The pit was alive.
Every inch of the ground was a slick tapestry of bone, meat, and molten rock. The air was molten breath — sulfur, ash, and the faint tang of angelic blood. High above, jagged spears and shattered wings jutted from the pit walls like mocking trophies.
A horn blew.
Round One began.
Two demons leapt in — both lean, sinewy things with shark's eyes and jaws too wide for their skulls. Kairo ducked under the first swipe, slammed his elbow into a throat, and shoved the corpse into the second attacker. No hesitation, no mercy.
A horn blew again.
Round Two.
This time, three horned brutes, their skin charred and cracked like cooled lava. They fought in silence, their weapons crude but heavy. Kairo moved between them like water — until one landed a hammer blow to his ribs that made his vision flash white. Still, he did not fall.
Round Three.
Five came. Dog-headed, spine-bladed, screaming as they charged. One clamped jaws around Kairo's arm; he tore it free, leaving strips of flesh behind. Blood dripped steadily now, and the crowd roared.
Round Four.
Seven creatures — fused twins sharing the same spine, crawling centipede-like — circled him. One slashed his leg open, another tried to crush his skull. He fought on, bare-handed, each strike slower than before.
Round Five.
A single demon — massive, armored, wielding a cleaver the size of a door. It spoke in a tongue that made the pit vibrate. The fight was brutal, drawn-out, each impact rattling his bones. When it finally fell, Kairo's breaths were ragged gasps.
Round Six.
They didn't even look like demons anymore — just nightmares given flesh. Too many limbs. Too many teeth. They swarmed, biting, clawing, dragging him down into a writhing heap.
And then…
A voice cut through the chaos.
> "Enough."
The shadows shifted, and a tall figure stepped out from behind a pillar of bone. A single silver eye gleamed from beneath his hood. His presence was enough to make the swarm scatter like insects.
> "You fight like a man who wants to die," the figure said. "But you're not ready for that yet."
Kairo's voice was low, almost a growl. "Who are you?"
The stranger's mouth curled into a thin smile.
> "I am Igron. Demi-demon. And if you want to survive hell, you're going to need me."