The arena trembled with excitement as the announcer's voice echoed across the massive colosseum.
"And now, the undefeated champion of the arena... Two Faced!"
Thousands of eyes turned toward the enormous gate opposite Marna and Eira. The iron bars slowly groaned open, revealing a dark corridor beyond. For a few moments, nothing emerged from the darkness. Then heavy footsteps echoed from within.
A man stepped into the light.
Marna immediately frowned.
The champion looked nothing like she expected. There were no monstrous mutations, no terrifying armor, and no grand entrance. He looked almost barbaric. Thick muscles covered his body, rough furs hung from his shoulders, and old scars crossed his exposed skin. A large axe rested on his back while a dagger hung at his waist. The only unusual thing about him was the crude iron mask covering his face.
"That's him?" Marna muttered.
Eira tightened her grip on her spear.
"Looks normal."
"Normal people don't stay undefeated."
The man stopped in the center of the arena and simply stood there. He neither acknowledged the crowd nor looked toward the nobles. He carried himself with a strange stillness, as though the roaring audience surrounding him didn't exist.
The announcer raised his arm.
"Begin!"
Marna instantly reached for an arrow while Eira lowered her body into a combat stance. Neither intended to underestimate him.
Then the man vanished.
Both girls froze.
For a split second, neither understood what had happened. One moment he had been standing before them. The next, he was gone.
A voice suddenly spoke from behind.
"What do you think of me?"
Every muscle in Marna's body tightened. Both girls immediately jumped away and spun around.
The masked man stood exactly where they had been moments ago.
Marna reacted first. The bowstring snapped. The arrow shot toward him. Then shattered.
The projectile exploded into splinters before ever reaching its target. The crowd erupted into cheers.
Marna's eyes widened.
Eira stared.
"What happened?"
Marna already knew standing around wouldn't answer that question. She lowered her bow and rushed forward instead, drawing both daggers in one fluid motion. Steel flashed through the air as she unleashed a rapid barrage of attacks aimed at the man's neck, chest, and stomach.
The champion didn't draw his axe.
He didn't draw his dagger.
Instead, he met every strike with his bare hands.
Each attack was intercepted before it reached him. Sparks flew from the impacts as though her daggers were striking metal rather than flesh. It made no sense.
Eira could only watch in disbelief.
"How is he doing that?"
Above them, the announcer's voice boomed across the arena.
"Magnificent! Absolutely magnificent! Observe the undefeated champion! Observe the warrior known as Two Faced! A man feared not only for his combat ability but also for his infamous change in personality during battle!"
Neither girl paid attention.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Eira finally moved.
She lunged forward with her spear, aiming directly for his chest. The strike was fast and precise, but at the very last moment the champion looked toward her and brought his foot down.
Crack.
The spear shaft was pinned against the arena floor.
Before Marna could react, his fist slammed into her stomach.
The impact drove the air from her lungs and launched her backward across the sand.
"Marna!"
The champion ignored her completely.
Instead, he leaned closer to Eira.
Close enough for her to see the scratches and dents covering the iron mask.
"What do you think of me?"
The question sent a chill through her body.
Behind him, Marna forced herself back onto her feet and immediately drew three arrows at once. The bowstring stretched to its limit before she released.
All three arrows shot toward him and all three shattered exactly like before.
Eira's eyes widened as whatever was destroying them wasn't luck. It was happening intentionally.
She immediately released her spear and swung her leg upward. The kick connected perfectly with his side. But, nothing happened.
The sensation felt like kicking a stone wall. The champion grabbed her ankle and then threw her.
Eira skidded violently across the arena floor before crashing into the wall surrounding the arena.
The crowd roared with approval.
Marna gritted her teeth. She ripped both daggers from her belt and threw them toward the champion while simultaneously leaping into the air and firing another arrow.
The attacks arrived together.
The champion dodged the daggers. Then reached out and caught the arrow.
The arena fell silent.
For the first time, an arrow had reached him. Marna landed and smirked.
"I knew it."
The champion tilted his head.
"There had to be a flaw," she said. "You can't destroy the arrows when you're focused on something else."
For the first time, he seemed genuinely interested.
"Observant."
His voice remained calm.
"Very observant."
Nearby, Eira pushed herself upright. A thin trail of blood ran down her cheek, but she ignored it.
"Then we know what we need to do."
Marna nodded.
