Six contestants stood before a massive pyramid.

Their hesitation made the watching audience heckle and yell, calling for action. The voices, however, were blocked from those standing inside the area.

Ash tapped her chin. Do you think there's a way to trigger the steps or another way up?

Oh? A stage that requires brain work. Callous probed.

Strength can be measured in different ways.

One of the other contestants must have thought the same way as she approached the pyramid and began feeling around. A few of the others, who had stood and were eyeing each other to see who to attack first, caught on. Soon, they all began searching around the area for clues. For the moment, they gave up attacking each other, a tacit understanding that the more people searched, the higher their chances.

Ash walked to the smooth dark surface. Reaching out a palm, she felt the cold radiating from the solid pyramid. She pulled a dagger, stabbing it down once. A clang sounded. Just like before, not a nick was left behind. Twirling the dagger once, a glimmer of purple passed through Ash's eyes. If one were to look closely, one may have seen the purple light flash up the blade as she stabbed again.

Another clang. With a quick twirl, Ash let the weapon disappear back into its sheath. Not far from her, other contestants were trying to attack the pyramid in various ways. Flames, weapons, blasts of cold, and others.

One contestant sat down, crossed her legs, and closed her eyes. She was ignored by the others as whatever method she was using was known only to her.

Ash traced a finger across the surface once more before looking up. She squinted at a bright light coming from somewhere.

Can't fly. Must climb. Or... She looked down. A thought flashed through her mind while the girl with the bazooka put it down and leaned on it, staring in thought.

Ash squatted, feeling the ground. While it was hard, it wasn't impossible.

How good are you at digging? She asked.

Why do the work? Callous replied. You have five mostly healthy workers with you.

Lazy, Ash scolded. However, she was already standing. "Maybe we should dig?" she spoke aloud, her voice carrying in the silence.

The girl who was sitting opened her eyes and the others paused.

"That would be stupid," someone commented. However, two others had already begun.

Bazooka girl watched before turning her weapon face down.

Bang!

A blast sounded and a small crater formed.

Those digging in a slower manner paused.

"Huh," the girl with ribbons crouched to watch, cheek resting on a palm as she watched with a tilted her.

Bang!

The crater grew alongside the pyramid.

"Useless," one of the guys commented.

Tobias ignored the lot, continuing to examine the pyramid.

Bang!

When the girl creating a deeper and deeper hole paused, all eyes turned in her direction.

Crouching, the girl moved some dirt to the side before her eyes lit up.

Blast!

This time, a gap was revealed, showing the pyramid didn't go as far into the ground as before.

Boom!

The shot was aimed to the side and as a reward, a hole was formed.

Bang, bang, bang!

The girl with the firepower disappeared.

Glances were exchanged and the crouching ribbon-twirling contestant hesitatingly got to her feet.

"Down it is." Ash jumped into the hole.

In their excitement to follow, the others held their truce.

Ash went through the hole and stepped into the open.

She moved to the side, taking in the interior of the pyramid. The lush landscape stretched all around in a space that was much larger than should be for the inside of the shape. A gorgeous waterfall splashed cheerfully on one side and massive flowers towered over the height of trees.

And in the middle, there hung a single ladder going up to a hole right in the middle. Above it floated the goblet.

The girl who had come first was already at the bottom of the ladder, the weapon on her back.

"We can't fly out there, but what about in here?" a voice asked.

The others had the same thought and it was Tobias who took the lead.

Red mist swirled as he rose into the air.

A ribbon flew after him but missed and he continued to rise uncontested.

Crack!

He narrowly dodged a ball of static.

Gritting his teeth, he pressed on.

Boom!

His flight path turned erratic as he tried to dodge blind fire while the contestant on the hanging ladder balanced climbing and shooting at the same time.

Those on the ground watched for a moment, each considering the best way to move. The girl with the injured leg slunk to the side, using the cover of the foliage to make herself less visible as she was clearly at a disadvantage.

The other three moved. The wind picked up as the boy rose into the air, but the ribbon was faster, catching him again mid-flight. Ash sprinted by the two heading for the hanging ladder as she opted.

Seeing her approach, the bazooka changed its target and Tobias was briefly free to resume his flight.

Crash!

Ash dodged, dirt showing on her.

Tobias hadn't made it much further when the other guy, who'd escaped ribbon girl, crashed into him. A battle ensued mid-air.

Ash was almost upon the ladder.

Bzzt!

The pink light almost hit her.

A large flower was hit, and pollen flew through the air.

Ash immediately covered her nose with her arm, closing her eyes for a moment as she ran through.

The girl with ribbons, who'd begun to follow wasn't fast enough. She inhaled a mouthful of pollen and a moment later stumbled as her legs began to lose their strength. She screamed, clawing at her eyes that hadn't been closed in time.

