BETA'S BOARD GAME

Rune steps ahead of the group, slipping into a battle stance. "This man isn't human," he states, his gaze fixed on Joker.

Simbad, Megan, and Kiren move in behind him, each readying their weapons, their determination evident. Joker's laughter echoes around them, a mocking sound that sends chills down their spines. "Oh, that's amusing, coming from a lesser human," Joker sneers. "I am the true definition of what a human should be."

Without hesitation, Rune lunges forward, weapon in hand, but just as he's about to reach Joker, a red balloon suddenly appears between them, expanding rapidly. It pushes Rune back, enveloping him until he's trapped inside the giant balloon that floats ominously above everyone.

"No!" Simbad shouts, quickly summoning his magic. He launches his katana at the balloon, but it merely bounces off, leaving Rune imprisoned.

Joker smirks, watching their reactions with satisfaction. "Someone in my collection has been dying for a one-on-one match with him," he says, chuckling. "So, I've created a space just for the two of them."

Kiren narrows his eyes, tightening his grip on his hammer. "Are you a friend or a foe?"

Joker takes a few casual steps forward, his tone dripping with disdain. "You lesser humans shouldn't even have the privilege of a conversation with a human who belongs to the god pack."

With a flick of his wrist, Joker conjures a glowing card, which he hurls straight at Jean. Before it can reach him, Ezzy and Michael react instantly, unleashing their fire and lightning magic to destroy the card midair.

Simbad and Kiren charge at Joker, their weapons ready to strike. But Joker swings his arms with a graceful, almost playful motion, and suddenly both of them are pulled into giant balloons that rise into the sky.

"This is too easy," Joker says, sighing as he watches his captives float above. "But don't worry—I'll be sure to make this memorable for each of you."

Mai shouts urgently, "Adam, you have to make a move! Save everyone!"

Adam's body trembles as an instinct he doesn't fully understand takes over. Suddenly, he hears Gand's voice echoing in his head. "Get out of there, Adam. You're not ready to face someone like him."

"Who is he?" Adam thinks back, grappling with the sense of dread growing inside him.

"Joker is one of our enemies for the end game," Gand replies, his tone firm. "It's too early for this—you're not strong enough yet."

Adam clenches his fists, his mind racing. "If I run now, I'll lose everything I've fought for, everything keeping me sane. No way I'm running! Even if it costs me my life, I'll kill Joker for the sake of my new family."

With a defiant roar, Adam charges forward, bat raised high. Joker grins, unfazed, and raises his cane to intercept. Their weapons clash with a deafening crack, and both slide back from the impact. Joker laughs, delighted. "Merdin was right about you. You are him."

Before Joker can finish the thought, Adam charges again, determined to cut him off. He swings his bat with fierce precision, and it crashes into Joker's shoulder with a powerful impact. But Joker barely flinches, standing steady as if the blow meant nothing.

"You," Joker sneers, "are the greatest threat to all the packs and all of humanity."

With a quick, chilling touch, Joker's hand brushes Adam's chest. In an instant, Adam feels a strange force pull him up, and in a instant he's trapped within a massive balloon, floating helplessly into the sky.

Joker moves quickly, reaching out to touch Megan, Michael, and Ezzy, each one immediately trapped inside a giant floating balloon. Nakao, refusing to let Joker have his way, raises her rifle and fires, her shots sharp and precise. But Joker hardly flinches, the bullets seeming to have no effect.

The RV's window bursts open as Mai emerges, strapped into a mounted machine equipped with dual mini-guns. She hits the controls, unleashing a torrent of bullets that rain down on Joker. Yet he merely strolls forward, unfazed, letting the bullets bounce off him effortlessly.

With a smirk, Joker sneers, "Pitiful. Threats from the both of you don't even deserve my magic." He flicks his wrist, summoning a glowing magic card. In a swift motion, he throws it at Jean. The card strikes Jean's chest and glows with an intense light, pulling him inside with a flash and leaving nothing but a picture card behind.

Inside his own balloon, Rune is locked in a fierce battle against a creature shrouded in black magic. They clash, the creature's gaze unwavering as it utters, "Runica Silver." Rune's eyes widen in shock, his grip tightening as he jumps back, shaken. "How… how do you know my name?" he demands, but the creature only glares at him with an eerie silence.

Outside, Nakao sinks to her knees, the hopelessness of the situation weighing on her. Mai, undeterred, grits her teeth and slams more buttons, launching a barrage of rockets at Joker. Explosions erupt all around, smoke and fire filling the air. Nakao, speaking through her body mic, says in desperation, "Mai… we're no match for him."

