The battle began the moment Oscar charged forward.
With a powerful step, he lunged at Aron, throwing a heavy punch that cut through the air like a blast. The sand beneath his feet scattered, rising into the air as if reacting to his sheer force.
He didn't stop.
Punch after punch followed, relentless and aggressive. Each strike carried enough power to crush bone.
Aron stepped back, dodging.
Again.
And again.
The crowd watched closely as Oscar kept pushing him back with overwhelming pressure.
Oscar: "How good!" he shouted loudly.
The crowd began to chant, their voices rising with excitement.
Aron continued dodging, his movements smooth and controlled despite the constant assault.
Inside his mind, he analyzed everything.
This guy uses too much energy…
Even though I have chances to finish this, he keeps attacking nonstop. I can't find an opening.
Oscar suddenly swung a wide kick.
Aron shifted his body and drifted aside, dodging it completely.
For a brief moment—
They stopped.
Oscar grinned.
"This kid is smart," he thought. "He's reading me perfectly."
"If he had attacked earlier… he would've been knocked out already."
"Good…"
Aron observed him carefully.
He's bulky… and on top of that, he has a prideful ego.
The only way to beat him… is from behind.
His eyes shifted slightly, noticing the space between Oscar's legs.
If I pass through there… I can end it.
Oscar charged again.
But this time—
He didn't attack directly.
Instead, he kicked the ground hard.
Sand exploded upward, forming a cloud that blocked vision.
A blinding move.
Aron didn't expect it.
He was ready… but it was too late.
Through the sand—
Oscar appeared right in front of him.
Too close.
Too fast.
His fist came forward.
Aron had no time to dodge.
In that instant, he crossed both arms in front of him.
The impact—
Was brutal.
His body flew backward.
He crashed into the ground.
A sharp sound rang in his ears.
Water burst from his mouth as the force knocked the breath out of him.
Everything slowed down.
The world turned silent.
A high-pitched ringing filled his head.
Pain spread across his body.
He lay there, staring at the sky.
Blurry.
Distant.
He turned his head slightly.
Oscar stood there… smiling.
Aron's eyes began to close.
But his body resisted.
He forced himself to stay conscious.
He looked toward Keiss.
His breathing was heavy.
The impact had shaken him deeply.
Oscar: "What happened, kid?" he mocked. "You tapping out already?"
Aron's thoughts echoed inside him.
You're a Norm…
How can you end up like this?
But… aren't Norms human too?
Does being a Norm really make us different…?
He clenched his teeth.
Slowly—
He stood up.
Struggling.
For a moment, anger surged within him.
A rare feeling.
His eyes changed.
A burning intensity appeared.
Oscar: "Good… very good!" he laughed. "Now let's go all out!"
The battle resumed.
But this time—
Aron moved first.
Keiss noticed immediately.
Something had changed.
Every step Aron took was balanced.
Precise.
Controlled.
Oscar saw an opening and threw another punch.
But—
He hit nothing.
Aron had already moved.
Behind him.
Too fast to follow.
Before anyone could react—
Aron's fist struck.
A clean hit.
So fast that many in the crowd didn't even see it.
All they saw—
Was Oscar falling to the ground.
His face swollen.
Unconscious.
Silence.
Then—
The crowd erupted.
Aron stood still.
His bandage had loosened, hanging from his right hand.
Without saying anything, he turned and began walking toward the infirmary.
As he walked, people began to cheer.
They clapped loudly.
Voices filled the arena.
He had defeated one of the strongest knights.
A man consumed by pride.
Keiss stood still, staring at Oscar's fallen body.
He walked closer and nudged him with his foot.
"You fool… he was injured," he muttered.
Then he raised his voice.
"Soldiers! Take him to his camp!"
The scene shifted.
Aron stepped into the infirmary again.
Albert looked up—
Shocked.
"Huh?"
Aron smiled faintly.
"Well… I'm sorry," he said, almost laughing.
"You seem exhausted."
A stranger's voice reached Lilith.
He stood nearby, holding a pickaxe.
"Come… at least drink some water."
He handed him a container.
Lilith took it and drank slowly.
"You're not from here, are you?" the man asked, continuing his work as he struck the rocks.
Lilith: "No… I'm not," he replied.
"I'm looking for a friend."
His eyes looked tired.
His body weak.
"It's been three days… and still no sign," he muttered to himself.
Then—
He noticed something.
Knights approaching.
They stopped nearby.
One of them stepped forward.
Knight: "We are from the Amrock Kingdom."
"We are recruiting men for an upcoming war."
Lilith's eyes widened.
Lilith: "War…?"
He stood up immediately.
"Where? When?"
Questions rushed through his mind.
The knight spoke firmly.
"Darkness is approaching these lands."
"It will arrive in a few days."
"Our kingdom cannot rely on others."
"Most are already lost to the abyss."
"And those who are strong… live too far away."
Lilith didn't hesitate.
Lilith: "I'll go with you."
"But tell me… how far is it?"
The knight pointed ahead.
"Beyond that mountain… and a little further."
Lilith nodded.
He turned to the man who had helped him.
Lilith: "Thank you for the water."
"Are you not coming with us?"
The man smiled softly.
"I may not go," he said.
"I have responsibilities here."
Lilith understood.
Their eyes met for a brief moment.
"Then… farewell," Lilith said.
He climbed into the cart.
The horses began moving slowly.
As the cart rolled forward, Lilith looked back.
The weather felt wrong, as if the sky itself was warning of something yet to come. The wind shook violently, rushing through the air with an uneasy force, whispering of a disaster waiting just beyond sight.
Despite the chaos in the air, there was a strange calmness below—a quiet, almost unnatural silence.
It felt like the beginning of a long, tiding journey, where peace stood only as a fragile illusion before the storm.