"What do you mean I can't go home?", Haze demanded angrily.
"If you win the tournament, you become my crowned heir and remain in the underworld to fight my battles for my lord. If you lose, you die. Either way, you're never leaving the underworld", Gatti explained as he ushered him out of Hades' palace.
Haze thought they would return back to Gatti's compound but Gatti immediately handed him over to a shy maid who directed him to a large room.
"For you", She said shyly and curtsied.
Haze looked at her face, the tasteful embroidery on her dress, the swell of her bosom.
"Uhm, thanks", He replied and shut the door behind him hastily.
Haze sat on the bed and pondered his new life in this place.
This is my destiny now, to go fight people who are probably stronger than me tomorrow and die.
He couldn't believe his luck, what kind of person died twice in two days?
The maid returned with a tray of food later in the evening, she set it on the table and curtesied before she left the room.
The message blinked on again.
[Do you want to check your profile]
Haze wondered what it meant but he decided to answer.
"Yes". He said.
Nothing happened.
"Yes I do". Haze said louder this time.
Nothing happened.
Haze decided to ignore the screen again, he wanted to ignored the food at first, but his hunger grew so unbearable that he had no choice but to eat. He ate and fell into a dreamless sleep.
Haze was woken by the sudden entry of light into his room. He sat up in bed and looked at the blinds, Gatti stood by them.
"What are you doing?", Haze demanded.
Gatti fiddled with his collar. "I'm sorry to interrupt your sleep trust me, but you need to get up and prepare, the tournament starts in two hours".
Haze grumbled. "Why is a 'to the death' tournament being held so early anyways".
"My lord has plans later this evening", Gatti replied matter of factly. "He has a date".
A date?! Haze yelled internally.
They reached a large door that Gatti pushed open, Haze stepped in. It led to a large circular arena, at one end of the arena there was a high ramp. On the ramp sat a throne and on the throne sat Hades.
He rested his head on a palm and jerked his right leg absentmindedly.
In the center of the arena, there were nine people. Haze realized they all had white hair like him, Hades had marked them too. There was a boy with acne on his face, a cute girl who dyed the tips of her hair pink, a tall slim boy who dyed the right half of his hair green, a chubby boy with a ponytail, a slightly muscular guy with one eye, a haggard man who looked like a pirate, a guy with six eyes, a tall girl who looked scared to be there and a giant hulking man that Haze hoped he wouldn't have to face.
"Our last contestant is here!", The referee announced loudly. "Let us begin the tournament!".
Haze walked faster so he could join the other heirs but Gatti held him back and whispered in his ear.
"Goodluck and remember, Hades favours the sword", He said and pushed Haze towards the middle of the arena.
The referee made everyone announce their names, Haze found out that the hulking guy was named Akio.
The ten heirs were divided into two groups of five, Haze fell into side A while the other side was B.
On the floor of the arena, there were 5 slots, the ref told the contestants in side A to pick one slot each, Haze immediately went for slot 3 since it was exactly in the middle and no mater what happened, he would have time to process the format of the contest.
But the slightly muscular guy with one eye who's name was Kenji shoved him out of the way and stayed in 3 instead.
Haze fell to his knees to the laughter of some of the crowd and contestants, he stood up slowly and dusted himself off, the only slot remaining was 5 so Haze went there quietly.
The ref told the contestants in side B to pick a piece of paper out of five pieces, each paper was numbered from 1-5 and the number they chose will be their opponent.
The hulking guy was the first and he opened his paper and said in a thick voice.
"Five!"
Haze's heart sank.
Why am I so unlucky? He groaned in his mind.
Haze was so upset with the draw that he didn't pay attention to the rest of the contestants talking until they had all picked their sides.
Then the referee's voice boomed loudly through the arena.
"Let the games begin!"
He turned to the contestants and said.
"Instead of the tournament to start from 1-5, we'll be mixing things up and starting from 5-1", He smiled and pointed at Haze. "So contestant 5 come forward, let's start!".
Haze couldn't believe his ears, how unlucky could one be? Even among the unlucky people who had the mark of Hades, he was still the unluckiest.
Haze stepped forward and Akio did too. The referee told the two of them to pick weapons of their choice. Haze went to the weapons stand and looked at all the weapons and devices there, he had never used a weapon to fight in his life and he didn't know which to use.
