'You are my beloved child—the pride of my womb. No one alive can dare best you in combat. My dear child, I know you will make me proud, not like your foolish brother,' the words of her mother rang in her ears as she unleashed her surging attack. Both remained locked in a conspicuous power struggle, the air around them crackling fiercely as they locked eyes with each other.
Meanwhile, back in the royal castle, the Darkhavens were restless as they witnessed the dawnting match progress till this despicable moment. Both contestants were already heavily bathered and bruised, breathing heavily as their vision swayed under the gargantuan weight of morbid expectations and desires.
"You slimy wretch. After all you said about wanting an honourable fight, you go ahead and attack my empire. How dare you?" Kael spat, brows furrowed as his lips curled in animosity. With trembling arms, he gripped his blood sword, eyes narrowed as he channelled the remnants of his strength forth. The next second, he sprinted towards Slade, a deluge of thoughts filling his mental space.
The hardened blade clanged with what remained of the only wing swaying almost aimlessly on his back. Slade's expression was hedious; a deep slash ran diagonally across his face, claiming one of his eyes. Along with that, a deep cut ran mercilessly across his neck, purple blood trickling from both slashes till this decisive point. Still, that wasn't all—his remaining arm, legs, back, even his sole wing were all recipients of a multitude of severe lacerations. The Red Emperor's ferocity had left his opponent in truly a pitiful state.
Still, that didn't seem to deter Slade from remaining present in the fight. His body had been severely abused, but his mind remained sharp, focused, waiting for his enemy to make a fatal flaw. And sure enough, it wasn't long till Kael did.
His eyes fluttered as the cumulative pain from the match pressed harder against his consciousness. Just like his opponent, his body had been severely violated by the Shadow Faction's leader. Blood oozed from deep wounds like miniature fountains of agony. His eyes, burdened by the tumultuous weight of the clash, struggled to remain sharp through swaying movements.
A brief lapse in judgement was all his opponent needed.
Slade struggled to steady himself, pressing forward as he swung his claws out. Failing to react in time, the serrated edges ripped through his chest, painting both their faces crimson as the emperor's stance swayed wildly.
His blood sword dissipated, incapable of maintaining it's tangibility. His eyes fluttered, shuffling between darkness and his dreadful surroundings. He battled fruitlessly against the clutches of resignation, feeling his body loosing balance, striking the rocky terrain soon after. His vision went black.
The emperor, the vast bastion of strength that reigned unopposed within the lightless kingdom… had been defeated.
Loud gasps followed from the fear-striken crowd, audible murmours complementing their surprise. Meanwhile, Vivian and her children remained frozen in shock, unable to process what they had just witnessed.
"Did he…? Did he really just… loose?" Loki asked, feeling his throat run dry. Although that had a lot to do with the thirst they all experienced, the climax of the match was another major factor.
"What… just happened?" Raven also asked, sweat covering her face. Her whole body shuddered as she stared down at her father, whose body laid unmoving on the grounds of the Arena. Slowly, she turned to her mother, eyes begging for an explanation. Perhaps this was all in her head. The months without food and bioluminescent blood might have been playing with her senses. This couldn't be right… could it?
Meanwhile, Mars just sat there, dazed. This… no one expected something like this to happen. His father… his father was the strongest man he had ever known. He slaughtered five of his cousins just to ascend to the throne, and ever since then, his powers had only grown greater. Absorbing the ancient powers of monarchy, ruling with an iron will, no one dared challenge his authority.
He was a horricane of unabatable potency, and he remained so for over a decade. But then, a mysterious individuals emerged from the shadows, challenged him, and after two gruelling months of battle… he won.
This was a major blow to Nefaria. Their emperor, whom the citizens both fear and revered, had lost in a one-on-one match against an outsider.
It was a shame, a wretched shame indeed.
Worst of all, Kael was the one who brought on this shame.
Fear, hatred, disgust, worry… and an insidious sense of satisfaction. The crowd looked on, breaths withheld, waiting for what this stranger would do next.
Back in the Arena, Slade's body swayed vigorously as he struggled to balance himself. Drained eyes stared down at the fallen emperor, a synchrony of emotions swirling deep within their harrowing depths. Then, his gaze turned back to face the crowd, a deep frown appearing on his face.
The next moment, he walked closer to the emperor's body, and placed his hand on his back. Purple shadows slowly shrouded his being, obscuring the crowd's vision of what was taking place.
"Wait!" A desperate voice tore through the weakened ambience. Rushing forth from his seat, blood magic surged from his hands, crackling with power as a magnificent wave of crimson lighting shot forward. He pushed past his relatives and leapt into the air, shaken eyes staring stubbornly at the match's victor.
Mar's world convulsed as he watched the victor do something strange to his father. He couldn't just sit back and watch this wretch kill his father. If no one else was going to step up and do something, then he would. After all, he was the firstborn son of the family, a lot of responsibilities were on his shoulders, and to him… this was one of them.
No matter what, he couldn't let his father passed away.
He had already lost one of his father's brothers to an incurable illness, and the other…
Mars swiftly closed the gap between himself and the dreadful creature, the crimson lightning rushing ahead of him. However, despite his quick reaction, he was simply too late. The purple shadows had already consumed them both, and the next moment, they sunk into the concrete, vanishing before them all.
Crimson lightning struck the battered terrain, dissipating soon after as Mars' jaws clenched tightly. His sea of calmness, which had already been stirred ever since the appearance of the ominous figure, had slowly been forming gargantuan ripples as the match dragged on. With every minute that passed, he hoped, believed, that everything would be alright.
But now, witnessing everything that had taken place, up until the disappearance of the intruder and his father, Mars felt… betrayed.
His father had battled for two whole months for the sake of the kingdom. He fought to the very end, performing his duty as king till his body simply couldn't keep up.
And when he had lost, what did his people do?
"You selfish bastards!" Mars' roared, his voice filling the tenebrous space with overwhelming fury and despair. "You watched, for two whole months, as he fought. He wasn't just fighting for himself, he was fighting for every single one of you slimy heathens! Yet, when you saw he needed help, none of you bothered to lift a finger! You all just sat there and watched like this was some sort of entertainment!
"Is that what this all was to you?! Just some damned show?! Vampires battle with their lives on the line for the sake of their ideals, yet after my father fought so hard, none of you bothered to protect him at his weakest! Is this truly how much you despise him?! What grevious crime did he commit to be regarded with such venomous contempt?!"
He clenched his hands till they turned white, blood trickling from his palm. He lowered his head, his next line of words barely above a whisper.
"If only… if only I was fast enough, I could've saved him. That bastard… he was already at death's door. A good shock would've done him in. And of that wasn't enough, then I would've just beat the bastard to death," he fell to his knees, hands swaying freely by his sides. "But now… there's no point. I was too slow, and now, he's gone."
His eyes shifted back to the crowd.
"Those fools must be happy. They've hated him for as long as I could remember. They even tried so many times to get rid of him, but father, he was far too clever to fall for their vile tricks.
"He was a man of honor, but these people… they are worst than scum. I am appalled by the fact I am even related to them."
Mars slowly brought himself back to his feet, the threats of anguish weaving a vast tapestry through his heart and soul. Seconds echoed by in silence. Soon, he found what little bit of strength he could and walked back to the stands, crimson eyes glaring daggers at them all.