I woke up to the metallic clinking of chains from the floor above. Strange how, after months in this place, that sound no longer gave me chills.
I walked in silence toward the cafeteria. The food was the same as always—bland, mushy, with a faint taste of rust. But that didn't really bother me anymore. What weighed on me was the memory of all those months in that cruel arena, where I, without a single drop of mana, had climbed all the way to Gold rank with nothing but my katana and stubbornness.
Two ranks... just two more to reach Diamond. The elite title—meant for those who were truly somebody in this stone hell of blood and spectacle. But I was still stuck at Gold. Not because of a lack of skill—not anymore. But by choice.
The truth? I was tired. Not of fighting, but of being unnoticed. Of the shadow that kept growing behind me. Ciny.
She was a storm in the form of a woman. They used to call her "Ciny the Mad", but now... now everyone knew who "Ciny the Fierce" was. An upgrade in name? Maybe. But she deserved better. She fought like lightning and smiled like she'd never been hurt.
But it wasn't her fame that bothered me.
It was the fact that—even as a Diamond rank, even with everything within her reach—she stayed. For me. That... that hurt more than any wound.
— "Hey, handsome!" — said a familiar voice, dripping with honey and sarcasm. — "Did you see what's for dessert today?"
I looked up. There she was, flashing the smile that always made my brain short-circuit.
— "What?"
— "You."
My face caught fire. Literally. I almost spat out the last bit of mush in my mouth.
— "Y-you've been a lot bolder lately..."
— "We've known each other for so long and you haven't even tried to grope me?" — She leaned across the table, grinning. — "Not the size you like?"
— "N-no! I mean, y-yes—I mean no—ugh..."
She laughed. A laugh so free it made even the cafeteria feel a little less miserable.
— "Your sister?" — she suddenly asked, wiping her mouth with her thumb. — "Any word from her?"
— "None…"
— "In a way... that's good, right?"
— "How do you mean?"
— "It means you're free. No set path. You can choose whatever you want."
— "But I... don't know what I want."
— "Me neither." — She smiled again, this time softly. Almost sadly. — "But you know what?"
— "Hm?"
— "I could stay here with you for the rest of our lives... and I wouldn't mind."
— "Stay? Here? In this coliseum that reeks of blood and sweat?"
— "Even with all the bad things... it still has the best one."
— "What?"
— "The dessert."
I froze, unsure whether she was talking about me... or the gray pudding on the plate. We finished eating in silence and walked together toward the training hall.
On the way, the smell of iron thickened. A sharp cry echoed from the side corridor. And then we saw it: a Diamond rank warrior abusing a young slave. He couldn't have been more than a boy, bones nearly poking through his skin.
My stomach turned. It ate at me from the inside. But for everyone else, that kind of thing was normal.
Except for me.
— "HEY!" — I shouted, blood boiling — "Leave him alone!"
The man turned slowly. It was Yun, one of the most arrogant Diamonds in the arena.
— "And who are you...?" — He looked me up and down. — "A Gold rank... sticking his nose where it doesn't belong?"
— "I'm a fighter. Just like you."
He laughed. Loud and mocking. His eyes flicked to the Gold badge on my chest.
— "You? A Gold pretending to be a Diamond? Boy, get lost before I have to teach you a lesson."
Before I could answer, I felt Ciny's hand on my shoulder. She stepped in front of me.
— "Say that again?"
Yun froze. His smug grin vanished like a candle snuffed out by the wind.
— "Ciny... the Fierce? Ah, figures. The boy only grows a spine when he's got backup."
— "What...?" — I murmured, unsure if he was trying to insult me or flatter her.
Ciny grabbed my arm and started pulling me away.
— "Let's go, John. He's not worth it."
As we were walking off, I heard Yun's voice slice through the air like a rusty blade.
— "Hope she's good in bed... 'cause looks-wise..."
Everything went blank.
My hand moved before my brain could catch up. The Gold badge was already off my chest, and with a shout, I hurled it like a shuriken straight at Yun.