His eyes caught a spiky bat and he was about to take it when Gatti's words echoed in his ears.
"Remember, my lord favors swords".
He left the bat and picked the sword, due to his lack of skill, he was sure it would be as useless as the bat anyway.
Haze turned back to see that Akio had picked an axe that was almost as big as he was.
"I'm going to die", He thought.
The referee brought the two of them to the middle and was busy telling them the fight was a 'to death' one, he was still talking when Akio suddenly ran at Haze and swung at him with his axe.
Haze managed to dodge the axe and stumbled back, eyes wide. The crowd roared.
"Hey that's illegal!", Gatti shouted from the stands.
The referee was about to say something but Hades lifted a palm, the entire arena became dead silent.
"It is allowed", Hades said in a quiet voice, his lips turned in a mischievous smile.
The referee looked at Hades unsurely like he wanted to protest but he changed his mind and gulped, then he looked at Haze with a sad look in his eyes.
"Continue", He said.
A screen suddenly appeared in front of Haze, it's words glowed neon blue.
[Enemy attack detected]
[Intiating combat mode]
[You have a new mission]
[Mission: Kill opponent]
[Reward: +10 Exp]
Haze didn't know what it meant but he knew he had to somehow slaughter the contestant before him.
Akio rushed at Haze again, swinging at him with incredible speed. Haze managed to dodge each one and ran back, panting hard, he was getting weak and his vision was slowly darkening.
"Fight back coward", Akio shouted in anger.
Haze took deep breaths and tried to gather his strength, he took two steps towards Akio and charged at him with his sword but Akio easily blocked each attack.
Haze stepped back for a moment before rushing at him again.
If I can keep him blocking, he won't have the time or momentum to attack me.
He stabbed at Akio's stomach but it was quickly blocked, he swung at Akio's arm but he moved out of the way and replied with his own swing, Haze barely got out of the way in time to avoid his arm being sliced off.
Haze was sweating hard now, it rolled off him in torrents, soaking his clothes, his shoes and even the ground below him.
Keep attacking him! He yelled internally and rushed at Akio
All my life I've ran, never again! He swung at Akio who blocked it, Haze swung again, aiming for his neck, Akio moved out of the way but the sword caught part of his arm. Blood began to seep out of the cut to the amazement of the crowd, the contestants, Akio and even Haze himself.
Akio looked at the bleeding wound and his eyes darkened with fury.
"You will die now!", He yelled and ran at Haze. He swung his axe with inhuman speed and force that Haze was forced to jump out of the way to avoid being shredded open.
But Akio didn't stop there, he kept swinging at Haze who was having a hard time dodging the attacks.
Haze could feel himself getting slower and weaker.
At least I died fighting, I didn't run like a coward this time.
Akio ran at Haze again but Haze dodged it, Haze then swung at him but he blocked it and his sword clattered off uselessly.
Haze looked at his sword on the ground far away from him and knew it was over.
Akio smiled then kicked Haze in his gut, causing him to fly back and land on the ground. He then raised his axe and brought it down, aiming for Haze's head, Haze got out of the way but part of the axe sliced his left arm, the wound was deep and it began to bleed quickly.
Death is not far again, Haze thought and sighed in acceptance.
Haze struggled to his feet but Akio kicked him again, sending him flying. Haze laid on the floor and Akio ran towards him with his axe raised.
Haze had lost all hopes because he was bleeding and his sword was far away from him, so he thought he couldn't win again.
Then something remarkable happened, the wide-eyed who looked scared to be there earlier kicked his sword to him. Haze looked at his sword in surprise, he looked at the girl in shock.
Haze didn't have time to think, he grabbed the sword quickly and as Akio rushed to him, he stabbed the sword into his stomach. Akio didn't see sword till it was late and it pierced his stomach and came out of the other side.
There was silence in the arena, one could hear a pin drop as Akio dropped to his knees with a groan and fell back, lifeless.
I did it, I did it!, Haze thought triumphantly.
The system came on again.
[Mission completed]
[Reward obtained: +10 Exp]
Haze blinked at the screen in surprise and in frustration,then he passed out from the large amount of blood he lost. But the last thing on his mind was.
"She helped me, she saved my life, why?"