The Fodder

In a lit, enclosed space surrounded by cold steel walls, a group of prisoners, all wearing orange jumpsuits, stood together. Five teenagers stood apart from the rest, chatting quietly.

Among them was a small guy with short black hair, Daniel, often called Small Daniel. Next to him was a tall guy with slicked back black hair shaved short on the sides, Zack Lee. Beside Zack stood two more tall figures, Warren Chae with stylish black hair, and Vin Jin, with shoulder length black hair, his eyes hidden under a pair of dark shades. Lastly, there was a small girl with short pink hair, Sally.

"You guys are loud as hell." a sudden voice cut through the chatter.

Before anyone could react, a swift kick landed in Small Daniel's stomach, dropping him to one knee. He clutched his abdomen, gasping for air.

"Shut up already." the voice came again, this time more irritated.

Small Daniel winced in pain, raising his head to meet the eyes of the person who attacked him. It was a tall guy, standing about 190 cm, with a lean but muscular build. His hair was a red mohawk, shaved on the sides. This was the Akira Katsuzawa. Standing beside him was another man, his face mostly obscured by a winter hat, Kenta Magami.

"What the hell, man? You think kicking people out of nowhere is cool?" Zack Lee growled, stepping in front of Akira with a threatening glare.

"Oh? And what exactly are you gonna do about it?" Akira smirked, unbothered by Zack's presence. 

Tension thickened as Zack and Akira locked eyes. But before it could escalate, another voice interrupted them.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here."

The group turned to see a middle aged man with slicked back black hair, wearing glasses and a smile that never reached his closed eyes, Minsik Choi.

"Is this really the time to fight?" Minsik asked calmly. "We don't know why we're here, and that kid you just kicked might know something useful. Shouldn't we be sharing information first?" His smile widened slightly as he directed his gaze toward Akira. "Or are you just too dumb to figure that out?"

Akira's after hearing that just smiled. "You've got a lot of nerve for a guy who doesn't know what those words could cost you." he muttered, stepping toward Minsik.

But before he could get too close, Kenta placed a hand on Akira's shoulder. "Stop."

"Hah? Stop?" Akira turned his head to Kenta with an annoyed expression.

"You shouldn't mess with him, from wh-" Kenta was going to continue but..

"Hey." Akira interrupted, looking at him with a stoic face . "I only joined this little game of yours for the money and the chance to join the Workers. But if you think that gives you the right to order me around, you're mistaken." He paused, his eyes narrowing. "And don't think for a second you can evaluate me."

"My apologies." Kenta replied seeing the expression of Akira, he didn't want to start a meaningless fight he continued quietly. "I was just trying to avoid unnecessary trouble."

Akira didn't push the issue further, as something caught his attention, the exit had opened.

"Are you going to waste your energy here? I apologize, but you can't." A feminine voice echoed from the doorway.

All eyes turned toward the entrance, where a woman dressed in a tight white suit stood, her long hair tied back and a cat mask covering the upper half of her face. Two imposing figures stood behind her, both masked as well, Sinu Han and Ryuhei.

"Nice to meet you, criminals." the woman began with a smile. "I'm the one who brought you all here. You can call me Neko. I'll also be the announcer for this game."

The prisoners erupted with questions.

"Where are we?"

"How did we even get here?"

"We've gathered you all here to play a game. What was it you were seeking when you boarded the boat? Freedom? A new purpose? Whatever your reasons, listen closely." Neko, ignoring the outbursts, continued with her unsettling smile. "If you win this game, we'll grant you whatever it is you desire."

The crowd fell silent, the prisoners now intrigued.

"Anything we want?" one muttered.

"If we win?" another asked.

"If you're curious about the game, head through that door. It all starts there." Seeing the temptation take hold, Neko gestured toward the back door, which opened automatically. 

As the prisoners began to move toward the door, one red haired figure stayed behind, chuckling.

"What a ridiculous game you've put together."

Neko's eyes narrowed as she watched Akira making his way toward her. As the two men behind her stood on Guard.

"But I'll admit." Akira continued, stopping just a few feet from her, his eyes gleaming with malice. "The reward does make it worth playing. You said anything, right?"

His gaze roamed over her body, sending a wave of disgust through Neko. She kept her composure, but her eyes turned cold.

"Oh, scary." Akira taunted, noticing her icy glare. "But yeah, you get what I want."

Just as he was about to turn away, Akira noticed the blond haired man standing behind Neko, Ryuhei. His entire body was shaking with barely contained rage.

"Oh? It looks like Blondie's getting a bit mad." Akira smirked, his words dripping with mockery.

Ryuhei, at the breaking point, lunged forward, closing the distance between them in an instant. He threw a punch aimed directly at Akira's face. But to his shock, his fist missed by mere inches, landing beside Akira's head.

'What?!' Ryuhei's eyes widened in disbelief. 'I missed!?'

Akira's mocking smile only grew wider. Before Ryuhei could strike again, Neko's sharp voice cut through the tension.

"Enough. Now is not the time for fighting," she commanded. She shot a cold glance at Akira. "And you, go back to the others, or you'll be disqualified."

"Sure thing, princess." Akira chuckled, backing off as he began to walk toward the door, he paused. "Oh, and one more thing" he added, he turned his head back looking of his shoulders, grinning wickedly. "Next time, keep a tight leash on your dog. After all, a dead dog's no good to anyone."

'This is gonna be fun.' Akira thought, a sinister smile playing on his lips as he entered the back door. Since dying and meeting that god who offered him a chance to reincarnate, Akira had chosen the world of Lookism, with three wishes he had carefully selected. To his surprise, he had been reincarnated as Akira Katsuzawa, the fodder who got negged diff by Vin Jin.

But this time? Things would be different.

'Yeah, this is going to be a lot of fun.'