{Zayna's Fury / Evara's Fall}
The jungle trembled as two figures lunged toward him—one screaming, the other silent but seething.
Zayna Malik, eyes wild and tears brimming, charged with reckless fury. Her fists swung wide, raw strength tearing through the air.
> Zayna: "YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!"
Jin-Seok didn't flinch.
With a step inward, he slipped past her guard. His palm met her cheek—not harsh, but firm—twisting her momentum just enough.
> Jin-Seok (softly): "Time to go to sleep."
His elbow sank into her gut.
Zayna's breath fled her lungs in a wheeze. She crumpled in his arms, tears still streaking her face even as consciousness faded.
Jin-Seok caught her gently, like a falling sibling. Then, with a sigh—
Takes tokens.
> [Tokens Acquired: 700+]
[Remaining Tokens Left: 30]
He laid her down by the base of a tree and patted her head.
"You'll thank me later."
But the moment of peace shattered.
A shriek—like a noble falcon diving to kill—sliced through the canopy.
Lady Evara Umbrea descended from the sky, her twin-bladed axe howling through the air, bloodlust written in every motion.
> Evara: "You dare—!"
Jin-Seok's hand lashed out mid-air. His fingers clamped around her throat, stopping her flight cold.
A beat of silence.
Then he slammed her into the ground.
Once.
Twice.
A third time.
The earth cracked beneath them. Her mask of nobility shattered, face bloodied, pride fractured.
> Jin-Seok (expression flat): "Time for you to go to sleep too."
With one final punch across her jaw, her eyes rolled back.
And takes tokens.
> [Tokens Acquired: 700+]
[Remaining Tokens Left: 30]
He dragged her unconscious form beside Zayna and laid her down—stacked like battered royalty.
Then he stood up, brushing dust off his sleeves.
> Jin-Seok (to himself): "Now… where are the big boys?"
---
{Three Kings Collide}
The air split with pressure.
Leaves trembled. Trees leaned away. Even the wildlife had fled.
Three stood in silence.
Zephyr Karshem — sharp eyes, unreadable, unmoving.
Noah Varnok — hands in his pockets, wide grin stretching like a child at recess.
Joshua — silent, centered, composed as still water.
Tension sizzled like lightning waiting for a conductor.
> Noah (tilting head): "So… one of us needs to go down first, yeah?"
Zephyr (without emotion): "Don't flatter yourself."
Joshua (calmly): "…I won't go down that easily."
A moment passed.
Then they moved.
---
{🔻Round 1 – Three-Way Assault}
Noah flipped forward, twisting mid-air—a spinning heel kick aimed at Zephyr's head.
Zephyr stepped back, caught his ankle—and hurled him at Joshua.
Joshua sidestepped, caught Noah by the arm, and flipped him sideways like a judo throw.
But Zephyr was already moving again—a blur in the leaves, low and fast.
His fist came for Joshua's ribs—
Joshua ducked, pivoted, drove a palm into Zephyr's side.
A clean hit.
> Zephyr (internally, smirking): "Good."
Noah crashed back into the mix, still grinning like a lunatic.
---
{🔻Round 2 – Temporary 2v1}
For just a moment—unspoken understanding.
Joshua and Noah turned on Zephyr.
Noah attacked with wild, chaotic strikes—spinning, feinting, low kicks that came from impossible angles.
Joshua flowed like water—only striking when Zephyr slipped even slightly.
But Zephyr didn't slip.
He redirected Noah's kicks into Joshua, baiting each into the other's path.
Then—
He grabbed both by the collar in a grappling motion—
> Zephyr (quietly): "Still not enough."
—and flipped them over his shoulders, both bodies crashing through the underbrush.
---
{🔻Round 3 – Chaos Phase}
Silence fell.
And then—
They got serious.
Noah exhaled—his stance shifted. That lazy grin?
Gone.
He vanished from sight. His next strike came from above—then below—then behind. A blur of unpredictable movement.
Joshua's eyes narrowed. His hands became razor-focused, aiming for nerve points, tendons, joints.
Zephyr?
Zephyr moved like water around stone.
No wasted movement.
No emotion.
Just precise, brutal control.
> BAM. A tree split in half.
CRACK. The ground shattered beneath a misplaced step.
BOOM. The air rippled as Noah barely dodged Zephyr's elbow.
Joshua's strike landed—a jab to Zephyr's neck.
Zephyr twisted, elbowed him in the sternum.
Noah came spinning in with a scissor kick—
Zephyr caught him mid-air and slammed him into Joshua.
They rolled apart, panting.
Three titans, bruised, bleeding, smiling in their own ways.
> Noah (grinning again): "Okay... now we're having fun."
Zephyr: "Tch."
Joshua: "…Let's end this."
---
{🔺Scene – Interrupted}
Just as Zephyr twisted Noah's arm into a final pin—
Just as Joshua leapt in for the finishing blow—
A voice cut through the trees.
> ???: "Yo."
All three froze.
A shadow landed in the middle of their triangle.
Dust lifted. Leaves fluttered.
