Days blurred into weeks. Weeks bled into months. Alpha's life settled into a relentless rhythm wake, train, lessons, mock battles, live assassinations. Over and over, until routine dulled fear into habit. And then the tournament arrived. A full month of sanctioned slaughter. One mistake meant death. The day began like any other… and that was what made it terrifying. The air itself felt restrained, like the world was holding its breath. Alpha met Team Theta at the corridor junction, Lambda already waiting. She said nothing as she led them toward the arena. Cadets filled the staging grounds rows upon rows of killers in training. Captains stood at the front, backs straight, eyes sharp. A voice cut through the tension. "Well, well. If it isn't Lambda." Camp Omicron's leader stepped forward, grin wide and unapologetic. "Can't wait for my team to end yours." Lambda didn't even look at him. "Let's just hope Omicron doesn't face Theta," he continued smugly. "Wouldn't be the same as last time." Before Lambda could reply, the announcer's voice thundered across the arena. "Congratulations. You've been selected for a month where nothing matters except whether you're still breathing at the end." Silence fell. "No rules. No boundaries. No one coming to save you."
A pause.
"You can cheat. Betray. Ambush in your sleep. Cry while you do it we don't care." The words dug in. "Some of you will die screaming. Some of you will die quietly.
Most of you will die disappointed." Alpha's jaw tightened. "If you win? You don't get praise. You get permission to exist." The announcer smiled. "Try not to waste it." Alpha's gaze drifted upward to the private viewing chambers. Behind tinted glass, a monocle glowed faintly. Watching him. "Well then," the announcer continued, "let's begin with a four-way battle." A screen ignited behind him.
[Epsilon]
[Pi]
[Kappa]
[Theta]
"Same target. First team to eliminate it wins." Light swallowed the arena. Theta materialized in a shattered urban zone. Timers began to tick. "Guess we're starting," Alpha said calmly over comms. His hood slid into place as black liquid surged from the chip behind his ear, forming his combat suit in a smooth, predatory flow. The others followed instantly. "Gamma," Alpha ordered, "take point. High scan." Gamma vanished upward. A second later
"We're clear to move."
They advanced. Zeta suddenly raised a hand. A translucent dome hardened around them just as a spear slammed into it with bone-rattling force. Cracks spider-webbed across the barrier. "Focus," Zeta warned. "We don't know their strength." Omega slammed her palms into the ground. Ice erupted spikes exploding upward, shattering into frozen mist that rolled outward like fog. The dome shattered. Blood-thin needles screamed through the haze. "Contact!" Alpha shouted. He launched forward. A bulky figure burst from the mist Kappa's silver badge flashing. Alpha twisted midair, heel slamming into the man's chest, sending him skidding back.
The man laughed.
His arm liquefied.
Alpha's punch sank in and stuck. Honey-thick goo wrapped around his forearm. The enemy yanked him forward and smashed a fist into Alpha's face. Alpha absorbed the hit, grabbed the wrist, reversed the angle, and ignited his trapped arm. Flames burned through the goo, loosening it enough for him to rip free.
He stepped in
Left hook.
Duck.
Rising knee to the gut.
Spin.
Backfist to the jaw. The man flew backward. "Alpha behind! Switch!" Omega snapped. Alpha dropped low as Omega vaulted over him, fist plunging into another Kappa cadet whose body flowed like liquid. Her arm vanished inside spikes erupted. Ice crystallized the goo solid. Omega twisted, severing the frozen limb, and dashed forward. The enemy retaliated hurling molten sludge. Omega spun sideways, grabbed a dagger from her pouch, tossed it upward and kicked it. The blade punched through the man's skull. His body froze from the head down and shattered like glass. "One down," Omega reported. A shockwave tore through the street. Alpha was already moving. His gauntlets were slick with blood as he pummeled another cadet, cracking armor, each blow detonating with brutal precision. Flames roared as he burned straight through the opponent's chest. "Second handled," Alpha said. "Same here," Beta added calmly. An arrow whistled past Omega's ear and buried itself in a fleeing figure's skull. "Never lose focus in battle, kiddo." Hades' voice echoed. A light barrier flared Too late. A massive paw smashed through it. A chimera slammed Alpha into the street, darkness swallowing his vision. Silver Pi badges flashed as another team dropped in. Third-party. Time passed. Alpha's eyes fluttered open. Epsilon stood before him. A girl with aqua eyes stared down worry tangled with disappointment. "Forget him," she said softly, turning away. "Target first." The team vanished into the ruins. Alpha pushed himself up. Two black rods lay beside him. A bandage was tucked neatly next to them. He deactivated his suit, wrapped his left arm, and gripped the rods. Blood flowed. Hardened. Shaped. The rods sharpened into twin daggers. Alpha stood. Determination burned through exhaustion. He sprinted toward the sounds of battle, daggers flashing as he moved, letting his body read the wind, the shifts, the tremors. The tattoo around his arm glowed faint green. This time He wouldn't fall behind.