The sweet wine soothes my nerves; it flows down my throat easily and I feel its relaxing warmth spreading through my body, easing the tension that had built up inside me. The delightful flavors dance on my taste buds, momentarily distracting me from the weight of the situation. Around me, my companions sip their drinks with varying degrees of apprehension and curiosity.

I take a moment to observe my companions seated around the table.
Rero Sansanti eyes the sumptuous banquet with a hunger matching her physical prowess. Gallo, the charismatic scoundrel, flashes a charming smile at one of the elf maids serving him, clearly undaunted by the gravity of our situation. Jarica Fleubert, the background character I saved from death, stares into her goblet as if searching for answers in its depths. Franz Dadref, the heartthrob with a hero-complex, frowns in concern as he studies the queen and the surrounding environment. Then his blue eyes turn to me, awaiting my response to his unspoken questions. I can feel the weight of his impatience bearing down on me.

Even though Welze is amazed by the opulence of the spread before us, her worry makes her uncomfortable, and she keeps casting anxious glances my way. Deedee, without much ado, bites into the invitingly strange meat. Despite eating, her eyes continue to scan the room, ever ready for the worst. Luysia seems less interested in the food and more in what I have to say. Her azure eyes are fixed on me, waiting for me to speak. Bicrista, seated next to her twin brother, looks uncomfortable, with her head bowed down.

Kanna, who is sitting next to me, draws my attention by touching my leg.
"I saw you looking worried a little while ago... What happened?" she asks with concern.
"We'll talk about it in private later with more details," I whisper back.
As I do so, I gently stroke her back in an affectionate gesture to reassure her.

I clear my throat, breaking the silence that has settled over us.
"Listen to me," I begin, with a steady voice despite the weight of uncertainty hanging in the air. "In a short time, I guess in a few days, everything around the rifts in our world will become part of the Underealm, and we will be prisoners of this dimension."
"What the fuck?!" Deedee, very sincerely, gives voice to everyone's thoughts at the table.
The shock hits everyone like a bolt from the blue.
"The queen has a special hourglass that indicates the time it will take for this to happen. She showed it to me."
The group nods. It seems they have also seen the hourglass from where they were.

"To prevent this, we must obtain her dungeon core and destroy it," I inform.
"The dungeon core is what dungeon bosses drop," states Kanna, surprised that it could be possessed by the queen.
"That's what I read in the books..." confirms Welze.
"Then we have to take it from her!" says Franz Dadref, his fists clenched. This is the heroic mission of his life.
"Impossible. She is beyond our capabilities," I say frankly.

There's no need for me to even use the scan ability, it would probably be futile at my level anyway.
The sensations I felt near her were of absolute powerlessness.
If I weren't mentally strong, by now I would be completely in despair.

"It's evident. And those surrounding her are no less formidable," states Luysia, her eyes having continuously studied our enemies.
"When she ordered us to kneel, we couldn't resist. No matter how much I tried. Her power forced us to do so," Kanna logically explains how powerful Azharie is. Deedee nods, agreeing with her friend.
Meanwhile, Rero continues to devour what's on the table, but I'm sure she's listening attentively.

"I feel like one of those people sitting next to the queen keeps looking at me..." Bicrista warns me, pointing to the second on the left.
I observe him, but the guy seems to not shift his gaze from Bicrista. This puts me in a state of discomfort.
"The second-last on the right is instead looking at me. These bastards are studying us," informs Deedee.
Are they already preparing for the game? It would make sense.

"So, what should we do?" asks Jarica, bringing us back to the original discussion.
"If we can't take the dungeon core by confronting her, how can we save the hostages and close the rifts?" asks Franz Dadref.
"I'm sure *Munch* there's a way *Munch* and now Strauss will tell us," comments Rero, continuing to gorge.
I smile at her hidden shrewdness.

