I Am the God of Games

“Don’t you know?”

Chief Taiga Roar was neither panicking nor furious despite the scrawny Tigerman’s protest, but instead relaxed and actually smiled. “You could get killed for being too clever.”

But as he shifted slightly by a step, a puddle of flesh that bore no resemblance to human was exposed behind him.

Those special stripes, however, made it clear that it was once Taiga’s own daughter, Nina.

At the same time, Taiga extended the hands which he had kept clasped behind his back. They were caked with dried blood, and it was clear that Taiga had used Nina’s blood to draw the symbols in the room.[1]

“Go to hell!”

Enraged, the scrawny tiger lunged at Taigathough he might be one size smaller than most adult Tigermen, he was a top warrior amongst the Mountain Tigers. His body was blessed with sorcery by Mountain Tiger Priest and he had learnt martial arts passed on from his ancestors as a child, which was why his small body didn’t restrain the limits of his ability, but instead made him more agile, giving him the edge when he spars with his fellow tribesmen.

Only the three Tiger Warriors who had awakened their ancient bloodlines could best him definitely, since they were a different existence after their awakening…

And yet, the scrawny Tigerman’s full-power blow was easily evaded by Taiga, who countered with a fist that punched through his chest, seizing the scrawny Tigerman’s heart and crushing it.

The scrawny Tigerman coughed blood. Though he didn’t die immediately without his heart, he certainly had lost the ability to fight. All it could do was grip tightly on Taiga’s sleeves, shaking and leaving frightening trails of blood.

“Why… we trusted you…”

Taiga looked shaken and disturbed but only for a fraction of a second, before clarity pressed down over everything else.

Smiling, he pulled away the scrawny Tigerman’s hand and kicked him into the floor. “To defeat our enemies, of course! This is a necessary sacrifice to make us Mountain Tigers great again!”

The scrawny Tigerman coughed another few mouthfuls of blood and glared hatefully at Taiga, but he soon becomes a corpse as life faded from his open eyes.

It was only then that the little Tigermen finally realized what happened, screamed and attempted to flee—but Taiga only needed to snap his fingers for the doors of the ancestral hall to close themselves.

*

*

*

“Why isn’t the dude blowing up yet? His head is as bright as the son now!” The plump Terrosche complained bitterly even as he goofed off.

“Could he be bald?” Silva replied, staring at the Roaring Blaze Tiger Warrior’s head while goofing as well.

“He must be bald—the flames are so bright.” Terrosche seethed, after having much EXP taken away after dying to the Tigerman’s AoE attacks.

Meanwhile, the Roaring Blaze Tiger Warrior who had been dueling Joe and was about to kill him again suddenly gave up even as Joe screamed ‘I’m dying, need to tanks to take my place’, and instead started to rushed towards the Lucky Koi brothers.

“Brother Terrosche, I think he’s coming this way!” Silva said a little fearfully.

“Oh, Silva, Silva! He would attack you the more you’re afraid. He can tell when you’re afraid like dogs, so don’t be scared. Be brave, go forth!” Terrosche coaxed him.

“But doesn’t he look troubled?”

“It’s just a mirage from all the heat. Trust me, you don’t have to afraid. Go!”

“Got it, brother Terrosche! I’m on it!” Silva roared to muster his courage, rushing towards the Roaring Blaze Tiger Warrior with a sword in hand.

He was then instakilled handily, whereas Terrosche immediately turned and ran.

“Damn it, I was just praising his hairstyle. Does he have to be so angry?!” He rasped even as he dashed away.

Even so, he clearly wasn’t as fast as the Roaring Blaze Tiger Warrior, who ejected a small burst of strength to drive himself right on Terrosche heels and aiming one almighty wallop from behind.

“Grateful Dead!” Knowing that he wasn’t getting away, Terrosche briskly casted a buff to make a stand, only to be kicked into the air like a soccer ball.

Still, since Grateful Dead grants higher buffs the user in all stats the lower their HP was, Terrosche wasn’t instakilled by the kick. After soaring through the air by over ten meters, he landed heavily on a tightly shut door.

The door collapsed with a deafening crash, revealing what was happening inside: Taiga Roar, chief of the Mountain Tigers was grabbing a smaller Tigerman by the throat and draining his blood over a stone coffin.

The corpses of several either smaller Tigermen lay lifelessly around them, all of them having a deep gash over their necks.

Still, the little Tigerman who was having his blood drained wasn’t dead yet, and was struggling albeit meekly.

Hope appeared in his face when he saw the Roaring Blaze Tiger Warrior who was rushing towards them, reaching out with his hand and squeezing out the words from his throat. “Bro…ther…”

But soon his face turned gray-white and his eyes lifeless.

“What are you doing, Taiga?!” The Roaring Blaze Tiger Warrior’s eyes were threatening bulge out of its sockets.

He had been fighting for the tribe so that they (mainly the children) had the time to run.

He was burning out his life to fight the Players, holding no regrets even when he knew that things wouldn’t even well for him.

Be that as it may, every child of the tribe had clearly been murdered by the mentally disturbed chief. The doors were scratched with claw marks of the children who clearly watched as their friends were each killed and having their blood drained, just as they couldn’t flee. How could Taiga have weathered through such a ritual at the sight of their infinite desperation?!

The Roaring Blaze Tiger Warrior screamed as he charged.

“Why is everyone so keen on interrupting my offering… Well, whatever. It is already done.”

Even so, Taiga Roar didn’t evade or retaliate. He instead spread his hands, allowing the Roaring Blaze Tiger Warrior to punch freely through his body!

“What’s going on? A fight between bosses?” Joe was at a loss even as he looked at the scene.

Meanwhile, as they drank potions to restore both HP and MP, the other players were left amazed by the good fortune of the Lucky Koi Brothers for delivering such a plot twist.

Edward, however, was frowning, having sensed that something wasn’t right.

Logically speaking, the Roaring Blaze Tiger Warrior’s body temperature had long since exceeded five thousand Celsius. Even if the punch didn’t reduce Taiga—who isn’t protected by Rule of Skill—to ashes, his blood should have evaporated instantly.

But that was not the case.

Blood so thick that it was almost black and seemingly alive in itself poured out of Taiga’s body-or was indeed drained out of his body and falling on the unusual stone coffin, absorbed within and vanishing.

In the next second, almost everyone heard a weird knocking sound from within the stone coffin.

When another second passed, even though he was some distance away, Edward realized that it wasn’t a knock.

It was a heartbeat.

[1] Nooooo not Nina again :((((( (Full Metal Alchemist’s Nina)