124- Duel of Attrition124- Duel of Attrition
Day 7.
Another planet. Another battlefield.
Kai's boots pressed into the damp sand of an endless beach, the waves clawing at the shore behind him. His steps were steady, but the stains of blood streaked across his clothes told a different story. His hair hung loose, windswept and tangled, but his body—despite all he had endured—moved with frightening calm.
His system display floated in front of his eyes:
[Points: 47]
[Remaining Contestants: 14]
[Time Left: 9 hours]
Just three points more. Three. And he would pass this round.
Kai exhaled, the ocean breeze brushing against his scarred cheek. Three points… should be simple. A weak team of three. Or maybe a single powerhouse, strong enough to be worth that last climb.
But as he walked, his mind drifted—not to victory, but to his brother. If Moon were here, what would he do? The answer came unbidden, sharp and certain. Moon wouldn't wander like a lost soul. He would hunt. Reckless. Loud. He'd turn the world upside down until his prey had no place left to hide.
Kai smirked faintly. "So be it."
His body blurred.
Sand detonated beneath Kai's feet as though struck by artillery. He launched forward, the coastline erupting into a maelstrom of debris. Each step cracked the air itself, sonic booms rolling like thunderclaps. Wind coiled around his body in spiraling torrents, ripping palm leaves from their branches, scattering dunes into the sea.
At fifteen times the speed of sound, the world fractured into a blur. Trees smeared into green streaks, stone cliffs warped into jagged silhouettes, and the ocean itself seemed to leap backward as he tore across the horizon. His body could handle far greater velocity—fractions of light itself—but only in brief bursts before the strain shredded muscle and bone. For now, he chose restraint.
The jungle behind him screamed in protest. Roots tore from the earth, sand geysered upward, and birds scattered in terrified clouds. Kai was less man than storm, a living hurricane, his passage rewriting the coastline with each stride.
Beneath this shattered world, hidden in the belly of stone, another storm brewed.
Deep in an underground cavern, the clash of steel rang out like a death knell. Sparks spat from every collision, dancing like fireflies across dripping stalactites. Two men circled one another in the blood-slick dark.
One wore shredded green cloth, his machete heavy and brutal, his breath ragged. The other was clad in torn yellow, twin daggers flashing like fangs in the gloom. Both were drenched in blood, their own and each other's, their muscles trembling but their wills unbroken.
The yellow warrior struck first—his form blurring into a lunge, daggers cutting in a vicious X meant to open his foe from collarbone to hip.
The green warrior roared, twisting low. His machete swung with bone-shattering force.
CRACK!
The blade connected. Flesh split. The dagger flew from the yellow man's hand as his forearm nearly snapped in two. Blood sprayed the cavern wall, painting it crimson.
"Yield!" the man in green snarled, chest heaving like a beast's. "You know this ends with me standing!"
The yellow warrior staggered, teeth gritted against the agony. His arm dangled useless, blood pouring in sheets. Yet his eyes blazed.
"Never," he spat, his voice breaking into a growl. "If I crawl, if I bleed, if I burn—I do not yield."
And he charged.
They collided like rabid animals, steel clanging in stuttering bursts. Each slash carved new wounds, each parry numbed bone. Daggers raked across the green warrior's ribs, opening flesh to the bone. The machete answered by cleaving across the yellow man's thigh, nearly dropping him to one knee.
Their strikes slowed. Movements grew jagged, desperate. Their breath came in ragged gasps, their vision swimming from blood loss. Yet neither relented.
Slash. Block. Counter. Stumble. Roar.
Finally, both men collapsed, falling side by side into the filth of the cavern floor. They lay sprawled in mud and gore, glaring at one another through half-lidded eyes, lips whispering hoarse curses between labored breaths.
The cavern groaned. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ceiling. And then—
CRUNCH.
A massive boulder sheared free, plummeting like divine judgment. It smashed down, stone shattering, blood splattering across jagged rock.
Silence.
[Leonardo is eliminated.]
[Reigns is eliminated.]
Far above, the world still shuddered beneath Kai's rampage. He raced along the canopy, his body a streak of raw power tearing through the sky. Then his system flickered.
[You have eliminated Leonardo. +1 point.]
[Total: 48 points.]
[You have eliminated Reigns. +1 point.]
[Total: 49 points.]
Kai skidded to a halt on the shoreline, sand exploding in waves around him. His breath came sharp, chest rising like a war drum. He blinked at the notifications, his mind stumbling to catch up.
"What… the freak…?" he muttered, the words half a laugh, half disbelief.
It took him a moment to understand. His sudden burst of speed had shaken the earth, collapsing the cavern beneath the tree he had vaulted from. He had eliminated them without even knowing they existed.
For a long moment, he stood in disbelief. Then, slowly, a laugh broke through his lips. A rare, almost boyish laugh.
"Two points… by accident. Damn."
Now just one more point remained. Just one. And seven hours still ticked on the clock.
He glanced skyward, the sun bleeding into the horizon like spilled fire. Victory was close enough to taste—so close his body already hummed with anticipation. One more point, and it would be his.
But fate, as always, enjoyed its little jokes.
A voice drifted across the wind. Calm. Familiar. Cold.
"What a coincidence."
Kai froze mid-step. Slowly, he turned.
There, a dozen paces away, stood a tall, dark-skinned man. His frame was carved with strength, armor fitted like a second skin, every line of him poised for battle. His gaze was sharp, steady—like a blade already drawn. His presence pressed on the air itself, bending the quiet around him.
Kai's breath caught as the voice cut through the crashing waves. Slowly, he turned, eyes narrowing at the figure standing a dozen paces away.
"Taejin…" His lips curved faintly, half a smirk, half disbelief. "They sent you here for Phase One too?"
The words lingered between them, heavy with irony. Kai let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "Hah. It really is a damn coincidence."
Taejin's expression didn't shift, but the sharpness in his gaze said enough. "Coincidence… or inevitability. Either way, here we are."
The wind howled between them, carrying the tang of salt, sweat, and iron. Neither moved.
Kai broke the silence first. "How many points do you need?"
Taejin didn't hesitate. "Two."
Kai's smile thinned. "I need one."
The words lingered, heavy, neither man looking away. The ocean crashed in the background, a rhythm like a war drum.
"Then we're both at the finish line," Kai said quietly. "Only one of us gets to cross."
For a heartbeat, silence stretched taut, a bowstring ready to snap.
Finally, Taejin raised a hand, one finger cutting the air. "Let's make this worth it."
Kai's brow arched. "Go on."
"We fight. But every injury counts. Even a broken finger. Whatever part of us is damaged—we don't use it again. No exceptions." His voice was like steel dragged across stone. "When it's over, the one with more of himself still standing wins."
Kai let the rules sink in, then laughed low, sharp, hungry. "Savage. I like it."
"Why not?" Taejin replied evenly.
The sand beneath their feet shifted as both slid into stance, bodies lowering, eyes locked.
Two warriors. Two predators. Two storms waiting to collide.
And as the sun bled into the ocean, the world itself seemed to hold its breath.
To be continued…