The Butcher's death was a declaration—not of leadership, but of lethal isolation. The two boys did not seek power; they sought unassailable mastery. Kevin and Even spent the next four years pushing each other to the absolute breaking point, turning the Death March jungle from a prison into a private, brutal gymnasium. Their goal was simple: to reach a state where no system, no general, and no brute force could ever control them again.
1. The Unseen Edge: Beyond Sight (Kevin – Year 2-3) 🌑
Kevin's training was not about muscle; it was about sensory mastery and predictive mathematics. For the first two years, Kevin focused on achieving his father's true 'Silence'—the ability to act without being perceived.
Sensory Deprivation Combat: Even, under Kevin's direction, forced him into combat scenarios in absolute darkness. Even would strike, and Kevin had to rely solely on the subtle changes in air pressure, ground vibration, and Even's muffled breathing to predict the attack's geometry. This trained his Unseen Edge to function independent of sight. He could 'see' the fight in angles and probabilities, making him deadly even while sleeping.
The Reactionary Reflex (The Sleeper's Edge): This mastery extended to their rest. Even would attack Kevin while he slept, sometimes using cold water, sometimes striking with a branch, forcing Kevin's deep-seated discipline to surface instantly. Soon, any disruption to their sleep—a twig snapping, a change in wind direction—would cause both of them to instantly snap awake, already in a defensive posture, their weapons drawn, ready to strike the source of the disruption. They were always ready.
Weapon Mastery: Kevin transcended the need for his specific Estoc. He mastered the use of any available object: flat stones became throwing knives, sharp sticks became piercing foils, and dust became a blinding cloud. His focus was always on the weakest point—the joint, the tendon, the soft tissue.
2. The Ghost Hook: Uncontrolled Strength (Even – Year 2-3) 💥
Even's training was focused on transforming his raw, chaotic rage into calculated, focused aggression.
Weaponless Fury: Kevin forced Even to fight opponents without his hook. Even learned to use his body—his fists, elbows, shoulders, and head—as specialized, devastating weapons, developing the 'Ghost Hook' philosophy: the body moves with such unexpected, brutal fluidity that it seems to disappear before landing a crippling blow. He became adept at using the jungle itself—snapping tree limbs, throwing handfuls of mud or poison ivy, turning the environment into an extension of his rage.
The Unpredictable Force: Even's fighting style became impossible to predict. He was terrifyingly adept at the 'Dirty Fight'—using blinding dust, grabbing clothing, or even using a live snake as a temporary whip. Even could kill a convict with a single, brutal strike from a jagged piece of stone, making him the reigning, visible force of the Death Match.
3. Conquest of the Death March (Year 4) 👑
By the end of the third year, Kevin and Even were a single, lethal entity. Even was the Engine, and Kevin was the Pilot. They had refined their skills to the point where they realized their potential was far greater than just surviving.
Kevin analyzed the power structure of the remaining Gang Lords and found their weaknesses: arrogance and predictability.
The Serpent's Cult (The Final Gang): The largest remaining threat was The Serpent's Cult, a group of twenty convicts led by a man named Vex, who specialized in poison and hidden traps. They were immune to direct attack and controlled the best jungle territory.
The Attack: Kevin refused a direct confrontation. Instead, over two months, Kevin and Even systematically disrupted The Cult's supply lines, poisoned their internal water cache (using only non-lethal, incapacitating jungle toxins), and used Kevin's predictive maps to turn The Cult's own traps against them.
The Final Battle: When Kevin and Even finally faced the surviving members, The Cult was sick, dehydrated, and disoriented. Even, using the Ghost Hook, moved through them like a cyclone, his brutal, precise strikes ending the fight in minutes. Kevin, using the Unseen Edge, ensured no one could escape or call for help, eliminating the leaders with silent, targeted strikes from afar.
For the first time in its history, the Death Match was conquered. The remaining convicts either fled or bowed to the new, terrifying, dual authority. They didn't rule with public displays of force; they ruled with silence and fear.
4. The Exit Strategy (Year 5) 🗺️
The fifth year was spent in final preparation. The jungle offered them nothing more. They had mastered every challenge, every terrain, and every form of human and animal threat. They were no longer simply Kevin and Even; they were The Edge and The Hook.
"It's time," Kevin stated one evening, his voice finally carrying the cold weight of command. He was seventeen, Even was twenty-two.
"The jungle is dead," Even agreed, polishing the handle of his hook. "Vorlag is dead. The King is still sitting on his throne. We came here to get strong enough to fight the world that betrayed us. We have paid our dues."
Kevin, using his refined intelligence, presented their final, complex plan: they would not simply walk out. They would use the Death Match's guard system—which had grown sloppy and arrogant over five years—to provide them with the perfect, clean exit, ensuring they had both resources and a complete disappearance.
Their war against the world was about to begin.