Joker steps out of the smoldering smoke, his suit barely singed, grinning as if nothing had happened. Just then, with a fierce burst of strength, Megan shatters her balloon prison and charges at Joker, weapon drawn. Their blades clash, and Joker steps back, surprise flickering in his eyes.

"Interesting," he says, eyeing Megan with a newfound respect. "You're not as strong as the others, but you managed to break free. Impressive."

Megan summons her magic, hurling a barrage of ice shards and fireballs toward Joker, who deftly parries each one with his cane, sending sparks and steam in all directions. She then calls upon wind magic, propelling herself forward through the air, light forming in her hand as she shapes it into a spear. With precision, she throws the gleaming light spear at him. Joker catches it mid-air, examining it curiously, surprised at the blend of elemental and light magic.

"Impressive," Joker muses, raising an eyebrow. "A lesser human wielding so many elements—and even light magic? Just who are you?"

But before he can finish his thought, a wave of ice shards and fireballs rains down on him, erupting into magic explosions all around. Amidst the blasts, Joker winces as a loud telepathic ding rings sharply in his mind, interrupting his focus. Inwardly, he scowls. "Who dares to interrupt me while I'm having my fun in Terra?"

A powerful, commanding voice answers in his mind, cutting through the noise. Joker's eyes widen, his mouth moving quickly to stammer, "I'm… I'm sorry!" Listening intently to the message, Joker's face shifts from shock to sudden intrigue.

With a gleeful laugh, he speaks aloud, almost to himself. "Is that so? You wish to test them all?" He smirks as he finishes the telepathic conversation, saying, "As you wish, Beta."

Turning his attention back to Megan, Joker moves swiftly, pinning her to the ground with his cane. She struggles, but Joker's strength is overwhelming. Laughing, he addresses the group with a twisted grin.

"Consider yourselves fortunate," he says, his voice dripping with anticipation. "The Beta of the god pack has taken an interest in your little band. You'll all be put to the test—a test of the Beta's magic."

Joker holds his hand high, his voice booming, "Behold the power of the Beta!" A crystal orb materializes in his palm and descents into the sky, glowing with an intense, otherworldly magic. Waves of energy ripple out, spreading across the entire city, casting an eerie aura over everything it touches.

Nakao looks down at her arms, horrified to see them dissolving into sparkling fragments of light. Panic rises in her voice as she shouts, "Mai, what's happening to us?" Mai glances at the orb, understanding dawning on her face as she too begins to fade.

Around them, the crystal's magic swirls in a vortex, drawing in the balloons from the sky. Megan, Nakao, and Mai dissolve into shimmering dust, which is pulled effortlessly into the swirling magic of the crystal ball. Joker watches with satisfaction, his fingers delicately lifting the card bearing Jean's image.

"Beta wants to test you as well," Joker murmurs, directing the card toward the crystal orb. It glows briefly before being consumed, drawn into the sphere.

With a smirk, Joker reaches into his pocket and retrieves a handful of cards, each bearing a different picture—figures from his vast and twisted collection. He throws them toward the crystal with a casual flick, the cards spinning through the air before disappearing one by one into the orb's magic.

Joker chuckles, "Let's add a few more familiar faces to the Beta's little experiment." The orb hums louder, its power growing ominously as it consumes each new card, readying itself for the ultimate trial.

Megan, Nakao, Mai, and Jean slowly regain consciousness on a floating platform, suspended in an endless expanse of darkness. Nakao, looking disoriented, clings to Jean, who stares around in bewilderment, asking, "Where...where are we?"

Mai's face is pale as she mutters, "Are we… dead?"

Megan shakes her head, a hint of determination in her eyes. "No, we're not dead. As Joker said, this is a test." As if on cue, a pair of dice materializes above them and falls into Megan's hands. The group watches the dice uncertainly, unsure of what to expect.

With a deep breath, Megan rolls the dice. They clatter off the edge of the platform before magically rising back, the numbers 11 glowing brightly before them. As the number appears, eleven glowing platforms materialize in front of them, forming a narrow path from their starting point.

To everyone's surprise, a gentle aura surrounds Megan as she steps confidently onto the first of the newly formed platforms. Nakao and Jean follow, attempting to cross, but an invisible force holds them back. Confused, they look to Mai, who's been studying the platform closely. Her eyes suddenly widen as she notices the word "START" etched on the floor beneath them.

"Oh no," Mai breathes. "We're…we're on a board game."