Tobias and the other guy were still at each other's throats in a battle of wind vs the red mist. The girl with the bazooka paused, turning her attention away from Ash aiming at the bald boy.

Ash grabbed the hanging ladder, taking in the situation at a glance.

Tobias was positioned in such a way that it gave the girl with the bazooka the perfect shot.

"Bye-bye," the girl mouthed as her eyes narrowed and her finger descended on the trigger at the same moment Ash reached the ladder. Against expectations, she didn't begin to climb. Instead, she grabbed the edge as her eyes took on a purple hue.

It all happened faster than the figure could pull the trigger. A purple flame ignited and crawled at an amazing seed, consuming everything in its path.

"Ahhh!" The pink light flew off target, brushing by Tobias and into nothing.

A ladder disintegrated and the shooter had to let go of the scorching rope, immediately plunging below.

Tobias' eyes flickered at his near miss. They flashed from the direction of the fizzling purple light down to his savior.

Oh? Helping out now, are we?

Ash calmly moved her head to the side and her hand shot up to grab a wrist.

She twisted hard.

Pop!

A scream of pain echoed from the attacker who had sneaked up on her. The girl with the injured leg stumbled backward, grasping her wrist. She winced before forcefully popping the joint back into place. She was about to lunge again, but Ash hastily dived, tucking and rolling just in time.

Boom!

The spot where she and the other girl had been exploded as pink light flashed.

Bazooka girl not only slowed her descent but attacked.

Not taking time to consider if the other attacker was out or not, Ash got to her feet and whirled just as the bazooka was lowered to the ground with a dull thump and a pair of eyes glared at her. A knife appeared in both of Ash's hands as she faced her.

Caw! The sharp cry of a bird made all attacks pause as eyes flew up.

While a watching crowd screamed and exclaimed in excitement, Ash's pupils shrunk.

Coming from the hole in the top of the pyramid, five large winger creatures descended. They resembled the smaller bald eagle, except that they were the size of a large tiger. The massive claws on their two feet gleamed and their tails were like those of a retile but with a weapon of death at the end – a razor-sharp spike.

Why this predator of the sky had been released into the arena could only be for one reason – the crowd's entertainment.

"Reilfs," the word sounded from someone's lips, followed by curses.

The two boys in the air immediately went on the defense as they became target number one.

With a piercing cry, the birds locked on.

"We're only on the second round!" The girl with the ribbons yelled angrily as she tried to clear her vision. "Isn't this too hard?" Her eyes were extremely red and swollen at this point.

The boys narrowly dodged the claws and swinging tails as both realized the air was the worst place to be. Though they turned straight for the ground, returning wouldn't be an easy task.

Ash watched as the other two girls around her shrunk back

Tobias' rival almost got impaled but narrowly escaped when another Reilf crashed into the first, trying to snap up the delicious morsel. The one thing going in their favor was that these predators did not work well together.

While still in the air, Tobias manipulated the red mist, covering his retreat while blocking the flying predator's sharp eyesight. However, it did not stop them from frantically following and snapping blindly, some getting too close. Despite the danger, there was a smile of thrill on Tobias' face as he seemed to take pleasure in the added challenge.

Unlike the others, Ash didn't move.

What a silly attempt to add excitement, Callous mentioned.

Ash's eyelids twitched. I don't know what's silly about that.

Callous snickered.

As the boys continued their battle to return to the ground, two bird-like creatures turned their attention to the ground below, looking for prey that might be easier than the pesky airborne duo holding out. One saw Ash and immediately turned to her.

The others who had been around her had disappeared from sight, leaving her in the open. Yet even as the bird let out a hunting cry and dove right toward her, Ash calmly watched.

What do you think it tastes like? Callous asked curiously.

"Disgusting," the words confidently spilled from her mouth even though Ash had no memory of ever having snacked on such a creature before but somehow felt those words were accurate.

The bird was closing in, a second closely behind.

Ignoring the other's fight and focusing on her own, Ash stayed where she was as she calculated. Then, when those watching thought she might pull forth a hidden move of power, she flicked the knives in her hands. The small blades were bathed in a hue of purple so faint it would only be visible if one was extremely focused.

They flew in different directions, each crashing into a flower tree nearby and both causing the plants to shake.

Pollen filled the air, obscuring visibility as it covered the girl.

The Reilf, already too close, couldn't stop in time and flew right through the cloud while the second drew up to avoid it.

Thunk.

It was so quiet it wasn't heard by anyone except Ash, Callous, and the predator, but it was the sound of something hard colliding with metal.

In the middle of the falling pollen, a girl held a small dagger she'd pulled from a strap. This tiny weapon blocked a beak known to tear through flesh like a flame through a straw, an unimaginable strength. While pollen was all around, it avoided landing on the figure, as though stopped by a mysterious barrier.

