[voice]

[hot_mes]

I've been through this before. I've been targeted on a hit list like this, precisely five days before I arrived in this world.

I guessed from the wording of the Null broadcast that some people might not have seen that they were named as targets. Consider this fair warning to everyone in this city: the Null would rather kill you than work with you.

[a pause, and then his tone turns positively savage]

As I did before, I'll do again. My only target is the one putting out the hit list. I will destroy the Null and anyone who tries to kill us. Anyone who'd foolishly sacrifice our chances of getting home for this death game should be dealt with, and I have no problem doing so.

[addendum message, five minutes later:]

I've been blocked from the message. Anyone who was quick enough to copy it, we'd appreciate a public airing of the names on the list.

Comments

voice. 3/3

[puzzlingly]

Let them come, Trafalgar!

[hot_mes]

So. What I saw in the imaginations of our dreams isn't far from true?

[because shit, man, attacking people with dragons would make him worry far less]

[puzzlingly]

「Ah, dude, if only it was that easy.」

No, it wasn't.

「Doesn't mean he can do it here.

Yet.」

[hot_mes]

[seriously. If only.]

All the same, I'm not about to just let anyone get killed so long as I have the ability to stop it. Especially if they're targeting Hope.

[puzzlingly]

As long as you don't get yourself killed... Do what you must.

[hot_mes]

I'll be damned if I went through what you saw, only to die here at some asshole's hands.

[he smirks but he's dead serious]

[puzzlingly]

「He's seen that face before... Not in him that's for sure.」

... That actually happened?

[hot_mes]

Up until your bit with the dragon? Yeah. That wasn't just a nightmare.

[that's as open as he'll be about it on the network. This new twist in their lives gives him extra excuse to talk to Atem, one on one, somehow and somewhere.]

[puzzlingly]

「This is not a place for that chat, and Atem knows it. He's not quite the fan of using the devices for every little thing anyway, there is nothing better than looking at your friends, rivals and enemies in the face.」

Guess those Null have no idea what they are getting into.

「Compliment, he can has.」

[hot_mes]

Damn right. Their game is old, I'm not about to play.

[puzzlingly]

Is the game the old one, really?

「Jab, jab...」

[hot_mes]

...are you calling me old, Yugi-ya? I'm twenty-seven.

[totally remembered that time]

[puzzlingly]

「A bit of a chuckle.」

All I am saying is, play the game, bend the rules.

[hot_mes]

A bit late now. I should have thought of that before I lost my temper.

Oh well. There's still a chance to get into the game. [ahaha...ha...]

[puzzlingly]

You and me both.

Think of it like this, we are not only in the middle, we are already part of it, they made us part of their game.「Shh.」 Might as well start thinking of your strategy.

「Heard that, Null? THE GAME IS ON! No, this guy doesn't know how to make privates, but he doesn't need them. He's got too much fire to keep it quiet behind a filter anyway.」

[hot_mes]

[totally speaking his language, Atem]

Don't think I hadn't already considered one or two. But with this new information, I believe it's time to refine my preparations.

[he wouldn't be a proper mastermind if he didn't have something already in his head]

[puzzlingly]

I will leave you to it then, captain.

「Finger gun... (not that he can see him gdit!) If only his own strategies weren't so idealistic and a little naive ... Oh, well!」