Dust floated in the air between them.
Corbin and Giulia stood face to face, their fists still raised, their eyes locked.
The arena was silent for a brief moment—
Then the crowd voice returned all at once.
"Finish it!"
"Knock him out!"
Corbin barely heard them.
His focus was only on Giulia.
She wasn't trying to beat me before
She was trying to stop me.
Giulia's hands trembled slightly.
"I didn't want it to come to this," she said quietly.
Corbin took a step forward.
"Then don't."
Her eyes widened for a split second.
But then she shook her head.
"You still don't understand."
Giulia lowered her guard slightly.
Just enough to speak.
"If you win this tournament you move on."
Corbin frowned.
"Yeah. That's the point."
"No," she said firmly.
"You don't move forward."
"You go down."
"What is that?" Corbin asked.
Giulia's voice dropped.
"…The real arena."
A chill ran through him.
"They send the winners down," she continued.
"Stronger opponents. No rules. No limits."
Corbin stayed silent.
"And once you go down…" she said,
"…you don't come back up."
Corbin's mind raced.
So that's why
This fight felt too easy
Too controlled
This was just the beginning.
A filter.
A way to choose who was "worthy" of going deeper.
Corbin clenched his fists.
"And you're trying to stop me from going there?"
Giulia looked at him.
"…Yes."
The answer was simple.
Honest.
Corbin stared at her.
"Why?"
For a moment
She didn't answer.
Then she looked away.
"…Because I've seen it."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"I went down there once."
Corbin's eyes widened.
"And I barely made it back."
The arena noise faded in Corbin's ears.
All he could hear was her voice.
"They don't tell you what it is," Giulia continued.
"They just send you down like it's the next round."
Her hands tightened into fists.
"But it's not a tournament."
"It's survival."
Corbin stayed silent.
"There are fighters down there" she said slowly,
"who don't care about winning."
"They just want to break you."
Her eyes darkened.
"Some of them don't even look human anymore."
A cold silence fell between them.
Giulia looked back at him.
"I lost someone there."
Corbin's expression softened slightly.
"…Who?"
She hesitated.
"…My brother."
The words hit harder than any punch.
"He went down before me," she said.
"He told me he'd come back."
Her voice cracked slightly.
"…He didn't."
The crowd suddenly cut in again.
"End the fight."
The tone was cold.
Impatient.
Giulia flinched slightly.
"They're watching," she whispered.
Corbin looked up at the dark windows above the arena.
Shadows moved behind the glass.
"…Yeah," he said quietly.
Giulia raised her guard again.
"This is your last chance," she said.
"Lose."
Corbin blinked.
"What?"
"Let me knock you out," she said.
Her voice was serious now.
"I'll make it look real."
"You stay here."
"You live."
The words hung in the air.
Simple.
Clear.
Safe.
For a moment
Corbin considered it.
No more fights.
No unknown horrors waiting below.
No risk of never coming back.
Just
End it here.
But then
He remembered something.
Miles.
Still fighting.
Still moving forward.
And the others.
The ones who were already sent down.
If no one goes down… no one stops it.
Corbin slowly shook his head.
"…No."
Giulia's eyes widened.
"You're serious?"
Corbin stepped forward.
"If what you're saying is true…"
His voice hardened.
"…then someone has to go down there."
Final Conflict
Giulia clenched her teeth.
"You don't understand!"
She rushed forward.
This time
She didn't hold back.
Her fist shot toward his face.
Corbin blocked it
But the impact was heavier than before.
CRACK.
She followed immediately.
Kick.
Punch.
Spin.
Her movements were faster.
Sharper.
Desperate.
Corbin was forced backward.
Each hit carried more force.
More emotion.
A kick struck his ribs.
CRACK.
A punch hit his shoulder.
Corbin straggled
But he didn't fall.
"STOP!" she shouted.
"Why won't you just stay down?!"
Corbin wiped blood from his lip.
Then
He stepped forward.
"Because you didn't."
She froze.
For a split second
Her guard dropped.
"You went down there," Corbin said.
"You survived."
