“Finally. The moment I’ve been waiting for,” Haru said, savoring every word. “And lucky you, Akiko—you get front-row seats.”
The scuff of boots grew louder until the heavy door swung open. Two Chopmen entered, dragging something between them.
At first, I couldn’t make sense of the shape. A body, slack, head lolling, feet scraping across the stone. Then the torchlight caught his face, and my breath caught with it.
Jiro!
Blood covered his face, and swelling forced an eye shut. His arms hung limp, and his shirt was torn—he looked less like the man I knew and more like a carcass.
The Chopmen hauled him into the center of the room and let him fall. He hit the stone with a sickening thud, a groan escaping his lips. Chains rattled as they secured him to the table in the center of the room for all of us to see.
For a while no one said a word. Shock seemed to be the roadblock until Haru’s voice slithered through the silence.
“There’s your heroic boyfriend. Not so badass after all.”
I couldn’t tear my eyes from Jiro. He lifted his head, just barely, his good eye finding mine.
The Chopmen stepped aside, and another figure strode in. I recognized him immediately—Sana. His stride was calm, measured, his expression stone.
“This is what happens to cheaters,” he said, his voice carrying through the room. “Remember it well.”
His gaze locked on me. A cruel smirk spread across his face.
“Let it be known. Akiko Ono cheated her way through the challenges. She had help from this man, feeding her insider information. But what’s even worse, she never intended to share it with you—never once thought to pass on the knowledge that might have saved you when your turn came.”
From the other side of the wall, I could feel Haru’s giddiness bleeding through the silence. He didn’t need to speak; I knew he was savoring this. I could practically hear him foaming at the mouth.
Sana walked up to my cell, his eyes drilling into me with the same hatred I’d seen during our apprenticeship. He hadn’t changed. If anything, his position as a Chopman had only magnified that part of him.
“Akiko,” he whispered, eyes burning into mine. “Enjoy your past triumphs while you can. They’ll be the last you ever taste.”
He spun on his heel and walked out, the other Chopmen falling in behind him, leaving Jiro chained to the table, broken and on display.
53
“Jiro!” I called out.
He waved off my concern. “I’m fine. Those coward Chopmen couldn’t land a decent blow even if they tried.”
“Why did they do this? What cheating is he talking about?”
Jiro groaned as he forced himself up to sit on the chair next to the table. His chest rose with the effort, and he leaned back against the table for a moment.
“It doesn’t matter now. What’s important is that you keep surviving what Nokoribi throws your way. Remember what I told you.”
“Hey, what about the rest of us?” Haru said. “Don’t pretend we don’t exist.”
Jiro flicked his head toward Haru. “To me, you don’t.”
“I knew it. I knew you two were scheming bastards. Only looking out for yourselves.” Haru turned his glare on Kai and Daiki, his voice rising. “Remember when I told you Akiko wasn’t the innocent little thing you thought she was? Her talk about us banding together… hmph. Seems that only mattered when it served her.”
“That’s not true,” I said firmly. “I do care about you. I don’t want to see anyone here die—even you, Haru.”
Kai spoke up. “Haru, what you’re saying isn’t fair. Right before my Soemono, Akiko gave me advice. She told me how to block blows with my shield, even turn it into a weapon. And I know if the situation were reversed—if I was the one being beaten down—Akiko would’ve jumped in to save me.”
“How do you know she isn’t feeding you scraps?” Haru shot back. “How can we be sure she isn’t holding back, keeping the real secrets to herself?”
“Enough! Everything I told her was for the Blade challenge, which none of you are part of.”
