The air was charged as the students on both teams braced themselves, their IDs pinging as the game officially began. Sakura's ID pinged as glowed blue.

Rank/Name: Student Sakura

Kill(s): 0

Points:50

Special Item: None

Team: Blue

Blue lights illuminated across Sakura’s team, while the red marked the face of their opponents looking at their IDs.

“One!”

Sakura barely registered the countdown, her mind racing while surrounded by a mix of older students, many of whom had already formed alliances. Across the field, the red team glared back at them, their faces set in determination. This wasn’t just a game, they risked points, the only known source for food, making this a battle for survival.

A chime came from either side, coming from the ID cards, the sound sharp in the otherwise quiet tension of the field., calling two players off their lines.

A brawny final-year student from the blue team stepped forward confidently, his presence commanding attention as the others looked on. Sakura’s breath caught in her throat as she recognized him, Takanashi. She had seen him before, always hanging around Kazuto, his imposing figure impossible to ignore. Now, he strode toward the ball at the centre of the field, his broad shoulders and towering frame casting a shadow over the smaller second-year from the red team.

The second-year followed reluctantly, his steps hesitant, eyes darting nervously between the camera drones and Takanashi. The contrast between the two was stark, the red team player almost shrinking under the weight of Takanashi’s gaze.

They stood in the centre, the ball between them, the weight of the game settling on their shoulders. “Remember, you’re letting us win,” Takanashi sneered, cracking his knuckles as he stared down the second-year.

The red player shifted uncomfortably, refusing to meet his gaze. “Fine,” he muttered, “just… keep me safe for a while.”

As the situation unfolded rapidly, it was anything but fair. Takanashi grinned, grabbing the red player’s shoulder roughly. “Play our game, and I’ll make sure you’re safe, for a while.” his grip tightening for emphasis.

Without waiting for a response, Takanashi walked forward confidently, dribbling the ball with ease. The red player stood back, lingering at the halfway line, watching helplessly as the Takanashi moved toward his goal.

With an easy kick, the loud thud echoed across the field as the ball hit the back wall, Takanashi scoring effortlessly. A few red players looked on, holding each other back, their faces contorted in frustration.

“What are you doing?” a background red player shouted, but no one answered.

Takanashi smirked, turning to celebrate, Sakura barely had time to process what was happening before the others in the blue team erupted into cheers, celebrating their goal. But their victory was short-lived.

Suddenly, sirens blared, and the lights on the field spun violently. The red team barely had time to react before the turrets mounted on the walls began to move, their mechanical eyes scanning the field.

Sakura watched in horror as the second year red players, while he was still standing outfield, were hit with a single bullet. A sharp pop rang out, and the sound echoed ominously through the pitch, followed by a chilling silence. The red player crumpled to the ground, his body motionless as blood pooling beneath him.

The drone’s voice rang out, louder now, filled with an almost unsettling enthusiasm. “Eeeee-limination!” it bellowed.

Sakura’s blood ran cold. The game had taken a deadly turn.

As if on cue, camera drones swarmed the pitch, circling like vultures as they zoomed in on the lifeless body of the fallen red team player. One of them hovered near Takanashi, catching his cold, confident expression as he stood over the chaos unfolding around him. His lips curled into a grin as the main presenting drone wheeled around, its tone disturbingly cheerful “Pool Jackpot at 250 Points!” It announced with glee.

Janitor drones rolled onto the field with mechanical efficiency, wheeling over the blood-stained grass to clear away the body.

The chaos that followed was deafening. The students on the field, already overwhelmed, began to panic, rushing toward the building in a desperate attempt to escape. The turrets followed their movements, locking on with a deadly precision. One by one, the students were gunned down, their screams filling the air as they were eliminated.

“Please remain behind your lines, forfeit by elimination” the drone’s voice boomed, cutting through the chaos.

Sakura stood frozen on the blue team’s goal line, her heart pounding in her chest. The shadows of the students around her seemed to close in, Yuma, still standing on the sidelines, watched in horror as remains of red and blue teams slump around her. Dozen students on either line collapsed under the weight of the violence.

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

From the staff room, Hanson stood frozen, watching the horror unfold on the windows. Beside him, the other members of staff and Ms. Chiyo, she covered her mouth in shock, her eyes wide as she looked at the field of carnage. On the rooftop, Ichika and Michi stood with a group of students, their faces pale as they looked down at the massacre taking place below as the screams from the soccer field reached their ears..

In various classrooms across the school, the students huddled together, watching in disbelief. Ms. Akasuki stared at the drone monitor, her heart pounding as the reality of the situation sank in.

“We need to stop them,” Ms. Chiyo said, her voice breaking as she paced the room. “They’re going to slaughter each other.”

Hanson shook his head slowly. “It’s too late. They’ve had a taste of blood... it’ll only get worse.”

Back on the field, Sakura was still on the ground, her arms wrapped around her knees as the aftermath of the carnage unfolded around her. The once-green soccer field was littered with bodies, countless students lay motionless, while the survivors stood on their lines.

