Katsuki and Killian, who is the nearly naked man, both get up from the ground. Looking down to see his robes having some tears, Katsuki winces.
"I know what you are. Not only do the trees tell me that you're of an extinct race but the Earth as well," Killian says as he wipes off the dirt on his shoulders and arms.
"Extinct race? What do you mean?" Katsuki tilts his head.
"An Antarctican has no business being here. Your kind was wiped out to the point that there shouldn't have been another," Killian glares at Katsuki.
"Antarctican? Me? I'm Human, not Antarctican."
"Don't act dumb. It's useless to hide the truth. The Earth and I know what you are." Killian forced roots to come out the ground to hold Katsuki in place as he launches a nearby tree directly at Katsuki.
The tree makes contact with Katsuki and his screams of pain echo as he's launched backward.
Katsuki uses his void step, the technique from earlier where he shortens the distance between him and his target, to close the distance between him and Killian and place his palm out in front of him. An invisible force pushes Killian back with so much force that it leaves an "O" throughout the forest for a mile or two.
As Killian was flying like a rag doll through the forest, he felt a force pull him back towards Katsuki that must've been another technique of his.
Katsuki cocks his arm back and flings his fist into Killian's chest without serious injury, but enough to knock the air out of his chest.
"Y-Your body already regenerated," Killian said after gasping for air, "You actually don't think you're still Human, do you?"
Katsuki remained quiet.
"Why… Why haven't you used your sword yet…?" Killian asks after gasping for air.
"Just because killing is permitted, doesn't mean I will kill you." Katsuki told the now standing Killian.
"So you're scared, is that it? Are you scared of killing? That will get you killed."
"I'm not scared."
"Then use the sword or use an attack that will kill me. Unless, you're scared to kill…"
"Why do you think you know me?" An annoyed Katsuki asks.
"Because you're not fit to be a Junior or Slayer!! Do you see the participant count, huh!?" Killian pointed to the sky.
FLOOR 1/100, DAY ONE, 237 REMAINING
"You think the real world is all sunshine and rainbows, Antarctican!? You are about to commit your whole life to a role that will deal with death and you have yet to kill ONE person!!" Killian shouted, a vein showing on his forehead from his pure anger.
"Yeah, I'm scared to kill. Yeah, I know what role I will take on if I pass this Exam. But sorry that I barely even started this! I haven't even done this for a month and I'm still learning the ropes of everything! So that part of me that you think is a killer or a perfect Junior or Slayer, tell your trees or whatever to shove it up their ass!! They don't know anything about me! Or my life! Both of you don't know what I've been through! You both don't know I had to endure to get here! So yeah, I won't kill you because deep down I know that I'm still Human!" Katsuki shouted at the top of his lungs. "You think you're so superior because I don't want to kill you or any other person that comes my way… So far all of you sound the exact same when it comes to the value of life."
"Your words reached no one, Antarctican. If the Earth says you have to die, then I'll kill you," Killian lifts his arms and the ground below them begins to levitate, "I'll make you bring out your true nature, Antarctican. I'll make you kill me."
An island size of the ground beneath them levitates into the sky and casts a shadow over a small part of the first floor.
"If you don't kill me within 5 minutes, this island will fall and most likely kill every participant below," Killian's face remained stone cold.
"August and Rowan are down there!" Katsuki thought as he staggers due to the levitation of the island.
A huge hand made of rock appears above Katsuki and begins to fall at an alarming speed. Katsuki uses his void step to dodge the hand, but is swatted away by another hand that appeared beside him.
Killian uses the ground beneath him to create four boulders that float above his head and tosses all four of them towards Katsuki, who is laying on the ground.
The boulders appear to stop in place when approaching Katsuki. Killian wondered why his boulders randomly stopped midair when suddenly they dropped down to the ground instantly.
With his line of sight clear now, Killian couldn't find Katsuki anywhere around him. Only when a shadow on the ground growing larger by the second did Killian realize that Katsuki is above him with his arms extended out to a make a finger gun.
Out from his index finger, numerous mini meteorites rained down on Killian so fast that he could only create a rock wall with the amount of reaction time he had. Some of the mini meteorites shifted around the rock wall and hit their target with unforgiving force.
Landing on his feet, Katsuki places his arm out and readies another attack that will push Killian back… But he got interrupted when an arm made of branches whacked Katsuki like a fly. He slid across the ground, digging into the ground a few inches, until he eventually lost momentum.
Killian's tree army. One of his more powerful techniques that require a lot of Essence, but a very good technique nonetheless. All the trees have a hive mind so they make a perfect army. All the information they gain during their time alive, they share with Killian so that the next time they're summoned they adapt. It could be from learning an ability, technique, increasing speed, strength, etc. The possibilities are endless, but at the cost of significant Essence usage.
Four trees begin to close in on Katsuki whilst he still tries to recover from being disoriented. His vision clears and he sees four large fists about to crush him like a bug. With quick thinking, he pushes everything around him in a 20 meter radius, avoiding being crushed by the fists.