Crack.

The dagger couldn't hold up and lines formed, but Ash's arm remained steady as for a moment she and the terrifying creature made eye contact. The girl's eyes flickered, turning purple for the briefest moment.

"Scram," she spoke.

The predator of the sky felt fear for the first time in its life. It opened its mouth to squeak in terror but only ended up inhaling the pollen.

A round blade flew by, colliding with the creature and feathers flew into the air as the bird crashed heavily into the ground.

Pollen cleared and Ash turned to find Tobias had reached the ground. His hand was outstretched, catching the circular weapon. He seemed unaware of his side from which crimson leaked.

"Huh," he breathed as he saw Ash standing. His eyes flickered to the smaller dagger that shattered and dropped fragments at that moment. "Just returning the favor," he spoke as he shot her a grin laced with blood. "Looks like you didn't need it."

Ash didn't reply. She was sure the pollen had obscured visibility enough.

A boom and a shriek sounded as another Reilf fell, smoke rising from the hole a bazooka had shot in its side.

"Too easy," the sneer came as the girl with the weapon walked back into sight.

The three remaining predators circled like vultures as they re-assessed their attack.

In the meantime, the boy who'd been in the sky with Tobias, the girl with ribbons, and bazooka girl all stood together, eyeing Tobias and Ash.

"Nothing personal," the guy spoke. "But how about you be the bait?"

A figure slinked out from the foliage and the girl with the injured leg took a glance between the two sides before standing with the other three.

"Oh?" Ash raised her eyebrows. "An alliance?"

"You all want to die, don't you?" Tobias sneered as he stepped forward.

A smile spread across the face of the girl who had been targeting him all game. She flipped the bazooka around and put the two in her aim while the others around her got ready to move.

"Someone needs to be fed to keep the Reilf busy. I heard their favorite snack is snakes," she commented while the guy beside her chuckled.

Ash's eyes flickered to Tobias' head. "I told you, you were asking for a beating," she told him.

The boy sneered in reply, the red mist that swirled around him wavering as his energy was rapidly sapped by his injury. He wasn't fazed as he reached a hand to how wound, pressed down, and then stamped a bloody handprint on his face. "Just try it."

"Stand still and it'll be quick." A finger descended on the trigger.

Ash grabbed Tobias and turned, an electric current passing by so narrowly in the process that she felt the tingle on her skin. Even as she turned with the injured boy, she saw the ribbon following up, except, at the end of it was a dagger that she's lost earlier.

Two knives flew and a circular weapon joined, altering the path of the weapon and Ash bounced back out of range, Tobias still in her hands.

Well, isn't this romantic? Callous commented.

Ash scoffed.

No? Baldy seems to think so. Her spirit contractor's words made Ash's eyes drift to the tips of the reddening ears of the person she'd just saved. The same person who quickly pushed himself free of her grasp.

"Aren't you a little weak for a red tier?" Ash asked innocently.

"The opponents aren't worth it," Tobias scoffed. "Also, I didn't need the help."

"Just returning the favor," Ash told him calmly as he shot her a flustered glare.

The boy coughed in response, ears reddening more despite his face growing paler by the moment. The injury wasn't shallow.

Ash whirled, catching the ribbon as a dagger flew by. She clamped down hard. "Want a brief alliance?" she asked calmly, aware of a charging weapon that would shoot any moment but also kept her other attackers out of range so they wouldn't get hit.

Tobias stared at Ash as though she'd just confessed her undying love to him. "What happened to "It would be a shame if you were eliminated"?" he spat.

"It would, that's why I'm asking you to team up." Ash sent a spark up the ribbon she held. A yelp was followed by the pressure being released and the Ash pulled the ribbon over. She tossed it to Tobias. "Either step it up or don't fly, they'll pick you off. If you can jump high, you've been gifted the perfect stepping stones and shield." She nodded her head at the circling creatures above as she tossed Tobias the ribbon she'd acquired. "I'll keep them busy for exactly five minutes. If you make it in that time, consider it a gift."

Suspicion flittered through the boy's eyes. "You'd help?"

Crack!

Both escaped and a hole gaped where they'd just stood. The attackers lazily readied their next attack, seeming to consider the four vs two setup as a set win.

As both moved within each other's hearing range again, Ash's eyes flickered to Tobias' wound. "Giving you a head start since you have a handicap and are playing the damsel in distress." She smiled sweetly. "Five minutes. If you make it or not is up to you. After five minutes, alliance over." Her warning was clear.

Tobias eyed her.

"Hey, love birds, stop chatting!" The girl with the ribbons stomped her feet, twirling the remaining weapon.

