Maia stared at the seemingly endless walls of stone surrounding the eight of them. Marvyll and Magnus had both planned to not bring any rebels along with the nuance that it'll be faster and easier for just the eight of them. While they had sent off Lyn and Lancelot back to H City, Marvyll had worked overnight to dismantle every landmine and trap while they waited at the edge of Lithuinia's forest.
"Hey you okay?"
Maia looked back and saw that Damian was staring at her. She nodded, her gaze instantly locking in on the gun slinging on his back. Each one of them took some weapons from Fleur City's armory before going.
"Just that this isn't a tunnel"
Maia wordlessly breathed out as her sight revealed what she had never imagined in her whole life.
"No, it's a labyrinth"
Makoto finished for her as they stared at the stone walls covered with briars and brick path that was being hidden underneath moss. Their gazes went to Marvyll who was standing proudly beside Maki and Magnus.
"I never said it was a tunnel"
"You never corrected me either"
Magnus let out a soft sigh as he shook his head at his sister. Marvyll just grinned before her arms went around Maki's shoulders pulling him as she walked first and into the labyrinth.
"This labyrinth naturally has four entrances and four exits. The western entrance is the one we just came in. While the eastern entrance is located in Sakura City. The northern one in the Capital and the southern one leads us directly to Cujo Village"
"I've never seen a labyrinth entrance in Sakura City"
Maddox stated as he, Magnus and Maddin followed behind Marvyll and Maki.
"Well its underground and frankly this labyrinth is old enough that not even the Westerners know about it"
"The government isn't aware of it?"
Marvyll shook her head as she fished out her flashlight and began walking once more. The labyrinths' entrance was guided with small patches of light coming aboveground right below the tree's roots. But once you go deeper in the light disappears.
"I for one am sure that the government isn't aware of it. I spent some days invisible to catch intel from them to know that this labyrinth never came up in any of their reports"
"Have you used all the four entrances?"
Makoto asked to which Marvyll nodded.
"I used the entrance underneath Sakura City to get to the Front House faster. Used the one in the Capital for resources and weapons just like Kuya said and used the one in Cujo Village just to see where it led me."
"If Kuya Percy had known about this passageway then maybe—"
Maki trailed off but was cut off when Maia had said.
"It's a good thing he didn't"
It caught everyone's attention but Maia had continued.
"If he did then we wouldn't be able to use this passage anymore. If the government catches wind of this then we won't have any means to march quietly into the Capital"
For when the real war starts this labyrinth will be one of their trump cards. Something they can use to launch an attack at the Capital and everyone understood the notion.
"Won't we get lost here though?"
Maddox asked as he stared at the never changing walls and path.
"Who do you think is leading you Kuya huh? Have a little faith"
Marvyll laughingly exclaims as she turns right.
***
Percy was dying today, and honestly he wouldn't mind it if it meant that Maia and everyone else wouldn't have to rescue him anymore. But being tied to a post under a scorching sun while his bare back was full of open wounds was not on his wishlist.
He tried to look up just to see his surroundings but immediately squinted it as the sun stung him. He fluttered them open a little more slowly this time and immediately wished he hadn't.
Because surrounding him were the bodies of his soldiers. The ones that were captured alongside him. The whole two platoons he came with from The Pentagon. Their rotting bodies were encircling the platform where his post was tied to. Some had their heads cut off and dumped on top of their bodies.
Worms wriggle their way out of the bodies and it made Percy sick.
"They kept their mouths shut about the Pentagon. That's why they're dead"
Percy looked up and beyond the pile of dead bodies encircling him stood a white-haired woman with a general cap, she was wearing the exact same clothes as Achlys. Her eyes the shade of blood as she stared at Percy. Another general. but unlike Achlys this one seemed to be disgusted at his state. The white haired woman clicked her tongue before her eyes darted from Percy's face to his body.
"She really likes messing up someone else's body. If these games don't kill you. That scorching sun searing through your open and infected wounds will"
"Who?"
Percy breathed out but the woman only stared at him.
"You won't die here Percival Di Alonte. Remember that"
Di Alonte? Percy gasped as he tried to call out to the woman who was walking away from him now but the words caught on his throat. He coughed as he felt the dryness and lack of hydration in it. But his eyes never strayed on the stranger as she walked back to the buildings.
Percy's lashes quivered slightly as a tremble shook his body. His last name. The stranger had uttered his last name. The last name that the government took from him and everybody else. He had almost forgotten what it was until the stranger had uttered it. And he won't die? Does this mean he'll be tortured more?
He bit his lower lip to block out the impending screams of frustration and pain. He'd rather die here and now than be tortured again.
"Mic check. Sound test. Hello citizens of Boa Kingdom"
The sound of a finger tapping a microphone echoed and boomed all throughout Cujo Village.
It was starting and Percy was witnessing what may be the worst torture of all.
"Our 7th year tournament is now commencing. Now I will be please to show you our players for this year's special tournament"
On cue four platforms arose, each one with a distance of at least 3 kilometers from where Percy was bound but he could see it. The platforms carry at least a dozen men and women chained together.
"Since this year is a special tournament, we have 48 players with us and the rules are simple. Be the victor, the only one remaining alive."
Percy's eyes widened as the unknown announcer's voice echoed and he could see the faces of the bound men and women being gripped with fear.
"As you can see you are bound by chains, we won't unbind you, instead you'll play with the ones you are bound with. It is up to you if you want to kill them first and drag their body along with the rest of the group or form a mutiny and devour the other group first."
A lesson. A rebellion. One group after the other. The government was sick for making them play a tournament like this and they know it. This was deliberate. To show everyone that whoever stands against the government would suffer the same fate.
