Zeo

Enduring the intense pain throbbing in his jaw, Zeo wandered through the foggy arena, his mind clouded by uncertainty. A distant red glow marked the exit, but as he approached it, the gates slammed shut with a resonant thud, followed by a rumble that echoed in his ears. His fingers brushed the cold metal, and anger oscillated in his chest like waves.

A shrill sound filled the arena, and a familiar voice emanated from different directions. Zeo turned around, looking for the source of that noise.

"Zeo, my friend! Long time no see!" A large screen illuminated above a metal structure, revealing Arkor's grinning face. "How are you doing, buddy?"

Zeo grimaced at the sight of his old teammate and clenched his fists. "You?"

"Me!" He laughed. "I'm glad you decided to come back. I missed you."

"I thought you were dead."

"Oh, no." Arkor shook his head. "That Ozura lady took good care of me." He taunted him with a smirk. "Too bad she's dead now, though."

"Too bad she didn't get rid of trash like you." Zeo spat.

"It hurts me that you think that, buddy." He pouted. "But on the bright side, we're back together now. Just like the old times, uh?"

Zeo rolled his eyes and vented his frustration by punching the gate behind him. "What do you want?"

"I have a little favor to ask you. There are some troublemakers here, and I need a hand dealing with them. Would you mind helping me?"

He raised an eyebrow, knowing nothing good could come from that traitor.

The whole arena began shaking, and the center of the floor split open. A metal platform rose from the underground, carrying four men. They surveyed the surroundings with confusion and hatred.

"Yo, Ricio! Are you ready, my man?" Arkor asked.

The older man looked at him with contempt. "What kind of game is this, you sick bastard?"

"The boy in front of you is none other than Zeo." Arkor giggled, his eyes shining. "He is your mission. If you want the rest of your people to be released, all you need to do is eliminate this rapist."

"Rapist?" Zeo muttered, unable to believe his words.

The leader locked his deep black eyes on him and scanned him from head to toe with disgust. "Is that it? Aren't you playing with us?"

"Yeah. That's it." Arkor nodded. "If you manage to eliminate this guy, I'll release Karia, Mero, and Ivy."

The man took a deep breath, and his gaze switched from Zeo to his companions and then back to Arkor. "You give us your word?"

Arkor bobbed his head. "Of course! You have my word."

"HIS WORD MEANS SHIT!" Zeo snapped, pointing at the screen. "That scumbag is a traitor and a liar! I know because I fought alongside him. Don't listen to his bullshit."

The man seemed to hesitate for a moment and glared at him. "Do not dare speak to me after what you did."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"All the witnesses described you exactly like this. A green-haired Anglish with an eyepatch. Don't try to fool me now!"

"Exactly!" Arkor agreed, folding his arms. "He's been imprisoned for the rape and murder of Launa Klemin. He no longer has a place in our society."

"LIAR!" Zeo stepped forward, veins bulging in his forehead. "I was thrown here because I went against their twisted ideals! All The Hunters are disgusting trash with respect for no one!"

"You already hear the testimonies of the witnesses." Arkor sighed and shook his head, pretending to be sad. "That child Launa suffered a lot. She deserves some peace, don't you agree?"

"If that's all it takes . . . " a red-haired boy whispered, holding Ricio's arm. "We can do this, yes?"

Ricio exhaled, thought for a moment, and bobbed his head. "Arkor, if you don't keep your word, you will pay for it."

"Don't worry, my friend. I always keep my word." Arkor smiled. "Now I'll go tell Karia to pack her things. That her dad is coming for her. Good luck!"

The screen turned black, leaving a chilling silence that engulfed the arena. Zeo's heart kicked in his chest as he stared at the men before him. "Arkor, I'm gonna kill you as soon as I get the chance," Zeo muttered between teeth, anger building up in his insides.

"Your horrible crime won't unpunished." Ricio raised his guard, his fiery eyes locked on Zeo.

"You can't believe that scumbag." Zeo buried his nails in his palms. "Come on!"

"Quiet, you disgusting rapist." He spat on the ground and gestured at his men, who took a fighting stance. "I've heard enough. I have no reason to believe you."

Eight hatred-filled eyes penetrated Zeo's soul like daggers, and a deep desire to make him pay for something he never did. Zeo realized reasoning with them would be futile, and swallowing his frustration, he prepared for the impending attack.

"You guys stay behind. Remember the way we practiced," Rocio told the boys. "We don't know what he's capable of yet. Keep your eyes open and senses alert."

"Understood!" they answered in unison, surrounding their leader.

Ricio drew two swords from his back and charged at him like a bullet.

Zeo evaded the first slashes, his body feeling clumsy and slower than usual, but his will to survive kept his senses sharp.

