharp sensation running through his body. He gritted his teeth, resisting the pain.

After disinfecting the wound, Jacob applied a layer of antibiotic ointment to aid in the healing process. He spread the ointment gently, trying to cover the entire affected area. As the ointment absorbed into the skin, the pain started to diminish slightly.

Finally, he wrapped his shoulder with a sterile bandage to keep the wound protected. He carefully adjusted the bandage, making sure it was tight enough to maintain pressure but not too tight to restrict blood circulation.

"I'll help you." Usagi turned around and began to bandage Jacob's shoulder with gentleness. The ongoing trials and the desire to survive allowed them to assimilate the deaths they witnessed.

Seeing a corpse that was alive not long ago leaves a bad feeling in the body, and seeing those blood-filled corpses is a sensation difficult to forget. Dying is easy, but it's difficult when one dies in terrible suffering.

After resting for a few minutes, Usagi handed Jacob some water bottles and sat beside him. They had gone through an incredibly difficult trial, and if it weren't for Jacob, surviving would have been even harder.

"What should we do now?"

Jacob slowly got up, feeling the tension in his shoulder as he tested the range of motion. Although he still experienced some pain, he knew he had done what was necessary to care for his wound and allow it to heal properly.

"We'll spend a few more days, play two more games, and after having many days of life in this place, we'll head to the beach." Jacob remembered Mikumi's words, so once they have enough days of life, they will depart for that unknown place.

"Do you think it's a safe place?" Usagi was interested in that location.

"It's hard to say, but we can take advantage of the people there and hopefully find some sort of settlement." As Jacob finished saying that, flashes of red light could be seen in the distance through the window of the building they were in.

"At least those deaths are less painful." Jacob murmured as he saw the rays of red light descending upon the players whose days had come to an end.