"And lastly for the fun part. We have a special participant tied to a post at the center. The last standing person shall kill that special one to gain total victory. And don't worry he won't bite"
As if on cue like a game show, a ring of fire circled Percy's platform burning his comrade's corpses. The stench of burning flesh stuck to his throat making him cough and his eyes water. But he might as well just say he was crying.
For when the buzzer had sounded, he watched as one group of chained women and men went after another group, and started killing them with their bare hands.
Percy wanted to shout, to ask for help, to tell them to stop because this was exactly what the government had wanted. His tears trickled down as screams and shouts coincided with the canon warning them of the number of deaths.
Be brave and don't die. Don't cry, don't waste your energy doing so, you could cry after you win this.
Suddenly the words he had uttered and signed to Maia when her tournament started came back to him. But Maia wasn't bound and helpless as she watched her classmates kill one another. No, she fought and that's why he couldn't just wait and be killed.
The rope tying his hands was thick but that didn't mean he couldn't try. Even if his wrists break he would try, not just for his sake but for his comrades and everyone waiting for him in the Pentagon.
Amidst the chaos ensuing, he tugged on the rope and tried to pull his hand hard making him groan loudly as the lashes in his back began to open wider.
"Stop moving"
Percy stopped when a soft voice rang through his ear. Before he could utter another word, he felt something sharp scrape through the rope binding him.
"Who?"
He breathed once more. But the sound of scrapping was the only thing he heard aside from the screams and shout of the rebels.
"Don't ask any questions, just trust me. Just nod as an answer. Can you run?"
Percy wanted to nod, to say yes to the invisible person helping him but he shook his head. No matter how much he wanted to say yes, he knew he wouldn't be able to.
"She whipped your legs too. Shit. Plan B"
He didn't know what was happening, only that the soft voice belonged to a female and that his ropes were gonna be undone any second now.
"We only have a three second window to jump out of this platform, so I need you to gather every last strength you have and jump, okay? Your legs will heal but we'll die if we don't jump"
Percy only nodded. Not like he had any other choice. It was either he trusted the invisible stranger or he died like a mutt tied to a post.
"We count now"
Percy opened his eyes and felt the rope snap from its place. He mustered every strength he had and jumped out of the platform just in time for it to explode.
The debris scattered and Percy felt another body protecting his back from the debris and fire. His ears rang as his eyes glanced back to what was previously his death bed. He couldn't hear anything but the silhouette coming out of the smoke made him tear up.
Long white hair and bright ruby eyes shining as the light hit it. Cladded in only a brown shirt and black pants she strode out of the smoke and pulled out the large bazooka she had on her back. Before Percy could utter another word, Maia had aimed the bazooka upward, into the sky, and pulled the trigger.
A large boom sounded in the sky as the shrapnels of the once barrier scattered mid air and fell on the ground. What was once a place surrounded by light and scorching sun had turned into hues of orange and black.
Twilight. While the barrier for the tournament arena had depicted morning in reality it was already twilight, a tiny moment before everything turns dark.
And at that moment, Percy scanned the area as the alarm blared but the brown haired woman standing before him made him freeze. He hadn't seen anyone come near him since he had jumped from the platform. She turned her head when she felt Percy's gaze and Percy almost cursed when those feline eyes looked at him.
"Mutant"
He breathed but Marvyll only smiled at him.
"It's nice to meet you too, cousin."
Percy stiffened when he recognized the voice. It was the voice of the invisible girl who had helped her just moments earlier. And cousin? His eyes darted from Marvyll to Maia who was just standing in the middle of the arena.
"Marv, we got them, we can go now"
Percy almost jumped when Maddox appeared and knelt beside him.
"Oh look he does look like Maia if she still had her black hair"
"Kuya be gentle. It looks like they whipped him up pretty good"
"I'll handle it"
"Wait, you're Maia's siblings?"
Percy muttered as the blonde guy assisted him to stand up. His one arm planted across his waist while the other one was on Maddox's shoulders. Maddox nodded at him.
"And your cousin. Nice to meet you Percy, I'm older than you btw"
Maddox teased which made Marvyll roll her cat-like eyes.
"Ate, ask him about Via"
Marvyll stopped and stared at Maia who was still standing in the middle of the chaos before her attention whipped back to Percy.
"Maia's asking about someone named Via. Where is she?"
Percy froze as his eyes went from Marvyll to Maia who hadn't even gazed at his direction. His throat still dried, managed to let out a hoarse sound as he said.
"Dead"
Maia didn't need Marvyll to convey what the answer was when he heard that one word from Percy.
"Go then, Kuya, Makoto and Damian had released the other rebels. They're gonna use the forest"
"Alright be careful, little sister"
"I will"
Maia's gaze roamed throughout the entire arena. She had counted atleast half of the rebels' bodies on the ground. But she knew there were more. Because she saw what circled Percy's platform earlier and the stench remaining in the air reminded her very much of the Front House.
In her chest, the heart beating wildly was enough for her to know that she was alive, and that the Government needed to pay for everything they had done to her, her family and the whole country.
She knew that the soldiers along with Chaos and his generals were underground preparing to go up and seize her. She could hear their voices and she wouldn't let them lay their hands on her once again.
So, she aimed a flare gun upward and fired it. Red colored the night sky as she stared at the broadcasting camera still intact in the buildings.
"My name is Maia Di Alonte. The one who blew up the previous arena and the one who blew up the current one. And this is my declaration of war"
A message. Loud and clear. To their enemies. To their allies. And to the whole country who is waiting for their freedom. And for the people who believed and will believe.
As Maia covered Cujo Village with a blinding golden aura that made everyone hold their breath.