Shuntaro Chishiya

Shuntaro Chishiya is 22 years old. He possesses phenomenal intellect, prudence, and absolute composure. He rarely shows emotion and often walks around with a slight, ironic smirk on his face. He is a resident physician in the surgical department and a medical student. In normal times, he wears a light white zippered sweatshirt with black stripes along the seams and pockets, the hood almost always pulled over his head, a white or gray T-shirt underneath, loose black pants, and simple white sneakers.

At the very beginning of the game, no centralized camp existed. Players occupied abandoned apartments, luxury hotels, or campsites. The Borderlands were deserted, but initially, buildings were cluttered with long-life food, clothing in stores, and cars on the roads. Electricity and running water were cut off in the city. Water and power were only available in the arenas during the actual games. Therefore, on their free days, players relaxed by candlelight, cooked on portable gas stoves or built fires, and obtained water from the remaining supplies in supermarkets. This was the most grueling vacation—paranoia was off the charts, as every night one could see laser beams shooting out of their windows, killing those whose visas had expired.

Just before the game begins, participants enter the so-called registration area (the arena's entrance lobby). The transition from everyday life to the start of the deadly challenge is strictly regulated by rules: As dusk falls, massive neon spotlights illuminate the sky above Tokyo. They serve as beacons, pointing to a specific building or location where the challenge will unfold that night (it could be an abandoned shopping mall, a botanical garden, a tunnel, or an apartment complex). Survivors whose visas are about to expire simply walk or drive toward this light. Glowing red laser barriers or symbolic boundaries are installed around the building's perimeter. Anyone can enter the area before the official start. Once a player crosses this line and enters, there is no turning back. If a player panics and attempts to exit the perimeter before or during the game, a laser from the sky will instantly burn their head off. Inside the entrance (usually a foyer, lobby, or anteroom), a registration desk awaits participants. Special smartphones are neatly laid out on the table. Each player is required to take one. The device scans the player's face using Face ID, registering them in the system. If a game like Hearts or Spades is at stake, additional mandatory accessories may be waiting for players on the same table: collars with detonators, heavy vests, or sensors. Once the phones are collected, players stand in the lobby and wait for the timer to run out. At this point, the smartphone screens display:

1. The number of participants already entered the arena.
2. Player limit (e.g. "max 10 people").
3. Countdown to gate closing.
   This is when the psychological tension is at its worst: players assess each other's physical fitness, trying to figure out who they'll have to cooperate with and who they might have to betray. As soon as the registration time expires, the mechanical doors to the arena itself click shut. A faceless, synthesized female voice announces from speakers or phones: "Registration is over. The game begins."
   Only then does a face-up card (for example, the 5 of spades or the 7 of hearts) light up on the screens, revealing the suit and difficulty of the game. A voice then reads out the rules and conditions for winning. The inner doors open, letting the frightened crowd into the depths of the arena.

As soon as the sun sets and dusk falls, powerful laser beams and neon spotlights simultaneously soar into the Tokyo sky. They shine above specific arena buildings. If a spotlight is activated, it means that the game will be held there tonight. Each survivor has a system-issued phone. Its screen displays a visa counter (for example, 3 days remaining). Each time a player wins, their visa is extended by an amount equal to the value of the card won (winning the 5 of spades means 5 days of life). The counter decreases every midnight. When a player has "1 visa day" remaining, they realize that tonight is their last chance to survive, and they must face the spotlight.

If a participant has a large amount of visa left (for example, 10 days), they can rest, sleep, and forage for food in the city for the entire week. The player decides which night to attend the arena. The key is to get a new card before the visa counter on their phone reaches zero. If midnight strikes and a player's visa has expired, no matter where they are, a pinpoint laser strikes from the sky and kills the offender on the spot. Therefore, every night, those with expiring visas gather in the arenas.

Night (approximately 7:00 PM to 12:00 AM–2:00 AM): Game time. This is the most dangerous and energy-consuming period. Participants gather in arenas, undergo deadly trials, experience colossal stress, and expend a huge amount of physical energy. Deep Night and Morning (2:00 AM to 11:00 AM): Sleep Time. After returning from games (or if their visas are still valid), players go to bed. Sleep in the Borderlands is not a luxury, but a way to recuperate and avoid dying in the next game. Day (11:00 AM to 7:00 PM): Routine, searching, and rest. During the day, while the streets are safe and lasers aren't searching for players, they gather supplies: canned goods, water, clothing, gasoline, or simply try to recover. At dusk, everything starts again.