The realization sinks in as they all turn to Megan, now standing on the eleventh platform. It lights up with an ominous glow, and magical words materialize in the air: "Enemy Encounter". Before anyone can react, Megan is enveloped in a shimmer of magic and vanishes in a shower of sparkles.

Panic flickers across Nakao's face, but Mai steels herself, picking up the dices. "Looks like we have no choice," she says with determination. "If we want to get through this… we have to play the game."

Mai takes a steady breath and rolls the dices. They show an 8. She steps forward onto the eighth platform, where glowing words appear before her: "SAVE A FRIEND." In a flash of magic, Mai disappears just as Megan did.

With a nervous glance at Jean, Nakao picks up the dice and rolls. The dice reveal a 3. She moves cautiously to the third platform, but as her foot touches it, the platform glows an ominous red. Magical words hover in front of her: "LIFE DRAIN." Suddenly, red vines shoot up around her, wrapping tightly as they draw out her life force. Nakao's scream echoes as she struggles, her life force rapidly sapped away. Jean tries to rush to her, but an invisible barrier stops him.

The words "- 5 years" flicker in front of Nakao as the vines retract, leaving her gasping for air. Trembling, she clutches her chest and whispers, "Did I really just lose… five years of my life?"

Jean steps forward with grim determination and rolls the dice, revealing a 5. He moves to the fifth platform, which illuminates with the word "CHANCE." A magical deck of cards appears, floating before him. He hesitates, then draws the top card. He reads the text on the card: "Endure the pain you've caused in your lifetime to reclaim your weapon and power."

A red glow envelops Jean as memories—vivid and brutal—manifest around him. Each painful moment he's inflicted on others plays out before his eyes. Jean clutches his head as flashes of past conflicts fill around him, scenes of him striking down enemies in battle. Pain sears through his body, and with every violent memory, new cuts open up on his skin, blood trickling from each wound as if he's reliving every blow he delivered.

His memory replays his battle against the riders on the island, showing him from his own perspective, ruthlessly cutting down monster riders. Each strike in the memory feels real, leaving fresh cuts on Jean's body. He grits his teeth, enduring the agony as he realizes that every scar inflicted now is a reminder of his past choices.

Jean's memories shift violently, showing the three-faced monster casting a devastating spell. All around him, the needle blades embedded across the island begin to explode. Caught in the heart of the destruction as he charges toward the monster.

Jean watches as he feels his body erupt in pain. He screams, his body seemingly torn apart in the blast.

Nakao watches in horror, unable to reach him. Then, to her amazement, magic weaves around Jean, slowly reconstructing him piece by piece. As he reappears, another memory unfolds, showing him the time in the sewers with Ezzy, where they were engulfed in flames with the rest of their team. Jean's body becomes engulfed in fire, mirroring the agony of that moment. Each memory gradually fades, taking with it a part of his pain.

As the final flames vanish, Jean's chest glows brightly, filling him with a sense of renewal. He feels his powers return as a katana materializes in front of him. Reaching out, he grasps it, and his wounds gradually healing. Tears well up in his eyes as he whispers, "I never realized… I've caused this much pain throughout my life."

Nakao watches silently, feeling a mix of empathy and sorrow. Suddenly, more magical words appear in the air, spelling out, "All players must wait for other players to finish their turn."

Meanwhile, Megan finds herself in a desolate realm that gradually morphs into a ruined landscape. Suddenly, a magic card falls from above, landing nearby her. The card explodes, and from the blast emerges the enraged vine zombie they had faced before! It roars ferociously, its vines spreading across the battlefield, threatening to ensnare everything in sight.

Megan attempts to summon her weapon and cast a spell but finds herself unable to. She narrowly dodging the vine attacks that lash out around her. Just then, she notices a clown mask materializing next to the vine zombie, its voice taunting her: "If you want to rejoin with your husband, kill her." The vine zombie charges forward, its intent clear.

Meanwhile, Mai awakens in her own realm, finding herself surrounded by her old room from Old Berry Town. The familiar sight brings back memories, but her focus quickly shifts to the numerous computer screens displaying different versions of Simbad. A disembodied voice echoes around her: "You must figure out your real friend in order to save him."

Suddenly, all the buttons on the table disappear in a shower of sparkles, reforming in Mai's hands. As she stands in disbelief, the room around her dissolves into magic dust, shifting to reveal a cave where Simbad stands, anxiously watching Rune sleep inside a magic bubble on a giant flower tree.

"Please, we have to save him," Simbad pleads, pointing at Rune in the bubble.

Taking a deep breath, Mai steels herself and walks toward them, determination guiding her steps.