I Got Isekai'd to Another Planet

The room doors slid open with a hiss of depressurized air.

One by one, June, Miguel, Alyssa, Tobi, Maeve, and Hideo stepped out into the central hall, each alone, each silent, each changed.

High above them, the sky shimmered to life with a crackling flare of red-blue lightning, and then a massive projection formed.

SURVIVORS REMAINING: 999,869

GAMES REMAINING: 997

And the MVP of the last game was Miguel carrying June.

And 50 tokens was added to his piggy.

Three.

Only three were gone this time.

A small number in a world made of death.

But for the six who met up in the gathering hall minutes later, it meant something deeper.

Hope.

They regrouped near the main courtyard, their steps lighter than the last time. A few others lingered nearby, faces blurry, forgettable but they were the ones who mattered.

Maeve was the first to break the silence. "Only three?" she whispered.

Tobi nodded, staring up at the scoreboard. "People actually chose split…"

Miguel glanced around. "That's... more than I expected."

Alyssa muttered, "Humanity isn't completely rotted. Who knew."

For a moment, no one spoke.

They all looked at one another, absorbing it. The smallest flicker of trust, of solidarity, amid a system built on fear and betrayal.

But then Tobi squinted. "Hold up."

He looked at Hideo's wrist.

Then at Miguel's.

Both of their piggy bands glowed brighter than the rest.

"Bro…" Tobi stepped closer. "You two got hella tokens."

Maeve leaned in with an amused smirk. "Wait, y'all killed the people you were with?"

Neither man hesitated.

Miguel and Hideo spoke at the same time.

"They were evil."

The silence that followed was heavier than before.

June stared at Miguel.

He didn't flinch.

He didn't explain.

He didn't need to.

Maeve let out a low whistle. "Badass."

Alyssa gave them both a long look, but said nothing.

Tobi blinked. "I mean… fair enough, I guess. Just don't pair me with you next time."

Miguel's mouth curled into a tired smile. "Don't be awful and you'll be fine."

They laughed, just a little.

The kind of laugh people share when they know they could've died. When they should've died. But didn't.

Later That Night

The food court was quieter than usual.

They sat together at one of the corner tables, their trays filled with synth-meat cubes, steamed nutrient vegetables, and warm protein tea.

Alyssa didn't speak much. But she didn't leave either.

Maeve and Tobi argued about whether the synth-steak was made from actual meat or some kind of mushroom clone.

June poked at her meal but looked up every so often, to Miguel, who sat beside her without a word, close enough for comfort.

Hideo didn't eat at all.

He simply stared at his tea.

At one point, he whispered something.

It sounded like a name.

Lights Out

The cell gates clanged closed across the prison.

One by one, they all returned to their rooms.

June lay on her bed, arms folded beneath her head, staring up at the metallic ceiling. Her wristband glowed faintly beside her. The +100 still fresh.

Across the wall, she knew Miguel was there.

Alive.

With her.

And though her body was still sore, and the gods still watched like vultures from above, her eyes fluttered closed with something like peace.

Not safety.

Not yet.

But peace.

Morning.

The food court buzzed softly with the low murmur of shuffling trays, footsteps, and the whir of the dispensers loading rations. The synthetic sun overhead cast a clean, sterile light over the tables, polished steel reflecting white-gold halos across the walls.

June walked in beside Miguel.

Behind them, Tobi joked about racing Maeve for a spot in line. Alyssa trailed a step behind, arms crossed but less cold than usual. Hideo walked silently at the rear, always steady, always watchful.

They were just about to reach the line when every screen in the court flickered.

The air shifted, buzzing with static.

The gods were about to speak.

A familiar voice, Strykon's, echoed through the space.

"ANNOUNCEMENT: MVPs OF THE PREVIOUS GAME WILL NOW BE DISPLAYED."

The lights dimmed, and then the main screen exploded to life above the court.

Two images appeared.

Two replays.

The first: Hideo, stepping out of his selection room. Calm. Stoic. Behind him, the glowing pedestal.

STEAL – HIDEO

SPLIT – JOHN

A flash of John being erased, his screams of disbelief echoing in the air.

"You don't deserve a daughter like her."

Then...

Miguel.

STEAL – MIGUEL

SPLIT – JENNY

Jenny collapsed, shrieking in agony.

"You hurt the woman I love."

The court went deathly quiet.

The screen froze on both names.

MVPs: MIGUEL & HIDEO

+50 TOKENS ADDED TO EACH PIGGY ACCOUNT

Then the screen shut off.

And everything was still.

June stood frozen in place, her tray still in hand, her mouth slightly open.

On screen.

She had seen their faces.

Her parents.

Their actions.

Everyone else had watched in tense silence.

But her?

She trembled.

And then the tears came.

She didn't sob. She didn't scream.

Just… silent tears that slipped down her cheeks as she stared at the blackened screen.

Her hands gripped the tray so hard her knuckles turned white.

Then slowly, her eyes turned toward the two figures standing near the edge of the court.

Hideo. Miguel.

They hadn't moved. Hadn't spoken.

Both of them were watching her, not with shame, not with triumph but with something deeper.

Understanding.

June walked forward.

Step by step.

The tray clattered to the ground as her arms wrapped around them both.

She hugged them tightly, burying her face against Miguel's shoulder and Hideo's chest.

Her voice came out cracked.

"Thank you."

Hideo gently laid a hand on her back.

Miguel pressed his chin to the top of her head.

They didn't say anything.

They didn't need to.

They just held her.

Later

They sat at their usual table in the corner of the food court. Steam rose from warm nutrient tea, and the scent of synth-meat lingered in the air.

No one said much.

Tobi twirled a spoon in his hand, awkwardly glancing between Hideo and Miguel like he wanted to joke, but the words wouldn't come.

Maeve finally sighed and leaned back. "Well. That was… something."

Alyssa kept her eyes on her tray. "I get it now," she said softly. "You don't owe us an explanation."

Miguel reached for June's hand beneath the table. She took it.

She still hadn't said much since the hug.

But she smiled, just faintly.

The atmosphere was strange. Not bad, just heavy.

Changed.

Their group had become something else.

Not just survivors.

Not just strangers stuck in a death game.

But people who had seen each other's worst and chosen to stay.

Together.

June finally spoke, voice soft but clear. "They deserved it."

Everyone looked at her.

She didn't cry.

She didn't flinch.

"They deserved to be erased."

Miguel gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

And she looked at each of them, one by one.

"Thank you… for not treating me like a victim. And for not making me feel alone anymore."

No one said anything.

But that silence?

It was the kind that meant everything.