Tengoku e no Hangyaku - Rebellion against Heaven (english version)

Chapter 2: Tournament of the Damned

Once I've had that strange interaction with that guy called death, because according to me in all the manga I read, I thought death was going to do something more terrifying, leaving that aside I've been thinking for several minutes and I've come to a small conclusion, if I'm not in paradise or hell, the only thing that separates me from those two things is limbo.

Chaos was the only order in Limbo. Ryuusei opened his eyes and found himself surrounded by hundreds or thousands of lost souls, all with the same look of confusion and fear as him. Voices echoed around him, cries of despair and screams of anger. However, in the center of it all, one figure stood tall with a mocking smile on his face: Death.

-Welcome, misguided souls," said the hooded figure in a deep, mocking voice. Congratulations, you are dead. But don't worry, all is not lost. Today you have a chance to be reborn.

A shiver ran down Ryuusei's back. For a moment, he thought he was dreaming, but the pain in his body reminded him that what had happened was real. The earthquake, the screams, his own blood....

-What the hell are you talking about? What is this place? Where the fuck are we?" shouted several men beside him, but before they could say anything else, Death snapped his fingers, and the men collapsed to the ground as if their souls had been ripped from their bodies.

-Interruptions will not be tolerated," said Death with disinterest. Now, pay attention, because I will not repeat the rules.

Ryuusei gulped. The atmosphere grew thicker, and a sense of despair pervaded the air.

-This is a tournament," Death continued. A tournament to decide which of you deserves to return to the world of the living. But make no mistake... It will not be easy.

The darkness around them stirred and five rules appeared floating in the air, written in a language that, somehow, everyone could understand:

limbo Tournament Rules:

Only five people will be allowed to come out alive. The rest... will disappear forever.

Weapons will be limited to medieval tools. No firearms or explosives.

No allies, only enemies. Betrayal will be part of the game.

The pain you feel here will be as real as in the world of the living. Dying hurts, and you will do it again and again if necessary.

Only those with a true will to live will be able to move forward.

Ryuusei felt a chill. Each of those rules was a death sentence in disguise.

-So... a massacre," he muttered with a nervous smile.

Death clapped his hands enthusiastically.

-Exactly! And without further ado... Let the tournament begin!

The ground beneath his feet vanished, and Ryuusei felt his body fall into an endless abyss. The screams of the other competitors mingled with his own as they descended into an arena shrouded in shadows.

Ryuusei struggled to his feet, his body numb from the impact. All around him, the arena was divided into different sections, with medieval weapons strewn across the floor. Swords, spears, axes, daggers... everything needed for the carnage that was about to begin.

It wasn't long before the first scream of agony echoed in the air.

-MY ARM, DAMN IT, MY ARM!

A man fell to his knees, desperately clutching the bloody stump where an arm had once been. His assailant, a young man with a spear, did not stop. With one brutal movement, he pierced his throat, drowning his scream in a gush of blood.

-Fuck... this isn't a tournament... it's a slaughterhouse," Ryuusei muttered, backing away as he dodged a man with a broken sword.

-AAAAHHH, MY LEG, NO, NO, NO, NOOOO! -shouted another person, crawling on the ground as blood gushed from his thigh.

Ryuusei took a deep breath and reached for a weapon. He couldn't stand still or he would be the next to fall.

As he advanced, a flash caught his attention. A small figure trembled behind a pile of corpses, hugging her knees. It was a girl.

-Huh? -He frowned and approached cautiously.

The little girl looked up and her large crimson eyes stared at him. Her silver hair was dirty and tangled, and her torn dress showed several wounds on her pale skin.

-What the hell is a girl doing here...? -Ryuusei whispered.

-... Aiko... -muttered the girl in a trembling voice.

Ryuusei sighed. He didn't have time to play babysitter, but leaving her there meant her certain death.

-"Look, I don't know who you are or how you ended up here, but if you want to live, you'd better come with me," he said, holding out his hand.

Aiko hesitated for a moment, but finally took it.

-Good, now let's go to-

-HAHAHAHA! MORE, MORE BLOOD! -A man covered in wounds and with a demented grin ran towards them with an axe held high.

-Fuck! -Ryuusei pushed Aiko and lunged towards a shield on the ground.

The axe landed with a brutal impact, and blood splattered her face. But it wasn't her blood...

The man stared in shock at his own torso. A blade pierced his chest, and behind him, a young man with black hair and a bloody katana pushed him effortlessly.

-Don't be overconfident," said the newcomer with a cold expression.

-Ryuusei smiled.

-And who the hell are you? My savior?

The young man was silent for a moment before answering.

-Daichi. Daichi Mokuren. And it seems we are allies now.

Ryuusei let out a dry laugh.

-Tsk... how cliché.

Soon, two other individuals approached. A tall silver-haired man carrying a large halberd and a woman with daggers in both hands.

-If we want to get out of here, we'd better join forces," said the man in a serious voice.

Ryuusei sighed and looked at Aiko, who was holding his sleeve tightly.

-Five people, huh? Well... I guess it's not bad to start with.

From afar Death as he watched as thousands of people killed each other just to pathetically return to the world of the living, but he noticed something strange 5 individuals making group, not to mention that he had already mentioned the rules.

"Oh, how interesting... alliances in my death tournament. Let's see how long they last before stabbing each other in the back."

The tournament wasn't over yet, but the real slaughter was just beginning.