Colosseum of Nightmare (2)

"The second contestant, step forward."

The words held no shred of mercy as another youth was pushed forward.

"Hi!" the youth gasped. He wore a black t-shirt and silver pajamas. An odd outfit but right now, this was the least aspect about him any of the contestants cared about.

While the remaining 14 contestants were still bound by a strange force, the 15th one looked back with a desperate expression.

Just like the rest, he was young. Shaggy brown hair and bearded chin. But seeing that the remaining contestants were as helplessly as him, the youth looked towards the other entrance and hurriedly pulled his hand into his pajamas across his left side and pulled out a blue-tinted dagger with a brown handle. The blade of the dagger was jagged as if teeth of a beast and its tip was curved loosely, making its tip quite useless in Reed's eyes.

'A dagger? Does the weapon change based on the contestant?' Reed gulped.

'What if someone has a grenade? A bazooka?'

But a bazooka was clearly impossible. Where would they hide it? After all, Reed hadn't seen any bazookas.

"Whatever! I'll kill anyone who comes out! Shit! Shit!" The youth screamed as he positioned the dagger in front of him.

'What did the girl get previous to him? There's another strange thing... nails seem to be the weakness of these demonic entities. The last one... wait a minute. The demon easily ate the girl's foot.' Even though Reed didn't want to remember what he had seen previously, he still had to get some clues and much to his frustration, he could only conclude that the girl's nails were special.

"Fuck! Just let me go home! My father is a part of Warlock's Conclave! He'll give you anything—"

*Splat*

The youth's head exploded at this moment.

Just like the last test, his body continued to stand in its previous stance but the eyes of every contestant, including the blue-haired youth, looked unnerved and fearful.

"No bragging. :)"

The words and the emoticon were simple.

"The third contestant, step forward."

Meanwhile, the body of the brown-haired youth disappeared in motes of soft glow.

A blonde youth stepped forward. A green butterfly knife in his hands as he played with the tool with what seemed like professional expertise. His clothes were slightly washed out and his shoes were in absolute tatters.

"I am not bragging," the youth began calmly while gazing at the bloodstains of the previous victims.

"But I am an orphan. I've never had a foster family and I've never cared for anyone so if that's the game, I should be exempted from it."

Everyone blinked in surprise while Reed's eyes glowed slightly. If that's the case, then for a shut-in like him, the most important individual is actually himself.

'Let's not get our hopes too high,' Reed thought to himself, controlling his excitement.

But the words on the screen did not change despite the youth's confidence.

"Meaow!"

A feline shriek echoed from the other entrance and the youth's expression changed finally.

Slow steps echoed from the dark entrance as if it was connected to a demonic realm. Just the sight of the dark entrance would send shivers down the spine of the contestants while they felt a chill on the back of their necks. Despite all this, they had to gaze at the deep hellhole.

"Hiiiii~!"

A strange whisper suddenly blew alongside the feline yowling. Reed could feel the whisper right next to him as if someone was blowing against his neck. A fishy scent entered his nostrils and his body trembled. Hurriedly glancing sideways, Reed found nothing but the equally terrified muscular youth but Reed was sure that someone tapped his shoulder.

Even the blonde youth's expression grew worse by the second and finally, the opponent emerged from the dark end.

Covered in dark-green scales from head to toe, the monster looked like a reptilian human. The piercing yellow eyes, the padded, soft torso, and cruel claws. The monster was taller than all of the contestants and in its claws was a feral cat.

The fur on the cut looked uncouth and it was obvious that the stray animal needed maintenance.

Much to Reed's shock, the blonde youth screamed.

"Let go of him!" He growled.

'Last time, the mother herself was a monster... this time, the screen cannot play the same trick. If so, then this really is Puchi!" the gears in youth's turned and twisted as he rushed towards the monster.

He flicked his knife and revealed the cold blade hidden by the untame handle. Meanwhile, the lizard-headed monster grinned. The rows of sharp teeth that looked like saw parted and the brown-furred cat was brought closer to its mouth. There was no doubt in the contestant's mind that the cat would be swallowed whole if he wasn't quick enough.

It didn't even take the youth more than ten seconds to cover the distance. His hand clenching the knife while the monster seemed to relish the fear in the cat's screeches.

"Fucker!" The blonde youth growled, instantly pouncing and stabbing at the defenseless chest of the monster and much to the youth's surprise, his knife easily slid into the thick, padded chest of the lizard monster.

'Oh... no...' Reed's eyelids twitched. Just as he would think that this place couldn't be more horrifying, the entity named 'Miracle' would go above and beyond.

Everyone's breathing slowed down as the once defenseless cat turned into the giant lizard demon.

The youth seemed to have figured out the situation himself as he hurriedly twisted his body, swinging his knife back, but all was lost the moment as the youth found a dark pit facing him.

'What the—'

*Chomp*

*Spurt*

A terrifying spread of teeth bit the youth's head off easily while his neck instantly gushed with blood.

*Grch*

*Chhk*

*Krrk*

The sound of crushing bones, torn muscles, and claws inadvertently smacking against the pool of blood still filled Reed's heart with terror. He had more deaths in a day than he heard about anyone close to him dying in his entire life. Yet, the sight of it did not make it any easier for him.

But he could only move his pupils and glance slightly away towards the youth's bloodied knife. Reed had a suspicion and as the knife slowly disappeared in small motes of light, he felt that he had discovered, at least, one clue.

The possible enhancements and gifts cannot be devoured by the demons.