[DELEGATES REMAINING: 200 → 197]
I met up with Riku and promptly took a seat before the second chime echoed throughout the ornate hall. Luckily, everyone made it on time. Just as expected with the threat of “Instant Elimination” looming in the air before the tournament even started. As the remaining stragglers filled in the rest of the empty seats, the lights started to dim until only the center stage was lit. At any minute, the mystery behind this tournament will be revealed to us.
*All rise for the 175th God, Enigma Le Tourneau, accompanied by Calvin Mayfield: CEO of Crypticorps. *
An exaggerated, yet obligated applause filled the auditorium as the 175th God and their sponsor took to the stage to give the opening address. The God tapped on the microphone, producing feedback as a result. The audience immediately silenced themselves to hear his glorious words from his perfect mouth:
“Good afternoon, I’d like to first start off by thanking all of you for your applause and praise. It is so nice to see a lot of familiar faces, many of which I haven’t seen for almost half a decade. I also see many new faces; not just from the delegates, but also sponsors that are fresh to The Grand Order. To all of you: welcome, and congratulations on your bid. I am here today to briefly explain in finer detail, the intricacies of how this tournament will work. This competition will be a bracket-style, single elimination tournament. The style of fighting will depend purely on your acquired powers. Now, you may be thinking: ‘What powers are you talking about? I don’t have such an ability.’ Not yet you do. May I present to you Crypticorps’s game-breaking achievement: Demisegame! Originally used to commemorate the 150th competition, Demisegame has become a staple ever since, due to the pulse-pounding each fight brought to the table. The way it works is simple: once Demisegame is injected into the delegate, the drug immediately goes to work. By analyzing the competitor’s brain, it can detect anything from personality type to favorite hobbies. I’d go further into the science of how that works, but unfortunately, that’s top secret Crypticorps information. By collecting and compounding this information, Demisegame’s algorithm determines which ability is most compatible for maximum use, potential, and victory by the host. Now be warned, there will be some side effects such as pain at the injection site, nausea, vomiting, and the like. but after the process is finished, everything will be light as rain.”
The last part was obviously bullshit, but this ‘Enigma’ guy is trying to use his influence of God to make the competitors feel at ease as if this is some card game tournament. And this whole thing about Demisegame: there’s no way it can give you superhuman abilities, but then again, this is a product make by a company that controls that entire country and its economy. Let’s just say that gaining such powers is possible in our reality, there is more to the side effects than meets the eye. Is this what Riku wanted me to be aware of? Producing such a drug with no adverse drawbacks seems very unlikely, or am I just overthinking all of this? For the meantime, I need to continue to gather more information on Demisegame.
“And that is all I have to say. Before the delegates are sent to the infirmary to receive their dose of Demisegame, my Sponsor would like to say a few. Thank you once again, and I wish you all the best of luck." The end of his speech was met with applause until the CEO of Crypticorps stood at the podium.
“Greetings to all of you: both old and new. Welcome to the 176th Tournament for the Candidacy of Godhood. I would first like to say thank you to all of the members of The Grand Order for your continued trust in our company and in Demisegame. All of you are the reason why we succeed as a company, because of customers like you….”
“Wait a minute, Riku, Demisegame isn’t free for The Grand Order?” I asked in confusion.
“Oh no, not in any way. With a massive income and highly qualified delegates, that’s how Crypticorps has managed to stay at #1 for an entire century.”
“I should’ve expected as much.”
“Just take everything this old ass says with a grain of …” Riku’s statement was immediately cut off by the once calm crowd becoming increasingly hostile and aggressive.
“What do you mean Lord Enigma is running for a second term? We've had an established precedent that a God can only serve for one term. It’s always been like that since the beginning of The Grand Order!” Another Sponsor shouted directly at Mayfield.
“But Ms. Rider, you said it yourself: the term limit was merely a precedent, a tradition, if you will. If our forefathers agreed on a one term God, they should’ve codified it or explicitly mentioned it within our bylaws. So, no, I am not going against the wishes of the Grand Order, nor am I breaking any laws or rules. I am merely exerting my right as a sponsor to nominate the candidate to extend their bid as God. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Nothing Mayfield said to defend his decision would quell the rising animosity. As the chants of ‘Traitor’ and ‘Satan’ slowly turned to ‘Down with Mayfield,’ Riku and I knew that divine intervention was imminent. Sure enough, the deafening sound of gunfire quickly silenced the mob.
