I Am the Devil of This Hell

Chapter 015

Just as the heavy silence in Cell 401 threatened to crush the last vestiges of hope, the rhythmic echo of footsteps broke the tension. They were steady, deliberate steps, climbing the stairs and approaching down the corridor.

Lucas Bright turned his head sharply. When the figure emerged from the shadows into the dim light of the cell block, Lucas frowned, his brow furrowing deep with suspicion.

"You?" Lucas hissed, his voice cold. "What are you doing here in Radiance Block? Aren't you afraid I’ll have you gutted right here? Don't forget whose territory this is."

Standing on the other side of the bars was Nathan Black, the leader of Umbrage Block. He wore his usual benign, almost cherubic smile—a look that had earned him the deceptive reputation of a harmless "Maitreya Buddha" before he stabbed you in the back.

"Come now, Lucas," Nathan chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "Is that any way to treat a guest? I come bearing gifts of wisdom, and your first instinct is murder? Tsk, tsk."

Behind Nathan stood a massive, silent figure—Nash Ryker, his personal bodyguard and enforcer. A corrupt correctional officer named Officer Bennett, who had escorted them, unlocked the cell door.

"You've got thirty minutes, gentlemen," Officer Bennett muttered, pocketing a thick envelope Nathan had slipped him earlier. "Keep it civil. I can't cover for you longer than that."

"Don't worry, Officer Bennett," Nathan smiled. "Lucas and I are old friends. We'll be quick. And don't worry, I never forget my friends."

As the officer retreated down the hall, Lucas glared at Nathan. "If you're here to mock me again, save your breath. I'm not in the mood."

Nathan waved a hand dismissively and strolled into the cell, sitting down uninvited on the edge of a bunk.

"Relax, Duke," Nathan said, his tone shifting from playful to serious. "I'm not here to gloat. We don't have much time, so I’ll be blunt. You and I have been rivals for years. We’ve fought for territory, for influence, for scraps. We hate each other's guts. That’s a fact. But the board has changed. The pieces are moving differently now. Today, I’m here to help you."

"Help me?" Lucas scoffed, crossing his arms. "You? Since when does the viper help the mouse?"

"I'm helping you because helping you helps me," Nathan said, leaning forward, his dark eyes locking onto Lucas’s. "Think about it. Rex Dalton has marked you for death. I’m not mocking you when I say this: you don't have the odds on your side. If Radiance Block falls, you follow Landon Reeve into the incinerator. Or worse."

Nathan paused, letting the gravity of the situation sink in. "And after Radiance Block falls? Who’s next? It’ll be me, or Adrian Starr from Astra Block. Then Brandon. Then finally Ethan Skyler. We are the old guard, Lucas. We are dinosaurs. If we don't act, The Eagle and the Mad Tiger will hunt us down one by one until the East Wing belongs solely to them. Do you understand?"

Lucas stared at Nathan for a long time. The anger in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by a begrudging respect. Finally, a bitter smile touched his lips.

"Nathan," Lucas sighed. "I have to admit. You’ve always been the smarter bastard."

"Hahaha!" Nathan threw his head back and laughed. "Good! I’m glad you see reason. Before I came here, I paid a visit to Adrian Starr in Astra Block. I tried Brandon and Ethan Skyler too."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "You really are like a politician on a campaign trail, aren't you? Traveling around, building a coalition. So, who signed up?"

Nathan shrugged helplessly. "Adrian Starr isn't an i***t. He sees the writing on the wall. He’s in. But Brandon and Ethan? Those two are stubborn. They’re smart men, but their pride blinds them. They think they can weather the storm alone. Or maybe they’re just waiting to see which way the wind blows."

Nathan sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Without them, the battle in two weeks is going to be… complicated."

Lucas snorted. "Do we really need them? If the three of us combine forces, we have more than enough firepower."

He gestured to Silas Carter, standing silently in the corner, and then to Nash Ryker, the towering hulk behind Nathan.

"Look at the assets we have," Lucas said, his confidence returning. "We have Adrian Starr, Nash Ryker, and Silas Carter. Three top-tier fighters. Plus, we’ll pick the absolute best killers from three different blocks. Are you telling me we should be afraid of one Cataclysm Block?"

Lucas began to pace, strategizing out loud. "Here’s the plan: Adrian Starr is an assassin. He’s fast, lethal, and specializes in subterfuge. We put him on Julian Cross. He just needs to stall him. Meanwhile, Nash Ryker and Silas—both of whom are on par with Landon Reeve—double-team Rex Dalton. They can crush him. As for the rest? Aside from those seventeen recruits, Cataclysm Block is full of trash. We wipe out the foot soldiers, then surround the leaders and grind them down."

