In the last part of the 21st century, man's intolerance and hatred produced a nuclear holocaust that ravaged the world and left it lifeless. A century later a group of survivors rose from the ashes of this chaos and with peace in mind set out to create a better world. Their efforts produced New Phoenix, an idyllic underground utopia dedicated to providing equality and prosperity for all, but with limited space it became clear that overpopulation would soon prove their undoing. To prevent the collapse of their perfect world the leaders of New Phoenix instituted a law to control the population while at the same time ensuring their gene pool was filled with the only the best and brightest. The law became known as The Duel, a rite of passage that revolved around Darwin's "Survival of the Fittest.'' Every child, when they reached their sixteenth year, is randomly paired up with another child and sent from the city to do battle. The winner is welcomed back and becomes a functioning member ...