The announcer's voice echoed again. "Aiko Tanaka and Yumi Hasegawa, enter the arena."
Aiko looked at Kazuya as he returned to the waiting room, his face hardened with emotion. "I hope you don't miss me too much," she teased, forcing a light-hearted tone.
Kazuya managed a small smile. "You'll be back soon, though."
Her expression turned serious. "Would you be able to kill me?"
The question hung heavy in the air, catching Kazuya off guard. "I would never want that," he replied quickly, his voice trembling slightly.
Aiko glanced away, staring at the paper on the wall as if it would give her strength. "In case you don't see me again… I loved every second we spent talking to each other." Her voice was soft but resolute. "If things were different, this would be the part where you'd ask me out for coffee."
Kazuya froze, his heart aching. He wanted to stop her, to say something—anything—but before he could find the words, she had already left, stepping into the arena.
In the arena
Aiko and Yumi stood facing each other in the center of the battlefield.
"I won't lose this battle if you think I'm going to throw it," Aiko said firmly, her voice unwavering.
Yumi narrowed her eyes, her lips curling in disdain. "Hearing people talk about winning and losing in this situation is disgusting. There's no such thing as winning when someone dies—only sorrow."
The announcer's voice echoed through the arena:
"The match will begin in three..."
"Seems like sorrow is something you know well," Aiko muttered.
"Two..."
Yumi cast her a sidelong glance. "You'd be surprised what it's done to me."
"One... Let the death match begin!"
Aiko lunged forward immediately, throwing slow, deliberate punches that Yumi dodged effortlessly.
"You're weaker than I expected," Yumi sneered, stepping back with ease.
Aiko retreated slightly, only to rush forward again with a feint. Her fist landed squarely on Yumi's shoulder, but it felt like punching steel. Yumi raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. "Did you just punch me, or were you trying to tickle me?"
Before Aiko could respond, Yumi flicked her hand forward, sending Aiko flying backward like a rag doll.
Yumi frowned, clearly confused. "Why are you so weak?"
Aiko charged again, her movements quick but reckless, each strike missing its mark or landing with no real force. Yumi retaliated with a brutal punch to Aiko's chest, but Aiko stood firm, unflinching.
"End it, Yumi," Aiko whispered, her voice barely audible.
Yumi's eyes widened, realization dawning on her. "You're… not even trying to win."
From the stands, Kazuya's voice rang out, filled with desperation. "Aiko, you've got this!"
Aiko's face twisted in pain, but not from the blows she'd endured. She glanced at Yumi, her voice breaking. "Please… hit me with everything you've got!"
Yumi hesitated, but Aiko suddenly surged forward, landing a surprising punch that drew blood. Yumi staggered back, touching her lip in shock. "How are you so powerful now?"
Aiko locked eyes with her, fire blazing in her gaze. "Why aren't you?"
The taunt sent Yumi into a blind rage. With a feral growl, she charged at Aiko, unleashing a flurry of attacks. Aiko matched her ferocity, landing heavy combinations: a crushing right hand, a swift left hook, and an uppercut that sent Yumi sprawling to the ground.
Yumi coughed, blood trickling from her lips as she pushed herself up. "You're stronger than I thought... but it's over now."
Dark mist began to seep from Yumi's body, swirling around her.
"What… is this?" Aiko stammered, stepping back instinctively.
Yumi's voice was low, almost unrecognizable. "This is what sorrow has done to me."
With a deafening roar, the mist exploded outward, sending Aiko hurtling into a nearby wall. A jagged piece of debris pierced her stomach, and she gasped, blood spilling from her mouth.
Before she could recover, Yumi was upon her. The next moments were a blur of devastating blows—each one driving Aiko deeper into the ground until a crater formed beneath her.
Aiko, battered and bloodied, clutched her pink knife with trembling hands. She swung it desperately, but the blade shattered against Yumi's unrelenting strength.
Yumi's hand darted into her pocket, pulling out a sharp pole. With one final thrust, she drove it through Aiko's heart.
The arena fell silent, save for the announcer's cold declaration: "Winner: Yumi Hasegawa!"
Yumi stood over Aiko's lifeless body, her chest heaving, her fists trembling. The dark mist faded, leaving her hollow and numb.
Aiko's final words echoed in Yumi's mind: "Please… end it."
From the waiting room, Kazuya sank to the floor, his head in his hands. Tears streamed down his face as he whispered, "I'm sorry, Aiko... I couldn't protect you."
Kazuya gets up, his body battered but his mind set on what he must do next. But before he can take another step, the metallic voice of the announcer echoes through the arena.
"The battle will continue tomorrow. All fighters still alive, please proceed to your resting rooms."
Confused but overwhelmed with exhaustion, Kazuya nods to himself. "I don't know what I'm going to do now..."
He trudges out the blue door, stepping into the eerily silent and dimly lit hallway. Each step feels heavier than the last as he follows the winding path, the flickering lights above casting unsettling shadows on the cold walls. Eventually, he reaches the dormitory and sees Yumi already there, her sharp eyes watching him from across the room.
Neither says a word. Kazuya avoids her gaze, collapsing onto the stiff mattress. Within moments, his fatigue takes over, and sleep consumes him.
The jarring buzz of the announcer's voice jolts Kazuya awake.
"Fighters, wake up and make your way to the arena."
Groaning, he shoots upright, disoriented. The sound repeats, more insistent this time.
"Fighters, wake up and make your way to the arena!"
Kazuya rubs his temples, muttering, "God, that voice is unbearable..." He stumbles out of bed, wincing as his sore muscles protest. Yumi silently rises from her bed and moves toward the hallway.
"Hey, Yumi," Kazuya calls after her, his voice rough. She stops but doesn't turn around. "I know we're about to kill each other, but don't hold back. If you do, you'll die."
