A/N: Warlords Wrath Online is going all Hunger Games. The 25th floor is a full-on Death Floor, where 25 players are going to fight each other to the death. With only one player remaining. Lightning's a tough soldier and an elite player. But can she really overcome the challenge where her only reward is her own life?


AUGUST 27TH, 2023. FLOOR 24, HAILIN.

'You are invited to a free-for-all PVP battle on the 25th floor. Where you and 24 other players are to fight each other to the death until only one player remains.

Rules are simple:

Inventory Access is unavailable and all item use such as potions and foods are forbidden. Player skills and level will be scaled to even the playing field. Out-of-Combat Health Regeneration is disabled. Players will automatically have nearly-mastered skills in Cooking, Tracking, Hearing, Sight, and Crafting. The longer the fight becomes or the fewer players remain, the tougher the arena becomes, eventually forcing players to engage in battle with each other.

In the center, there will be supplies, and items scattered throughout the field to aid in your survival. But make sure you sort through your equipment before entering the field of death. For your greatest key of survival is both your armor and weapons.

Have fun, good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor.'

That is everything the invitation has said that I have received. Me and 24 other Swordsman. I honestly have no idea who else I'll be facing, but I am glad Asuna or Noel isn't among them. It'll make doing this challenge less painful.

Now I think about it, I wonder if there are any Player Killers out there who will be joining this event. You'd think they would be the only ones to be invited since it's literally what they do.

This whole thing gets my blood boiling. We're already trapped in this death game. Fearing of dying in the real world when we die in this one. Psycho criminals taking advantage of the system to do 'Legal' killing. And now, the creator, the master, the true monster and enemy of this whole world, is forcing us, even if it's a small number among the remaining activate players, to kill each other.

Me. Taking away an innocent life of a scared player.

But I don't plan to kill. This whole time, I'm just gonna hide and wait out. When I engage another player, I'll only fight until they are yellow or red and make my escape.

But if it ever comes to a time when it's just me and one other remaining player, I will have no other choice.

I pray that decision never comes.

15 minutes to midnight. Only 15 minutes left before I am teleported to the next floor. Several of my friends, including Hope, worry about me. Some even try to convince me to not do this, which in truth I really don't have any other choice, or commit suicide.

But I'm better than that. Even Hope knows it. If Serah were here, she would too. I know it.

Nighttime takes the artificial skies above. Even though it's all a fake illusion and the sky is really just the bottom of the floor above, I can't help but look at this beautiful night of darkness.

I'm right now sitting on the town wall. It's all quiet and alone. Normally, I'd enjoy this kind of moment, but it's hard to do so when death awaits me from above.

I am alone until Kirito arrives. He sits right next to me. We were both silents for a moment, almost as if we're completely unaware of each other.

Then he breaks the silence. "You doing okay?"

I take a deep breath before answering. "Honestly, I'm not sure. I'm feeling uncomfortable being forced to do this."

"I can understand how you feel, but it's not like you're doing this by your own choice or will," Kirito says.

"But I'd still be taking innocent lives! Even if it is just one." I tell him. "As a Sanctum Officer, I am not okay with this." Kirito doesn't say anything. It's like he cannot find the right words for this. I soon realized I may have sounded a bit too aggressive. I just sigh. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

"It's fine, I get it," Kirito says. "So, what is your plan? Since you're not going full PVP."

"I refuse to let them force me to change. To become one of them." I say. "I have already seen and done things when I joined Laughing Coffin...even if I did join blindly." Kirito is silent, pretty much still waiting for my answer to what it is I have planned for my time in the PVP Arena. I finally stand. "I will fight...but I'll do it in a way to ensure they will have no control over me."

Kirito smiles right at me, even though he probably has no idea what I'm talking about.

5 minutes left.

I'm at the center of the town. All of my friends and allies of the guilds and the Assault Team are gathered around here for my departure. Asuna and Kirito wish me the best of luck out there. Snow's silly little NORA gang is pretty confident that I will be the victor. For once, I'm actually comforted by their foolish behavior. Rokel hopes I'll make it out alive, but I remind him to now have doubts for a Sanctum Soldier. But at least he has Silica to keep him company.

Then came Hope. He stands right in front. He seems really nervous. "Um..." He looks down as he folds his hands. "Listen...I just...I really hope you will..."

I just smile as I put my hands on his shoulders. "Don't worry. I don't plan on going down that easily."

