Chapter 254 -: 254 Five Games of hell![2]
"Five Games of Hell..."
The clown spoke with a wide grin. The moment those words left his mouth—
Everything changed.
A strange sound echoed through the air.
"Ringa... ringa ring... ringa ringa ring ring..."
Soft bell sounds followed it, light and cheerful.
It was the kind of music you would hear in a circus.
Happy. Playful. But right now—
It felt wrong. Very wrong.
Vivian’s eyes narrowed slightly.
The cold wind...Was gone.
The snowy slope beneath him disappeared.
Instead—
Just a few inches below his feet.
A solid floor appeared.
Wooden and painted.
Bright colors spread across it in circles and patterns.
A circus floor.
"...What the hell..." Vivian muttered under his breath.
Before he could react—
Cloth dropped from above.
Long strips of red and white fabric fell from the sky, surrounding him from all sides.
They moved fast, too fast.
Within seconds—
They wrapped around the entire area. Forming a tent.
Wide at the bottom. Narrow at the top like a cone.
The outside world was gone.
Completely.
Vivian stood still. His breathing slowed.
His eyes moved left... then right...
Watching.
"...A domain?" he thought quietly.
Then—
Slash!
Without warning, Vivian swung his sword at the empty air beside him.
Nothing visible was there.
But his blade stopped for a brief moment—
Like it hit something thin.
He frowned.
Slash!
He swung again.
And again.
Like he was trying to cut invisible strings.
"Kekekekekek..."
The clown’s laughter echoed from somewhere.
"You noticed?"
His voice was playful and mocking.
"It is no use..."
Vivian’s eyes sharpened.
The clown slowly appeared, floating in the air like before.
But now—
Thin lines could be seen around him.
Almost invisible.
Like threads.
"They are already attached," the clown said, smiling.
"Until you finish the five games... these threads will stay with you."
As he spoke—
He lifted his own hand and let the threads wrap around his fingers.
They moved like living things.
Twisting.
Tightening.
"Tch..."
Vivian clicked his tongue, he lowered his sword slightly.
Then he raised his left hand, he grabbed one of the threads.
Pull!
His muscles tensed.
But—
It didn’t move. Not even a little.
"...Damn it."
He frowned. His expression turned serious.
"There’s no avoiding this..." he muttered.
For a second, he thought.
Then slowly—
He stopped resisting, the threads moved on their own.
One by one—
They wrapped around his arms...his shoulders...his torso...
Light but firm.
Just like a puppet.
The same thing happened to the clown.
Both of them—
Connected.
Controlled.
Vivian looked down at the threads on his hand.
His grip tightened slightly.
"...What are you—"
Pop!
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Before he could finish—
The space around them exploded with sudden sounds.
Objects began appearing out of nowhere.
Colorful stands.
Ropes.
Poles.
Lights.
Circus equipment filled the area in seconds.
Then—
People appeared.
No—
Performers.
A man in bright clothes held a whip.
Crack!
He struck the air.
"Move!"
A large lion ran forward with a loud roar.
"ROARRR!!"
Its body was strong—
But its eyes...Were dull.
Like it had no will.
In front of it—
A ring of fire appeared, Flames burned brightly.
Hot and wild, like jungle fire.
The lion hesitated for a second—
Crack!
The whip struck again.
The lion jumped.
It passed through the fire ring—
But the flames caught its mane.
"GRRRAAA!!"
It landed badly, shaking its head as smoke rose from its fur.
Vivian’s eyes darkened slightly.
"...This..."
Then—
"Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong!"
The bells rang again.
Louder this time.
"Ringa ringa roses~ what do you possess~?"
A new voice sang.
Light and childish.
Vivian’s head snapped forward.
A clown stood there.
But—
Not the same one, this one was thinner.
Its smile stretched too wide.
Its eyes were empty.
The original clown, was gone.
"Want to live?" the new clown sang, tilting his head.
"Then play the game of roses~!"
He spun once—
Then stopped.
Slowly.
A red rose appeared in his hand.
He held it forward.
"Welcome..."
His voice changed.
Lower and colder.
"...1050th participant."
Vivian’s eyes narrowed.
’Participant?’
The clown bowed slightly.
"We welcome you... to the Five Games of Hell."
Silence fell for a moment.
Then—
The clown suddenly straightened up and clapped his hands.
"Ah! Where are my manners?!"
He laughed loudly.
"Kekeke!"
He placed one hand on his chest and bowed again, this time more dramatically.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
He spread his arms wide.
Even though—
There was no audience.
"I am your one and only entertainer..."
"The Clown!"
He looked up.
Grinning.
"Today’s special show..."
He pointed directly at Vivian.
"...features a very interesting guest!"
His grin widened even more.
"Mister Vivian D. Zenithara!"
A spotlight suddenly dropped from above—
Landing directly on Vivian.
Bright.
Blinding.
"Also known as..."
The clown leaned closer, his voice dropping into a whisper—
"Heaven’s Child."
