The crowd was still roaring long after the Blood Moon dimmed.
The announcement of the seven matchups had sent shockwaves through every faction—some celebrating, others whispering in disbelief.
But now… silence.
The thirty-minute break had begun.
The colosseum lights softened, the arena floor being reconstructed by automated platforms—resetting for the next phase.
Above, drones hovered quietly, their cameras watching every corner of the resting halls.
Kongu sat alone in the Enforcer prep room.
Gloves tightened.
He exhaled once, slow and steady.
The others from his faction had already spoken to him—some offering encouragement, others just nodding in quiet respect.
But he needed no words.
He stared at the cracked knuckles of his hands, then clenched them once more.
Strength is discipline, he reminded himself. And discipline is everything.
A few rooms away, Byte was sprawled upside down on a bench, humming to herself.
Her wings twitched lazily, her sonar pulsing faint waves through the metallic walls.
The sound bounced back to her like a heartbeat—soft, precise, alive.
"The Steel Gorilla, huh?" she whispered with a smirk.
She swung her legs down and stood, her crimson eyes glinting under the low light.
"You're making my heart throb."
Meanwhile, other contenders waited in silence.
Zame leaned against a pillar, sharp teeth flashing in the dim corridor.
Varga sat in a shadowed corner, silver eyes closed, head tilted as if listening to distant wind.
Falko stood nearby, wings folded tight. He didn't look at Varga—but his silence said enough.
Rin sat cross-legged, eyes closed. Not sleeping. Not breathing deeply.
Just still—like a blade waiting to be drawn.
Time passed.
The Blood Moon pulsed again overhead, its glow rippling across the dome.
Then, with a deep hum, the arena's floor began to shift—stone plates sliding into place, pillars rising, red dust swirling like smoke.
The silence broke.
"The wait is over."
The Semi-Final Phase of the Blood Moon Tournament begins now!"
The crowd erupted, voices thundering across the colosseum like an earthquake.
Every screen lit up with crimson light.
The Blood Moon flared brighter, bathing the battlefield in an ominous glow.
"Round One — Kongu versus Byte!"
A flare shot into the sky.
Two gates opened at opposite ends of the arena.
From the left, Kongu stepped out, the Enforcer insignia gleaming on his chest.
The crowd roared his name—"Steel Gorilla! Steel Gorilla!"
His eyes stayed forward. Focused. Calm.
From the right, Byte emerged, flipping once midair before landing lightly on her feet.
Her wings shimmered with faint red light, her grin sharp and teasing.
"Hmm… from up close you look even better," she said, stretching her arms.
"Will you make me happy?"
Kongu's tone was steady, unbothered.
"Sorry, I'm already taken," he said.
Byte chuckled, low and amused.
"Ohh, I love a faithful man."
"Combatants ready."
"Round One — Begin!"
Kongu exhaled slowly.
The veins across his arms flared as his muscles tightened, his body expanding.
His eyes darkened, breath deepening, the gorilla's instinct awakening beneath the surface.
The air itself seemed to bend around him — heavy, tense, alive.
He leaned forward, one hand brushing the ground.
Then he charged.
Every step hit like a tremor.
Dust erupted with his leap, shockwaves rolling through the stone floor as if the arena itself responded to his strength.
Byte's eyes widened.
"So he's serious from the start…" she murmured, wings spreading wide,
She clicked her tongue, unleashing a sonar pulse— her echolocation painting every crack of the arena in perfect clarity."
A grin curved her lips. "Perfect."
While dodging his attack, she laughed.
Kongu lunged again, closing the distance in a blur of power.
But nothing connected.
She moved like sound itself—untouchable.
Every punch missed by inches.
Her echolocation pulsed in rapid bursts, each click painting a perfect image of the battlefield in her mind.
She could hear the strain of his muscles, feel the vibration of his steps, even smell the faint copper in his sweat.
Every sense was a weapon.
Every breath a signal.
Kongu's fists cut through air, his movements growing heavier with each swing.