"I-I know...it's just...I've already lost my family." He looks right up. "I just don't want to lose you too."

I understand Hope's pain. I low myself to his level and embrace him in my arms. I can feel him hugging me back. "I promised that I will keep you safe."

"I know," Hope says.

After our hug, the announcement goes on warning the 25 players it's 1 minute to midnight.

I step back, everyone still stands in front, waiting for my departure to happen.

By the time the teleportation activates, the last thing I see before my vision is blurred by the blinding light is hands waving me goodbye.

But this is not goodbye.

I will see them soon.


FLOOR 25, BATTLEGROUND.

I find myself appearing in a dark room. I feel my way around. The room is small. Like I'm trapped inside a box. The only light in this room is the countdown timer that shines right above what appears to be the doors. The very gates of Hell.

45 seconds.

While waiting, I look at my menu. Get a view of my gear and stats.

It's exactly as the note says. I'm set at level 125, and my gear is adjusted to that level. I'm weaker. I assume every other player on this battle is going to be the same. Equal level. Equal gear. Equal health. Equal strength.

I draw out my Gunblade, looking down on it. Ever since I've entered this death game, I was determined to become the strongest player. To protect everyone and clear this death game. Now everyone will be at an equal level. I'm not one to pray against the weak, but I'll now be facing 24 other players that are the same as me.

In this battle, I will have to rely only on my Soldier instincts.

'10. 9. 8.'

I put away my Gunblade. Position myself to sprint with all my speed.

'7. 6. 5.'

I remember what the information said: 'There will be items scattered throughout the field to aid on your survival.'

'4. 3.'

I will outsmart my opponents. I will fight while still being me. And I will be the victor.

'2. 1.'

GO!

The doors open, revealing a blinding bright light, but that doesn't stop me when I sprint out of my imprisonment into the world of Hell.

The world around me is a huge wilderness. Trees, bushes, rays of sun shining through the leaves. Going on for as long as the eye can see. It's been a while since I've seen a forest-like floor.

The first thing I need to do is find some supplies. Food. Water. Maybe some wood. I'll have to keep my skill set to see what I'm set for. I wonder all around the open field. Searching for any enemy players or any supplies for my survival.

I search around the fields. I found a river, the water is clean, just need a canister to drink. I focus on heading to the center.

Supplies will be there, and I have to be quick. The other 24 players will be there, and I know in my experience of field combat it's going to be a bloodbath.

With all my speed, I made it to the center. The place is empty of players. Supplies seem untouched. Each of them is about 25 backpacks. No doubt one for each of us. I must not waste time. It's only a matter of time before they come...

And come they do.

I feel a sharp sting on her shoulder, and I've lost 2% of my HP. I look to where the pain is at, only to find a knife on my shoulder. Then there's a yell. Another Swordsman, a male player, comes rushing towards me. He has his two-handed sword drawn back.

I acted quickly and grow out my Gunblade to fight back. I block his first strike. The impact is pretty hard, my knees bent nearly on my knees. I repel the sword and deliver two swift strikes on the chest. The swordsman staggers back, his HP entered the late yellow zone. With him distracted, I resume running to the supplies.

I don't bother being picky, so I just grab the nearest pack as I run and make my escape. That's when more enemy players came and block my path. I defend myself against them. In a group this big, I'm not the only one each of them is targeting.

A Free-for-all match.

The more players that came, the worse battle becomes.

That use the chaos to my advantage and manage an escape. In that war on the battlefield, I've already lost 20%. of my Health, and all for a pack of survival supplies.

I run for what felt like half an hour, but I'm sure it's only been a few minutes. I still put quite a distance between me and the other players. I stop my pace. I look back to see if anyone else has followed me. All seems clear. I'm all alone.

I look at my health bar, it hasn't moved. Still at the remaining 80%. Kayaba is right about one thing: There's no outside-combat health regeneration. I'm now on my knees, looking through the supplies on my bag.

Some food, mostly meats.

A jacket, looks like it's meant for cold nights.

A sleeping bag.

Canister, just what I hoped.

A torch, no idea what for.

I continue to search until I'm on alert when I hear a cannon sound. It sounds like it came from a distance. No harm comes, which surprises me. But not as much as continuing to hear the shots go on.

After the 5th shot, I started counting.

I start whispering the count. "6...7...8...9...10...11...12...13..."