Vivian didn’t move.
Didn’t speak.
His eyes stayed locked on the clown.
Cold.
Sharp.
The clown straightened again and clapped excitedly.
"And today—"
He raised five fingers.
"This lovely guest..."
"Will challenge..."
His smile twisted into something darker.
"THE FIVE GAMES OF HELL!"
The bells rang again.
Louder.
Faster.
"Ringa ringa ring ring—!"
The entire tent seemed to pulse with the sound.
"Is there... a way out of this?" Vivian wondered quietly.
His eyes moved across the space.
Left.
Right.
Up.
Down.
The circus tent stood tall around him, its red and white cloth gently swaying, even though there was no wind.
The air felt heavy.
Unnatural.
He raised his sword slightly.
His gaze sharpened.
"...Nothing to cut."
Everything looked real.
Solid.
But at the same time—
It didn’t feel real at all.
"...A Genesis."
His grip tightened.
"And a space-type at that..."
His expression darkened.
"If I’m trapped inside..."
"...then I have to clear the conditions."
There was no breaking out.
No brute force. Only rules.
"Haa..."
He let out a slow breath.
Then lowered his sword slightly.
"...Then come on," he muttered.
"I’m waiting."
Across from him—
The clown’s grin widened.
"So calm~!"
He clapped his hands once.
"Very good! Very good!"
Then he raised a finger.
"So without further ado..."
"Let us begin the first game!"
Snap!
He snapped his fingers.
Pop!
A large object appeared out of nowhere.
It landed between them.
A wheel.
Big.
Round.
Brightly colored.
Sections painted in different colors, each one marked with something written on it.
It looked like one of those cheap lucky draw wheels—
The kind that never gives you anything good.
Vivian stared at it silently.
"...Of course," he muttered.
The clown skipped over to the wheel happily.
"Ladies and gentlemen~!"
He spread his arms wide again, speaking to an audience that didn’t exist.
"Let us now decide... the first round of the game!"
He grabbed the edge of the wheel.
Then—
Spun it.
"Ringa ringa roses~ what is that you possess~"
His voice echoed as the wheel spun faster and faster.
"Give it to me~ reveal the—oops!"
He suddenly stopped himself and covered his mouth.
"Kekeke... almost spoiled it."
Vivian didn’t react.
His eyes stayed fixed on the wheel.
The wheel kept spinning.
Tick—tick—tick—tick—
Slowing down.
Slower...
Slower...
Until—
Tick.
It stopped.
The arrow pointed at one section.
The clown leaned forward.
"Hmm?"
He squinted at it.
Then suddenly clapped.
"Oh! Oh! This one is fun!"
He turned toward Vivian, grinning widely.
"Do you want to know what it is?"
He leaned forward.
Closer.
"Hmm? Hmm?"
Vivian didn’t move.
Didn’t blink.
The clown chuckled.
"Fine, fine~ I’ll tell you."
He straightened up and raised one finger.
"The first game is..."
He paused for effect.
Then—
"Truth... or Dare!"
The bells rang softly again.
"Ding... dong..."
The air felt colder.
"We will play three rounds," the clown continued casually.
"If you survive two..."
He shrugged.
"You’re safe."
Then his smile twisted.
"But if you fail..."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"Kekekeke..."
"I take your hand."
A thin thread on Vivian’s wrist tightened slightly.
Just enough—
To make the meaning clear.
Vivian stood still.
Silent and nmoving.
Even his breathing stayed steady.
"...So?" the clown tilted his head.
"What will you choose?"
A short pause.
Then—
"Truth."
Vivian’s voice was calm.
Flat.
As if he didn’t care.
The clown froze for a second.
Then burst into laughter.
"Kekekekekeke! I knew it!"
He pointed at Vivian excitedly.
"You look like the honest type!"
He cleared his throat dramatically.
Then suddenly changed his voice to something deep and loud—
"So, ladies and gentlemen!"
He acted like a host on a grand stage.
"The first question, for a limb is now on your screen!"
He paused.
Looked around.
"...Ah."
"There is no screen."
He clicked his tongue.
"Tsk tsk... such a backward place."
Then he leaned forward again.
His grin returned.
Sharp.
Unpleasant.
"So let’s begin."
The bells stopped.
The circus went quiet.
Even the lion in the distance—
Stopped moving.
The clown’s voice dropped.
"If you were given a choice..."
Vivian’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"You are in a dangerous situation."
The clown took one slow step closer.
"You can only save one person."
Another step.
"Your beloved... pregnant wife."
A pause.
"Or..."
His smile widened slowly.
"Your mother."
The clown tilted his head.
"...Who would you choose?"
The threads around Vivian’s body tightened slightly again.
Not enough to hurt.
But enough—
To remind him.
This wasn’t just a question.
This was a condition.
A trap.
A wrong answer—
Would cost him a hand.
The clown leaned even closer.
Eyes locked onto Vivian.
"Well...?"