Dying Happy Dog Race

Dying Happy Dog Race is the third chapter of the Deadman Wonderland manga.

As Ganta enters the Race he gets a taste of the insanity that is Deadman Wonderland. Struggling to survive each round while many others don't, Shiro seems to interfere at any point putting him at a greater risk. He reaches the final round against the feared Kōzuji Kazumasa and manages to defeat him but, at the cost of his own victory he saves Shiro.

Summary
Ganta Igarashi is shown reading the Deadman Wonderland information booklet whilst Tsunenaga Tamaki raises the danger of the race to the maximum.

The race starts with a stage called "Slice and Dice" and Ganta makes multiple near-miss evasions of the huge swinging blades. However, another unnamed prisoner, who unfortunately isn't as nimble as Ganta, is cut into multiple pieces which, causes Ganta to remember the day of his classmates' murder. As the prisoners look on in horror at the scene, the audience, however, remains oblivious to the death, believing it to be special effects and wouldn't care either way as they are criminals. Ganta, momentarily confused as to why the audience enjoys this, finds more motivation to win the race.

On the other hand, Kōzuji Kazumasa notices this urge to win and orders his thugs to kill Ganta otherwise he'll kill them in a gruesome manner. As Ganta progresses to the next stage, one with ducks firing arrows at them, the thugs attempt an aerial attack on him when Shiro, quite literally, jumps into the scene and nudges Ganta at that precise moment. Ganta questions Shiro about the possibility of him falling into a pit when one of the thugs is struck by many arrows thus, falling one of the electrified pits. Shiro, completely unfazed by this, states that the thug is clumsy and that Ganta shouldn't be so that they can eat Anpan together afterward. In response, Ganta says that he'll die if he doesn't win to which Shiro responds with a less-than-bothered realization of that fact. Ganta is then taken back by this as they were supposed to be friends yet Shiro is so light-hearted about it. In another scene, Azami Midō and Yō Takami are shown watching the race.

Back at the race, the thugs are shown to have much more failed attempts at Ganta's murder due to Shiro interfering. Kōzuji threatens the thugs again until the thugs are all hit by Shiro riding a bull then, Kōzuji finally choosing to do his own dirty work, draws out a combat knife. Through more stages, Shiro is shown to be interfering with Ganta's progression (or survival) and Ganta becomes irritated as a result.

With few contestants remaining, Ganta reaches the final stage (a battle royal) whilst a woman explains the rules of the level. Ganta pleads with Shiro to stop getting in his way and the game begins. Almost instantly, two contestants fall through a floor panel and the over-head speaker explains that every 5 seconds, a panel will deteriorate. It is then revealed that underneath the platform is a bed of huge spikes with many corpses punctured by them.

As the game goes on, many more prisoners have succumb to the deteriorating panels and one unlucky contestant accidentally passes the ball to Ganta thinking that he was playing Volleyball (and was therefore presumably a Volleyball player) whilst others are kicked into the holes by Kōzuji in the background. Ganta, with a relieving thought, notes that he must only hold the ball for another 3 minutes in order to win but almost steps on a panel which was about to fall. As other contestants attempt to steal the ball (including Kōzuji), Ganta tries to figure out which panels are safe to travel on when Kōzuji leaps at him with yet, more threats and Ganta discovers that the panels fall inverse with each other. Upon discovering this, Ganta moves one place to allow Kōzuji to land on a fallen panel.

At the last moment, however, Kōzuji manages to kick the ball out of Ganta's grip but, is secured by Shiro. Kōzuji with his last seconds of life remaining throws his knife at Ganta but, is intercepted by Shiro and stabs her back. Ganta finally realizes that Shiro was actually protecting Ganta by taking the blows for him throughout the race. Shiro, however, seems unaffected by the blow and gives Ganta a cheerful smile.

Suddenly, the panel Shiro was standing on falls and Shiro passes the ball to Ganta. But, Ganta chooses to ignore the ball as it falls into and is punctured by the spikes, and grabs Shiro's arm instead.

The audience and Deadman Wonderland inhabitants alike, are shocked by this outcome (some disappointed by the fact there is no winner) when, Kōzuji is shown to still be alive but, encounters Makina who gives him the option to either spend one year in solitary confinement or stab himself through the heart.

Elsewhere, Shiro asks Ganta why he didn't take the ball and he explains that it was because they wanted to eat Anpan together but, Ganta then thinks to himself and accepts that he'll die the next day.

In the clinic, Yō is shown with another prisoner who had owed him Cast Points apologizes for not paying him back sooner and states that'll pay it back later but with interest. The entire time, however, Yō is looking at his single earring. Later on, Yō is shown in the bathroom washing the same earring then tossing an ear into a nearby bin. The chapter closes as he says that he'd like his new friends (referring to Ganta and Shiro) to be nicer in a menacing tone.

Characters in order of appearance

 * Ganta Igarashi
 * Tsunenaga Tamaki
 * Kōzuji Kazumasa
 * Kōzuji's thugs
 * Shiro
 * Azami Midō
 * Yō Takami
 * Makina