Kai's voice was low, but it cut through the murmuring of the prison block like a knife, aimed squarely at the figure who had been mocking him for days. "You. The one with the lazy eye."
Griz, the cynical, heavyset pirate, pushed himself up slightly. A greasy, knowing grin spread across his face. He seemed to relish the attention. "You talking to me, kid? Finally decided to give up on your little frog jumps and accept your fate?"
"No," Kai said, his voice laced with a cold amusement that put everyone on edge. "I was just wondering something. You talk a big game from the comfort of your cell. You talk about how impossible it is to escape, how everyone should just give up and rot like you. It must be nice, being the king of the hopeless."
The grin on Griz's face twitched. "It's not being hopeless, kid. It's called being a realist. I've been in this stinking hole for eight years. I know how it works. You don't."
"I know that I'd rather die on my feet trying to get out than live on my knees accepting this cage," Kai shot back, his voice rising in intensity. "What I'm looking at is a man who gave up so long ago he's forgotten what it's like to even try. You're a coward, hiding behind your realism because you're too scared to do anything else."
The insult, sharp and personal, struck a nerve. The lazy laughter in the surrounding cells died instantly. This was no longer just a bit of fun. Thunk, the four-meter giant in Griz's cell, stirred, a low growl rumbling in his chest. But Griz held up a hand, silencing him.
"Big words, kid," Griz said, his voice losing its lazy drawl and taking on a dangerous edge. "Very big words for a little nobody on Level 1. You don't know who you're talking to."
"I know exactly who I'm talking to," Kai said, his lips curling into a sharp, mocking smirk. "I'm talking to a fat, lazy coward who's going to watch while I walk out of here. But before I go, I'm going to come over there and personally rearrange that ugly face of yours."
That was the final straw. Griz's face contorted with rage. "Thunk," he snarled. "This little pest is starting to get on my nerves. Shut him up. Permanently."
The giant, Thunk, cracked his knuckles, a sound like boulders grinding together. He moved to the front of the cell, his massive frame blocking out the light. "You heard him, little man," he growled. "You just signed your own death warrant. I'm going to enjoy crushing you like a bug."
Kai just laughed. "You'll have to get out of your cage first, you lumbering oaf." He then turned his back on them and faced his own cell door.
He placed his hands on the thick, crisscrossing bars and pushed, testing its strength. He poured his power into the attempt, the might of ten days of amplified training. The heavy metal door groaned and shuddered, but it held firm, a testament to Impel Down's formidable construction.
(So this is it) Kai thought, a thrill running through him. (Even the doors on the 'easy' level are this tough. Good. This place is a real challenge.)
Griz's triumphant laughter boomed from across the hall. "See! All talk! You can't even get out of your own cell! What a pathetic fool!"
Kai ignored him. He took three measured steps back. He lowered into a crouch, his eyes fixed on the door. The other prisoners watched, holding their breath. They saw him explode forward.
BOOM!
The sound was like a cannon blast inside the enclosed space. Kai's foot connected with the center of the door, and metal screamed as it was torn from solid stone. The entire door assembly ripped free and launched outwards. It tumbled end over end through the air, a lethal projectile of iron, before it slammed violently into the door of Griz's cell with a deafening crash that sent sparks flying.
A stunned, absolute silence fell over the prison block. Every inmate, including Griz and Thunk, was frozen, their eyes wide with sheer, unadulterated shock.
Suddenly, a new sound echoed from down the hall. A rhythmic, heavy thump... thump... thump that grew louder and closer with every second.
Pure terror washed over the faces of the inmates.
"He's done it now," someone whispered, their voice trembling. "The Blugori are coming!"
(Perfect. Right on schedule.)
Kai stepped out of the gaping hole where his cell door used to be. He walked calmly across the hall, his eyes locked on Griz. Thunk stood in his way, his earlier confidence completely gone, replaced by a primal fear. He was a bully who had just realized he'd picked a fight with a sea monster.
Kai didn't even break his stride. As he reached their cell, he swung his leg in another powerful side kick.
BANG!
Their door caved in as if it were made of paper. It flew into the cell, taking the giant Thunk with it. The four-meter man let out a choked cry as the metal door slammed him into the back wall with a sickening crunch. He collapsed to the floor in a heap, dazed and bleeding.
Kai stood in the newly created opening, looking past the groaning form of the giant at his true target. Griz was scrambling backwards on the floor, his face pale with terror.
"You... you're a monster," Griz stammered.
Just then, a hulking blue figure rounded the corner, moving with terrifying speed. It was immense, with the body of a gorilla, a horrifying skeletal face, and a double-bladed axe larger than a man. A Blugori.
The other inmates, their initial shock now mixed with a morbid excitement, rushed to the bars of their cells to watch the carnage.
"He's finished! It's a Blugori!"
"I'll bet he doesn't last three swings! Look at the size of that axe!"
"You're underestimating him. He's strong. I'll bet on five swings. He'll dodge a few times before it splits him in two!"