"The queen's overconfidence is her weak point," I announce with a smile.
"The queen has made us an offer, the chance to participate in a game. If we win, she will hand over the dungeon core and free the hostages."
"A game?" asks Welze, perplexed.
"I don't know the details well, but essentially it's a duel against those seven," I explain briefly.
"And if we lose?" asks Franz.
"We die. Essentially, it's all or nothing," I reply.
The looks on all the diners darken.

"One thing is not clear to me," says the blond, looking at me with suspicion.
I nod for him to continue.

"Why did she want to talk only with you?" Franz Dadref asks me, then sips a bit of wine from his goblet.
"Because we are both tied to demons," I reply with the truth, but in a joking tone.
"W-What?" The wine almost chokes him.

I laugh. "I was joking."
My women look at me surprised that I said the truth so nonchalantly.
"Does it seem like the time to joke, Wagner?"
"I don't know why the queen wanted to talk only with me, she didn't tell me. Evidently she chose me as the representative of this group, but this is just an assumption." I put on an act and mislead him: he must not know the truth.

"Who will have to fight in this game?" asks Luysia, her tone suggesting she is ready to do so.
Curiosity lights up in their eyes and they lean towards me, eager to know more. I take a moment to gather my thoughts before continuing.

"She allows all members of this group to participate in this game. She even allows us to have a numerical advantage, so sure she is of winning. Azharie and I cannot participate," I explain the rules.
Suspicion lights up on Dadref's face, who intervenes: "Why can't you participate? Why don’t you risk it?"
"Those are the Queen's rules. She and I are something akin to coaches."
Franz Dadref does not seem convinced by my answer.
"What if we're not strong enough? What if she leads us to certain death?" Welze is doubtful.

"It's a risk we must be willing to take," I respond firmly. "In this game of life and death, there are no guarantees. But if we refuse to participate, we condemn ourselves to a life of servitude under the dominion of Queen Azharie, and even in that case, our lives are not guaranteed."

Gallo raises an eyebrow, and his charming smile fades for a moment. "So, we either risk our lives in this game or live forever as her prisoners?"

I nod. "That seems to be the choice given to us."

Jarica, with her soft voice full of determination, speaks up. Despite being inconspicuous, she is gradually gaining more courage, probably wanting to repay for being a burden until now. "If there's even a chance to free the hostages and get out of this place, I'm willing to fight. Count on me."

The others exchange looks, weighing their options and contemplating the risks involved.
Franz slams his fists on the table. "Jarica is right! We have to save the academy students. I'm in, and this is our duty."

Eventually, seeing that most are inclined to accept the challenge, Welze joins in.
"If Franz is participating, then I want to help you too."

Rero swallows a big piece of meat and, with her mouth dirty with sauce, exclaims,
"You don’t even need to ask me! I will always be by your side." She says with her wry smile.
Luysia nods, agreeing with the brunette.
"We have to free Guli. He would do the same for us," states Kanna.
"Fuck yeah. I was wondering when we'd hunt some fucking elves," vulgarly says the woman with green hair.
Bicrista inclines her head, showing her support. She's still prey to that feeling of unease, and this worries me a bit.

"I don't think there's much to decide, I want to get out of this dump. Count on me, Wagner," says Gallo to me.

With each of them committing to the cause, a sense of camaraderie fills the room.
We may face formidable opponents, but together we have a chance.
The more pieces I have at my disposal in this game, the greater my chances of winning.
It's up to me to make the best use of them to maximize our chances of victory.

The queen's eyes shine with satisfaction as she observes our determination from a distance.
She knows she has set a dangerous game in motion, but she underestimates the strength of our resolve.

The banquet continues, and we savor the dishes offered to us with delight.
I taste the flavorful mushrooms, the meat, and the pastries prepared by the royal chefs.
The level of cuisine is so high that it's incomparable to anything I have eaten in my two lives up until now.
We leave nothing on the table, needing all the energy possible for the challenges that await us.

When the banquet concludes, Sylthren leads us to our accommodations: they are sumptuous rooms adorned with intricate tapestries and soft, luxurious linens. As we settle in, the weight of the imminent battle hangs over us.
The silence is broken only by the crackling of a nearby fireplace.