The massive axe whistled through the air. Klen didn't move. The crowd leaned forward, convinced they were about to witness the newcomer being split in half. The blade crashed into the stone arena floor with enough force to crack it. Two-Faced's single eye widened. The boy standing before him had vanished.
"Looking for me?"
The deep, distorted voice came from behind. Two-Faced spun around. Klen stood several meters away, his longsword already resting inside its sheath as though he had never intended to draw it in the first place. His white hair swayed gently in the breeze while his emotionless gray eyes remained locked onto the giant before him.
"You know," Klen said, "for someone they call the arena's strongest champion, you're awfully slow."
Two-Faced let out a low chuckle beneath the rusted mask. "Impressive. You slipped behind me without me noticing."
Without another word, Two-Faced ripped his axe free and swung horizontally. Klen leaned backward just enough for the blade to pass inches from his face. Another swing. He stepped aside. Another. He ducked beneath it. Again. Again. Every strike that should have torn flesh apart instead carved deep scars into the stone arena.
The audience slowly stopped cheering. Their excitement turned into confusion.
"What is he doing?"
"Why isn't he attacking?"
"How is he dodging all of them?!"
Two-Faced's breathing became heavier. Each miss only fueled his frustration. He swung downward with both hands. Klen calmly stepped aside. The axe slammed into the ground, sending chunks of rock flying.
"Too slow," Klen said.
A vein bulged on Two-Faced's forehead. He roared and chased after Klen, swinging relentlessly. Klen continued weaving between every attack with movements that barely seemed human. His feet barely touched the ground. Every step was precise. Every dodge effortless.
Finally, Klen's back met the arena wall. Two-Faced's eye lit up.
"Got you!"
He lifted the axe over his head and brought it down with every ounce of strength he possessed. Instead of jumping away, Klen slid. His body dropped beneath the descending blade, gliding across the stone floor as the axe crashed into the wall behind him with a deafening explosion. Dust filled the air. Klen calmly stood back up several meters away. He brushed the dirt from his sleeves before looking back at the giant.
"You cornered yourself, not me."
The audience erupted. Some laughed. Others gasped.
"If this is all you've got," Klen continued, "then you're too slow to beat me."
Even the nobles watching from above couldn't hide their surprise. Two-Faced slowly pulled his axe free before resting it against his shoulder. His distorted voice echoed from beneath the mask.
"You're fast. Faster than I expected. But speed alone won't win this fight. If your plan is to dodge until I collapse, you're wasting your time."
Klen stared at him. A faint smile crept across his face.
"Who said I was only going to dodge?" he asked. "I just wanted to see how long it'd take before you realized you couldn't touch me."
He slowly reached for the hilt of his sword.
"I plan to play with you before I defeat you."
For a brief moment, silence.
"Now I'm done playing."
Then Two-Faced laughed. A deep, unsettling laugh echoed across the arena.
"Then come," the champion said.
Klen disappeared. Two-Faced's eye widened as a fist shot toward his face. He twisted his body at an unnatural angle. The punch grazed his mask instead of shattering it. Klen landed several steps away and frowned.
"That wasn't normal," he muttered. "He twisted his body before my fist even reached him."
The Shadow watched silently for a moment before speaking. "Because he's using magic too. He's reinforcing his movements the same way you're enhancing yours."
Klen's eyes narrowed. "So that's why I missed..."
"Watch his feet," the Shadow said.
"His feet?"
"Focus on the shadows beneath them. Picture them stretching upward and wrapping around his body."
Klen looked at her skeptically in his mind. "That's all?"
A faint smile crossed her face. "Trust me."
Klen took a slow breath. His eyes fixed on Two-Faced's feet. He imagined darkness stretching across the arena floor. Long. Black. Twisting tendrils rising from beneath the stone. The ground trembled. Without warning, thick shadowy tendrils burst from the arena floor. They wrapped around Two-Faced's legs. His waist. His arms. His chest. The massive warrior froze.
