Chapter 28: The Edge of the Abyss
Ryo stood in the cold silence of his chamber, the echo of Husk's whisper still clawing at his thoughts.
Kazuo...
That single word had shattered a wall within him—a wall he hadn't realized was there. The truth wasn't buried. It was screaming just beneath the surface, waiting for him to dig it out.
But tonight, there would be no digging.
Tonight, there would be blood.
A guard's baton cracked against the bars. "You're up."
Ryo nodded without a word. His knuckles were still raw from the last fight, but his heart burned hotter than ever. This wasn't just survival anymore. This was war.
The arena looked different this time.
The sand was replaced with a wet, blackened surface, and massive steel pylons rose around the ring like the ribs of some ancient beast. A red mist floated across the stage, tinged with chemical rot.
From above, a voice boomed.
"Tonight, we bring you something special," the announcer barked. "A battle of monsters. Of madness. Of evolution!"
The crowd screamed.
"Enter the Abyssal One!"
A cage was lowered into the arena. Inside was a figure chained like an animal, twitching, muscles spasming with every heartbeat.
When the cage opened, it leapt out—no, burst.
The creature hit the ground with a sickening crunch. It looked almost human... but wasn't. Its flesh pulsed like it was still growing. Bone jutted through its spine like blades. Its eyes were glassy. Empty.
Ryo's stomach turned. The serum had turned this person into a nightmare. A husk beyond redemption.
"His name was Shin," came a whisper.
Ryo turned to see Kael in the shadowed stands, disguised but watching.
"He volunteered," Kael said. "They told him he could become more than human. That he could win and get out. But he didn't. None of them do."
The bell rang.
The Abyssal One charged.
Ryo barely rolled in time. A claw slashed where his head had been. He sprang back, heart pounding, trying to find a rhythm—but the creature never stopped moving. It fought like a storm—unthinking, unrelenting.
Every time Ryo struck, it healed. Its skin bubbled, reshaped.
It was beyond human.
It was what he could become.
He felt the pull of his own serum—his limbs already burning with its power. But he'd sworn not to give in fully. Not like them.
Not like this.
The creature roared and lunged again, sending Ryo crashing into a pylon. Blood filled his mouth.
"You're holding back," a voice whispered inside him.
It was Ren's voice.
"You'll die like this."
Ryo clenched his fists.
No. He wouldn't die. He hadn't come this far to be swallowed by the abyss.
Not when he still had to save Ren.
Not when the ghosts of Kazuo and Husk were still watching.
He stopped running.
He let the serum surge—just enough. His veins lit up. His eyes sharpened. And when the creature came again, he met it head-on.
A blow to the gut. A knee to the jaw. A spin that cracked the beast's ribs.
The crowd lost their minds.
But the creature grinned—an unnatural, twitching smile.
It grabbed Ryo and slammed him to the ground.
Then, it spoke.
In a broken, hollow voice:
"…End… me…"
Ryo froze.
The serum hadn't fully erased Shin's soul. Something—someone—was still in there.
But before he could respond, the creature shrieked. Its body convulsed, tendrils of muscle bursting from its spine.
The final transformation.
Ryo realized then—there would be no saving Shin. Not anymore.
But he could grant him peace.
He whispered, "I'm sorry."
Then, with everything he had, he drove his fist through the creature's core.
It fell. Twitching. Then still.
The crowd erupted.
But Ryo didn't hear them.
He stared at his bloodied hands.
Was this what victory looked like?
Later, back in his cell, he sat in silence.
He remembered Shin's face—just for a moment—right before the end. There had been peace there.
Maybe mercy was possible, even here.
But more than that, Ryo saw the line he was standing on now.
One more step, one more indulgence in the serum… and he'd fall.
Just like Shin.
Just like so many others.
He touched the vial on his belt, the half-dose he hadn't used.
Then he tucked it away.
He would win this tournament. He would tear down the Maw.
But he would do it as Ryo—not a beast.
Never a beast.