[18th June]
The 19th match was already in full motion.
From the very start, the pressure had been one-sided.
Rey stood firm—
While Davin had been forced into defence, struggling under a relentless storm of arrows.
Each shot fell like rain—precise, ruthless, unforgiving.
But then—
Davin gambled.
He pushed through the barrage.
Took the hits, ignored the pain—
And broke into Rey's range.
The rhythm shattered.
The bow slipped from Rey's hand.
For a moment—the entire stadium reached the same conclusion.
'It's over.'
The sloppy spear user…
Had turned the match upside down.
But that moment didn't last.
Rey stepped in.
A dagger flashed—
Clean. Sharp. Controlled.
The momentum snapped again.
Davin was driven back.
Step by step.
Forced all the way to the edge.
The fight moved like waves—
Back and forth.
Control shifting with every exchange.
Yet beneath all of it—
Rey had seen something no one else had.
Mana—flowing through Davin's body.
Not just present.
But used.
That was how he broke through.
That was how he forced that opening.
But Rey didn't let it matter.
He pressed forward.
Cornered him.
One more step—
And it would end.
His dagger cut forward.
Straight for the gut—
And then—
CLANG!
Sparks exploded.
The spear snapped up from a loose grip—
Wrist twisted at an unnatural angle.
The tip intercepted the dagger perfectly.
Rey's eyes narrowed.
Something had changed.
Davin's expression…
Was no longer the same.
The warmth—
Gone.
His gaze turned cold. Distant.
"Hah… I can't lose…
I have to win the bet…"
His voice came out low.
Almost like a whisper to himself.
Then—
He moved.
The spear spun in a wide arc—
BOOM!
Rey blocked with his dagger—
But the impact still forced him back.
His hand trembled slightly.
He flexed his wrist once.
Checked the strain.
Then looked up.
Davin stood there—
Stance lowered.
Grip tightened.
"Come." Rey's voice was flat.
Davin vanished.
Not a step—
Not a dash—
Just a blur.
Rey's pupils shrank.
He couldn't fully track it.
Only the distortion rushing toward him.
He shifted sideways—
Barely.
The spear tore past his torso.
At the same time—
Rey countered.
His dagger shot toward Davin's hand—
Aiming to break his grip.
But—
Clang.
The blade struck the shaft instead.
Davin's hand didn't move.
Not even a tremor.
Rey's eyes sharpened.
'Mana…
He's forcing it.'
The flow inside Davin had turned unstable—
Overflowing.
Violent.
Too much.
Rey stepped back.
Distance.
Reassessment.
Davin didn't stop.
The spear came again—
A sweeping arc.
Rey ducked under it—
But a kick followed instantly.
Straight to his face.
Thud!
He blocked with his forearm—
Still got thrown back.
Rolling once across the ground.
He stood up immediately.
No hesitation.
His expression hardened.
The pattern had changed.
Completely.
The pressure…
The intent…
It felt different.
Familiar.
Rey's eyes narrowed.
'Is he trying to kill me…?'
"No, kid."
Victor's voice cut in, calm and heavy.
"That's not killing intent."
"What you're seeing… is something else."
A brief pause.
"A trait."
"Bloody Aura."
Rey deflected another thrust as Victor continued.
"A Beast's instinct."
"Raw. Violent. Predatory."
"Humans take years to develop something similar—Battle Aura."
"But this one…"
"He was born with it."
Rey's gaze locked onto Davin.
His movements were sharper now.
More direct.
No hesitation.
No fear.
"That's why his opponents freeze," Victor added.
"Even if it's still immature…"
"It's enough."
Rey clicked his tongue.
'Great.'
'Just what I needed.'
He stepped in—
No dagger this time.
A straight punch.
Crack!
His fist slammed into Davin's face.
Blood sprayed.
Davin staggered back—
Then stood up again.
Like nothing happened.
His nose bled.
A thin line ran from his lip.
But his eyes—
Didn't change.
Not even a flicker.
Rey's gaze turned colder.
'He's not even reacting…'
Victor spoke again.
"This is the flaw.
The deeper he sinks into that aura—
The less control he has.
He stops thinking.
He just fights.
A double-edged blade."
Rey exhaled slowly.
Annoyed.
'First Aric.'
'Then that poison idiot.'
'Then Marin.'
'And now this.'
His grip tightened.
'Do I ever get a normal fight?'
Davin lunged again.
Rey shifted.
Deflected.
Countered.
Cut.
Hit.
Step.
Again.
And again.
But no matter what—
Davin kept coming.
Like a beast that didn't feel pain.
—
Up in the stands—
Gravion watched silently.
His eyes fixed on the battlefield.
The smile on his face had faded.
Replaced by something sharper.
'So…
You're not just an archer.'
Rey's movements—
His control—
His ability to keep up even now—
None of it matched the image people had of him.
Below—
Davin was already slipping deeper.
Gravion could see it clearly.
The same state as before.
Uncontrolled.
Unstable.
Just like in his past life.
Blood Aura…
'A gift… and a curse.'
His gaze softened slightly.
'Don't worry…'
'This time, I'll fix it.'
Memories flashed—
The first hunt.
Davin losing control.
Forcing him to knock him out just to stop him.
That helpless rage.
That uncontrollable bloodlust.
Gravion's fingers tapped lightly against the armrest.
His eyes returned to the fight.
'Let's see…
Can you handle him…'
A faint smirk returned to his lips.
