Over the next few days, the Warden made sure to strain Raioten with sleep deprivation. Any time the young boy didn't move for over a minute, a new fighter was sent to kill him. The Warden watched with pride as Raioten had slowly became adjusted to combat, striking his enemies down quickly by targeting their weak spots.
Once the transport ships returned, the Warden sent his armed guards to funnel all of the prisoners from tower 12 into the Pit. There was a long line that filled the stairs and went all the way back to the shoreline. The prisoners were herded inside the pit in groups of twenty to thirty, all given explicit instructions to kill Raioten. They opted to make a game out of his life; all of them competing to see who could kill him first.
The warriors from Tower 12 were far greater in number and more vicious. Their numbers and wrapons nearing spelled the end for Raioten as he was cut and stabbed repeatedly. Being nearly overwhelmed by the first wave, Raioten fell over in a pool of blood. He felt the forks, knives, and improvised weaponry stuck in his back as he tried to stand. The entrance door opened on the other side, letting in the next group.
??:Kill him! Kill that monster!
?:You won't get the chance! I'll slaughter him!
Raioten: (Please, I don't want to die! I won't allow myself to lose!)
Raioten's mind was invaded by a dark figure. In his mind, the figure loomed over him, turning his body black with evil thoughts and rage.
Conscious: There's a pretty easy way to stop all of this pain. All we have to do is kill them before they kill us! It's easy!
The darkness fully consumed Raioten and he became the perfect prisoner to the Warden: one driven by the primal desire to simply survive. Bodies began to pile up in no time as Raioten took down wave after wave of enemies. His fragile mind had twisted his sense of self preservation.
Once anyone was near him, he lashed out immediately, not wanting to even risk the chance of being hurt. His mind was also incredibly sharp as he got extremely creative with his movements and attacks. He used anything he could grab to defend himself. Severed limbs became blunt weapons and projectiles while deceased bodies became shields.
With his body no longer held back by his inhibitions, Raioten's speed completely overwhelmed his opponents. The Warden couldn't have been happier watching Raioten defeat wave after wave of enemies. No matter how many rines the boy was struck or stabbed, he never let out a pained scream. The Warden began increasing the size of the groups he let into the Pit when he noticed Raioten getting hit less.
The young boy continued fighting for over three months. By the time the Warden sent in the last group, the entire floor of the Pit was covered in blood. Standing in front of the final wave of 300, Raioten noticed that he couldn't see his toes anymore as they were completely submerged. The Warden needed more fighters and made one more hasty plan.
On the lower floor, Red spent her time learning academics from Yasu and Marina, while offering her knowledge of martial arts in return. They couldn't tell her, but they tried to act like her parents for practice. The medical staff in the tower offered extensive care to Marina to keep her and her baby healthy. One test in particular revealed to the couple that their baby was going to be a boy.
Yasu decided to name him after Marina's father, Tor. Tor and Yasu were old drinking buddies long before he met Marina. When Yasu was introduced to Tor's daughter for the first time, they fell in love instantly. Yasu's chill demeanor was the yin to Marina's over thinking yang. The two fit together perfectly and after three years together, Yasu couldn't hold back the big question any longer.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Marina was so excited by the proposal that she couldn't even wait for him to actually ask. As soon as he dropped to one knee, she pounced on him with tears in her eyes. The two were enjoying their honeymoon when they were abducted by the soldiers from Tower 13.
The Warden arrived on the lower floor and made the announcement that Yona had been killed. The remaining residents of the lower floor all had their worst fears confirmed. Yona was like a mother to them all, even the newcomer. When the Warden revealed that her killer remained in the building, the prisoners were in an uproar.
Warden: Whichever one of you can go into the Pit and kill her murderer will be awarded with freedom immediately.
In seconds, all of the remaining prisoners on the lower floor joined up and went into the Pit. The lower floor was a ghost town. Only Yasu, Marina, and Red remained in their cells. Yasu sat back, contemplating if he could get Marina out of the Tower by winning against Yona's killer. He made the decision to fight on his own, determined to have his son be born in freedom rather than in solitude.
As the girls had a moment to themselves to mourn Yona's death, Yasu made his way down to the Pit. As a soldier opened the gate for him, a steady stream of fresh blood poured out into the hall. It had only been a few minutes since the group all left, and the lack of any movement inside stunned Yasu. Kneeling at the center was Raioten.
Yasu: Little Blue! You did it!
As Yasu approached Raioten, the boy turned around. Seeing the look in his eyes brought Yasu to tears as he understood everything immediately. Raioten's eyes told the story of pain, rage and sorrow and each one of those emotions hit Yasu in the heart. As he got close to Raioten, the boy lashed out. Had Yasu not guarded at the last second, he would've died immediately. He was sent to the far wall by a powerful kick. Yasu rose back to his feet, determined.
Yasu: This won't be my end, and it won't be yours either kid. You saved my life when I got here and I intend to return the favor!
Yasu was dead set on bringing Raioten back from the depths of his rage. Back on the lower floor, Marina and Red were in awe at the lack of people. Everyone had gone to fight for their freedom. The Warden approached the women.
Warden: There's only two left? Thats great news. There are two more in the Pit, when one of them dies, I'll return with the winner to take you three to the second floor.
Marina: What? Is my husband alive? I'm not leaving without him.
Warden: He was the last I checked, whether or not he is now is anyone's guess. I'll return once one of them, or even one of you dies.
The Warden left to go back to the observation deck. When he began viewing again, he noticed Raioten laying down, alone. His back was decorated with weaponry. There were so many knives in his back from the constant waves of opponents that he was forced to lay on his side. He tried falling asleep, but had violent nightmares each time he began to drift off.
Every single time, like clockwork, his mind showed him the frowning faces of each person he had killed. All of them stood together, led by Yona herself, cursing his name and calling him a monster. When the mob got angry enough in his mind, they began to attack. They grabbed and clawed at his body like a pack of Zombies. Raioten couldn't defend himself against all of them, and slowly got desperate. He snapped every time, resulting in him waking up in a violent rage.
Warden: It seems like it all has been taken care of. Well done young man.
Inside, Raioten was desperately trying to get some rest. He tossed and turned on the ground in a dazed fury. All of a sudden, the entry door opened. Red walked in, searching for Yasu. Before she could call to him, her mouth was covered by a bloody hand.
Yasu: Please stay quiet, he's trying to rest. You're not going to yell right?
She shook her head in agreement, and Yasu released her. He explained to her that Raioten had lost his way and he was trying to help but wasn't able to bring him back.
Yasu: He's protecting something but I'm not sure what it is. He won't hurt you as long as you stay back.
Red: But he's hurt! He's bleeding all over the place!
Red broke free from Yasu's weakened grip and rushed to aid Raioten.
Yasu: No!
