Xavier barely had time to process his last match before the next one was locked in. He wasn't surprised—newbies were expected to fight until their bodies failed them. It wasn't cruelty; it was survival training. No matter how much pain clawed at his muscles, no matter how drained he felt, as long as he could stand, he had to keep going. The academy made it clear that quitting wasn't an option—only breaking was.
His next fight was against Ryn, Rank 306—just one position above him. A small gap, but enough to matter. Unlike random fights on the streets, where brawls erupted whenever someone felt like throwing fists, the academy had strict rules. Every match had to be officially sanctioned by an instructor. Otherwise, it meant nothing. Rank changes only happened if the lower-ranked fighter won; if the higher-ranked fighter won, their position remained unchanged.
"You want this official?" the instructor grunted without looking up from his clipboard.
Ryn nodded first. "Yeah."
Xavier rolled his shoulders, exhaustion creeping in but ignored. "Let's get this over with."
The instructor pressed a button, registering their match. "Xavier, Ryn—official ranked fight. If Kael wins, you swap places. If Ryn wins, rank stays the same. Get in the ring."
Xavier exhaled sharply and stepped forward. 'If I want to claw my way out of Segment 10, there's only one way forward—fight, win, repeat.'
The referee raised his hand. "Fight."
Ryn attacked first.
Xavier dodged—barely.
The punch was fast, faster than he expected from someone only a rank above him. It skimmed past his jaw, missing by an inch, but the intention behind it was clear. Ryn wasn't going easy. He wanted to keep his rank and wouldn't let Xavier take it without earning it.
Xavier's instincts kicked in, his muscles moving before he could process the action. He ducked under the second punch and went for a counter, aiming straight for Ryn's ribs. Contact.
Ryn grunted, stumbling back half a step, but he recovered quickly. He was tough.
"Good hit," Ryn muttered, eyes sharp. No taunting, no arrogance—just pure focus.
Xavier didn't have time to acknowledge the compliment. Fights in the arena weren't about banter—they were about winning.
Ryn came back fast, launching a knee toward Xavier's stomach. Too close to dodge—so he had to block.
Xavier shifted his weight, bracing his core, and caught the knee with both arms. The force was strong enough to send him sliding backward, his boots skidding against the floor. He barely had time to reset before Ryn lunged again.
Xavier twisted his body, barely escaping another strike aimed at his shoulder. He retaliated with a sharp kick, aiming for Ryn's leg—the same one he'd used for his knee attack earlier. If he could weaken his stance, he could control the fight.
Ryn saw it coming. Blocked.
Damn.
Ryn retaliated instantly, stepping inside Xavier's guard and throwing a close-range elbow strike. No time to react.
Xavier's vision blurred for a second as pain exploded across his jaw. 'That one landed clean.'
He staggered, adrenaline keeping him upright. 'If I fall now, it's over.'
Ryn didn't hesitate, pressing forward, trying to finish it.
Xavier forced his body to move. He twisted sharply, creating space between them, then countered with a desperate right hook.
Contact.
Ryn recoiled. Not enough to knock him down—but enough to throw him off balance.
Xavier had his opening.
He rushed forward, locking onto Ryn's wrist before he could fully recover and twisted—hard.
Ryn's stance faltered. In that moment, Xavier knew he had control.
One decisive move. That's all he needed.
He tightened his grip, pivoted on his heel, and sent Ryn crashing onto the mat.
Silence.
Then—the referee's voice cut through the tension.
"Winner: Xavier Kael."
The ranking board flickered. 307 swapped for 306.
Xavier exhaled sharply, his chest rising and falling in deep, measured breaths. Another rank. Another step forward.
Ryn, still lying on the mat, ran a hand over his face before letting out a short, rough laugh. "Damn. You earned that one."
Xavier offered a hand. Ryn took it without hesitation. There were no grudges in the arena—only winners and losers.
"Good fight," Xavier said as Ryn dusted himself off.
Ryn nodded. "Guess I've got work to do."
The instructor wasted no time. "Kael, you're still standing. That means you keep fighting."
Xavier barely had time to process the words before the board refreshed with his next match.
This wasn't over. Newbies fought until they couldn't fight anymore.
And Xavier wasn't done yet.
The next name popped up. His next opponent.
Rank 305.
Another battle. Another step forward.
And without missing a beat, Xavier stepped back into the ring.