His opponent increased his speed, and the attacks became more difficult to predict until one blade opened a superficial wound on his arm. He tried to move away, but Ricio grabbed his leg and lunged for it with his sword.

His vector stopped the attack inches before his thigh, and Zeo countered with a punch to his opponent's jaw.

Ricio stepped backward, stunned, and Zeo's spectral arms grabbed him by the neck, sending him to the ground. The man struggled against his grip and threw uncoordinated slashes that he avoided.

The red-haired boy kicked Zeo on the back, pushing him away from their leader, while a chubby man crushed his already broken jaw with a heavy punch.

A third man tried to pierce his neck with a dagger, but his vectors stopped him and smacked his face.

Punches and kicks approached from all directions. Zeo struggled to keep up with the flurry of blows raining over his body. Many broke through his guard, causing severe pain, but he focused on avoiding the deadliest threats; several blades whistled past his face and neck.

Nevertheless, his blood painted the ground as more and more slashes sliced his skin. "Dammit!" Zeo roared, and his vectors lunged forward, knowing he had to stop them before he lost more blood. "STOP IT! I DON'T WANT TO KILL YOU!"

The red-haired boy saw an opening and buried his dagger in Zeo's arm, making him groan in pain and contract his muscles.

He pulled the knife out and lunged for his stomach.

But one vector impaled the red-haired boy, entering through his groin and coming out of his trapezius. The boy dropped to the ground, his blood spurting all over his friends and Zeo. They stared in horror, paralyzed, except for Ricio, who attempted to stab him in the chest.

"STOP IT, DAMMIT!" His remaining vector severed Ricio's right arm, and a shower of red rained over the floor, yet the man didn't stop and used his remaining limb.

Zeo leaped to the side to avoid his attack and kicked him on the back, sending him face-first to the ground. He cursed and shouted things Zeo couldn't understand. His mind was blank; his only goal was to survive the twisted game set up by Arkor.

Another blade buried in his stomach, stopping halfway thanks to his vector but causing severe damage to his insides. Zeo's spectral hand found the culprit and stabbed him through the eye, piercing his brain.

The chubby man let out a short gasp and collapsed like a bag of cement.

Ricio struggled to get up as he lost liters of blood while the remaining boy stared at him with horror and shock. The boy trembled before Zeo's gaze, his face covered by blood and his eyes filled with tears.

Zeo stopped momentarily, his brain processing his horrible deeds and guilt consuming his soul as he stared at the corpses around him on a large pond of blood. "You made me do this . . . " he murmured. "I ASKED YOU TO STOP!" He breathed heavily and put his hands on his head.

The time stopped, and silence deafened him until the only sound was the violent kicks of his heart resounding in his skull. Was that the price of surviving?

Dying seemed like the most merciful path for his pitiful existence. However, Remnya's image flashed before his vision.

. . .

Ricio disappeared, and Zeo took a second to react.

When he noticed his enemy's presence, he was already looming over him with his sword inches away from his chest.

Unable to evade or stop it, Zeo closed his eyes.

. . .

A thick, hot liquid rolled down his skin like a warm embrace, and a metallic smell filled his nostrils.

A metal sound echoed in his ears as a blade hit the ground.

And Ricio's body dropped to his knees.

His headless body leaned against Zeo's leg while a fountain of blood sprayed his clothes and skin.

Someone stood behind him and put a hand on his shoulder, black fingernails gripping it tightly.

Devoid of energy, Zeo turned and saw Marakudra looming over him with a somber expression on her face. "That was close, you idiot."

"It was." He stared at her lifelessly, clenching his fists to check if his limbs were still attached to his body. "Why are you here?"

"Same reason as you." She shrugged and kicked the headless body away from him. "This is why your stupid ass should've never returned."

"I didn't ask to be saved," Zeo murmured as his eye searched for the lone survivor of the group. He found the boy lying on the ground unconscious with a knife in his hand.

"You can't die yet. I need you alive." Marakudra frowned and pushed him away. "You stupid asshole." She paced around the victims, her boots resounding through the arena. Deprived of her uniform, Marakudra wore a tank top, making her huge muscles, tattoos, and scars visible, and ragged military pants.

"Why didn't you escape, though? I thought that was your original plan."

"Because I still got a mission here." She inspected the boy and kicked his body to make sure he was still alive. "I can't leave until then."

"I see . . . " Zeo felt dizzy and nauseous, the whole place turning around him.

"You lost too much blood." She walked to him and grabbed his arm, not to let him fall.

The gates opened, and several men in white uniforms walked forward, holding guns and multiple tools.

Everything became blurry while one of them injected something in his veins, numbing his senses.

Unable to understand reality anymore, Zeo closed his eyes while someone carried him through an endless hallway. He allowed exhaustion to shut down his body and mind for an ephemeral moment, knowing his hell had just begun.

*°*°*