Lowly Ascent

So far so good. 

It was the 2nd night, and the next morning would mean an end to the event and Cain's victory.

Nothing had happened thus far, putting everyone on high alert even more.

Cain was in the command center holding one last meeting with the team leaders before they all got some light rest. 

During this meeting, the alarm system in place went off. It was made from some alchemical runes, a key component of runic weapons. They had multiple purposes and allowed for things like alchemy and traps.

The alarm had caused everyone to jolt awake, however, the door to the meeting room was busted open.

The intruder was Luna's second in command with an unknown enemy commander, a grade 2.

Everyone knew what had happened.

"What are you doing? How could you betray your group?" Luna was outraged.

"Betrayed the group? No, you decided you betrayed us, like the trash you are! We have the least amount of troops remaining, not even a fifth of the Butchers! Yet you wag your tail for him like a slut!"

Cain didn't waste any time talking and simply charged at the traitor. However, he was stopped by the enemy commander the traitor had brought along.

"Just surrender, Cain. We've all teamed up and are storming the fort. You can't stop us, so hand over the fort now!"

Cain's face turned grim, but not for his situation but for the one in front of him. 

Immediately he aimed for the opponent's arm and attacked, yet it was blocked. So in turn he kicked their shin while jabbing at their temples at full force to take advantage of the stone badge's one weakness.

Just as his fist grazed the commander's head, their body was encased in stone, protecting them from receiving a fatal attack.

Cain then turned and went for the traitor. Holding him up in the air by the throat. He then searched his body and removed his badge. The biggest weakness of the badge. 

The traitor's eyes filled with terror and dread as he tried to plead. "Ple...ase... I'm... sor..."

Crack!

"Traitors deserve such a fate, no matter if this is a simple game."

The traitor's body became lifeless as his limbs stopped moving. His mangled corpse was dropped to the ground, and Cain crushed their badge and threw the remains of his badge to the floor. 

Everyone who saw this, ally or enemy, shivered in fear. It's like a switch went off in Cain's brain, he became the Emerald Butcher.

"Stay here."

Cain gave his last command before shutting the door behind him as he left. 

On the other side, Cain saw his troops get decimated by a frontal attack of multiple groups. They were all fighting together to beat him. 

'Damn it.'

He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning into a darker hue of green. 

No one noticed as he charged in, he was like a beast, each fist struck true, causing jaws to crack, for stone to overflow the fortress's floors. 

His men gathered behind him, regrouping, they flooded to the main door of the hall, and troops clashed as Cain's fists were swift and strong. First years were slaughtered like chickens and 2nd years were no better. 

"Cain! Enough! Come fight me!"

Pushing through the enemy, a Grade 2 Commander came forward, the two forces gave some room as the fighting continued. 

The two beasts, their eyes burning with rage they shouldn't feel. Everything about them felt unnatural. Having such hateful emotions for mere children was odd. 

The commander raged as he charged Cain, "You killed Roy, I'll kill you!"

Cain decided to take the charge full on, but that was a mistake. On contact, Cain's feet caused the wood floor to burn as the rubber on his shoes burned and stained the brown to black. 

He was flung back into a fighting group, and they all became a stone bed for him. 

The fire in Cain gained more coal, his entire body seemed to forgo green and shift red. 

"Die! I'll make you squeal before taking your life!" 

The Commander was just as irrational as Cain, the two found themselves among a forest of stone as they exchanged punches. Cain's fists were dark green while his opponent's knuckle bones were like steel knuckles pounding against Cain's soft flesh. 

At first, Cain could take the hits, but his defenses were lowered to improve his fists, this resulted in him dodging, but in such close quarters he was bound to get hit, and he was. 

Like a piston, the commander's fist fired at a speed Cain couldn't dodge and his chest concaved on impact.

He knew the damage the impeding impact would cause, so he did something drastic. As he flew back and the stone started to overtake his skin, Cain ripped off his badge and crashed into a bark wall. 

Cain's back cracked and dropped the badge just as his arm turned to stone, but without the badge, it returned to normal. 

His eyes were bleeding red, and Cain decided he had to kill this man. His enemy saw what he did and smiled, he copied Cain and removed his badge. 

This was all illogical, over a game they decided to throw their lives away. No sane person would do that, but they weren't sane, their emotions were controlling them, not their heads. 

Again, the two met. This time Cain was more offensive, he fought like a dying dog and did everything in his power to kill his opponent. As his body became raggedy, another powerful fist clashed with his shoulder, taking most of it off. 

He had enough, he jumped on his opponent's body and pummeled the enemy commander's face with his fists, he clawed, he bit, he... used pathogens. 

The commander's face became weaker, Cain's punches were causing more damage and the one who received these attacks noticed, but it was too late. 

"Y-You!"

Cain was crazed and he smiled like a devil, he brought his hands together and slammed into his opponent's skull, it shattered and his brain went everywhere, causing the fighting to stop. 

Another, Cain killed another student. 

Gasping, Cain put his hand over the skull he smashed and received the pathogens he used stealthily. The students' pathogens were taken at the start of the event, but Cain was a cautious person and anything could happen. 

He ended up storing his pathogens in his fat and would use them if anything happened. 

'The judges won't find out, I have multiple excuses I can use and John will defend me. Hehe, I did it! Time to finish the rest!'

Even in his state, Cain was a monster, all his men were stone besides a few. 

Like an animal, Cain decimated his enemies, his fists lost skin as he punched again and again, his fists were living weapons. 

He pushed the invaders out of the fort and continued outside. By this time morning was coming and everyone began to retreat, even if he was one, Cain disregarded his body and was far more skilled than everyone else. No one wished to die like the commander, fear overtook them. 

Seeing them run, Cain sighed. He removed all his pathogens from his body with discretion and returned to the tree fort.

His body was beginning to fail him, he was limping by the time he reached the command center. 

...

Ten minutes, 30 minutes, an hour, 2 hours, 5 hours.

Luna and company waited for hours in the room just as Cain commanded. The sun was in the sky, and they began to think the worst had happened.

The door opened, and Cain crawled in. He was a mess beyond words, his chest was caved in with his ribs protruding out. His fists revealed his bones and half his left shoulder was missing. 

Luna screamed, and tears ran down her face as she rushed to Cain.

"You're hurt. Here's your badge. Where's your badge?"

"Got rid of it... to keep fighting. Don't worry… painkillers." Cain threw up blood and began coughing as another message permeated through the swamp.

"Group 6 has held the fort! Cain held the main hall for hours on end, almost dying in the process! However! He overcame all enemies, causing them to retreat to preserve their troops! The winner of the team battle goes to team 6!"

Cain's team leaders were in awe. They were the last surviving members of their team and were the last defense Cain left in case he failed. 

He even gave the fort badge to Alex before he left.

After taking in what Cain did, they looked beyond the door to see a pile of stone. Teachers were still removing the petrified students, and there were still many to go.

Many teams were eliminated, including Luna's, since she was the member left.

At last, the announcer announced the winning teams...

"...those are all the winning teams. Can't wait to see the winners in the bracket fights, the 8 grade 2's!"

Then the announcer continued.

"On another note, students who did or attempted to break the school rules and Free City's laws of 'treatment' of fellow female students, shall report to a dean for expulsion or worse. Thank you."

'Of course, students would try to pull something like that…' Cain sneered in his head before shutting his eyes for some good rest.

Cain and his group were taken back to a temporary compound used by the school where Cain was put in critical condition and taken away by John and other doctors.