Everything was fuzzy as Yuto opened his eyes. His ear was cold and numb. As his conciseness was being regained he remembered that he was laying on the floor. Waking up he realized that not just his ear but his entire body was shivering cold.
“Get up!”
Before fully waking up a scream came across Yuto’s ears. Still lying on the ground trying to figure out what was going on.
“I SAID GET UP!!!”
A kick landed in Yuto’s stomach causing his stiff and cold body to double over on the ground. Instinctively responding to the foot in his stomach Yuto rolled over to protect himself. Before he could completely roll over another kick landed in his back causing him in his curled up position to stretch out.
“Hahahahahahaha….I can’t kill you before you go into the pit but I there is no rule that says we can’t cripple you. Now get your ass up now.”
A voice clearly enjoying someone else’s misery rung out in Yuto’s ear. Before he could be kicked again Yuto crawled up to his knees using the wall to help himself up. Using the uneven surface of the wall as a hold he pulled himself up to his feet.
Swaying side to side and holding the wall Yuto focused on regaining his balance. His eyes had been down the entire time he was climbing to his feet so he didn’t notice the guard with the grin that swallowed his whole face staring down at him.
Yuto slowly raised his head and his eyes met the eyes of the guard. Unlike yesterdays guard that had a hint of pity in his eyes the guard standing in front of him was overcome with joy. This was the first time that Yuto had seen such an expression or felt such an aura this close in his life.
During his life and death fight his eyes would catch glimpses of the people watching and he could vaguely make out that same look on their face. While he could not see it clearly due to how far away they all were somehow no matter how young you are you know when someone wants you to die. They don’t have to say anything. The killing intent is not in the words but in their eyes, their face, and their whole presence.
This guard has killing intent for me? Somehow Yuto realized that the guard wanted him to die. He could feel it. It wasn’t as if the guard was trying to hide his killing intent. In fact it was the exact opposite. His killing intent was oozing out of him thicker than the bleeding that Yuto was doing earlier.
What confused Yuto was that he could understand that the guard had extreme killing intent for him. Before yesterday he had never seen nor heard of killing intent. Even as he was fighting for his life against the Kulga that wanted him to die he never felt any killing intent.
Absolutely the Kulga had to have killing intent for Yuto during the fight. There’s no way he didn’t right? Why was he understanding it now?
While Yuto was deep in thought he forgot about the guard standing over him. As if to sate his killing intent the guard raised his hand and sent a strong punch across the jaw of Yuto knocking him back to the ground.
Because Yuto was lost in thought he didn’t brace himself for the impact. His tiny frame lifted off of the ground as his feet extended over his head. Perpendicular to the wall Yuto’s full body slammed into it back first. His feet over his body slid down to the ground feet first. Thankfully Yuto had enough sense about him to extend his hands and block the ground to dampen the impact.
“hahahaha…you little bastard. Do you know how much money I lost on you yesterday?”
The guard exclaimed into Yuto’s ear. The guard at this point was no more than 25mm from Yuto’s ear as he spoke slowly. Yuto could feel the spit from the guards mouth as he spoke.
“When you fight in the pit today I’m not only going to recover my money I lost….hahahahaha….I’m going to make enough to enjoy myself for awhile. I figure if I beat you enough now there is no way that you will be able to fight back. Along with your injuries from yesterday and the surprise they have for you in The Pit there is no chance of you walking out alive.”
The guard reached down and grabbed Yuto by the neck and lifted him into the air. Yuto’s face was now level with the guards face as the guard spit into his eyes.
Struggling for breadth Yuto put his hands on the arms of the guard and tried to lift himself up with hopes of creating some separation and pulling in a breadth of air.
Seeing Yuto struggle the guards smile only got bigger. Surprisingly in this situation Yuto wasn’t panicking but found himself staring at the teeth of the guard.
His teeth were crooked and dirty. Being this close to the guard Yuto couldn’t help but notice that the guards breadth was foul and while the guard was spitting in his face intentionally he also spit in his normal talking as well.
