The arena loved a sure death.
That was why they loved the Runner.
He didn't walk out of the gate — he sprinted. His bare feet blurred against the sand, kicking dust into the air with every step. He was lean, wiry, his body built for nothing except motion. A grin stretched too wide across his face as he lapped the arena, faster and faster, until he was a smear of movement and laughter.
"I made my vow years ago!" he shouted, his voice somehow carrying through the noise. "As long as I keep moving, I can't be touched!"
The nobles cheered. The crowd screamed. Gold coins changed hands before the fight even began.
The boy chained to Uchi's wrist flinched each time the iron snapped taut, dragging him a step forward. His breathing was sharp and uneven, panic bubbling in every sound.
"Master," he whispered, eyes following the blur that was the Runner. "We… we can't hit him."
Uchi's jaw tightened. She never took her eyes off the Runner.
"Every vow has a weakness," she said flatly. "Lesson four. Find it before it kills you."
The Runner's laughter rang out like a bell. Then he blurred closer.
Uchi saw only a streak of movement before a fist slammed into her jaw. Her head snapped sideways. Blood filled her mouth.
The boy yelped as the chain jerked him with her.
Another strike followed, this one cracking against her ribs. Pain flared white-hot down her side. She staggered but didn't fall.
[ WARNING: DAMAGE TAKEN. ]
[ CONDITION: FRACTURED RIB DETECTED. ]
The System's voice cut through the roar of the crowd, cold as always.
The Runner circled, weaving around them, his grin wider than ever. "You're too slow! You'll never catch me!"
The crowd roared in agreement.
The boy's voice cracked. "He's—he's right. We can't stop him—"
"Shut up," Uchi snapped, sharp as steel. Her eyes tracked the sand, not the fists. "Look at his feet, not his hands."
The boy blinked. Confused. But he obeyed.
Another blur. Another hit. His fist glanced off her collarbone this time, a strike made for humiliation, not victory.
Uchi staggered again. She didn't fight it. She let herself fall, tasting blood, feeling the chain between her and the boy tug tight.
The Runner laughed. "Pathetic!"
The boy whimpered. "He's playing with us."
"Good," Uchi spat blood into the sand. She rose slow, one hand on her ribs. "Let him think that."
Her eyes stayed on the sand now. Each step the Runner took was light, fast — but it left prints. Dozens of them. Hundreds. The surface tore under his vow.
"See it?" she whispered.
The boy squinted, blinking sweat from his eyes. "The ground—he's tearing it up."
"Exactly. Feet don't lie. No vow cancels weight."
The Runner blurred close again, cocky enough to aim for the boy this time. Uchi yanked the chain hard, dragging the boy behind her. The strike clipped her shoulder instead. Pain flared again. She gritted her teeth, forced her eyes to stay on the ground.
Every step left him lower in the sand. His vow gave him speed, but speed needed footing. He was digging his own trap.
[ ANALYSIS: ENEMY VOW DETECTED. ]
[ CONDITION: MUST REMAIN IN MOTION. ]
[ SECONDARY CONDITION: LOSS OF FOOTING CANCELS EFFECT. ]
The System's whisper only confirmed what she already saw.
Her lips curved, sharp and humorless.
She pivoted on her heel, dragging the boy with her. "When I say drop, drop," she hissed.
His eyes widened. "W-what?"
"Drop!"
The Runner blurred toward them again, aiming high. At the last second, Uchi yanked the chain, dragging both herself and the boy flat onto the sand.
The Runner had been mid-leap, expecting to connect. His footing betrayed him. His vow faltered. For a heartbeat, the blur of speed broke into the clumsy weight of a man.
That was enough.
Uchi snapped the chain up as she rolled, iron links singing through the air. They wrapped around his ankle. She yanked hard, her body and the boy's combined weight pulling him down.
The Runner hit the ground with a sound uglier than laughter. Dust plumed.
Uchi didn't hesitate. She surged forward, dragging the boy with her, and drove her heel into his throat. Once. Twice. Bone cracked under the strike. His wide grin finally broke into silence.
The arena gasped, then erupted into chaos.
The System pulsed.
[ ENEMY VOW BROKEN. ]
[ VICTORY RECORDED. ]
[ XP AWARDED. ]
[ STUDENT CONTRIBUTION DETECTED. SHARED XP GRANTED. ]
The boy panted, shaking. His eyes were wide as he stared at the fallen Runner. "We… we beat him."
Uchi wiped blood from her mouth with the back of her hand. "No. We found his weakness and killed it. That's the difference."
Above them, nobles murmured. Some furious, some fascinated.
Lord Khaviel's cursed eyes glowed faintly as he leaned forward in his velvet chair. His lips curved into something cold. "Interesting."
The announcer's voice cracked but carried. "Victory… Uchi Satire!"
The crowd roared. Some booed. Some screamed her name.
The boy flinched, tugged against the chain. "Master… they're all watching you now."
Uchi's gaze stayed on the stands, on the nobles whispering behind masks. Her ribs ached, her lip bled, but her eyes burned steady.
"Good," she said. "Let them."
The System hummed again, darker this time.
[ WARNING: UPCOMING MATCH DIFFICULTY INCREASED. ]
[ SHADOW TRIAL… PENDING. ]