“As God, I will not stand by as my fellow constituents call for the head of my Sponsor in front of me. Mr. Mayfield has not committed any wrongdoing nor broken the laws set by the first session of The Grand Order. Need I remind you all that you are under an oath? Now then, without any more interruptions, let us continue with the commencement of The Tournament of the Gods, lest you want to end up like poor, poor Madam Gerix, hmm? That’s what I thought. Delegates: please follow me to the infirmary please. Sponsors, please follow Mr. Mayfield to the Guest Suites. Thank you.”
The crowd went to their de facto leaders, but before I decided to crack a joke in order to improve Riku’s mood:
“Guess I’ll see you later. You should get going too. Can’t enjoy those Hors D'oeuvres with a hole in your stomach.”
I guess he was too stunned to speak as the only words that came out were ‘please stay safe.’ Even though the joke may have been a bit dark, I know the joke made him feel better, I just know it.
■ ■ ■
The confidence I had earlier had completely dissipated when I sat in that chair. It was the type you’d see at the dentist’s office. On second thought, that was the entire vibe of the infirmary room. Every second that passed made my anxiety rise. Every tick from the clock made me flinch in terror. A knock on the door snaps me out of the trance. Expecting to see only one person, I was surprised to see an entire team of doctors, nurses, and specialists enter the room.
“Greetings Lady Mercedes. My name is Lottie Breedlove, your personal doctor for the duration of this tournament. I, along with the rest of us, will help ensure maximum efficiency, recovery, and effectiveness during your fights. And in the likely event you sustain injuries, we will be right there to patch you right up. We look forward to serving you.”
“Hold up: serving me? Is there a reason why you need to be so formal?”
“You are a delegate for the candidacy of godhood, are you not?”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t mean I’m gonna treat my own medical team like ants underneath my foot. You are all more important than that; you are to make sure I don’t die from my injuries and help me get ready before each fight! So please, call me Mercedes.”
“Thank you for your generosity and sincerity, Mercedes.”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“Uh, no problem. I mean it doesn’t need to be praised. So, is there where I get injected with Demisegame?
“Indeed, but please be warned: due to the severe nature of this drug, we will be placing you in restraints. This is for your own safety.” Before I could object, several nurses immediately secured my arms and legs to the chair.
“Hold on! Wait a minute! What do you mean ‘severity of the drug?’”
“While Demisegame gives superhuman abilities, some people aren’t able to handle its effects and shear strength, dying as a result. We’ve seen this happen several times over the last 4 tournaments. We want you to survive this and win this tournament.”
“What about the others? Don’t you want them to survive as well?”
“The other delegates are none of our concern. Our interest only lies with you and you only. Mr. Tanaka made the right call choosing you as a delegate. Now then, shall we proceed?”
“Yes, I am ready.”
“I’m not going to lie, this is going to be a very miserable experience and we do apologize in advance, but please be strong and fight on! We promise we’ll make this up once the assimilation is complete. Good luck, Lady Mercedes.”
“Please, just call me Mercedes…”
As the drug goes into my system, all I feel is the sharp pain; so intense that is too much. I realize why many have died…T-the pain? What pain? Wait, of love? That’s pain! Or power? Pleasure? Pain, no gain in the rain for the insane in the membrane. Power can be sour in the first power hour…can’t you give pleasure in the tower of blood and treasure? Call me Ishmeal. A screaming comes from across the bay? Where now? Who now? When now? Psychics can see the color of time, which it’s blue. Time is not a line, but a dimension, like a dimension of a sphere. The clock strikes. It’s money…in a voice that rustled.”
■ ■ ■
[DELEGATES REMAINING: 197 → 192]
“…up…Wake…up…Wake up, Mercedes…Mercedes, can you hear us?”
“...huh, Phoebe Caufield?” I said in a slur of words.
“No, this is Lottie Breedlove. I can see you're finally awake. How do you feel?”
“I can taste the color purple.”
“It seems the drug’s side effects are still present.”
“Ugh, what happened? Where am I?”
“You are still in the infirmary from earlier. Demisegame has been successfully administered, and we are pleased to announce that you have survived the worst of it.”
“Are you sure about that? I still feel like absolute crap.”
“These are just the lingering side effects, similar to those from a bad psychedelic trip.”
“Uh-huh. So what power did I get by suffering through this whole ordeal.”
“We are currently running several analyses on your blood and cross-referencing alongside Demisegame’s algorithm. Your power seems to have surpassed from uncommon into rare now.”
“Uncommon? Rare? What is this, some sort of twisted trading card game?”
”If it makes it easier for you to comprehend, then yes. Demisegame’s power is split into 4 categories: common, uncommon, rare, and the highly coveted ultra rare. While some players may have similar abilities, every power is unique to its user. Take pyrokinesis, for example: a delegate who specializes in dance can manipulate the fire into beautiful ribbons of pure destruction; while on the flipside, a delegate with a firefighting background would rain hell and brimstone upon their opponent with deadly precision as they have experienced the Inferno time and time again. The technique and application of a power heavily varies among all delegates, which is the reason why the fights become phantasmal spectacles to The Grand Order and their subsidiaries.”