'Because if you can't…'
'I might have to step in myself.'
Rey stood still—
Eyes locked onto Davin.
The air around him had changed.
Colder.
Heavier.
That aura—
It wasn't just pressure anymore.
It bit.
Like standing in front of a predator that had already chosen you as prey.
But Rey didn't step back.
He had faced worse.
That mother beast in the nest—
That was real terror.
This?
This was still within reach.
A smirk tugged at his lips.
Excitement flickered in his eyes.
"Come…" he raised his dagger, pointing straight at Davin.
"Show me if you can actually threaten my life…"
"Or if you're just another beast… thrashing around."
The crowd fell into confusion.
No one could tell anymore—
Who held the upper hand?
One moment, Rey dominated.
The next, Davin surged back.
The balance kept shifting.
—
Rey moved first.
A sharp step forward—
And then he was gone.
His body lightened.
Mana surged through him—
Circulating in the refined pattern of the 15th Set.
His muscles responded instantly.
Faster.
Sharper.
Lighter.
Even Rey felt it.
'This… is different.'
He hadn't used it properly since the early rounds.
But now—
The effect was clear.
His speed had jumped.
Not a small increase—
A leap.
He appeared in front of Davin.
The dagger cut down—
Fast.
Precise.
Davin blocked—
But Rey didn't stop.
One strike—
Two—
Three—
A barrage followed.
Davin's spear moved, but it lagged behind.
Rey's speed had climbed beyond what his frenzy could match.
Cuts opened across Davin's body.
Blood sprayed.
Step by step—
He was pushed back again.
—
Up in the stands—
Gravion's expression tightened slightly.
'He's still holding back…?'
But that wasn't what worried him.
His gaze fixed on Davin.
Blood.
Too much of it.
He knew what came next.
'Don't…'
But it was already happening.
—
"HAAAAAA—!!"
A roar tore out of Davin's throat—raw, savage.
His aura surged violently.
The blood coating his body—
Seemed to feed it.
His muscles tightened.
Veins bulged.
Mana spiked erratically.
His grip on the spear turned feral.
Rey saw it.
And yet—
He didn't flinch.
His expression… calmed instead.
Still.
Controlled.
—
In the stands—
Gravion leaned forward slightly.
Ready.
If this went out of control—
He would step in.
Disqualification didn't matter anymore.
He wasn't letting Davin destroy himself.
—
But then—
Rey did something no one expected.
He lowered his dagger.
Then—
Put it away.
A quiet breath left him.
"So… this is it?" his voice was calm.
"You've turned into a mindless creature."
"I thought I could fight you properly…"
"But this?"
His gaze hardened.
"There's no point anymore."
A breath.
"I'll end this."
—
Davin didn't respond.
He lunged.
The spear shot forward—
A straight, lethal thrust aimed at Rey's chest.
Fast.
Violent.
Unstoppable.
The crowd held their breath.
—
Rey didn't move.
At the last instant—
His hand rose.
And—
He caught it.
Barehanded.
The spear stopped.
Dead.
Shock rippled through the stadium.
Davin pushed.
His muscles strained.
Mana surged.
But the spear didn't move.
Not even an inch.
Rey's grip was absolute.
The shaft bent slightly under the opposing forces.
Davin forced harder—
Mindless.
Relentless.
Rey's eyes didn't change.
Then—
He released.
Suddenly.
Davin stumbled forward—
His balance breaking.
Right into range.
—
Rey stepped in.
His fist tightened.
Mana coiled beneath his skin—
Compressed.
Focused.
Then—
He struck.
BOOM.
The punch landed clean on Davin's face.
No defense.
No resistance.
Just impact.
Davin's body lifted off the ground—
Like a ragdoll.
Blood scattered through the air.
He flew—
Out of the arena—
And crashed hard beyond the boundary.
Silence fell.
—
The spear dropped at Rey's feet.
He flicked his hand once—
Shaking off the blood.
Then turned.
Looked at the referee.
"ID Badge."
His voice was flat.
—
The referee stood frozen.
Still staring at Davin's unmoving body.
It took him a moment to react.
"…W-Winner… ID 19,082."
—
The stadium remained quiet.
What they expected to be a long, brutal fight…ended in a single blow.
That last punch—
Had crushed everything.
—
Up in the stands—
Gravion didn't move.
His eyes stayed on Davin.
Then slowly—
Shifted to Rey.
His expression… changed.
Serious.
For the first time.
'I had to fight him for hours… to stop him…
And this guy—
Did it in one punch.'
A thought settled in his mind.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
'…That shouldn't have been possible.
Unless... he is stronger than me...'
—
Down below—
Rey picked up his bow.
Checked his arrows.
Most were broken.
Useless.
He didn't care.
He turned—
And walked off the field.
Without another word.
—
Eyes followed him.
Whispers began.
Rumors spreading faster than before.
That calm.
That strength.
That control.
It only deepened the mystery around him.
—
Above—
The Host watched quietly.
His gaze sharp.
His phone rang.
He answered immediately.
"Sir."
He listened.
His posture straightened.
Eyes widening slightly.
"…Yes, sir."
"I understand."
"The matches will proceed… as planned."
The call ended.
Slowly—
His eyes returned to Rey's retreating figure.
Then to Davin's fallen body.
A faint coldness crept into his expression.
Something had shifted.
Something bigger.
And it had just begun.