The cannon fires stopped. 13 shots. Cannon fires, 13 shots in a row. What does it all mean?

I can't waste my time in one place. I gather my supplies and move with all my speed. The bloodbath in the center of the field is probably over by now. Any remaining players will come to hunt down the rest of us, including me.

I lay low for most of the day. I let the other players have their bloodthirsty feud. I resume to let that monster of a Game Master change who I am. Become one of them. Because anything like the red guilds like Laughing Coffin. I don't see any players come within my sight range, but those I do, I stay in the shadows, my weapon ready in case they have spotted me.

Nothing comes my way so far. Over time, I hear more cannon sounds. So far, there's only a total of 15. I still wonder what it could mean. I doubt it's anything the other players could do.


Nighttime has come. After I hunting down some critters in this world, I start cooking myself some dinner. One good thing about this event is that I have the cooking skills of a nearly mastered chef. I've never been a good cook in the real world, other than cooking up a mean Behemoth Steak. My sister, and sometimes Hope, does all the cooking.

As soon as I'm done cooking, I don't stick around. I quickly put out the fire and then run and walk while eating. Fire makes smoke, and the smoke will signal other players to my location.

I'm no fool. I won't be inviting players to my death wish.

I roll over on where I'm gonna sleep. On the open field is out of the question. Bushes don't seem like the best option. There aren't any caves nearby. I look up to the trees. That's one option, but they may look up and spot me. I think deeply about this. I know I have a sleeping bag. The color is mostly black, so at least it'll blend in with the night.

I climb up to one of the trees. I get as high as I could manage. I find myself a good branch around the middle. I secure myself on it, by back against the tree. I use the rope from my bag to tie myself in place, making sure I don't fall when I move or roll in my sleep.

As I'm securing myself, something strange happens. Puts m on high alert. There's a bright light in the sky, and I hear music playing. The kind of music used on opening announcements. That's when I start to see player faces on the ceiling of the 26th-floor. It states the name of the player, and on the bottom, it says 'DEAD'.

The projection shows another picture of a different player and goes on and on like a slide screen. I even see the face of the player I encountered in the beginning. Images and Death counts go on. None of the players I recognize from the Assault Team.

Finally, it ends. 15 players are dead. Only 10 of us remain.

I suddenly realize something. Earlier today, a total of 15 cannons went off. And we just see 15 players are dead. "The cannons signal a player's death," I whisper.

I'll have to remember to keep that in mind. If I knew how few players are left, I'll be able to take action.

I now rest in my hiding place. Sleep rarely comes to me as my soldier instincts are still on alert. Nights are going to be long in this death arena for me.

While I am resting, I notice smoke in the air. It's too thin to be a forest fire, and once I follow the trail, I see it's coming from a close distance. Someone's starting a fire, most likely to keep the warmth on this cold night. "Tch. Idiot."

I just watch the smoke of the campfire, until I hear the faint sound of a girl's scream. Then a second later, there's cannon fire. And shortly after that, the trail of smoke ends.

They got her.

I then return lost to my thoughts, waking for the peaceful slumber to come. Now only 9 of us remain. As I lay in the quiet dark, my instincts became alert. I hear the leaves rustling, footsteps...and soon voices.

I hold onto my weapon, his grip iron. But I remain calm. They won't see me up here, at least not right away. I just have to remain quiet and out of sight.

"Did you see the look on her face?" One voice says.

"Yeah, lighting up a fire in the middle of the night? What an idiot!" The second voice says.

The players come out of the bushes. Much to my surprise, there are three players, all of them are working together. I look at their Health Bars, two of them are in middle green and one is in a yellow zone.

An Alliance.

Honestly, I never expected anything like this were to happen on this Battleground Floor. But realizing what they have done, a whole gang going up against a single player gets my blood boiling. Bunch of damned cowards.

I'm already fighting a strong urge to end their lives here and now.

"One more down!" Another voice says. But I'm in a shock. the voice, it sounds...familiar. The three players turn around, as their fourth member of the alliance walks right out of the bushes. A man in a rugged black cloak. Wearing a skull mask...with his eyes burning red. "Now there are only 5 more players to butcher! Taking over this battlefield is too damn easy!" He says with a joyful evil smirk and a wicked chuckle.

My heart stops looking right at him.

Red-Eyed Xaxa.

Laughing Coffin!