Aigris said with an excited look on his face. "Try to live to save her, kid, or if you die, the little girl will have a fun night with my guys."
The fight between the two began, the thug charged at Kaien like a predator. He knew that now, he had no choice but to fight, this was not just a test, but a choice between hope and death. He stood up on shaky legs, before he could react he was punched in the face. He lost his balance, his cheeks and nose started to flow. He tried to keep his distance, his hands clenched, his feet moving constantly. This was not the first time they fought, but it was the first time his and Cindra's lives were on the line.
Kaien gasped, thinking: "I can't lose to this guy, Cindra and I must live, we absolutely cannot die here."
The thug charged again, and he instinctively charged at him. The two of them fought hand-to-hand. Blood splattered all over the arena. The thug knocked Kaien down, and punched him repeatedly in the face. The people around him started shouting:
"That's right, destroy it."
"Today is your last day, kid. You won't have the life to tell your mother, hahaha"
Despite being beaten to a pulp and falling over and over again, Kaien kept getting up. His face was now completely disfigured with blood-covered tumors.
"You're really tough, kid." As soon as he finished speaking, the thug rushed forward and threw a punch at Kaien. Kaien turned around and dodged the blow. Taking advantage of his opening, he threw a punch straight at his face. The thug stepped back and spat out a mouthful of blood. Seeing that scene, the people around couldn't help but be surprised:
"It hurt him"
"He's so tough, I'll ask for his body to make a punching bag later."
The thug now went berserk, he charged forward and continuously punched Kaien, blood gushing out like rain.
He was forced against the end of the iron cage, unable to do anything but stand still and endure the beating. The thug grabbed his head and slammed it hard against the floor, the sound of bones colliding echoed like a bolt of lightning in the quiet air, his blood was like a drug stimulating his wild instincts, after that blow he lay motionless. At that moment, Cindra seemed to stop breathing.
"No....no way..... Kaien...."
Her eyes widened until they filled with tears, her pupils pulsing. It felt like the world was being squeezed into a cold mass of air. The screams around her faded away – no sound reached her anymore.
Only the heartbeat in the chest.
"Get up... you always can do it, right?"
But Kaien lay there, motionless. His hair was limp, his forehead was streaked with blood, his body curled as if every ounce of life had been drained from him.
Cindra felt her hands go cold, her heart beat so fast it hurt, her throat was so dry she couldn't make a sound.
"I... couldn't do anything... I could only watch him die before my eyes..."
A tear fell. Then another. No one saw it but her. The crowd roared, cheered, shouted.
They want blood, they want it to end.
But Cindra – just wanted Kaien to live.
"If I could switch places... if I could take his place... I would do it without hesitation..."
She leaned forward, trying to reach out of the chair, the ropes tightening around her wrists until they bled, but she didn't care. She didn't sob, she just cried silently. Like a breakdown.
"Kaien... don't leave me alone..."
In the middle of the dirty iron cage, amidst hundreds of hellish noises, there was only a small tied-up girl left, sitting trembling as she looked at the only person left in her life lying there silently as if he had disappeared from the world.
This match was a cruel fate from the very beginning, there was no chance for him since he was brought here. The screams that rang out were like the groans of hungry demons in hell.
"Look at that, that brat is dead."
"I'll take his body first."
"That girl, be a good girl and serve us tonight."
They fell silent as Kaien, who seemed to have collapsed, suddenly stood up. The thug laughed happily.
"Hahahaha, you make me excited"
Seeing that scene, Cindra's heart stopped for a beat.
Her eyes widened, tears still lingering on her eyelashes, her heart that had been slowly fading now seemed to burn again. The hope that seemed to have died out now burned brightly like a flame in the dark night.
"He... is still fighting..."
Kaien slowly stood up, his whole body trembling, his messy hair covering one bloody eye. But the remaining eyes were like red-hot steel, still shining with life.
Cindra choked. No more tears, only fire.
"Don't die, Kaien... I'm still here... I still believe in you."
