Ken's arms suddenly feel stronger and full of energy. He returns to the timer– two seconds have already passed. He returns his focus to Byron. Without hesitation, Ken rushes at him, his arms guarding his upper body.
“Oh? Finally, facing me like a man? Hehe, guess you'll do anything when you're de-UGH!” Byron's gloating is interrupted by Ken's left jab hitting his right kidney.
“ONE!” The crowd shouts upon impact.
Ken pushes in with another step toward Byron, aiming to clear the bet immediately. He throws another left jab.
“TWO!”
He takes a step to land a straight with his right fist.
Not good! His guard will be up after this. I need to get those punches in now!
“THREE!”
This feels strangely natural. Byron tries to grab him, but misses as he dodges to the right. Ken throws another left jab at his stomach.
“FOUR!”
He goes for the legs next, punching Byron's knee with a right hook.
“FIVE!”
Byron falls forward, landing on one knee. Taking advantage of his position, Ken lands a left jab on Byron's face.
“SIX!”
Byron stumbles from the last punch, but Ken doesn't relent as he grabs Byron's shoulder to hold him in place. He punches with his right fist.
“SEVEN!”
Again. He feels alive. His heart beats faster with each hit.
“EIGHT!”
Another one. The crowds cheer louder.
“NINE!”
And the final one!
He puts all his energy into his right fist as he lands a heavy blow on Byron’s face.
“TEN!”
Upon impact, Ken feels the energy in his arms leave, and he is still holding a bloodied Byron.
“He has done it, everybody! Our high roller managed to fight back and win the challenge!” The voice announces. “But now…”
As Ken continues to pummel Byron’s face, he realizes that he is no longer disoriented. With a disgruntled look, Byron takes a deep breath and catches Ken's right punch.
“Will he be able to win the game?!” The announcer shouts, and the crowd's cheers become louder.
“I'm not that easy,” Byron angrily warns. Suddenly, Ken feels a large weight on his chest and is thrown back by Byron's punch.
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Ken recovers his stance and watches Byron crack his muscles.
Still not enough?!
Byron takes a boxing stance, saying, “Show me what they saw in you!”
Ken takes a fighting stance, preparing to face Byron. His eyes dart around the room, unsure of how to hurt Byron.
I can't damage him, even with miracles.
The crowd continues to cheer, and the scoreboards continue swirling around the building. Byron suddenly charges at him. Unable to dodge in time, Ken reflexively blocks his upper body. Taking advantage of his weak defense, Byron lands a right hook on Ken's stomach. He is sent crashing through the windows behind him, his body flying through the air.
His body lands on the street with a small bounce as he tumbles on the road, only to be stopped by an abandoned car. Ken coughs blood, unsure how he survived the fall or where he is. He looks up, finding the hotel a couple of blocks away. Byron approaches the window and jumps down–landing with a heavy thud.
The billboards fly toward Ken and float around him. Strangely, they don't obstruct his view of Byron. He struggles to breathe, the nausea overwhelming his senses. The crowd's cheers are becoming quieter, yet the scenery around him isn't changing.
Are they losing interest?
Byron slowly walks toward Ken. He is relishing the moment.
They were louder before. He focuses on the environment that it created. The slot machines. The announcer. The excitement. The ability thrives on it. A high roller? Is that what it called me? The ability is part of the answer, but I don't know what I'm missing.
Byron is running toward him; he wants to finish this quickly.
Okay, think for a second. Focus. What is here? Casino machines, cheering, an announcer, lights, and danger. What do they have in common? They are all loud.
Byron is getting closer, but he needs more time. Ken turns and runs into an alley, hoping to stall Byron. He runs through puddles and jumps over the trashcans, stumbling slightly. He turns left and sprints, hearing a loud crash behind him.
Why are they all loud? Excitement. But now, why is there meant to be excitement?
Ken turns left on the street and runs directly into an empty shop, jumping over and hiding behind the counter.
The excitement is for the crowds, and the announcer adds to it. Everything here is meant for it, but if something is off, they'll become uninterested.
A building nearby crumbles as Byron breaks through its wall.
“COME ON, KEN! YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM ME FOREVER! I KNOW YOU'RE HERE!” Byron shouts. From the direction of his shout, he isn't too close to the building he is hiding in.
But what is it? Is the fight too one-sided? No, they wouldn't have been here in the first place. Is it the bets? It could be, but it’s not strong enough to take him down. A large crash shakes the building, and some dust falls on Ken.
The answer is right here, I just need to find it! Ken stands up and runs through the back door into the alley. He turns right but is cut off by a building that collapses and blocks his path. He quickly turns around and runs, his options slowly running out.
As Ken runs down the alley, the billboards continue to fly around him. These stupid boards! Each of the signs shows differing numbers and slogans. Some encouraging Ken, while others read ‘Watch 798 win it all!’ Through a corner of his eye, he notices one of the boards that floats past him reads '65 Years Remaining. 0 years staked.’
65 years? Didn’t I bet that already?
“All that planning and thinking isn’t going to get you out of this situation, Ken!” Byron taunts as he exits the dust.
65 years? A flashback of the casino plays through Ken’s mind, and he slowly comes to a halt. I didn't bet anything yet.
The excitement; I’m not feeding it.
I’m just tolerating it.
“Finally giving up?” Byron laughs.
This whole thing is about gambling, the signs, the noise, the crowd.
The House.
Ken takes a deep breath and releases his clenched fist. The world becomes silent.
Looking at Byron, the ringing in Ken’s ears becomes loud as he says, “I raise…”
