Episode 5 of *Alice in Borderland* Season 3 kicks off with the commencement of the ultimate game. Each player finds themselves transported into a meticulously reconstructed replica of Shibuya, surrounded by a sea of digital screens that pulse with life. Although they are not truly in the real world, every participant is prompted to follow their digital doppelgänger as it flickers into view on the screens.
As they trail their virtual counterparts through a labyrinth of rooms, it doesn't take long for the groups to converge. Usagi and Arisu share a heartwarming reunion, their eyes locking with a mix of relief and joy.
When Arisu catches sight of Ryuji, he doesn't hesitate—he smacks him upside the head, convinced that Ryuji is somehow responsible for putting Usagi in harm's way. Yet, Usagi sees things differently. She believes that returning to compete in these harrowing games has not only brought them closer but also granted her a much-needed sense of closure.
Despite there being nine contestants gathered in the room, it's announced that the grand finale will feature ten players in total. In a twist straight out of *Squid Game* Season 3, it turns out the baby—Usagi's unborn child—is also considered a participant in this final showdown.
It's an absolutely mind-blowing way for Usagi to discover she's pregnant, but there's no time to dwell on this revelation. For this final game, they are required to don wristbands and collars. The game is dubbed "Possible Futures."
There are a total of 25 rooms, meticulously arranged in five vertical and five horizontal columns. In each round, players must roll the dice positioned on the platform at the center of every room. The number that lands face-up then dictates how many individuals can progress to the next chamber.Essentially, they're trapped in a repetitive cycle, forced to repeat their actions until they stumble upon an exit. There are 15 rounds in total, but this is no walk in the park, by any means. Players who find themselves stalled due to an unfavorable dice roll become immobile, triggering a lockdown procedure. The sole method to free them is for two players to simultaneously use their wristbands on opposite sides of the locked room, lifting it open.
Each participant is endowed with 15 points. To progress from one chamber to the next, players must expend one point and raise their wristband to the door. Revisiting the chamber they've just vacated entails waiting for a full round to elapse before they're permitted to retrace their steps. However, if they opt to linger in the same chamber, one point is deducted from their total with each passing round. Should a player's point tally dwindle to zero, they face elimination.
The walls of each chamber are adorned with images depicting potential futures for the players. The future they select from these visions will allegedly manifest as their reality upon exiting the game. Arisu is convinced that their best course of action is to band together. In this round, they're joined by two newcomers, Sohta and Yuna.
The dice and doors are intertwined by color, and their destinies appear to shift based on their subsequent choices. Given the constraints of the dice rolls, only a limited number of individuals can pass through each colored door, contingent on the roll's outcome. This implies that some must resign themselves to less favorable futures.
Arisu surmises that the crux lies in selecting doors with the highest numerical value, thereby minimizing point wastage. The group divides into teams and concocts a strategy to navigate the labyrinthine maze in search of the exit. Their plan entails attempting to reunite after splitting into different rooms by opting for adjacent ones. Fortunately, their watches not only display their in-game location but also facilitate communication among them, eliminating the risk of getting disoriented.
Unfortunately, certain rooms have been marked as "minus" zones, where players will incur point losses ranging from a minor -1 to a severe -8. Initially, everyone is on board with the game's premise, but it soon becomes evident that dissent is brewing among the ranks. Ryuji finds himself not only grappling with his own personal dilemma involving Usagi but also swayed by the myriad of possible futures laid out before him. Moreover, Usagi effectively counts as two individuals due to her unborn child; though she doesn't receive double the points from the outset (which does seem a tad unfair, doesn't it?), she does possess a separate wristband for her baby. This certainly escalates the stakes regarding which rooms they dare to venture into.
Thankfully, the groups can maintain communication through their watches. When Rei is compelled to stay behind, her comrades must work to lift her lockdown and make a strategic retreat. However, Ryuji is of the opinion that locating the exit should take precedence over rescuing others. Regrettably, these projected futures are exerting a profound influence on various players, given their individual histories.
Sohta and Yuna are particularly hard-hit, deciding to veer off in a different direction, seeking a brighter future. This choice, however, results in Rei remaining trapped in her lockdown. They opt for what they perceive as a better future, disregarding Arisu's pleas, but their decision backfires spectacularly. The same fate befalls Nobu, as all three find themselves reeling from substantial point deductions.
The challenges become all too real for everyone, especially as the futures delve into some truly arduous and trying moments from each of their pasts. One individual tested to the utmost is Tetsu. We've witnessed him wrestling with a past marred by drugs and alcohol, much of which stems from his profound love and devotion to his former partner, Yukiko. When she materializes before him, Tetsu is captivated and urged to step through one of the rooms... which happens to be a -8 point deduction room. Given that he has 7 points at the time of entry, it proves fatal.
Nobu fares slightly better, retreating back to room B1 and thus saving himself. But by now, everyone is scattered across the arena, with only a few corners left to search for an exit. Sohta, too, meets his demise here, in a cruel twist of fate that separates him from Yuna into a different room. She rolls a 0 and is unable to proceed to join him, but it turns out to be a fortuitous twist for her. Poor Sohta, however, is not so fortunate. He receives a hefty point deduction and succumbs.
Arisu reunites with Rei, lifting her lockdown, while the groups are finally brought back together in two separate rooms. It appears that the exit is located in room A5, tucked away in the bottom left corner of the arena, but reaching it requires clever play. Unfortunately, Yuna dashes into the room with her brother, and Arisu can't bring himself to deduct points from her, leaving him with a perilously low tally.
Meanwhile, Ryuji, Nobu, Sachiko, and Usagi are compelled to split up once again, this time into three separate groups. It seems that Tetsu is in Room A3, but that's also the room that inflicts an 8-point deduction. They must choose wisely here, although for some inexplicable reason, no points are being deducted from the baby (yet).
There are momentous decisions to be made here. Who will emerge from this ordeal unscathed?
