The scoreboard above the port flickered cruelly: 500 points ahead and barely 10 minutes left in the game. There were no more strategies, no more time. Death seemed inevitable.

You didn't know where Arisu and Kuina were; they'd probably separated and walked between the large containers to find a quiet place to wait for the final moment. Usagi continued running around the playing field, determined to find a miracle. And Tatta... the last time you saw him, he was sitting at the 'base', without his usual smile. He probably blamed himself for losing so many points to the team.

You also thought about sitting in an empty spot, maybe leaning your back against a container and staring at the clouds until the laser fell on your head.

Then you felt it. That presence. That air charged with danger, rage, and shared history. Niragi appeared from the shadows, his footsteps echoing dryly on the asphalt. The harsh sunlight reflected his scars, his sweat, and the pent-up tension. It seemed like every muscle was screaming in defiance.

"So here we are," He whispered, but his voice was harsh, almost hoarse. "...on the verge of dying."

He leaned closer to you, and every foot he covered seemed to shorten centuries of emotional distance. His gaze was intense, too intense, and for a moment the fury that characterized him mingled with something deeper, something only you knew: memories of The Beach, of having survived multiple games together, of everything you had shared and lost.

"You," He said, his voice lower, almost cracking. "The Beach... there was no one like you. No one who understood me, who could put up with me."

He leaned down just a little, and with a firm gesture, he grabbed your jaw. His bandaged hand brushing your skin with restrained strength. There was no complacent sweetness, but an act of vindication, of emotional possession: you were the only thing that seemed to matter in that moment, the only tangible thing between the rage and the death that loomed.

"I hate that we don't have more time." He said, clenching his jaw and taking a deep breath. "There won't be another chance."