It was Hana’s voice.

Deon turned only to see the horrifying scene.

Jason Crowe was on one knee, his shield arm badly bruised and battered, blood running down from beneath the metal rim.

Celine stood behind him, firing arrow after arrow, but the Infantry kept advancing. Several arrows stuck from its shoulder and chest, useless decorations more than wounds.

Hana had already rushed forward despite what Jason told her.

"Basic Heal!"

Green light wrapped around Jason’s arm, forcing the worst of the bend back into place. Jason gasped, eyes wide as the pain lessened enough for him to lift the shield again.

But the Infantry was already raising its claw.

Deon clicked his tongue and started running.

"Levi!"

"I know!"

A fireball shot past Deon’s shoulder, streaking across the station toward the West Entrance.

BOOM!

The fireball crashed. But the Infantry had already turned, letting the attack explode against its armored shoulder instead of its head.

Deon crossed the distance as fast as he could, katana low at his side. Celine saw him coming and immediately shifted her aim.

"Jason! Hold it still!"

"With what arm?!" Jason shouted, but he still threw himself forward.

The man barely met the monster’s next attack with his shield. The collision drove him backward—but this time, Hana’s heal had given him just enough strength to hold for half a second.

Half a second was enough.

Celine fired an arrow at the creature’s knee, punching through the creature’s softer joint. The monster buckled, its body lowering just a fraction.

Deon arrived at the same moment, immediately spotting the opportunity and jumping onto Jason’s shield.

Jason’s eyes widened. "What are you—?!"

"Lift!"

"You’re insane!"

"LIFT!"

Jason roared and shoved upward with his shield.

The motion launched Deon higher than he could have jumped alone. For one brief second, he was above the Infantry’s lowered head, both hands gripping the katana.

From the top-down view, the Core was impossible to miss. The creature tried to look up, but it was too late.

Deon drove the katana straight down, piercing through its eye cavity before sinking to the Core and stopping halfway.

Deon clenched his teeth.

"Break, damn it!"

He twisted the blade with both hands.

Crrrrack!

[You have defeated a Ruined Infantry.]

[+10 Points Awarded.]

The Infantry collapsed beneath him, dissolving into ash before Deon could even land properly. His feet hit the platform badly, pain jolting up his knees as he stumbled forward and barely caught himself.

Jason dropped onto his backside, breathing hard while Celine lowered her bow.

Hana ran toward Deon first, then seemed to remember Jason was the one bleeding worse, then looked between both of them in complete panic.

Deon lifted a hand. "Heal him, I’m fine."

"But your shoulder—"

"His arm looks like noodles. Heal him."

Hana hesitated only a second before turning back to Jason. "Basic Heal."

Jason let out a shaky breath, "I take back every bad thing I’ve ever thought about healers."

"You thought bad things about healers?" Hana asked, genuinely offended.

"I’m a changed man now."

Deon would have laughed if his shoulder hadn’t felt like someone had shoved a hot nail through it.

The station was peaceful and quiet. Their group dynamic was good. For a second, Deon believed that it might all just be over.

For one second, Deon almost believed they had earned a breather. Which, in hindsight, was the stupidest thought he’d had all day.

A small shape popped into existence above the platform with a cheerful jingle.

It looked like a rabbit...or at least a creature that tried to mimic a rabbit from a person who hated animals.

Its body was round and white, stitched together with black seams. Two ribbon-like ears floated above its head, swaying as if underwater. Its face was a smooth porcelain mask with pink circles painted on the cheeks and a permanent smile inked onto its face.

In its tiny hands was a golden microphone.

"Helloooo, contestants!" it chirped.

"...What the hell is that?"

Levi’s expression darkened.

"Mascot."

"Mascot?"

"That’s right! I’m Mimi, assistant host of the Miracle Royale! Rules, rankings, penalties, executions, complaints, and appeals all go through me!"

"Complaints will be ignored in the order they are received!"

The party had gone quiet, not because anyone had nothing to say, but because the creature had said too many things in too short of a time to properly process.

Deon stared at the floating rabbit-thing.

"...I hate it."

Mimi spun in the air once, ribbon-like ears fluttering. "Aww, thank you! Hatred counts as engagement!"

Across the station, Hana looked like she didn’t know whether to be scared or offended. Jason’s eyes fixed on the mascot with the expression of a man wondering if head trauma had finally set in.

Levi, however, was the only one who didn’t look confused.

He looked irritated.

"You’ve seen this thing before."

Levi’s jaw tightened. "Mimi appears when the rules change."

Deon’s eyes narrowed. "The rules can change?"

Mimi gasped so loudly it echoed through the whole station. "Of course they can! The Miracle Royale is a living, breathing entertainment experience! And entertainment must evolve according to audience satisfaction!"

Audience satisfaction.

He glanced unconsciously toward the ceiling, toward the ruined city above, toward wherever the hell the Viewers were watching from.

Mimi lifted the golden microphone to its painted smile.

"And speaking of audience satisfaction..." Its porcelain face tilted sideways. "Congratulations, contestants! You have received your very first live adjustment!"

Hana’s voice came out small. "Live...adjustment?"

"That’s right!" Mimi chirped. "A generous Viewer has submitted a teeny-tiny complaint!"

A translucent screen unfolded beside the mascot, glittering with cartoon stars around the edges.

[Viewer Comment:]

[This round is boring. Make them do something fun.]

A jingle rang through the station before the ground beside the East barricade split open.

Deon immediately pulled the others back before stepping forward with Levi at the sudden hollow.

But instead of monsters like he thought, a pole rose from beneath the floor. It was tall, black, and smooth, with a flag hanging from the top. The cloth was deep red, bordered in gold, and stitched with a symbol Deon didn’t recognize.

Deon’s panel flashed open.

[Special Rule Added.]

[Team "Chair" has been generated.]

"...Chair?" Jason looked at Levi immediately. "What does that mean?"

Deon saw the actor’s narrow into something that looked dangerously close to alarm.

Mimi clapped its tiny hands together. "Wonderful question, Shield Man! You all will be participating in this adjusted First Game, specifically changed based on the Viewer’s favorite childhood game..."

"Musical Chairs!"