Ryu Jin-Seok stood between them, eyes half-lidded, smirk lazy.
> Jin-Seok: "You guys done playing?"
---
{✅ Leaderboard Flash – Mid-Battle Update}
Just as the battle peaked, the sky shimmered.
> [TOWER SYSTEM – LEADERBOARD UPDATE]
> [TOWER SYSTEM – LEADERBOARD UPDATE]
| Rank | Name | Tokens | Status |
|------|------|--------|---------|
| 1 | Ryu Jin-Seok | 2150+ | Inner Zone |
| 2 | Zephyr Karshem | 1979+ | Inner Zone |
| 3 | Joshua | 825+ | Inner Zone |
| 4 | Noah Varnok | 823+ | Inner Zone |
| 5 | Dante Dragunov | 740+ | Inner Zone |
| 6 | Rokhan Zokhul | 725+ | Inner Zone |
| 7 | Elina Vel | 700+ | Inner Zone |
| 8 | Kaleon Vass | 690+ | Inner Zone |
| 9 | Lucien Arkwright | 100+ | Inner Zone |
| 10 | Zayna Malik | 30+ | Inner Zone |
| 11 | Lady Evara Umbrea | 30+ | Inner Zone |
---
{🎙️ Vox Commentary – LIVE FEED}
> Vox (exploding with excitement):
"OH—HOHO! Here we GO! Ladies and gentlemen, your screens aren't lying—it's happening!"
> Vox:
"Here is your updated leaderboard, and right at the top…
the moment you've been waiting for...
the reason this Colosseum sold out...!"
> Vox (dramatic pause):
"The Masked Monster!
The Nightmare of the Nightmare Trials!
The boy who walked through hell like it was a morning stroll!
Ryu Jin-Seok has taken FIRST PLACE!"
surpassing Zephyr who is at first place—with 2150+ tokens!!"
> Vox (voice rising):
"Reports confirm—he just demolished both Lady Evara Umbrea and Zayna Malik!
But get this—he didn't eliminate them. He left them with 30 tokens each. Mercy? Or mockery? You decide!
---
{🎉 Colosseum – Audience Reactions}
The crowd ERUPTED.
> "HE'S BACK! HE'S FREAKING BACK!!"
"Did you SEE that token count?!"
"Wait—Zayna and Evara?! AT THE SAME TIME?!"
"Why thirty tokens? Why not finish them?!"
"That's not mercy—that's a statement!"
"HE'S DECLARING WAR ON EVERYONE!!"
People stood. Cheered. Screamed.
---
{🔹 VIP Room – Leaderboard Reaction}
The Tower System flashes in the air, mid-battle.
Names update in glowing gold text across the sky.
> [TOWER SYSTEM – LEADERBOARD UPDATE]
Rank 1 – Ryu Jin-Seok: 2150+ Tokens
The atmosphere in the VIP room shifts instantly.
All eyes lock onto the screen.
---
🔹 Daman Zhokul
(grinning, trying to look clever, voice full of bravado)
> Daman:
"Well, well. Looks like the kid can throw hands. Took down Lady Evara and Zayna Malik solo? Not bad… not bad at all. Right, Lady Zara?"
He chuckles lightly, clearly fishing for praise, hoping to score points.
---
🔹 Zara Malik
(coldly, eyes narrowing like a blade)
> Zara:
"So… you wanted him to eliminate my granddaughter?"
The room goes still.
Daman's grin twitches, freezing on his face as the weight of her gaze lands on him.
---
🔹 Daman Zhokul
(stammering, scrambling)
> Daman:
"No! I mean—of course not. I just meant—it was… impressive. I know that if young Lady Zayna and Lady Evara had taken him seriously, he wouldn't stand a chance."
He throws on a poker face, trying to sound confident, but his voice cracks just slightly.
---
🔹 Zara
(softly, dangerously, as if asking the question for the sake of formality)
> Zara:
"So if both girls had taken him seriously… you think they'd have won?"
---
🔹 Daman
(caught in a snare, visibly sweating)
> Daman:
"Ah—technically? Maybe? I mean, in theory, if—"
He cuts himself off under Zara's calm, unblinking stare.
Silence settles like a blade.
Across the room—
---
🔹 Lyra Varnok
(watching the scene unfold, amused, covering a smirk behind her glass)
> ("Typical Daman…")
---
Vox (voice surging again):
"Zephyr held the lead for nearly the entire trial. Until now.
Zephyr's lead is gone. Jin-
Seok now stands at the top—
but with time left on the clock… is it too soon to call it?"
> VOX (grinning):
"And now—look at that screen, people!
He's not done.
He's headed straight into the storm—
where Zephyr Karshem, Noah Varnok, and Joshua are already locking horns!"
---
> VOX (final beat):
"Is this suicide?
Or is this the rise of a new king?
Who'll stand at the summit?"
----------------
If you've made it this far—thank you! 🙏 If you're enjoying the story, please consider dropping a comment or leaving a quick review. —it really helps the story reach more readers and motivates me to keep going. Your support means a lot! 💬✨
_________________________________________________
{An Original Series by Celestial Raven}