His eyes locked onto hers.
"So I can too."
Giulia's expression broke.
"That's not how it works!"
She attacked again.
Faster than ever.
Her strongest punch yet
Corbin didn't dodge.
He blocked.
Barely.
The force pushed him back.
But he stayed standing.
Then
He countered.
Punch to her ribs.
She gasped.
But didn't fall.
Corbin moved again.
Kick to her leg.
She lost balance
Just for a moment.
That moment
Was enough.
Corbin spun his body.
Then
CRACK!
His kick struck her side.
Giulia fell to one knee.
The arena went silent.
She tried to stand
But her body shook.
Corbin stood in front of her.
Breathing heavily.
"…I'm sorry," he said.
Giulia looked up at him.
For a moment
She smiled.
A small, sad smile.
"…You're an idiot."
She whispered"just like my brother"
The count began.
"ONE…"
She didn't move.
"TWO…"
Her eyes stayed on him.
"THREE…"
"…Don't die down there," she whispered.
"FOUR…"
Corbin clenched his fists.
"FIVE!"
The announcer's voice echoed.
"Corbin wins!"
The arena erupted.
But Corbin didn't react.
He just stood there.
Looking at Giulia.
"I can win trust me" corvin said
Giulia said "I know, I believe in you"
Corvin left the arena
The arena lights flickered once again.
The crowd had barely calmed down after the previous match when the loudspeakers echoed through the stadium.
"Match Five Sofia versus Ludovico."
A wave of excitement spread instantly.
Sofia stepped into the arena first.
Her expression was cold, focused.
her breathing had returned to normal after her previous fight. There was no hesitation in her steps.
She had already proven herself.
She had won.
But this
This was the next level.
From the opposite side
A man entered.
Slowly.
Calmly.
Ludovico.
He didn't look particularly intimidating at first glance. But She noticed that it was the bartender at the entrance of the underground arena.
He looked relaxed.
Too relaxed.
Like he didn't see this as a real fight.
Sofia narrowed her eyes.
This guy is different.
Ludovico stopped a few meters away from her.
He didn't smile.
He didn't speak.
He just looked at her.
The announcer raised his voice.
"Fighters ready!"
The crowd leaned forward.
Sofia raised her guard.
Ludovico didn't.
That alone made the atmosphere feel… wrong.
Then
"BEGIN!"
Sofia moved first.
Fast.
She rushed forward, closing the distance instantly.
Her fist shot toward his face
But
Ludovico moved.
Not fast.
Not flashy.
Just Precise.
He tilted his head slightly.
The punch missed.
Before Sofia could react
His hand moved.
A single strike.
CRACK.
His fist hit her stomach.
Her eyes widened.
All the air left her lungs instantly.
She froze.
For just a second.
That was enough.
Ludovico stepped forward.
Then
CRACK!
A second strike.
This time to her jaw.
Her body lifted slightly off the ground
And then
Boom.
She hit the arena floor.
Silence.
Complete silence.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
The referee blinked.
Then hurried forward.
"ONE"
Sofia didn't move.
"TWO"
Her eyes were open
But unfocused.
"THREE"
The crowd began to murmur.
"FOUR"
Still nothing.
"FIVE!"
The announcer's voice exploded through the arena.
"Ludovico wins!"
The arena remained quiet for a moment longer.
Then
The noise returned.
Louder than ever.
"What was that?!"
"It ended instantly again!"
"Did you even see him move?!"
Ludovico stood there.
Completely calm.
As if nothing had happened.
He didn't look at Sofia.
He didn't celebrate.
He simply turned
And began walking toward the exit.
Two masked men rushed into the arena and lifted Sofia's unconscious body.
Carrying her away.
Like it was routine.
Like it didn't matter.
As Ludovico reached the edge of the arena
He stopped for a brief moment.
Then
Without turning around
He spoke.
Quietly.
But clearly enough for those closest to hear.
"…Too slow."
Then he walked out.
Leaving behind only silence
And a growing fear in the arena.
after some time the loud speaker said "next fight miles vs covin"