(POV: Yuji)
Even though I already knew the answer, I asked the question anyway. Maybe I just wanted to hear someone say it out loud.
Before I got an answer, a woman in a black suit approached.
"Follow me," she said, voice sharp and emotionless.
We moved through the roaring audience—people yelling like their lives depended on it. The air was thick with tension, sweat, and something else… bloodlust.
After about five minutes of walking through winding corridors, we reached a metal door with the word VIP stamped across it in bold letters. She opened it without saying anything and stepped aside, letting us in. Then she closed the door behind us and stayed outside.
Inside the dimly lit room, a man sat on a leather couch, wearing the same white fox mask we did. Haruki entered first and sat down without a word. I followed, sitting stiffly next to him.
"It's nice to meet you. Iwa-san told me you would be coming," the masked man said.
"Then you already know I want to introduce this boy as a fighter," Haruki replied, calm as ever.
"Of course. There are many types of—"
"Only taijutsu. For a year," Haruki cut him off.
The masked man paused for a moment, then nodded. "I see. I'll go prepare the contract."
With that, he stood and disappeared into another room.
"He didn't even look offended when you cut him off," I said, watching the empty doorway.
"I have connections," Haruki replied.
Yeah. That much I knew already.
"At least explain to me what the hell this place is. You're making me fight here, and I don't even know where here is."
He looked at me long and hard.
Did I say something wrong?
"This is the Colosseum. Underground fights happen here—some taijutsu only, others mix in ninjutsu. Sometimes it's one-on-two, sometimes worse. Fighters earn money and ninja points. You can exchange those points for jutsu scrolls or favors."
I blinked. "So this place is… legal?"
"Technically, yes. But it's not public. It's not known in the village, not even to many shinobi. Only the higher-ups know. They allow it because it creates strong fighters. Shinobi willing to bleed."
Before I could say more, the man returned, a folder in his hand. He looked a bit rushed, slightly out of breath.
"Apologies for the wait. Here's the contract. Taijutsu-only, one-year deal. You'll have 118 fights across the year, with a three-day break between each. If you have no questions, sign here."
He passed the contract to Haruki first. My uncle didn't use his real name—he signed it as Leopard.
When my turn came, I stared at the line for a moment, then signed my name as Night.
Both men glanced at me. I felt their stares. Did they not like the name?
"Shall we begin?" the man asked.
"Sure," Haruki said without hesitation.
Nope. That was my only thought.
The door creaked open again. The woman in black was back. She nodded for me to follow.
As we walked through the dim halls, I couldn't help but glance at her from behind. Well, at least there's one good thing about this hellhole.
Eventually, we reached what looked like a reinforced bunker.
"Strip," she said without turning around.
"…Huh?"
"Take off your clothes and put these on." She tossed me a pair of black shorts. "Only masks and shorts are allowed in the ring."
"Got it…" I mumbled, changing quickly.
"We're out of time. Your match is about to start."
"Already? Can't I breathe for a second—?"
She ignored me, walking off.
We stopped in front of a large metal shutter. It rumbled, then began to rise. Light and sound poured in. My heart thudded in my chest.
Time to die, huh?
As I stepped into the arena, the noise exploded.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer's voice boomed, "**Tonight, we welcome a new rookie—NIGHT!"
"He doesn't even look five, but who cares? I want to see blood!" someone shouted from the crowd.
They all joined in, chanting:
Blood.
Blood.
Blood.
"And his opponent! Three wins, zero losses! The savage brawler—TUCKER!"
A massive teen stepped out from the opposite gate. He was easily over six feet tall, muscles bulging, arms taped, and a grin that promised pain.
"Will Tucker keep his streak? Or will this rookie surprise us all?"
"LET THE FIGHT… BEGIN!"
⸻
Tucker came at me like a truck. No hesitation.
I barely sidestepped his first punch—it whistled past my ear and cracked the air.
I aimed a jab at his ribs, but it was like hitting a wall.
He grunted, grabbed my arm, and slammed his knee into my stomach. Pain exploded through me. I gasped, eyes wide.
One hit.
That's all it took to knock the wind out of me.
I stumbled back, coughing.
He didn't let me recover.
His next punch hit my temple—I saw black for a second and dropped to one knee.
"Come on, Night! Hit him!" someone from the crowd jeered.
I forced myself up, raised my guard. Tucker rushed again. I ducked, managed to land a punch to his gut. He barely flinched.
He smiled.
Then he slammed his forehead into mine.
Blood sprayed from my nose as I hit the floor.
I rolled away just in time to dodge a stomp that cracked the ground where I'd been.
Adrenaline kicked in. I rushed him, aiming a flurry of kicks at his legs. One connected hard, and he hissed.
That gave me a second. I jumped and hit him with a spinning kick to the jaw.
He staggered.
Cheers erupted. Hope flared in my chest.
Then he tackled me.
I crashed to the ground, his weight slamming into me like a boulder. His fists rained down—one to the cheek, another to the nose, then the mouth.
I felt something crack.
Blood dripped into my mouth. My vision blurred. I tried to push him off, but his hands closed around my throat.
I clawed at his arms, gasping.
At the last second, he let go, stood up, and kicked me across the arena.
I rolled three times before coming to a stop. My chest burned, lungs screaming.
The crowd howled in excitement.
I got to my knees, barely.
Tucker walked toward me. Calm. Confident.
I threw a desperate punch.
He caught it—and broke my wrist.
I screamed.
Then he grabbed my face and slammed it into his knee.
Everything went white.
I collapsed, barely conscious. Blood poured from my nose, my mouth, maybe my ears too—I couldn't tell.
I heard the announcer's voice through the ringing in my ears.
"And there it is! Our rookie, Night, has fallen! Tucker remains undefeated!"
The crowd exploded with noise. I lay there, barely breathing, staring up at the lights.
Welcome to the Colosseum.