"We work together."
Eira grabbed her spear again while Marna reached for another arrow. Then both froze. The champion had disappeared.
"Eira—"
"Behind you!"
Marna turned. Too late.
The back of his fist crashed into her face and sent her flying sideways.
Eira sprinted forward and barely managed to catch her before she hit the ground. The moment she grabbed her, Marna shoved her away with all her strength.
"Move!"
The champion appeared between them.
His axe was finally in his hands.
The blade carved through empty air where Eira had stood only moments earlier before smashing into the arena floor with enough force to crack the stone beneath it.
Eira immediately turned and sprinted away.
"Hold on!"
She retrieved her spear, grabbed one of Marna's fallen daggers, and launched both weapons at him. The spear flew first. The dagger followed. Then Eira herself charged directly behind them.
The champion dodged the spear.
The dagger missed.
But Eira was already there.
The remaining dagger shot toward his throat.
For the first time during the battle, she nearly landed a hit.
Nearly.
His hand shot forward and seized her by the hair.
Pain exploded through her scalp as her entire attack stopped instantly.
The champion smiled.
"Interesting."
Then he threw her.
Eira crashed directly into Marna, sending both girls tumbling across the arena floor.
The crowd laughed.
Then the champion laughed too.
A deep, unsettling sound that echoed throughout the colosseum.
"So now I know."
His hand slowly rose toward the iron mask.
"What you think of me."
Crack.
The mask shattered.
Not removed.
Shattered.
Broken fragments remained embedded in his flesh as blood immediately began running down his face.
The crowd erupted.
The announcer practically screamed.
"Ladies and gentlemen! He has shown his other face!"
The right side of the champion's face looked horrifying. Old scars twisted across ruined flesh. The skin appeared melted and torn in places, while his left eye was completely black and bloodshot.
The sight alone was enough to make Eira's stomach churn.
Yet the nobles laughed. They cheered. They applauded as if witnessing a performance rather than a human being.
The champion laughed with them.
The sound felt wrong.
Broken. Mad.
Marna slowly stood.
Eira joined her.
Both stared at him for several seconds before exchanging a glance.
"He's fucking crazy."
Eira nodded immediately.
"Completely fucking crazy."
She handed Marna the recovered dagger.
Marna accepted it and drew another arrow.
Without another word, both girls charged.
This time Eira attacked first.
Her spear thrust toward his chest while Marna fired an arrow toward his head. The champion dodged the arrow and blocked the sweeping spear strike with his forearm, but the girls didn't stop. Marna was already closing the distance while Eira pulled the spear back.
She pretended she was about to throw it.
The champion reacted.
Instead, Eira planted the spear into the ground and used it to launch herself upward. Her body spun around the shaft before her foot shot toward the side of his head.
For a brief moment, both girls believed they finally had him.
Then he vanished.
"What the hell?!"
"What the hell?!"
The shout escaped both of them at once.
A shadow appeared overhead.
Their eyes snapped upward.
The champion was already above them.
Then he came crashing down.
The moment his foot touched the arena floor, a violent shockwave erupted outward. Sand exploded into the air. The ground trembled. Marna and Eira were launched backward like ragdolls before smashing into the arena wall hard enough to crack stone.
Blood spilled from both of their mouths.
The crowd went wild.
For several moments neither girl moved.
Then Marna laughed weakly.
"Klen really carried the attacker role."
Eira coughed blood.
"No kidding."
Marna forced herself into a sitting position and looked toward the champion.
"He could've killed us the moment he appeared behind us."
Her expression hardened.
"He's playing with us."
Eira nodded.
"Klen really was our strongest attacker."
She slowly stood and grabbed her spear.
"And our strongest defender."
For a moment, she looked down at the weapon.
Then her grip tightened.
"But I'm not giving up."
Marna looked toward her.
"Klen gave me hope," Eira continued. "I want to see where that hope leads."
A smile slowly appeared on Marna's face.
"Heh."
She grabbed her bow and pushed herself upright.
"You really changed after all."
Across the arena, the champion watched them stand once more.
"You two aren't fragile."
His black eye remained fixed on them.
"Good."
He raised the axe.
"Then I'll crush you both."
Marna lowered her stance.
Eira did the same.
Then both girls shouted at the same time.
"We'd like to see you try to kill us!"
For the first time since the battle began, Two Faced looked genuinely excited.