Pain.
That was all that remained.
Bone pain, muscle pain, headache, chest pain.
Yuto slowly opened his eyes, but his vision was a red blur.
Everything was spinning. The sky seemed to have been ripped from its place.
The taste of iron flooded his mouth.
Coughing.
"Khah... khrrr!" Thick blood ran down his lips. His own blood.
He tried to move an arm.
He failed.
He tried to sit up.
The pain screamed. Cracked bones. Broken ribs. A dislocated shoulder.
And it was in this miserable state that he heard it.
"Oops! And don't we have an unexpected guest? It seems there's... another system user in the field. Another Executor." The system's voice came through clearly, mockingly, as always. "And I swore you were special. But look! They're replacing you now, Yutinho."
The blue screen swam before his blurred vision. But he ignored it.
He needed to get up.
He needed to move.
He forced his knees to work, bracing himself against a nearby rock.
"Khrr... shit..."
The world continued to spin.
His body trembled. Each step was torture.
But he managed to stay on his feet.
Staggering. Like a drunk at the end of the night.
"How... how am I going to beat this shit...?" he muttered, feeling his throat burn.
It had seemed impossible before.
A level 50 enemy.
And now... there were two.
The Shadow Knight.
And the other Executioner.
That man who sent him flying like he was made of paper.
Why...?
Why would the system put another Executor there?
"Ah, you're asking yourself that, huh? Good question, Yuto. But the answer… well… maybe you're just moving too slowly. Maybe they need someone more… efficient." The system seemed to grow more amused with each word. "Or maybe… you were never the only one."
Yuto bit the inside of his cheek until it bled.
Every step was a risk.
Every second, a countdown to death.
But he moved forward.
Slowly, stumbling, spitting blood every two meters.
In the distance, the sounds of heavy footsteps. The sound of blades clashing. Muffled voices discussing something.
Yuto moved close enough to see.
The man was standing, facing the Shadow Knight head-on.
"You talk too much," the stranger said. "But let's see if you fight as well as you growl."
The Knight raised his sword. The tension in the air was absurd. But different from when Yuto faced the monster.
Now...
Now the Knight hesitated.
Because this other man wasn't just anyone.
He exuded a kind of power Yuto had never felt.
And somehow, the system was with him too.
"You want to know his name?" the system taunted in Yuto's mind. "I'll tell you... but only if you survive the horror show that follows."
Yuto gritted his teeth.
Blood dripped from his forehead. His knee felt like it was about to break.
But still...
Still, he pressed forward.
Even though he had no chance.
Even with death lurking.
He wouldn't give up.
Not yet.
If this guy is another Executioner... then I'll see this through to the end.
Even if the end... was now.
The fight between the Shadow Knight and the strange Executioner was brutal.
Yuto, still staggering, stopped a distance away and watched, stunned.
The Knight lunged with powerful blows, each impact leaving craters in the ground. The Executioner dodged with almost supernatural grace, his feet barely touching the ground, his eyes cold as ice.
It's as if he's dancing on the battlefield...
Yuto could barely follow the movements. The two exchanged blows that, if they landed, would have reduced him to minced meat in an instant.
But then, a new notification appeared.
— **Mission update: Another Executioner detected in the field. Level: 73.**
— *Level... what?*
Before he could process it, more words appeared, etched in fire in the air.
> New objective: Eliminate the Unknown Executioner. Eliminate the Shadow Knight. Time remaining: 2 hours and 47 minutes.
>
Yuto froze.
His eyes widened. His legs nearly gave out.
"NO... IT CAN'T BE..."
"What?" he screamed in despair. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I CAN'T BEAT EITHER ONE! HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO BEAT BOTH?!"
The system responded with its gleeful, sadistic tone.
"Hehehe... who said it would be fair, Yutinho? Since when is the world fair? Since when do you deserve easy ways? You're not a hero. You're just an Executioner. Execute."
Yuto clenched his fists tightly.
He looked back at the battlefield.
And his gaze changed.
Gradually, panic gave way to distorted rationality. A dark glint crossed his eyes.
"He attacked me..." he thought. This Executioner struck me without hesitation. Without warning. That makes him... an enemy.
And if he was an enemy...
He should die.
Simple as that.
But... how?
How to kill two monsters beyond all scale?
Think... think, damn it!
Yuto felt his blood race. His heart beat like a war drum.
He took a deep breath. He tried to ignore the pain. Ignore the fear.
And then...
An idea.
Slowly. Almost imperceptible at first.
But it grew. It took shape.
And became a plan.
"If I can't win by force... then I'll win by mind."
Yuto's eyes gleamed.
"I'll use the field, their anger, their pride... I'll make them destroy themselves."
A subtle, crooked smile appeared on his bloodstained lips.
That's when the system appeared.
With an unnatural glow.
Almost... excited.
"Hahahahahahaha! SO YOU REALIZE! Look... look! You finally understand how to play this game, Yuto! This... is going to be interesting."
The system screen pulsed red.
The words echoed like a demonic whisper in his ears:
> Welcome to the Game of Survival, Executioner.
>
Yuto stared at the two fighting.
And whispered, almost laughing:
"Let's dance... you sons of bitches."