A quiet, pained smile crossed her face.
No need to shout. No need to cheer. Just a whisper deep inside:
"Stand up... show them... the fire inside you is not extinguished yet."
Kaien slowly stood up, his body covered in blood, every move like he was fighting the world. He was no longer the miserable boy from the slums. In that moment... he was the embodiment of resistance.
"It's not... over yet..." – Kaien whispered, blood flowing from his corner of mouth.
The ground beneath his feet began to shake slightly.
The thug frowned and stepped back. An invisible pressure, a terrible suction – was rising.
Cindra's eyes widened, feeling the air being squeezed, suffocating.
"This feeling... is exactly like that time"
"Take it, my counterattack!" Kaien charged, an invisible force spreading out all around! The thug was thrown like a rag doll, his body slammed straight into the metal cage, his bones cracking. The floor shook, the entire audience outside fell down in panic. Cindra looked at Kaien, eyes filled with tears, mouth open in disbelief.
Not giving the thug time to stand up, he rushed towards the thug, feeling like something was pressing him against the iron frame, he couldn't move. He punched him with all his might, his head was pressed against the iron frame. He seemed to have lost all reason, now he had become a mad beast, pressing his head against the iron frame.
CRACK!!!!
The sound of bones cracking rang out. Blood splattered everywhere. Blood continuously flowed from his eyes and nose, he was dead.
After the thug collapsed like a bag of rotten meat, the room fell into deathly silence.
Every single person in the unscrupulous audience – gamblers, gangsters, smugglers, hitmen – gasped, some backed away trembling. Some even dropped their glasses, the dark liquid seeping onto the dusty, dirty stone floor.
The yellow light from the ceiling was not enough to hide the eerie shadow cast by Kaien.
The air seemed to thicken. There was no sound.
shouting. no more hideous laughter. only breathing gasping, dripping blood and the vague gravity still swirling around him like a living entity.
Aigris was now standing on a high observation platform - behind him was a computer screen, the cracked cement wall was illuminated by flickering fluorescent lights.
He didn't move immediately. His eyes narrowed. The cigarette butt between his fingers paused in mid-air, the glowing red tip suddenly extinguished by his own clenched fist.
"Here it is... its true power."
Aigris's lips curled slightly. But the smile wasn't entirely one of amusement. It was a mixture of excitement, disbelief, and... wariness.
He turned to the subordinate standing next to him.
"That kid... did you see what the hell just happened?"
The subordinate swallowed hard, not daring to reply.
Aigris raised the cigarette to his lips – then lowered it again.
"This is no longer a street kid... this is a wild card."
"But..." – he glanced at the deep dent in the iron floor where the thug had stood "...to use a bomb, you must first know how to keep it from exploding in your hands."
He laughed, softly but loudly in the silent air.
Meanwhile, Kaien knelt down on one knee, breathing heavily, his eyes still on Cindra who was sitting on the ground with wide eyes, tears still not wiped away.
On the high platform, Aigris still looked down like a wolf that had seen a young tiger awaken its fangs.
"Well... this is interesting. From here on out, all the pieces... will have to be put back together."
Cindra remained there, her hands bound, her eyes red with terror and emotion. Kaien approached, his steps still shaky from the battle, the gravity around him gone, leaving him a young man, drenched in sweat and blood.
Cindra:
(low voice)
"...You... just now... Kaien... what... was that?"
Kaien
(kneel down to untie the rope, not raising head)
"... I don't know either. All I know is... if you don't stand up then... you will die."
Cindra:
(voice trembling, crying and laughing lightly)
"Idiot. What about you?"
Kaien:
(looking up at her, eyes tired but determined)
"As long as you're alive... then I... still have a reason to stand up."
Cindra:
(smiling softly, tears rolling down)
. I hate you, Kaien."
Kaien:
(laughs softly)
"Yeah, I know."
The two looked at each other for a moment. No more words were needed, just two people pushed to the limit by the world, finding each other in the middle of hell.