Ash's first impression of the Deathmatch Society was that it was... dark.
Unlike the well-lit areas of the prison, the Deathmatch Society was shrouded in shadows. The only light came from a blinding white spotlight over the central arena. The surrounding spectator stands were steeped in darkness, leaving the audience hidden in the void. All attention was drawn to the brutal clash between two fighters on the stage.
It was also the most crowded place Ash had seen in the prison. On the way here with Ronna, they had passed only a handful of prisoners. The library and gym each had maybe ten or so people. But here, despite the dim lighting, Ash could sense—through the whispers, shuffling feet, and faint silhouettes—that there were close to a hundred people packed into the Society.
"Ronna, you're here!"
"A newbie? Oh, is that the Four Pillars cult leader? Ballsy, kid, messing with the Four Pillars."
"Ah, it's the 'Gourmet' Ronna!"
"Ronna, is that your new boyfriend? Switched tastes, huh?" A muscular man chuckled from the shadows.
"Desmond, if you keep spouting nonsense and ruining my relationship with my boyfriend, I'll bite your throat out!" Ronna retorted, puffing up indignantly. Despite his words, there was a touch of embarrassment in his tone.
The laughter died down quickly. The man named Desmond hurriedly clasped his hands together in apology. "Haha, Ronna, I didn't mean it. Hey, aren't you going to introduce the newbie?"
Ronna snorted, letting the matter slide. Desmond breathed a sigh of relief and slunk back into the crowd.
Ash, meanwhile, discreetly distanced himself from Ronna.
It was becoming increasingly clear that the seemingly harmless, bald Ronna might actually be one of the prison's most notorious killers.
"This is Ash Heath, a newcomer who arrived just a few days ago. He's interested in joining the Deathmatch Society, so I brought him to take a look," Ronna announced with a grin. "Who's fighting right now?"
"'Diamond' Tiger versus 'Blind Beast' Rudo."
"Rudo, huh? Tiger's been around for a while—why would he go after Rudo's contribution points? Didn't anyone challenge Rudo before this?"
"Of course we wanted a piece of that juicy target, but Rudo hadn't seen Tiger fight before, thought he'd be an easy mark. Plus, Tiger offered a higher wager, so..."
Ash approached the spectator rail and peered down into the arena.
What he saw was a one-sided massacre.
A grizzled old man with white hair was exchanging bare-knuckled blows with a hulking, green-skinned orc.
Well, "exchanging" might be generous.
Despite their mutual aggression, the old man barely flinched when the orc's massive fists slammed into him. His breathing remained steady, and his skin showed no signs of bruising, as if the orc were merely tapping him.
In contrast, the old man's punches landed with thunderous impact, the sound of splitting stone echoing through the arena. The green-skinned orc's body was already battered and bloodied, his teeth knocked out, and his swollen eyes reduced to slits.
The fight reached its climax when the old man delivered a devastating blow, sending the orc crashing into the wall. Blood smeared the surface as the orc slumped to the ground, unable to rise.
And yet, the old man wasn't done. He advanced on the fallen orc, pummeling him relentlessly like a butcher tenderizing meat.
Ash turned away, wincing. "Isn't the match over? Why is he still attacking?"
"Over? Not even close." A voice beside him laughed. "Stick your hand out and see for yourself."
Ash tentatively extended his hand toward the arena, only to feel it press against an invisible barrier. Ripples spread out from the point of contact, revealing faint shimmering walls enclosing the stage.
"The match only ends when one fighter is dead or unconscious," the voice explained. "Until then, the barrier won't drop. Once it's over, the medics come through that door to drag the loser's body to the medical bay."
The speaker gestured toward an inconspicuous door in the corner of the arena. "But so long as the barrier is up, you can't let up. You have to dominate, crush, and obliterate your opponent."
"And surrender? That's not an option. In the Deathmatch Society, there are only two ways out: death or unconsciousness."
"Plenty of overconfident fools treat these fights like sparring matches, only to get sucker-punched and lose everything. Once your contribution points are gone, you'll shoot straight to the top of the trial roster."
Boom!
A sickening thud reverberated through the air, making Ash wince. The orc looked ready to burst like a ripe melon.
"Can he really survive that?" Ash asked hesitantly.
"He hasn't lost consciousness yet. But even if they bring him back, he'll be a walking corpse. Look up."
Ash glanced at the glowing screen on the ceiling, displaying the match details:
Tiger Norris – Bet: 35 Contribution Points
VS
Rudo Yashi – Bet: 5 Contribution Points
"That's so uneven! Why did Tiger bet so much?"
"As long as both sides agree, even unbalanced bets are allowed," the man explained. "And bets rarely match. By rule, every fight requires an incrementally higher wager. This is Tiger's 35th fight, so he had to bet 35 points."
"So this is Rudo's fifth match?"
"No, it's his tenth. Every prisoner starts with 50 points. After wagering 45 across his first nine matches, Rudo only had 5 left for his tenth."
Ash's jaw dropped. "Wait, does that mean he lost all nine previous matches!?"
"That's why they call him 'Blind Beast' Rudo—he's terrible at picking winnable fights."
Boom!
With one final, bone-crushing blow, the orc collapsed, the screen flashing Match Decided.
The barrier dissipated, and three masked medics entered the arena, dragging Rudo's limp body away like garbage.
"Old Tiger's ruthless," someone muttered.
"Ruthless? More like smart. Only an idiot would underestimate an old-timer in this place. Think about it—anyone who's survived this long, especially the weak-looking ones, is guaranteed to be a monster in disguise."
"On this stage, he's unbeatable."
Ash turned to see Scarlet Saber perched casually on the railing beside him, her form cutting through the darkness as if she emitted her own light.
Unlike before, she now wore a sleek, form-fitting martial arts uniform, her red hair tied back in a tight ponytail.
Ash blurted out, "Why is he so strong?"
"Because this arena allows physical combat but restricts magic," she replied, her voice calm and confident.
Next to him, another spectator echoed her words almost verbatim.
Scarlet smirked, continuing, "Most mages rely on their magic for power. Strip that away, and they're just ordinary people."
"But a select few—those who've honed their bodies into weapons—don't need magic to dominate. They're called... Hardened Flesh Mages."
Ash's eyes widened as he watched Tiger leave the stage, his fingers grazing the railing and leaving deep gouges in the metal.
"So that's why they call him 'Diamond' Tiger..."
Scarlet rose gracefully. "Time for your first fight, Ash. Pick an opponent who fights barehanded, and you should too."
"Why?"
"Because your body is weak. If you use a real weapon, you'll hurt yourself before you even land a hit. And if your opponent fights unarmed, you might survive a few rounds—enough to absorb some experience."
Ash sighed, scanning the room. Finally, he turned to the man who had been explaining the rules to him.
"I want to fight someone unarmed. Got any recommendations?"
The man grinned. "Unarmed combat? You're in luck—I fight barehanded. Let's go a round. I promise I won't go too hard on you."
"Great!" Ash replied. "But just so you know, this is my first match. I'm only betting one point, so if you're hiding your strength, you won't gain much."
"Oh, don't worry," the man said, his grin widening. "In fact, I'll let you win. I'm pretty weak myself. After all—"
The arena lights suddenly blazed to life, revealing the man's face.
Ash froze.
"—even you wanted to punch me."
Standing before him, smiling devilishly, was none other than Igula.
"Fancy meeting you again, Ash, with your adorable little fists."