Tobias snarled but turned, sprinting into the brush with the ribbon in hand, his own weapons put out of his hands.

The boy on the other side moved, rushing after him. He didn't make it far when Ash stepped into his path.

"Why leave so soon?" she asked him.

A fist flew and she parried, jumping back to avoid the ribbon at the same time.

Aren't you being too nice? Callous asked as Tobias ran into the open, catching the eyes of the Reilf who cawed and went for the loner.

Ash shrew another blade, quickly using up the ones strapped to her legs. I was being honest when I said I was honored he requested me. She dodged two successive blows aimed from different directions, turning to grab a third person that tried to slip by and go for Tobias. Besides,

In the clearing, Tobias faced the approaching creatures, red mist swirling as he rose to meet them head-on.

It might be interesting to keep him around a little longer.

She threw an opponent and dodged another blow only to feel the sting of a blade scratching flesh. Someone crashed into a flower, pollen fell and everyone held their breaths or retreated as needed, but the fight continued.

Tobias reached the first bird and the mist flew, right for its eyes. He dodged the beak, landed on the feathered back, and pushed off, flying even faster at the second bird.

A barrel pointed in his direction but never got to fire as Ash kicked the aim off, fighting four people at the same time.

You have a soft spot for him, Callous hummed.

Ash's eyes curved. Don't you think he's kinda cute? She grabbed a fist, pulling the person by. A ribbon latched onto her hand, tugging her within attack range, and a kick collided with her stomach. Ash used the force to fly back and flip in the air. Like a little pet snack with tiny fangs, she continued.

Fangs not yet exposed, Callous commented.

Ash didn't disagree. The entire fight was too easy, and Tobias had certainly proved he was stronger than he was letting on this time. Whether it was weaker opponents, or no one had seen the need to expose their strength, even she wasn't so sure.

Tobias reached the second bird, the ribbon in his hands flying straight. He twisted as a beak snacked by him, the mist spurring him on. The ribbon wrapped around a beak, typing it shut. He pushed off from the head of the creature.

A straggled caw sounded as the Reilf was pulled along by the ribbon.

One minute, Callous reminded with relish.

Ash didn't reply as she weaved in and out the plants, perusing one person to stop them from changing their target to Tobias all while the others tried to chase her down. Pollen fell left and right as flowers crashed.

Tobias reached the last Reilf. However, he tugged hard.

The creature he'd been dragging along was flung through the air, crashing into the other. As the two wings entangled and the monsters began to tumble, they blocked a bazooka shot. The other creature had recovered and followed closely behind.

Aware of the ticking time, Tobias turned and flew up, deciding to try outrunning the predator that lived in the sky.

A boy and a Reilf streaked through the air, each with a different goal.

Bellow, booms, and snaps continued to ring as Ash used the underbrush as natural cover and kept her end of the bargain.

The Reilf's eyes flashed, its mouth-watering as it caught its prey. The beak opened wide.

Ding!

As a beak snapped, the light died from its eyes and the creature fell, disintegrating into thin air while four others followed suit.

"Congratulations. Our second competitor to reach the goblet is Tobias!" a voice boomed.

Everyone stopped their attacks.

The girl with the bazooka swore, glaring at Ash while panting heavily.

"Five seconds to spare," Ash noted as she wiped a trace of sweat from her forehead. "Not bad."

"To leave or to stay and compete for more lives, what is your choice?" the announcer asked the same question.

There was a moment of silence.

"Stay." The word echoed.

Ash froze, tipping her head back to see the figure clutching the goblet staring right at her. His face was an unhealthy pale, a sharp contrast to the bright red crystal exposed from the string hanging around his neck.

A chilly smile alighted on his face as he tossed the goblet in one hand casually in the air and eyed the opponents below him like they were mere peasants. The bloody hand print on his face made him look all the more terrifying as eyes darted to the crystal that glowed as the holder decided it was time to reveal his strength.

"I choose to stay."

Out of earshot, a crowd was going wild as the screens showed the scene and bets rose on the strong competitor that had emerged after playing the victim.

In the waiting area, several competitors reacted in different ways to the screen that portrayed the image of the boy with the red crystal. Some sighs of relief at not being in the same group were mixed with a few criticizing the competitor as an idiot.

Daxon stood to a side, leaning against a wall with his arms folded. Adonis stood next to him, shivering.

"He's red," the younger boy whispered.

Daxon didn't reply, a handsome smile on his face as he eyed the red crystal. His body gave off a lazy air as he chuckled.

Still think it's cute?  Callous asked his contractor in the arena.

Ash's lips twitched as a helpless sigh escaped her lips. "What a troublesome guy." Her eyes flitted to the group with her. Other than slight hesitation, they showed little reaction to the reveal. "He really is asking for a beating."