Surviving the Death Hunt-Chapter 54: Area 17 [ 4 ]

"I knew Akumas were useless."

The voice brought immediate hope. They recognized the speaker instantly, the words alone gave them away.

A figure in red hovered on a board with a yellow light mounted on the front. The light pierced the fog completely, rendering everything visible.

The board accelerated toward Purple with blinding speed, and, in moments, obliterated every hand holding her.

Scar and Julien yanked her from the pit, vision restored by the light. Purple’s injuries, while painful, weren’t as dire as her screams had suggested.

Scar had feared shredded flesh and exposed bone but found only severe scratches, deep enough to need a week’s recovery, yet survivable.

They were just grateful she lived.

"I don’t owe you guys anymore. Think of this as a little payback for saving us during Amell’s attack." Joel finished speaking and turned to leave, but Purple stopped him immediately.

"Do you even see that I’m injured? Where do you think you’re going? At the very least, help me heal a little."

Joel’s expression stayed hard. He despised Akumas fundamentally, and assisting them clearly revolted him.

He’d even gotten angry when Scar and the others rescued him and his friends previously. But the truth was, Joel had saved them by intercepting that attack. Under all the bravado, he had a heart.

Still, Scar couldn’t stand him. The neck scar and the arrogant attitude... Joel reminded Scar too much of someone he loathed. Someone he’d marked for death.

Joel exhaled deeply.

"I will be a better person. I will save you."

Immediately after speaking, Joel floated over on his board and pulled Purple into his arms.

He moved to fly off without acknowledging Scar and Julien, but forgot about the thread binding the three together. Besides, Purple convinced him to help anyway.

They proceeded steadily with Joel at the front, his light cutting through the fog. Scar remained withdrawn, guilt weighing on him, Purple had nearly died because of him. He needed to apologize, but the timing had to be right.

Julien, though, took advantage of the light to gather the corpses they needed to finish their punishment.

In fact, he gathered fifteen of them just so Purple could taunt Lovis, the staff member who’d sentenced them and head of the Voss family, Purple’s rival.

But even during their journey, he kept muttering something under his breath, words that sounded ominous.

"Purple must be planning something. I have a feeling she wants to gain Scar’s devotion. She used threats to minimize the bugs’ damage, yet screamed as if they’d devoured her from the waist down. She wanted Scar to feel guilty, to owe her a favor. Now I’m starting to think she orchestrated all of this. What exactly does she want from Scar?"

Julien’s concerns were nothing but speculation, and even he knew how impossible it would be for Purple to outclass Lovis in this.

But then, he’d be damned if he were to underestimate Purple. Even if she hadn’t planned the entire thing, she definitely had something going on.

Before long, Joel brought them to a building deep within Area 17. It looked as decrepit and haunted as the rest, but the lights mounted around it held the fog back.

The interior resembled a massive gymnasium where Alpha Academy students practiced martial arts.

None of them appreciated the irony. Why would regular humans choose to train in this hellish place?

Scar knew they wouldn’t explain even if he asked, the Epic Competition was less than three weeks away, and that said everything.

When they entered, the Alpha students stared in surprise. Akumas here? Perhaps none had ever survived this long in the fog. Given the sub-2% survival rate, that made sense.

Joel settled Purple on a bench and began treating her injuries. Most of the humans stared in confusion for a moment before resuming their training. Julien tried cheering up Scar, who’d grown increasingly withdrawn, but his efforts fell flat.

Scar went straight to Purple and apologized. His carelessness had nearly cost her life. Yet she responded with a smile, one he’d never seen her give him before, and said:

"We are friends, aren’t we? We are in this together."

The words were too noble, too practiced. Unlike Julien, Scar wasn’t well-versed in Purple’s games, but his instincts said something was wrong.

Her behavior toward him had shifted since the Luccy duel.

But she was right. Guilt wouldn’t help anyone now. He’d watch her back, just as friends do. Just as she’d watched his hours ago.

Hmph.

"So the Epic Competition actually matters that much to you? I have to ask—how do you survive in this madhouse?"

Julien shifted the atmosphere immediately.

Joel didn’t want to answer at first, focused on Purple’s injuries. But then something flickered across his face, an internal debate about his superiority over Akumas, and he chose the answer that made him look better.

"You, brainless idiot, think your Inheritances solve everything. We? We tackle problems with real solutions, not cheap magic tricks."

Scar’s expression twitched with irritation. The arrogance he loathed was laid bare before him.

Normally, he admired human inventions, but coming from Joel, the words turned his stomach.

"Are you seriously forgetting that most of your work depends on Inheritances? The board being ready this fast is thanks to someone else’s power. Last time we saw you use it, it was worthless, and now you’re belittling the people who actually helped?"

Scar said with a sneer.

Joel shook his head in disbelief.

"You’d call the researchers Akumas as well? The Supreme Academy enslaves anyone whose Inheritance isn’t fit for battle, children included, and you still want to brand them as Akumas?"

Scar frowned.

"What are you talking about? Eleven- and twelve-year-old kids fight for survival here every week. You really think we grew up privileged?"

In the moments that followed, Julien and Purple seemed to disappear. Even their breathing became inaudible. Julien had started this conversation, but now it belonged to Scar and Joel.

However, a calm yet commanding voice immediately cut through the tension.

"Enough, Joel. Take responsibility."

Scar’s eyes shot to the speaker, and his mouth fell open in shock.

"Amber?!"