Chapter 2: The Bloody Prelims
Ryo Kazan stood at the edge of the pit, fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked. The underground arena before him pulsed with life, filled with the thunderous roar of bloodthirsty spectators. Their shouts echoed off the steel walls, shaking the very ground beneath his feet.
The stench of blood, sweat, and death hung thick in the air. The scent clawed at his nostrils, reminding him exactly where he was. This wasn't a ring where fighters came to test their skills. This was a graveyard waiting for fresh corpses.
Below, men—if they could still be called that—prepared for the carnage. Their bodies bore twisted mutations from years of Fang Serum exposure. Some had elongated limbs, others had unnaturally thick muscles that stretched their skin to its limits. Their eyes, hollow and glowing with an eerie light, reflected their lost humanity.
Ryo's stomach turned, but he forced himself to focus.
I don't have a choice.
His brother, Ren, had disappeared into the depths of this hellhole. If Ryo wanted to find him, he had to fight. And survive.
The announcer's voice boomed overhead.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME TO THE BLOODY PRELIMS!"
The crowd erupted in a deafening cheer.
"FOR OUR FIRST MATCH—A ROOKIE STEPS INTO THE PIT! FRESH MEAT, EVERYONE! LET'S SEE HOW LONG HE LASTS!"
The iron gate creaked open. A mountain of muscle and scars stepped forward.
Kuro.
The man towered over Ryo by at least two feet, his skin rough like battle-worn leather. Tattoos snaked across his arms, some blackened with burn marks. But it was his eyes that sent a chill down Ryo's spine—pure black voids that gleamed with an unnatural hunger.
A Hollow Beast.
Ryo clenched his fists. This was no ordinary fighter.
The bell rang.
Kuro charged.
A Dance with Death
Ryo barely had time to react.
Kuro's fist swung like a wrecking ball.
Ryo twisted his body at the last second, the punch missing him by an inch—but the sheer force of it split the air beside his face. Before he could counter, Kuro was already on him again, moving impossibly fast for his size.
The ground shook beneath each step.
Ryo ducked, his instincts taking over. His mind processed Kuro's movements, reading his attacks like a book.
Too fast. Too strong.
He had to strike first.
Planting his feet, Ryo delivered a sharp, precise strike to Kuro's ribs. Then another. And another. Each punch landed with calculated precision, hammering the weak spots of his massive opponent.
Nothing.
Kuro didn't even flinch.
Instead, he grinned.
The next thing Ryo knew, pain exploded in his ribs.
Kuro's counterpunch struck like a sledgehammer, sending him hurtling across the pit. His back slammed against the steel wall, rattling his spine. The impact left him breathless, the taste of iron filling his mouth.
Somewhere in the distance, the crowd erupted in laughter.
Through blurry vision, he saw Kuro advancing. Slow, confident. A predator enjoying his kill.
"You don't belong here," Kuro sneered, cracking his knuckles.
Ryo spat blood onto the ground and wiped his mouth. His breath came in ragged gasps, but he forced his body to move.
Pain didn't matter.
Only victory did.
A Beast Awakens
Kuro lunged again, aiming to end the fight with a single, crushing blow.
Not this time.
Ryo sidestepped, faster than before, his body moving purely on instinct. He ducked low and drove his knee into Kuro's ribs, followed by a brutal uppercut.
Kuro staggered.
He felt that.
The crowd gasped.
Ryo didn't hesitate. He pressed the attack, unleashing a flurry of punches to Kuro's midsection and face. His strikes were no longer calculated—they were fury incarnate.
Each hit pushed Kuro back.
The towering man roared, swinging blindly in frustration.
Ryo saw the opening.
He pivoted, put all his weight into his right arm, and launched his final punch.
CRACK.
His fist slammed into Kuro's jaw.
The Hollow Beast's body stiffened—then collapsed like a felled tree.
Silence.
Then, the bell rang.
Ryo stood over Kuro's fallen body, his breath heavy, his hands shaking.
The crowd erupted in deafening applause.
But Ryo wasn't listening. His mind was elsewhere.
Ren.
His brother was still out there.
And this was just the beginning.