* * *
This will be an easy victory.
Together with the rest of the squad, I walk out of the gate, while a lone man strides on the other side of the arena.
He is much younger than I thought.
Judging by his facial features, he is no older than twenty.
No. It is impossible.
Legends circulate about him. They say he is a true beast in the arena. I cannot hold back a laugh, watching how they sent him to the slaughter. In his hands, he wields some old stick, and a leather loincloth serves as his entire armor.
But the scars command respect.
Like it or not, I have to admit: he is a mass of hard muscle. Tall and well-built.
However, that means nothing. We have a plan for him. Together with my companion, I charge toward him. From behind, I hear our slingers begin their barrage.
Victory is in our grasp!
How could I not rejoice? We will get a hefty sum for him, and this piece of trash will not be able to handle fighting on two fronts.
We exchange blows. He parries my axe as if it were a child's toy. Some internal unease washes over me. He takes the first stone. I lunge to attack, but he blocks me again. This time, however, I snap his weapon.
And at that moment, I burst out laughing! He took a stone to the head. My companion drives a sword into his ribs.
The son of a bitch refuses to give up!
He begins to thrash about chaotically, and strangest of all, he manages to evade our subsequent strikes. We aim for arteries, tendons, and vital points, but the blades always somehow slide off him, as if he bends in an unnatural way at the last possible moment.
Why is he still alive?!
Cold sweat drips down my face. The hair on the back of my neck stands up.
Something is wrong here...
I step back for a moment. My instinct tells me to run.
Am I... Am I afraid?!
I see it clearly. His hands are trembling unnaturally, as if he has completely lost control over them. Tears flow from his eyes, and his face contorts into a feral smile.
He is laughing...?!
* * *
Since childhood, I was beaten for every sign of rebellion. They painfully beat the instinct-driven fighting out of me. They ordered me to fight for the crowd, with a cold mind.
Because I could not break my true nature, I pushed it deep into the bottom of my consciousness. I did not want to suffer anymore.
And now, as more stones smash against my body, as another man's sword remains lodged in my ribs...
Something inside me snaps. The chains binding my mind shatter.
Time slows its rhythm. I notice the warrior with the axe stepping back in terror. Why? I do not care. I stop thinking.
Before me stands the man with the sword. I still feel his steel stuck in my wound. I smash the crushed spear shaft into the enemy's face. He loses his balance, and the sword slides out of my body. I do not waste a single second.
I instantly drive the sharpened end of the stick into his eye. I yank the weapon out.
I rush the one with the axe. He winds up for a swing. I hurl the broken shaft at him and execute a fluid roll. I grab a handful of sand. I throw it straight into his eyes as I rise. I close the distance and plunge the sharpened spear tip into his throat. It lodges deep. I tear the axe from his hands.
I run close to the ground, straight at the opponent with the sling. I evade the stones with fluid rolls. The distance shrinks. The man turns to flee. I hurl the captured axe with all my might. The blade splits his skull. I immediately shift my target to the last enemy. I move low to the sand. Almost on all fours, like a wild animal.
He is terrified. He misses his shot. He draws a dagger and lunges toward me. With massive momentum, I crash into him. The blade sinks into my shoulder. Irrelevant. I have him. I tackle him to the sand and mercilessly crush his throat beneath my foot.
It is over.
Pulsating blood pounds in my ears. I am gasping for breath. Suddenly, something heavy brings me to the ground. Thick ropes. A net. The image before my eyes begins to blur. Someone drags me across the sand. With the last of my strength, I look at the stands. There I see her.
A woman with raven-black hair. Our gazes cross. I remember nothing more.