Strange Game - Anime Mashup

It's over. It's really over!

Nanase Ren's whole body went cold. The thought of Lin Ye being taken home by the little boy tore at her heart like a knife.

Despite Lin Ye's tendency to follow her around, acting like a stalker, he had helped her survive on this strange No. 18 bus.

Nanase Ren would never forget his kindness.

But what could she do now? She realized there was nothing she could do. After Lin Ye failed, she would be the next one.

Maybe it would be a blessing to be taken home with Lin Ye.

She thought this, as though she had given up on struggling.

Blue haired guy and the middle-aged man were also disheartened. With their leader, Lin Ye, possibly gone, they feared they would meet the same grim fate.

Ding ding ding...

Lin Ye slowly extended his right hand, which was empty.

"No! It's in the left hand!"

He spread out his left hand, revealing a candy resting quietly inside.

The little boy blinked, his face filled with surprise. Nanase Ren was equally shocked. This was impossible—she was sure the candy had been in his right hand.

"I win, kid."

"No, no, I didn't guess wrong. I definitely didn't guess wrong."

"Shh."

Lin Ye raised a finger to his lips, signaling for quiet.

"I'll play with you one more time. But if you still lose, you have to be obedient and sit quietly there, okay?"

He pointed to the seat at the front of the right-hand side.

The increase in the bus's speed was linked to the little boy being rejected, but Lin Ye also thought it was due to the fact the boy had never taken a seat.

"Two. No, three times," the boy said, holding up three fingers.

"Alright, but after this, there will be no playing with anyone else."

Nanase Ren realized Lin Ye had made this exchange on her behalf!

She felt deeply moved. Lin Ye was willing to take the risk on his own to protect her.

How could she ever repay this kindness?

"Big brother likes this beautiful sister?"

For the first time, the little boy's gaze landed on Nanase Ren. His pale face sent a chill through her, but she forced a smile, trying not to upset him.

"Yes," Lin Ye replied.

"Oh… that beautiful sister?"

The boy asked again.

"Yes."

There was absolutely no chance of saying "no."

"That's great! Big brother and big sister like each other! That's fine! But if big brother loses, I'll take both of you home with me!"

The boy's voice carried a subtle, cold edge.

"Alright," Lin Ye agreed. Nanase Ren nodded in acceptance, knowing that her fate and Lin Ye's were now intertwined.

They would either live together or die together.

Isn't that what living and dying together meant? Nanase Ren suddenly felt overwhelmed by a strange emotion—a feeling of shyness.

The second game began.

The little boy guessed the right hand again, but this time, Lin Ye swapped things up and chose the left hand, where the candy was hidden.

The third game began.

Once more, the little boy guessed the right hand, but this time, the boy again changed his mind, guessing the left hand, where the candy was hidden.

Nanase Ren watched nervously, her heart racing. Each time Lin Ye revealed his hands, her nerves were on edge. The blue-haired man and the middle-aged man's hearts pounded in their chests as they realized that once Lin Ye lost, it would be their turn next.

But Lin Ye's winning streak—three games in a row—gave them hope. Maybe, just maybe, he could win the fourth and final game.

"The rules for the last round are going to change," the boy said with a grin. "I'll hide the candy, and you guess, big brother."

The boy's smile was unsettling, his pale face even creepier as he awaited Lin Ye's response.

"No problem. Let's play it with a playful heart," Lin Ye replied with a calm smile.

The boy put his hands behind his back, fiddling with something for a moment before bringing them to the front.

"Where is it? Big brother, guess! You have three seconds!"

dong...

dong...

The bus fell silent, everyone's eyes fixed on the little boy's hands.

Left hand or right hand?

Which one was it?

Under the gaze of everyone, Lin Ye reached out slowly and placed his hand on the little boy's left hand.

"Not in this hand," the boy said.

Instantly, everyone's attention shifted to the right hand. It was there!

This decision would determine the fate of everyone on the bus.

"Then big brother guessed the right hand," the boy's voice was mischievous. "I'll let you guess again!"

It sounded like he was hinting that the candy was indeed in his right hand.

"It was not in your hands. The candy is on your back."

Suddenly, a heavy silence fell, broken only by the rumble of the bus engine.

Clink—the boy spread his hands wide, showing that they were empty.

The blue-haired man and the middle-aged man cursed under their breath. They thought the little boy was too cunning. But as they remembered his earlier hint, they sighed—only someone who was thinking the same would notice such a clue.

It was a relief that Lin Ye had figured it out.

"Big brother, you win," the boy said, placing two candies into Lin Ye's hands. "These are for you and big sister."

The boy wave his hands in delight, then happily took the seat at the front of the right-hand side.

His pale complexion slowly returned to normal, as though he was enjoying the game.

The speed of Bus No. 18 gradually slowed, returning to its normal pace.

At that moment, the others realized the bus had been moving at high speed before. If it had kept accelerating, they would have been on the fast track to death, the bus will be destroyed, and their bodies will get torn apart.

But thankfully, that stage had passed.

There were still two stops left before Chiba Station.

The third stop had arrived.

As the doors of the bus opened, all the nameless and strange passengers stood up in unison. The little boy, seated in the single row on the right, smiled and waved goodbye to Lin Ye and Nanase Ren, his lips moving as if reminding them of something.