Nathan listened, but his brow remained furrowed. "You sound confident, Lucas. But maybe too confident. You saw The Eagle and the Mad Tiger today. They aren't normal men. Adrian Starr is good, but asking him to hold off Julian Cross alone? That’s a gamble. If Julian Cross breaks through, he’ll tear our formation apart. If he frees Rex, we’re dead."

Nathan leaned in closer. "That’s why I wanted you to try and talk to Ethan Skyler or Brandon. Maybe they’ll listen to you. If we can get just one of them to join the coalition, victory is guaranteed."

Lucas shook his head firmly. "It’s a waste of time. I know them better than you do. Ethan Skyler is an isolationist. His arrogance is masked by his silence. He wouldn't deign to ally with us. And Brandon? The man is a former champion of the underground fighting pits. He has too much pride to g**g up on an opponent. I bet he threw you out of his cell, didn't he?"

Nathan winced slightly, confirming the guess.

"Relax, Nathan," Lucas said, a cunning glint returning to his eye. "Cataclysm Block isn't invincible. The fight a month ago was impressive, sure, but it cost them. Think about it. Rex Dalton had his bones shattered by Julian Cross. Julian took a full-power claw strike from Rex. That kind of damage doesn't heal in four weeks. They might be walking around, but they’re probably operating at fifty or sixty percent capacity."

Lucas grinned. "Why do you think Rex attacked Brandon today? Why pick a fight he didn't finish?"

Nathan’s eyes widened. "You mean… it was a bluff?"

"Exactly," Lucas nodded. "It was theater. He wanted to look strong. He wanted to scare us into submission because he knows he’s not ready for a real war. In warfare, morale is everything. They are trying to break our spirit before the first punch is thrown."

"So…" Nathan murmured, the gears turning in his head.

"So," Lucas continued, "on the day of the fight, we hit them hard and fast. Silas, Nash Ryker, and Adrian Starr go all out from the first bell. We bribe the Deputy Warden to allow us to list Adrian and Nash Ryker on the Radiance Block roster—say they defected or something. Then, Silas and Nash Ryker blitz Rex Dalton. If he’s still injured, he’ll falter. The moment he shows weakness, we execute him. Once the Mad Tiger falls, Cataclysm Block loses its teeth."

"Hahaha!" Nathan stood up, a genuine smile spreading across his face. He extended his hand. "Brilliant. You truly are the Duke of the underworld. This is our first partnership, Lucas. Let’s make it a legendary victory."

Lucas gripped Nathan’s hand firmly. The pact was sealed.

"Absolutely," Lucas said.

"Hahaha…"

The laughter faded as Nathan and his bodyguard left the cell. Lucas Bright stood alone again, the smile slipping from his face as the gravity of the pact settled in. It was a desperate gamble, but it was the only play he had left.

Meanwhile, back in the Cataclysm Block, the atmosphere was entirely different.

The four hundred inmates were finishing their meal in disciplined silence. They had watched their new leaders dismantle the old hierarchy without breaking a sweat. The message was clear: obey, and you might survive. Rise up, and you end up like Landon Reeve.

Julian Cross sat at the head table, flanked by his lieutenants. He wasn't celebrating. His mind was already moving to the next phase. The Hundred-Man War wasn't just a fight; it was an opportunity. If he played this right, he wouldn't just conquer Radiance Block. He would consolidate power over the entire East Wing.

Rex Dalton was happily devouring a mountain of fried eggs, his earlier "bluff" forgotten in the face of protein. But Julian knew better. Rex was healing, yes, but he wasn't at 100%. The fight with Brandon had been a calculated risk to test his own limits as much as to intimidate the others.

Julian glanced at Marcus Grady, who was having his broken arm set by a nervous prison doctor. Marcus caught his eye and grinned through the pain.

"Don't worry, Boss," Marcus said. "I'll be ready in two weeks. Just tape it up."

Julian nodded. "Rest. We need you sharp. Nathan Black and Lucas Bright are plotting right now. They think they can outsmart us with numbers. They think we're weak."

"Let them think it," Jackson Hayes grunted, nursing his dislocated shoulder. "Surprise is a hell of a weapon."

Julian looked out over his new kingdom. General Vance wanted an Empire. Victoria wanted him to survive.

He would give them both what they wanted.

"We start intensive training tomorrow," Julian announced quietly to his inner circle. "Not just physical. Tactical. We're going to turn those hundred men into a single organism. When we step into that arena, Radiance Block won't be fighting a g**g. They'll be fighting a meat grinder."

The pieces were set. The alliances were formed. In two weeks, the Confinement Death Ward would see a river of blood. And Julian Cross intended to be the one standing on the other shore.