Yumi glances back at him, her expression unreadable. "You talk a big game for someone who looked like a bum yesterday."
"How mean." Kazuya forces a weak smile, following her into the hallway.
They walk in silence until they reach the green arena door. Just as Kazuya is about to open it, Yumi's voice cuts through the tension.
"Hey, Kazuya."
He pauses, glancing over his shoulder. "What is it, Yumi?"
She hesitates, her lips tightening before she speaks. "I'm sorry... for killing her."
Kazuya's heart skips a beat, but he doesn't respond. Instead, he turns back to the door, opens it, and steps into the arena without another word.
The two fighters take their positions in the center of the arena.
"The match will begin in three..."
Kazuya looks up at the roof of the cavernous space, his fists clenching.
"Two..."
A memory of Aiko's smile flashes through his mind.
"One... Let the death match begin!"
"I'll do this for you, Aiko," Kazuya says, charging forward with blind determination.
Yumi, filled with a rage of her own, effortlessly dodges his frantic attacks, weaving around him with precision. She smirks, her voice dripping with mockery. "Is that all you can do?"
She lashes out with a sharp kick aimed at his head, but Kazuya blocks it just in time.
Suddenly, Kazuya begins laughing. "I'll show you what I can really do," he growls, gripping her leg tightly.
"What the...? I can't move!" Yumi struggles, trying to break free. Desperately, she swings her other leg to kick him, but Kazuya catches that one as well.
With both legs in his grasp, Kazuya slams her into the ground with bone-crushing force, blood splattering as she cries out in pain. Yumi quickly rolls away, jumping to her feet, but Kazuya is relentless, chasing her down with unyielding fury.
Cornered, Yumi makes a desperate move, sliding under him and delivering a kick to the back of his head. The blow sends Kazuya crashing face-first into the wall.
Seizing the moment, Yumi closes in and unleashes a barrage of punches, each strike slamming his head further into the wall, the impact magnified by the unyielding stone. Blood begins to drip from Kazuya's forehead.
But in a split-second move, he ducks under one of her punches. Her fist slams into the wall with full force, the sickening crack of breaking bones filling the air. Yumi cries out in pain, clutching her now-broken hand.
Kazuya doesn't give her a chance to recover. His heavy right-hand crashes into her face, shattering her nose. Yumi stumbles back, holding her face as blood pours from her nostrils. She narrowly dodges his next kick, retreating slowly before suddenly sprinting toward him in a burst of desperation.
Yumi throws a flurry of punches, each one landing cleanly. Kazuya stands there, unfazed, his eyes cold and unrelenting.
Grabbing her broken fist mid-punch, Kazuya glares at her. "You're still punching me even with a broken hand?"
Without hesitation, he shoves her backward while still holding her arm. The sickening sound of tearing flesh echoes as he rips the limb clean off her body. Blood sprays everywhere as Yumi stumbles, horrified.
"Seems like you don't need it anymore," Kazuya says coldly, throwing her severed arm aside without a second glance. "You should've gone all out."
Yumi stares at him, trembling, her voice caught in her throat. She tries to speak but no words come out.
Kazuya looks down at her, regret flickering in his eyes. "I never wanted to hit a woman. It's a rule I've always stood by... but it looks like I don't have a choice."
He delivers a brutal punch to her jaw, the bone snapping under the impact. "I wish I didn't have to do this," he mutters, pulling out a knife.
Kazuya moves to stab her, but Yumi twists at the last second, jamming her fingers into his eye.
Kazuya screams in pain, dropping the knife as he clutches his injured eye. His other hand blocks the punch that follows, barely holding Yumi off.
"Damn it all!" he growls, falling into a defensive stance.
Yumi, seeing the knife on the floor, grabs it and slashes wildly at him. Kazuya narrowly dodges each swing before tackling her to the ground. He pins her down and rains punches on her, his knuckles bruising as they connect.
Yumi begins to laugh, a broken, hollow sound. Through bloodied lips, she sneers, "Your mother... would be so proud."
Kazuya freezes, his fist raised mid-strike. Her words cut deeper than any knife. He slowly stands, stepping back, his breathing ragged. "I didn't want to do this to anyone," he says softly.
As he pauses, Yumi staggers to her feet. Her severed arm dangles uselessly, blood dripping from the stump, but her spirit refuses to falter. Clenching the knife between her teeth, she fixes her gaze on Kazuya.
"Then let me end your suffering for you," she snarls, charging at him.
Kazuya's eyes narrow as he prepares for the final blow. He swings a powerful left hook, the impact sending the knife flying from her mouth.
"What suffering do you think I go through!"
Without hesitation, he grabs her head and drives it into the ground with all his strength. The arena goes silent, save for the dull thud of her skull meeting the floor.
"All you do is cry about knowing sorrow but in reality, all you do is chase it." Kazuya says quietly.
"Maybe you're right..." Yumi says while the light fades away from her eyes.
The announcer's voice booms overhead. "Kazuya Kaneko is the winner of the battle!"
Kazuya stumbles toward the exit, his body aching with every step. As he approaches the door, it slides open, revealing a tall figure in the doorway.
The man steps forward, his dark hair flowing like shadows and a porcelain mask hiding his face. Blood stains his black suit, and his eyes gleam with sadistic delight.
"Hello there," the man says, his voice dripping with malice.
Kazuya's blood runs cold. He recognizes that voice.
"The winner of the left-side tournament: Kazuya Kaneko. And the winner of the right-side tournament: Shin Ichirogane."
Kazuya's eyes widen as the name hits him like a punch to the gut. "You... you're the boss of the loan sharks..."
Shin chuckles, a low, menacing sound that echoes in the empty hallway. "Don't worry, Kazuya. When you die here, I'll make sure to collect every last bill you owe me."