**Volume 2: Upper World**
**Chapter 69: The Tip of the Iceberg**
January 3rd, 6:32 p.m. – Central Arena (Sky vs Josh)
The central pit felt smaller tonight — like the walls were leaning in, hungry. Floodlights burned hot overhead, turning sweat and blood into shining streaks on the stone. Over 500 million tickets sold. 1.7 billion watching live. The air smelled like scorched metal, copper, and fear.
Sky stepped out of his gate — baggy white pants, blue shirt untucked, knife belt low on his hip, Mara’s cracked-moon necklace resting against his chest. He looked up at Josh across the pit.
Josh stood there — blond hair messy under the lights, academy jacket slung over one shoulder, grin wide but eyes nervous. He clapped once — sharp — and the system voice rolled out across the dome.
“Rule update: The challenged may receive aid. Two assistants permitted.”
Tray and Troy dropped into the pit from the stands — hoods up, faces shadowed, moving like they’d been waiting for this. Tray cracked his knuckles. Troy flexed his fingers — gravity already warping the air around them.
Sky’s stomach sank.
Max was right.
Josh laughed — short, shaky.
“Too bad you’re gonna lose.”
Sky didn’t answer.
He thought of every technique he’d ever used — Azure Pull, Frame Bind, Echo Flash, Endless Fracture, Blood Gun — and wondered if any of it mattered now.
Tray moved first.
**Gravity Star Technique: Upper Hand.**
Invisible force wrapped Sky — yanked him upward like a puppet on strings. Sky twisted mid-air — spatial sense screaming — but Tray slammed him down. Stone cracked under his back. Pain flared white-hot across his spine.
Sky rolled — came up fast — grabbed a broken glass cup from the ground (leftover from some spectator’s drink) and smashed it against Tray’s face. Shards exploded. Tray staggered — blood running down his cheek — but didn’t fall.
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Sky ran — quick — knife flashing. He slashed — clean arc — but Troy caught his wrist, gravity pinning it in place.
Tray hit him — fist to the ribs — Sky flew back, slamming into a metal bar. The bar bent with a groan. Blood trickled from his nose.
Sky pushed off — weaved the next punch — and started punching fast. Fists blurred — blue-red energy crackling.
**Echo Frame.**
He stacked echoes — delayed damage building inside Tray’s chest.
Then — **Echo Diversity** — 100% output — fists hitting from every angle at once, like a storm of delayed explosions.
Tray hit the metal bar hard — back-first — denting it further. He slid down — coughing blood — but got back up.
Josh moved — quick — dagger in hand — stabbed Sky straight through the heart.
Sky gasped — blood spraying from his mouth — eyes wide.
Josh twisted the blade — grinning.
“Have you forgotten? I didn’t tell the truth. I’m the same as Max. I’m in the Blood Clan.”
Josh’s eyes widened — grin faltering.
Sky’s voice was calm — even with a blade in his chest.
“I have infinite blood.”
His eyes closed.
Blood poured — faster, thicker — from the wound, from his mouth, from his nose. It pooled under him — red-black, alive — then surged upward like a tide.
Josh yanked the sword out — dropped it — kicked Sky hard in the chest.
Sky flew — mid-air — but healed. The hole in his heart closed — blood reversing, flowing back into him like it was being pulled by strings. He opened his eyes — serious now, no more hesitation.
Tray tried to touch him — gravity hand reaching.
Sky caught the punch — twisted — snapped Tray’s wrist clean. Bone cracked loud. Tray screamed.
Sky grabbed a knife from the ground — drove it into Tray’s neck — quick, deep. Tray gurgled — dropped.
Josh kicked Sky again — harder — sending him into a metal box. The box crumpled — metal screaming.
Josh walked forward — aura flaring black.
“Look at Sky. All helpless.”
Sky looked up — at the crowd — at the stands.
They were watching — hope in their eyes, fear, anger, everything.
Memories hit him — colorful, painful flashes.
Ren burning alive — screaming “tell my mom I loved her.”
Het sliced in half — blood spraying in that perfect arc.
Abel exploding into 500 chunks — mist of red in the air.
Cam hugging Max — knife in his back — whispering “you and Sky were the true friends.”
Frosty bleeding in the snow after confessing.
Sky got up — slow — blood still dripping.
Josh ran — dagger raised.
Sky punched him mid-air — blue-red energy exploding on impact. Josh flew back — hit the wall — slid down.
Josh laughed — shaky — and clapped.
**Blood Rain.**
Red droplets fell from nowhere — sharp, burning — hitting Sky like needles. Sky staggered — skin sizzling — but kept coming.
Josh’s eyes flicked to the stands — to Mira.
She was leaning over the railing — crow on her shoulder — watching.
Josh walked toward her — slow — grinning.
Mira yelled — “Sky!”
Sky tried to get up — legs shaking — felt weak, so weak.
Josh reached her — grabbed her arm — pulled her close.
Lit her on fire.
Flames bloomed — orange-red — Mira screamed — high, raw.
Sky cried out — voice breaking — tried to stand.
Josh formed a gun — black-red energy condensing.
**Soul Maker: Gun.**
He shot — eight times — bullets of pure soul energy slamming into Sky’s chest, arms, legs.
Sky felt it — pain like nothing before — like his soul was being torn apart. He fell — hard — to the ground.
Josh’s aura grew — black, thick — rolling out like smoke.
**Realm: The Tip of the Iceberg.**
The pit warped — cold, endless white spreading from Josh’s feet. Ice crept across the stone, frost biting Sky’s skin.
Josh explained — voice calm, almost kind.
“Each time you don’t hit me — every ten seconds — I get stronger. You get weaker. It’s the tip… but the iceberg’s below. Keep missing. See what happens.”
Sky stood — slow — legs shaking — blood dripping from his mouth.
He looked at the crowd — at Frosty screaming his name — at Max frozen in the stands — at Mara waiting for his turn.
He didn’t think he could win.
The chapter ended.
To be continued…