“It all makes sense why Crypticorps continues to be the reigning champion." I commented briefly. "But besides that, I do have several questions: when will I get my results? How do I even activate this ability? And how does Demisegame activate ‘The Spiral?’”
“Who told you about that? How much do you know? You need to tell me!”
“Ah…All I know is this is the other way delegates die in this tournament, besides fighting.”
“And who told you this?”
“My Sponsor.”
“How did he reveal the connection of Demisegame to The Spiral? If it was done in public or by speech, I am afraid it would be in violation of The Oath.”
“He revealed it through a hidden message. He cut my hand, so I can read it in secret.”
“What cut on your hand?”
“What do you mean there’s no cut, look at the gash in my hand!” I showed her the wound, still a bright shade of red indicating its youth.”
“You seem to be hallucinating, Mercedes, most likely a lingering side effect.”
“Don’t tell me I’m hallucinating goddamn it! I know I was cut! There, feel it, I’m telling you!”
“Stop acting so…rash? What the?”
“Still think I’m hallucinating?”
“The wound is present. I can feel it, but it can’t be seen. Is this your ability? As Lottie continued to examine the invisible wound, another nurse came rushing into the room:
“Madam Breedlove, the results are in!”
“AND?”
“Ultra rare! Demisegame calls the ability: ‘Her Last Cry!’”
“Let me see the report!... Phoebe, Code 913, now!”
“Right on it!”
With no response to me, I was led to a back room within the infirmary. Upon entering with Phoebe and Dr. Breedlove, the door was locked shut, an aura of tension filling the room. Top secret information is about to be revealed, but they could’ve made it less obvious in front of the camera.
“Jefferson, how much time?”
“5 minutes, Doctor.”
“That’s more than enough time. Mercedes, I am going to need to just shut up for 5 minutes. No quibs, no interruptions, nothing. Got it? Now the reason why we’ve been acting erratic is because of The Spiral. Due to The Oath, most Sponsors never tell their delegates anything regarding it. The fact that your Sponsor went to great lengths to give you an upper hand within the competition. While you may have been warned about it, you haven’t been given all of the information. I’m going to explain as briefly and concisely as possible. The Spiral refers to the unintended side effect produced by Demisegame. It is characterized as a constant sense of dread that forces you to mentally spiral until it ultimately kills you. The only way to safeguard against The Spiral is constant mental fortitude and rebounding whenever you start to experience that dread. Next, there are ten levels to The Spiral, each one becoming increasingly difficult to rebound from:”
1. Doubt
2. Anxiety
3. Panic
4. Fear
5. Neurosis
6. Paranoia
7. Hysteria
8. Violence
9. Self-destruction
10. SOKUSHINBUTSU
“If you reach the tenth and final spiral, you not only just die, but your soul also becomes trapped within your body. Your brain just stops right in its tracks, and the condition is irreversible. More than a quarter of all participants are killed by The Spiral. The other killer: the permanent and painful drawbacks of your power.”
“60 seconds, Doctor.”
“I can’t explain it all, but you will have to study how your powers affect your body. Without mastery and proper execution, it will kill you.”
“30 seconds, Doctor.”
“Your ability allows you to alter another person’s visual perception; what they see, or what they think they see in front of them.”
“10 seconds!”
“Just remember to keep eye contact with your target.”
“Time! System’s back online.”
“And that’s how the tournament structure will work. Any questions?”
With so much information spit out in such little time, my mind was completely stalled and blocked.
“I know that it’s a lot to handle.”
“...I…have nothing.” This was all that I could muster.
“Excellent! Now then, let’s get you something to eat and show you to your dormitory. Phoebe, would you be able to do that for me?”
“No problem, Doctor. Right this way, Mercedes.”
■ ■ ■
There’s nothing to do but lay down on the bed and stare at the ceiling. There’s barely anything in these rooms: just a bed, a desk, and a TV to only tune into the tournament. Given the current climate of the situation, it feels much more akin to a prison cell, which makes it rather depressing. Knowing that the first round starts tomorrow, I want to try and get as much rest as possible. As for the morning, eat just enough where I’ll get my necessary energy, but not too much or too little where I’ll get sick. Finally, if I’m not in the first fight, I’ll watch the others, gauge their power, and create strategies and counterattacks. I will not lose tomorrow. I will win and I will make a vengeance known. You better watch your back, Brett: I’m coming for you!
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■