The haunted city pulsed with an unnatural light, its gleaming streets and towering 500-foot haunted house a stark contrast to the oppressive darkness of the Realm of Darkness. Entity 404's voice reverberated through the battlefield, announcing the end of the previous round. "Team Lekki wins!" His words hung in the air, but Bachi's mind was elsewhere, fixated on the impending clash. It's Team Kerimi versus Team Akashi next, he thought, his heart pounding with dread. What if we lose? We have only two unused players. What if we all die? It would be worse than fate.
Bachi's resolve hardened. "I'll do anything for the team," he said aloud, a plan forming in his mind. What if I lure them into breaking the rules? Get two of them to attack at once and trigger a violation. That could end it. His eyes gleamed with determination, the weight of leadership pressing on him.
Kaguro, Kamiko, and Bachi huddled together, strategizing. Kaguro's voice was laced with rage, his smile predatory. "Let's send Kamiko and Kashimo for rounds one and two. We'll crush them." His confidence was infectious, but the stakes gnawed at them all.
A sudden tremor shook the ground, more violent than before, the haunted house groaning as if protesting its existence. Kashimo's voice cut through the chaos. "What the hell is that?"
Entity 404's expression darkened, his thoughts racing. Another incursion? The realm is under attack again. He issued a stern warning to the fighters. "If anyone attacks outside the matches, their team will be instantly eliminated." To enforce his decree, he summoned the "Eye of Missing View," a spectral orb that hovered above the battlefield, its unblinking gaze monitoring every move.
With a speed that defied comprehension, Entity 404 vanished, moving to the realm's edge in a millisecond. There, he confronted a horde of a thousand grotesque demons, their forms writhing with malice as they assaulted the realm's boundaries. "Instant deletion," Entity 404 declared, pointing a finger. The demons disintegrated, erased from existence in a flash of light. "If you think you're strong, I'm super strong," he taunted, waiting for more challengers.
One hundred twenty demons emerged next, charging in a coordinated swarm. Entity 404 raised a hand, conjuring a visible barrier that trapped them. "Boundary encirclement and deletion," he intoned, and the demons vanished, their threat extinguished. His power was absolute, but his focus remained split, the Eye of Missing View relaying events from the battlefield.
Tensions on the Battlefield
Back at the haunted house, tensions boiled over. Hideki, a military tactician from Team Lekki, confronted Kamiko, his voice dripping with menace. "I'll kill you and wipe out the rest of Team Akashi," he sneered, his battered form radiating defiance. Itsuki, another Team Lekki member, echoed the threat, his eyes glinting with cruelty.
Hikaru, a street fighter from Team Kerimi who had unexpectedly sided with Team Akashi, stepped forward. "Have you forgotten the rule?" he asked, his voice calm but firm.
Hideki scoffed. "That rule's fake as hell. Just a distraction."
"No, it's not," Hikaru retorted, his stance unwavering.
Unbeknownst to them, the Eye of Missing View recorded every word, its gaze unyielding. Entity 404, still battling at the realm's edge, was momentarily distracted, but the orb ensured his authority persisted.
Within Team Kerimi, dissent brewed. Nagumo, swayed by Hideki's bravado, supported the idea of attacking Team Akashi outside the rules. But Kenzo, a psychopathic manipulator from Team Kerimi, saw through the folly. "You think killing them is enough? We could all die for this," he said, his voice cold and calculating.
Nagumo frowned. "Hideki says the rule's fake."
"He's luring you to your death," Kenzo snapped. "Entity 404 was clear: attacking now is a violation."
"And if it's just propaganda?" Nagumo challenged.
"What if you strike and Entity 404 erases us?" Kenzo countered, his words sharp. "Think, Nagumo."
Nagumo hesitated, doubt creeping in. "Your words… they make sense."
Kenzo's lips curled into a smirk. "Let Team Lekki dig their own grave."
Meanwhile, Hideki was manipulating his own team. "If we kill Team Akashi now, it's us against Kerimi," he urged.