He wasn't slow—but against her, it looked that way.
Byte's laughter echoed through the arena, sharp and playful.
"Too predictable, darling!" she called out, twisting midair as a punch crashed into the ground where she'd been a heartbeat before.
Stone shattered. Dust erupted.
Kongu rose from the crater, unflinching.
But his eyes had changed.
Byte tilted her head, grin sharp.
"Now it's my turn."
In the blink of an eye, she darted toward him.
Kongu swung for a counter, but she twisted midair, evading the blow.
With a sharp pivot, she sank her fangs into his neck, then raked her wing-claws across his chest, shoulder and legs in a single, fluid motion.
Kongu drops to his knees.
Byte hovered in front of him, wings beating faintly in the haze.
Blood streaked across her claws,
"Hmm… I thought you'd be better than this," she said, voice dripping with mock disappointment.
"You're starting to bore me, Enforcer. You actually disappointed me."
Kongu stood up slowly, as dust slipped from his shoulders.
His tone stayed low—but his eyes burned with something different now.
"This ain't over yet."
Byte's grin widened. "Good. I'd hate for it to end too soon."
She shot forward again, a blur of red wings and motion.
Her claws slashed across his hips, arms, and ribs—each cut shallow but fast.
Her fangs grazed his chest and shoulder in passing bites, carving patterns of pain before vanishing again.
But this time, Kongu didn't swing blindly.
He waited.
She came close—too close—
and that's when he roared.
The sound tore through the arena like an earthquake.
A raw, thunderous bellow that rattled the air itself.
Byte flinched mid-flight, her wings faltering, her sonar pulse collapsing under the wave of noise.
For an instant—she couldn't see.
Kongu's fist moved like a meteor.
The hit landed square on her face.
The impact echoed through the entire colosseum.
Byte was thrown back, skidding across the shattered floor before tumbling to a stop.
The crowd erupted—half in shock, half in awe.
Byte tried to push herself up, but her arms trembled.
Blood trickled from her face as her wings twitched against the cracked stone.
The hit had been too strong.
Her voice came out shaky, disbelieving.
"Why… how is this even possible?"
Her eyes darted up at him, wide with frustration.
"How could you hit me? You shouldn't have been able to even touch me!"
Kongu stopped a few steps away, his breathing steady but heavy.
He looked down at her—not mocking, not gloating, just calm.
"You rely on sound," he said. "You see through it."
He flexed his hand once, the echo of his own roar still vibrating in the air.
"You read my movements by listening—my footsteps, my breath and my muscle tension."
He took a slow step forward.
"But all I had to do… was make a bigger sound."
Byte blinked, stunned.
Kongu's eyes narrowed.
"If I drown out your world, you can't predict mine."
He took another step closer.
Byte tried to rise again, wings trembling, her breathing ragged.
Kongu stopped in front of her, shadow falling over her form.
"It's a good little trick," he said quietly. "Impressive, even…"
He drew back his fist, muscles tightening with quiet control.
"…but once you understand it—"
He struck.
The punch landed clean across her jaw, the sound echoing like thunder.
The impact shattered the ground beneath her and sent a shockwave rippling through the arena.
Kongu stood over her fallen body, exhaling once through his nose.
"—it's easy to beat."
Silence filled the colosseum.
Then the crowd erupted, their roar shaking the very air.
"Winner — Kongu, The Steel Gorilla!"
The announcer's voice thundered over the cheers as Byte lay unconscious, her wings twitching faintly in the dust.
Zame sat in the shadows, arms crossed, a grin slicing across his face.
"Took you long enough," he muttered.
Varga, watching from the Drifters' viewing area, arms folded, expression unreadable.
"Expected result," he said flatly. "There was only ever one outcome."
Round One was over.
Kongu turned away from her, calm as ever.
Another step closer to victory.
© 2025 Moku. All rights reserved. INSTINCTBOUND is an original work by Moku. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution is prohibited.