The trees lose limbs and branches, leaving them effectively dead in a sense. Finally, Katsuki got up from the ground and was about to focus on the next tree, if there was one summoned, but what Katsuki didn't take in account was that Killian already began using another technique.
While Katsuki was distracted by the trees, Killian gathered as many rocks as he could to create a boulder big enough to leave serious damage if not properly protected.
The shadow loomed over Katsuki and got thrown the second Katsuki notices Killian in the air with the boulder.
BOOOM!!!!
The boulder made impact and dust flew everywhere. Killian knew he had hit Katsuki. He just felt it in his bones.
A tree assisted Killian on making a soft landing, a smirk growing on his face, "Either that made you severely injured or your body is currently healing itself. Which one is it?"
As the dust settles, Killian sees a bruised and broken Katsuki. His arms seemed to be broken, his face bloody, and dirt all over his body.
Killian was surprised that these injuries were all that he sustained against one of his most powerful attacks... But the Earth told him the truth. Katsuki slowed down the momentum of the boulder as much as he could before the boulder made contact. It seemed to work seeing as how Katsuki came out with somewhat minor injuries.
"Oh. I see…" Killian sighs heavily when finding out the truth, "Heal so we can continue."
Growling and taking deep breaths, Katsuki wears a face of struggle as he remains still.
"What is he doing?" Killian thought as he watches. "What are you doing? Still recovering?"
No, that wasn't it. Was he angry? Yeah, but not the answer. Was he trying to come up with a plan? Something like that. The truth is that Katsuki is stopping his body from healing on its own. Katsuki thought that if he uses his mind and willpower, he could force his body from healing itself subconsciously.
"Why aren't you healing….?" Killian's voice having a hint of worry.
"Because… I want to," Katsuki glares at Killian whilst lowering his bloody, broken arms.
"How do you intend to… Fight?" Killian is in so much shock and awe that Katsuki would go this far to not heal himself. And all for what? To prove a point or something?
"I don't know. Good question. I guess I was getting used to constantly healing myself."
"So that's it? You're trying to prove a point? That you're Human and can't heal yourself?"
Katsuki couldn't focus at all. The pain is unbearable and his entire body wanted to drop that second. That combined with the dizziness, it was a true nightmare for Katsuki. Throughout his entire life, he never broke a bone so this is a new feeling for him that scares him a bit.
"Injured or not, I have a duty to fulfill," Killian stares down Katsuki.
"You gave me an idea…"
"Oh? What's that?"
"Well, you threw a rock at me, so in return, I'll throw a rock at you." Katsuki smirks then looks up to the sky.
"He's not actually going to… Right!?" Killian looks up realizing that Katsuki's plan is more dangerous than Killian's. A meteor? A moon? Either one, nobody was going to survive this attack.
Clear sky…
A clear sky? The sky is normal. Why isn't anything there?
Is the sky getting further…? Why does the scenery look different?
Is Killian seeing the bottom of the floating island? Yes.
This "technique" that Katsuki used is known as a distraction. Killian was so guillable that he fell for a trick that children use. While Killian looked up, Katsuki used the same technique he used to push Killian earlier to push Killian off the ledge of the floating island.
No longer being suspended in the air by Killian, the island began to fall out of the sky and back down to where it originally came from. Regenerating his injuries immediately, Katsuki placed his arms directly down at the ground of the island and opened his hands. He slowed the island's descent as much as possible while his body sustains constant pressure. Since this was an object that he never tried to control, his body couldn't handle the toll. Even though his regenerating body kept him standing, his body barely kept up with the toll that his body is enduring.
As the island descended, it eventually came to a halt just barely touching the ground. The island seemed to fit perfectly into its original place.
Exhausted, Katsuki falls to his knees, "I… did it…." He said in between breaths.
Katsuki's body wasn't healing as fast anymore due to his exhaustion. So, he kept some of the injuries such as broken arms, bloody nose, and sprained ankles.
He has to move on though. He couldn't stop moving or someone else would find him and make him into their next name on their "kill count."
He wandered for a while in the forest when he notices the upcoming area seems familiar. It's the desert biome from earlier. And there is Rowan standing alone… He felt happy just to see his face and he finally felt like he could just drop. And he did.
August switched places with Rowan and began to mend to Katsuki's injuries. After Katsuki made a full recovery, a pair of participants approach them from where the exit portal is.
"Again?" August scoffs.
"Are you the ones that stopped the island?" One of the participants ask.
August seems a bit perplexed at the question.
"What island?" August thought.
"Yes." Katsuki answers, his gaze focusing on the two.
"I feel like we're missing some crucial context here…" Rowan, August, and Justice said in unison.
The participants keep their cold gaze… And ran away. No- sprinted.
FLOOR 2/100, DAY ONE, 236 REMAINING