Jamie, still shaken from his previous fight, was skeptical. "We could die for this."
"Are we cowards?" Hideki pressed. "The rule's a scare tactic."
Hiroshi, another Team Lekki member, nodded. "I'm with Hideki. We end Team Akashi now."
Junpei, more cautious, protested. "Entity 404 warned us. This is suicide."
"Are we donkeys following a master's orders?" Hideki shot back. "The rule's fake."
Junpei shook his head. "It's real. It'll cost our lives."
Hiroshi sided with Hideki. "It's fake. Let's do this."
Jamie relented, his voice bitter. "If we die, I curse you, Hideki. You'll be reborn as a beggar—or worse."
"Curse accepted," Hideki said with a grin.
The Violation
The battlefield erupted into chaos. Hideki seized Kashimo by the throat, choking him with brutal force. Five seconds passed before Kamiko intervened, delivering a flying kick to Hideki's face. Blood streamed from Hideki's nose, but he laughed, undeterred.
Junpei engaged Bachi, their fight a deadlock of skill. Junpei's punches met Bachi's combat training, kicks countered by dodges, neither gaining the upper hand. Jamie, meanwhile, clashed with Kaguro, his strength overpowering Kaguro's agility. Kaguro took several hits but landed counterattacks, leaving both battered and bruised.
Alan and Kamiko faced Hiroshi, their combined efforts dominating him. Hiroshi struggled, his knife strikes missing as Alan and Kamiko pressed their advantage.
At the realm's edge, Entity 404 declared "Annihilation!" as the last demon fell. Returning to the battlefield, he checked the Eye of Missing View and froze. The rule had been violated. Rewinding the footage, he pinpointed the instigator: Itsuki from Team Lekki, who had rallied his team to attack.
The ground shook violently, Entity 404's scream of "Violation from Team Lekki!" reverberating like thunder. The fighters collapsed to their knees, the force of his presence overwhelming. "Team Lekki, eradicated!" he bellowed. With a snap, Hideki, Jamie, Hiroshi, Junpei, and Itsuki ceased to exist, their bodies dissolving into the ether.
Entity 404's gaze softened as he turned to Team Akashi. "Your injuries from defending against Team Lekki's violation are healed." In an instant, Kamiko, Kashimo, Bachi, Kaguro, and Alan felt their wounds vanish, their bodies restored as if the fight had never happened. The experience lingered, but the pain was gone.
"Only two teams remain: Team Akashi and Team Kerimi," Entity 404 announced, his smile predatory. "This round will decide the victor."
The Aftermath
Team Akashi stood together, their bond forged in the crucible of survival. Bachi's gambit had worked, luring Team Lekki into a fatal mistake, but the victory felt hollow. The tremors, the demons, Entity 404's cryptic power—all hinted at a larger game at play. Kaguro's suspicion about the Reamism chants deepened; the shifting accents suggested secrets within the realm's hierarchy. Kamiko's usual bravado was tempered, his focus on protecting Alan unwavering. Kashimo, still shaken by Hideki's chokehold, clenched his fists, ready for the next fight. Alan, bolstered by his mother's spectral encouragement, felt a flicker of hope amidst his trauma.
The haunted house loomed, its gothic interior a maze of shadows and bloodstains. The city around it, with its empty streets and gleaming facades, felt like a mockery of the real world they longed to return to. Team Kerimi, led by the manipulative Kenzo, was a formidable foe, their unity strengthened by their rejection of Hideki's recklessness. The final round loomed, a clash that would determine not just survival, but supremacy in the Realm of Darkness.
As the fighters prepared, the tremors returned, softer but persistent, a reminder that the realm was unstable. Entity 404's victory over the demons had secured his control—for now. But the Midnight Demon's rival, the unknown force behind the incursions, was still out there, plotting. Team Akashi, battered but unbroken, steeled themselves for the final battle, their fate hanging in the balance.
To be continued…