The janitor bots moved methodically across the field, collecting the dead as if they were nothing more than discarded trash. The drone’s voice crackled again. “Please wait on your goal line until the pitch is cleared. Points are being tallied.”

Sakura glanced up from her knees, her hands trembling, her breath came in shallow gasps, her mind struggling to process what had just happened. She could barely move. She felt trapped, like the ground had swallowed her whole.

Yuma’s voice broke through the fog of Sakura’s thoughts. “Sakura! You’ve got to play on!” she shouted from the sidelines, her voice filled with desperation.

Sakura slowly lifted her head, her eyes hollow. She glanced at the holo display that floated above the field, showing the score: Jackpots 2950 points. The drone’s voice echoed in the background. “23 eliminated, 61 blue, 58 red remain.”

The janitor bots finished clearing the field, and the drone announced, “The game will resume.”

A series of ping sounds filled the air as students’ IDs lit up again, marking them as active players. Ten students from each side moved forward cautiously, their faces grim.

Sakura stayed where she was, her body shaking. “Brother…” she whispered, barely audible. “You’re all I’ve got, I just need to hold you. Where are you?”

“Sakura!” Yuma called again, her voice urgent. “You’ve got to win,for Reo!”

Sakura clenched her fists, ‘I need to survive’ came to front of mind, feeling the weight of the words sink in. For Reo.

The red team reached the ball first, their eyes darting nervously between the players on the blue side.

“What do we do?” one of the red players whispered, his voice trembling.

A blue player charged forward, not waiting for an answer. “Fuck it. It’s us or them!” he shouted, swinging a punch that sent the red player sprawling to the ground, clutching his face as blood dripped from his nose..

Everyone watched in stunned silence as the field erupted into chaos. The players from both teams snapped. Swing wildly, their fists flying as they fought for control of the ball.

“Is that fair?” a blue player called out to the drone, his face twisted in frustration.

The drone’s voice responded coldly. “There are no rules against violence. The rule is against causing death.”

Total battle erupted. Blue and red players grappled with each other in the middle of the field, their focus shifting from the game to pure survival. In the chaos, the ball was abandoned, forgotten in the midst of the brawls.

One of the blue players grabbed a red player by the throat, choking him as their IDs pinged in response to the aggression. The red player struggled, his face turning pale as the blue player’s grip tightened.

The drone hovered overhead, observing.

The blue player glanced up at the drone, panic in his eyes. “Shit…” he muttered, his grip loosening.

A sharp pop rang out, and the blue player collapsed, a bullet embedded in his skull.

“Killing is not permitted during this game,” the drone said flatly.

The sound of the gunshot cut through the brawl, momentarily distracting the players. But the game wasn’t over. A red player seized the opportunity, sprinting down the field toward the blue goal.

Sakura barely had time to react as the ball flew through the air. It was heading straight for the wall, the blues goal.

A Blue student, a goalkeeper, caught it with ease, his reflexes sharp despite the carnage around him, tWithout hesitation, he threw the ball back into play, sending it down the field toward his teammates. The game continued, but for Sakura, everything felt like it was happening in slow motion.

Sakura could barely keep up with the play. The ball flew back and forth, the violence escalating with every pass. She watched helplessly as one of her teammates was punched to the ground.

Red player pushed forward again, their formation stronger now. Sakura stood frozen as the ball bounced toward her, but the moment it hit her face, her mind snapped back into focus. She winced as the pain registered, but it didn’t matter anymore.

“Get up!” a blue player shouted from beside her, his voice harsh. “You can’t break down now!”

Sakura gritted her teeth, her hands shaking as she stood. Snap out of it.

The game continued at a feverish pace. The red team broke through the blue team’s formation again, their players linking arms to push past the tired defenders. They passed the ball quickly, working their way toward the goal.

Sakura moved forward, her eyes locked on the ball. When a red player shot toward the goal, she leapt into the air, chest-blocking the shot and sending the ball bouncing back into the field.

Yuma cheered from the sidelines, her voice ringing out above the chaos. “Way to go, Sakura!”

Sakura stayed back with the blue defenders as the red team tried to regroup. The game had devolved into a series of violent clashes, with students from both teams swinging punches and tackling each other mercilessly.

A red defender spotted an opening, seizing the chance to boot the ball down the field. This time, it slipped past the scattered blue players, rolling unimpeded toward the goal. A quick red player didn’t hesitate, before anyone could intervene, they struck the ball toward the opposite end of Sakura, several blue goalkeepers leaped for it as the ball struck the back wall with a resounding thud.

“Goal!” the presenting drone crowed, its gleeful voice carrying over the pitch.

Pitch lights flashed red, and the piercing sound of sirens blared to life. A cold chill ran through the blue team players, as they froze, waiting in dread.

One by one, the blue players closest to the wall lit up, their IDs pinging as they were marked for elimination.

The turrets whirred ominously, turning inward with deadly precision. A sickening pop, pop, pop echoed across the field as each marked blue player fell, eliminated in a flash of gunfire.

Sakura’s hands trembled as she watched her teammates collapse, their bodies littering the field. She backed toward the goal wall, her heart racing as the drone circled overhead.