The audience gasped.
"What is that?!"
Two-Faced roared, muscles bulging as he struggled against the restraints. The shadows tightened. Klen stared at his own hands.
"I..." He paused. "Isn't this unfair?"
The Shadow tilted her head. "Fair?" She let out a quiet laugh. "He's been using magic since the fight began. The only difference is that you noticed yours."
Klen remained silent.
"The moment your enemy tries to kill you, fairness stops mattering," she continued. She looked directly at him. "Finish it."
"Right."
He vanished. The next instant, his foot slammed into Two-Faced's chest. Then another. A devastating front handspring double kick exploded against the giant's armor. The tendrils released him at the exact moment of impact. Two-Faced was launched across the arena like a ragdoll. His enormous body flew through the air. Before he could crash, Klen appeared beneath him. He twisted his hips and drove a heavy punch directly into Two-Faced's back.
A sickening sound echoed throughout the arena. The giant's body shot forward before smashing into the stone floor. He skidded across the arena, leaving a trail of shattered rock behind him before finally coming to a stop.
Silence. Complete silence.
Two-Faced coughed violently. Blood spilled from beneath the rusted mask. His body refused to move. Klen slowly walked toward him before stopping a few meters away. He looked down at his own fist.
"I didn't mean to hit that hard," he said quietly.
The Shadow chuckled softly. "At least you won."
The silence lasted only a second. Then the arena exploded. Cheers. Applause. People stood from their seats screaming Klen's victory. Some threw coins into the arena. Others shouted his name despite never hearing it before. Klen barely paid attention. He simply looked around the roaring arena. Something felt wrong.
A sharp whistle cut through the air. Klen's eyes widened. He turned. His hand shot outward. An arrow stopped inches from his face. He had caught it. The cheering slowly died. The arena became deathly silent.
A single clap echoed throughout the arena. Another. From one of the entrances beneath the noble stands, a familiar figure slowly emerged. Holwas. He walked with his usual composed smile, several heavily armed guards following close behind him. His eyes settled on Klen.
"Congratulations," Holwas said. "You've certainly exceeded my expectations. Magnificent. I truly didn't expect to find you standing here."
His eyes traveled across Klen's body. "The last time we met, you had broken legs, missing fingers, one eye, and barely enough strength to breathe." He chuckled. "And now you've recovered completely. I hardly recognize you." A faint smile crossed his face. "Though it matters little."
Behind Klen, a weak voice called out. "M... Master..." Two-Faced struggled to lift his head. Blood continued pouring from beneath the mask. "Master..."
Holwas didn't even look at him. He simply raised one finger. "You."
One of the nearby guards stepped forward.
"End his misery."
Without hesitation, the guard drew his sword. One clean swing. The giant's head rolled across the arena floor. His body collapsed. Never moving again.
Klen stared in disbelief. "He spent years fighting for you. You trained him. You used him. And the moment he loses, you throw him away?"
Holwas finally turned his attention toward Klen. "Of course." His expression never changed. "A broken tool serves no purpose. I don't grow attached to my possessions. They exist to be useful. And when they stop being useful, I replace them."
Klen's grip tightened around his sword. "Fight me yourself."
Holwas smiled. "That would be inefficient." He gestured toward the soldiers surrounding the arena. "Every piece on the board has a purpose. It would be foolish to ignore mine simply because you asked nicely." His smile sharpened.
Klen took a single step forward. "Today you're the one who dies."
The smile on Holwas's face never disappeared. "We'll see."
He casually raised his hand. Immediately, guards began pouring into the arena from every entrance. Steel rang as dozens of swords left their sheaths. Within moments, Klen found himself surrounded. He slowly lowered into a fighting stance.
Holwas folded his hands behind his back. "My pawns exist for a reason. It would be wasteful not to use them."
The circle of guards tightened. The arena watched in complete silence. Klen exhaled slowly. His gray eyes never left Holwas. He tightened his grip around the hilt of his longsword.
"Let's begin."