Lin Ye and the four others were the only ones left on the large bus.

The blue-haired guy stood up and sat next to the middle-aged man, ensuring both rows of seats were occupied.

Up until now, everyone had adhered to the rules, making sure not to break them.

The next stop was Chiba Station.

As long as they reached Chiba Station, they would be able to leave here alive.

Tap tap...

At the door of the bus, several figures appeared.

The four people got on the bus one after the other.

They all wore the same grey work uniforms, which were stained and a bit dirty. The faces of the four could not be clearly seen, possibly due to the dim light in the bus or for some other reason.

"The bus is about to depart. Please take your seats as soon as possible."

The standard driver's warning tone echoed through the bus.

The four passengers walked in slowly and in unison. There was no noise, no unusual sounds during the whole process.

Soon enough, they all sat down.

They took seats behind the blue-haired man and the middle-aged man, and behind Lin Ye and Nanase Ren.

At this moment, Nanase Ren froze. She felt as though someone was staring at her from behind, making her afraid to move. In the end, she could only carefully grasp Lin Ye's hand to feel more secure.

Lin Ye glanced at Nanase Ren, who wouldn't even look at him. Yet, he didn't let go of her hand. Instead, he enjoyed the comforting sensation of her delicate hand.

The blue-haired guy and the middle-aged man were both on edge. They couldn't help but glance back, worried that the strange passengers might suddenly attack and kill them.

However, the bus continued to drive, and none of the four newcomers reacted much. They were quiet and low-key, not causing any trouble—just like the passengers before them.

Was it really... safe?

The two men couldn't help but think of this, and their hearts, which had been tense, finally began to relax a little.

A minute passed.

Finally, a low sound broke the silence.

"I'm hungry."

"I want to eat sheep."

"I'm telling you, I want to eat a sheep..."

"Barbecue..."

"Tasty..."

...

The simple words seemed to have some magical power, stirring a strong desire for food, and the hunger within the passengers began to rise.

"Hungry..."

"Eat..."

"Sheep..."

"Moooo..."

The murmurs grew louder, almost to the point of shouting.

Lin Ye realized that the rules had come into effect.

Hunger...

Want to eat lamb?

Could the "sheep" be referring to...?

Lin Ye observed the strange changes in the two passengers in front of him. Their slim grey work uniforms began to bulge as their bodies expanded. Their hair grew, and their appearances transformed into something resembling like wild wolves.

Tick-tock...

Tick-tock...

Saliva dripped from their mouths.

Lin Ye knew without looking that the two strange passengers behind him had also transformed, revealing their grotesque true forms.

The rule this time was that they had to eat the sheep until they were full to pass.

Lin Ye could also feel the hunger gnawing at him.

Time seemed to freeze as he tried to observe and control the strange transformation, but the effect was nearly zero.

The bus moved forward, and the strange movements grew more pronounced.

They were getting closer.

The dripping saliva fell on the two passengers in front. Nanase Ren had fully clung to Lin Ye's left arm. She had figured out how to pass this level—it required feeding the monsters—but that would need human lives to be sacrificed. The question was, how would they feed them?

She glanced upward and immediately shut her eyes in fear. The gaping, bloody mouth and scarlet eyes were enough to make her dare not look any longer.

Lin Ye had an inkling of what was happening.

But he wasn't in a hurry. There were still four monsters aboard.

The blue-haired guy and the middle-aged man could both feel the approaching danger. The heavy breathing and dripping saliva were constant reminders of the impending threat.

But how could they deal with it?

"Boss, please think of a solution quickly!" the middle-aged man silently begged.

Slurp...

Blue-haired guy shuddered all over. At that moment, he felt a cold tongue lick his face, as though the creature was about to devour him.

What should he do? His eyes shifted to the middle-aged man sitting next to him.

'I'll let them eat him,' he thought, there was a good chance he could survive.

After coming to this conclusion, the blue-haired guy immediately punched the middle-aged man hard in the abdomen.

"Ugh..."

A muffled cry of pain escaped the middle-aged man's lips as he gasped.

The middle-aged man had not expected Lanmao to attack him so suddenly.

He quickly realized what Lanmao was thinking and immediately fought back.

The two men began fighting, and the younger, stronger blue-haired man quickly gained the upper hand. With one hand, he held the middle-aged man's head like a dead dog and said carefully:

"The sheep are yours."

Afterward, he quickly changed his seat to the single row on the right, fearful that he would become the next meal if he was slow for a second.

Sizzle...

Crash...

With a howl, the middle-aged man's large body was torn to pieces and devoured completely, leaving nothing behind.

The blue-haired guy didn't dare to look at the gruesome scene.

"I'm so full..."

"Sheep... delicious."

"You are... a good sheep. I won't eat you..."

The blue-haired guy almost cried at these words. He had made the right bet this time! He had survived.

The two werewolves gradually transformed back into their original human forms, fading away at a visible speed.

Lanmao's eyes turned to the two remaining strange passengers at the back.

The moment he saw them clearly, he was stunned.

What had happened to the last two weird passengers? How had they changed back?

Could it be that the beautiful girl had been sacrificed?

Soon enough, he saw Nanase Ren sitting next to Lin Ye. She looked nervous but was safe and sound.

He was still alive. How could this be?

The blue-haired guy was completely baffled.