The inside of the tree didn't feel natural.
It felt… wrong.
The air was thick, heavy, like every breath had weight. The walls curved inward, twisted wood forming a hollow chamber that looked less like a shelter and more like a cage.
Leo stepped carefully across the uneven floor, his eyes fixed on the object ahead—
A rusted key, half-buried in the roots.
"…So this is it," he muttered.
He reached out.
One step closer.
Another—
A hand slammed around his throat.
Before he could react—
BAM!!
Leo's body was thrown back and crushed against the wooden wall. The impact cracked the bark behind him, splinters tearing into his clothes.
His breath vanished.
The grip tightened.
Cold.
Unmoving.
Leo clawed at the hand around his neck, his vision shaking as he tried to pull air into his lungs.
From the shadows—
The Chief stepped forward.
"…You walked straight into it," the Chief said quietly. "I expected more."
Leo struggled, his voice barely escaping.
"…Then stop talking… and finish it…"
The Chief's eyes narrowed.
"I will."
He slammed Leo again—
CRACK!!
The wall split deeper, the sound echoing violently inside the chamber.
Leo's head snapped back, his body going limp for a moment.
The Chief leaned closer, his voice dropping lower.
"This tree…" he said, "…has buried stronger people than you."
Leo's vision blurred.
Darkness creeping in.
"…Then…" he forced a weak smirk, "…guess it's getting full."
For a split second—
Silence.
Then—
The Chief threw him.
Leo's body flew across the room, crashing into the roots and rolling across the ground.
He didn't move.
The chamber fell quiet again.
The Chief walked forward slowly, his footsteps echoing.
"Get up," he said coldly. "Or I'll assume you're already dead."
No response.
A pause.
"…Pathetic."
Then—
Leo's fingers twitched.
Slowly…
He pushed himself up.
Shaking.
Unstable.
But standing.
"…Still here," Leo muttered.
The Chief stopped.
Watching him.
"…You don't know when to stay down," he said.
Leo wiped the blood from his mouth, his breathing rough.
"Yeah," he replied. "That's kind of the point."
The Chief exhaled slowly.
"Then I'll break you properly."
He moved.
Fast.
Leo barely reacted—
CLANG!!
Steel crashed against steel, the impact shaking the entire chamber.
The Chief pressed forward immediately, his attacks relentless, each strike heavier than the last.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Leo blocked, but every hit pushed him back.
Closer.
Closer.
Until—
His back hit the wall again.
CRACK.
The wood split behind him.
"You feel it?" the Chief said, pushing harder. "This place… it crushes everything inside it."
Leo's arms trembled under the pressure.
His grip slipping—
"…Then maybe…" he muttered, "…that's your mistake."
The Chief frowned.
"…What?"
Leo suddenly twisted his blade, forcing a break in the clash.
He stepped forward instead of back.
Too close.
Too sudden.
His shoulder slammed into the Chief's chest, throwing off his balance for a split second.
Leo followed with a sharp strike—
CLANG!
Blocked.
But the Chief had to step back.
Just once.
That was enough.
Silence filled the room again.
Heavy.
Tense.
The Chief stared at him.
"…You're adapting," he said quietly.
Leo didn't answer.
He just stood there.
Breathing.
Slow.
Controlled.
Then—
Something changed.
The air shifted.
At first… it was subtle.
A faint pressure.
Then—
It grew.
The wooden walls creaked softly.
Creeeaaak…
The Chief's eyes narrowed.
"…What is this?"
Leo lowered his head slightly, his grip tightening on his sword.
"They told me to hold back," he said quietly.
The pressure intensified.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Cracks along the walls deepened.
"But I'm done listening."
The aura exploded outward.
Not visible—
But overwhelming.
The entire chamber reacted.
Wood bending.
Splitting.
Groaning like it was alive.
The Chief took a step back.
"You're… affecting the tree?" he said, disbelief creeping into his voice.
Leo slowly lifted his head.
His eyes were cold.
Empty.
"This place is too small."
He raised his sword.
Not toward the Chief—
But toward the wall.
The Chief's expression shifted.
"…You're serious?"
Leo didn't answer.
He swung.
BOOM!!
The impact shook the entire structure. A massive crack tore through the wall, running upward like a fracture through glass.
Light burst in through the opening.
The chamber trembled violently.
"You idiot!" the Chief snapped. "You'll bring the whole thing down!"
Leo stepped forward.
Another swing—
CRASH!!
A large section of the wall collapsed inward. Fresh air rushed inside, breaking the suffocating pressure.
The tree groaned louder now.
Like it was screaming.
"You're destroying your own battlefield!" the Chief shouted.
Leo's voice was low.
"No."
He took another step.
"This was yours."
Another strike.
The cracks spread faster now, racing across the walls and ceiling.
The structure couldn't hold.
Wood split.
Fragments fell.
The entire chamber began collapsing.
The Chief steadied himself, his eyes locked onto Leo.
"…You've lost it," he said.
Leo shook his head slowly.
"No."
He raised his sword one last time.
"…I've just stopped playing by your rules."
The final strike landed.
And everything broke.
The tree split open.
A deafening crack echoed through the jungle as the massive trunk tore apart from the inside. The chamber exploded outward, wood and debris flying in all directions.
Moonlight flooded the battlefield.
Leo stepped forward through the destroyed structure, emerging into the open.
Behind him—
The remains of the tree collapsed completely.
The Chief landed a few meters away, staring at what was left of his home.
Then—
At Leo.
Silence hung between them.
"…You destroyed it," the Chief said quietly.
Leo didn't reply.
He walked forward slowly.
Each step steady.
Heavy.
Controlled.
The Chief picked up his weapon again.
This time—
No arrogance.
No mockery.
Only focus.
"…Good," he said.
A faint, dangerous smile appeared.
"Now there's nothing holding you back."
Leo raised his sword.
His eyes dark.
Cold.
"Exactly."
And then—
They moved.
Faster than before.
Stronger than before.
Their blades collided under the open sky, the real battle finally beginning—
Not inside a cage.
But in a battlefield where neither of them had control anymore.