Thinking to this point the corner of Yuto’s mouth arched up just slightly. Despite how small the arch was the guard noticed and Yuto instantly noticed the anger on his face.
“What the hell are you smiling about!”
The guard was not asking a question more than simply yelling and making a statement.
“adskj adfjfi alkdjad” was mumbled just loud enough from Yuto’s mouth that it was obvious he was making a noise but there was no possible way to make out anything remotely close to a language from it.
“What the hell did you say?” This time the guard did throw out a question.
Again Yuto responded “aldk akelas akajdk”
The guard not understanding what Yuto said pulled Yuto closer to himself so that he could hear better.
Upon getting pulled closer Yuto’s smile grew larger and his hands that were holding onto the guards arms slipped off and his fingers pointed and aimed directly for the guards eyes.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh……..you son of a bitch………ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh”
Suddenly screams rang out through the prison as the guard let go of Yuto and put his hands over his eyes. The guard fell to the ground in pain screaming louder and louder. Blood could be seen coming from his left eye. It was hard to imagine a grown man could hit this decibel of scream.
Seeing the guard hit the ground Yuto prepared to run. Taking 3 steps he reached the cage door and prepared to take off when he noticed that there was someone there watching the whole time. There was no way for him to escape.
Yuto paused considering his options. If he was fast enough he might be able to get past that other guard. Maybe if….as he was contemplating his steps of getting past the guard he saw out of the corner of his eye a guard standing at the end of the hall way. Turning his head to look at the other end there was a guard standing as well.
It’s not possible to escape. This thought immediately occurred to Yuto. The guard must have noticed the sudden depressed look on his face after realizing he wouldn’t be able to escape because he called out gently to Yuto.
“Let’s go your scheduled up next in The Pit”.
This guard carried none of the malice or hatred that the previous guard had. His words were gentle and carried pity in them.
Yuto immediately understood that he had no choice but to go and fight. Getting ready to step out and follow the guard a sudden thought occured to Yuto. He laughed out loud enough for the guards and the end of the hall to hear him then turned around took 3 steps back and started kicking the guard on the ground in his stomach.
After kicking his stomach two times he walked around and kicked him two times in the back. After kicking him in the back walked around to his head and stomped his foot down on the side of his head. Blood started to trickle out of the guards ear after the second foot stomp.
After he finished stomping his head twice he looked up at the guard that was just outside of his cell.
“Even if I die here in a few minutes at least I got even with him before. He kicked me once in the stomach, once in the back and hit me across the face once. I returned double what he gave me”.
The guard hearing that stared at the boy who was standing there in tattered and bloody clothes. Cuts and bruises covered his entire body. He struggled to stand and swayed slowly side to side.
“Hahahahahaha…..what a glorious emperor”.
A genuine smile filled with hope and expectation covered the guards face ear to ear.
“Come lets go, today’s battle is one you can’t avoid. Today’s fight is tomorrow’s strength. Tomorrows strength is the futures King”.
The guards words rang out in Yuto’s ears. Without taking a breadth the guard continued.
“This trial is unfair and its just starting. A child your age will have to fight every day just to survive. Despite putting your life on the line day in and day out you will never even get the basics of what other children get. Despair will be what wakes you up and pain will be what puts you to bed at night.”
The pain of it all could be felt in this guards words as he slowly said them to Yuto. A tear slowly matriculated its way down the side of his face.
“But if you can survive you will be strong. You will understand strength and you will be the master of despair and pain. Never give up because if you can hold on you will be an emperor worth following.”
Yuto stared into the eyes of this guard and for some reason unknown to him he understood what the guard was trying to express to him.
For the first time since Yuto had been kidnapped a full smile spread across his face. He turned to the guard and with that smile still plastered across his face.
“Come on lets go fight despair”.
With a laugh Yuto walked in front of the guard leading the way. Maybe today would be his last maybe tomorrow but he would never despair or cry about it again. The realization that there was no escape. There was no one who would save him. Everyone surrounding him wanted him to die in a pit nameless. Since there was nothing he could do about it the only option was to conquer despair and pain.
Survive and become strong. Survive and conquer.