As soon as the elder declared the result of the match, Vayu moved towards the infirmary from the arena, staggering he made his way straight for the doctor. Blood still seeped from the cuts on his shoulder and thigh, and his nose hadn't stopped bleeding. The healers worked quickly, wrapping his wounds in tight bandages and applying ointments to slow the flow.
It wasn't perfect, but it was enough.
Within the hour, the first aid was done. Vayu stood, flexing his arms and rolling his shoulders, testing his movement. His legs felt heavy, his strikes were slower, but he was ready to fight.
He judged himself at eighty percent of his original strength, a bit sluggish but manageable. For him, that was more than enough.
Soon, the elder's voice rose above the restless noise of the arena.
"Final match, Aspen vs Vayu!"
The crowd erupted, every voice eager for the clash. This was the battle they had been waiting for.
Aspen stepped forward first, his towering frame drawing a thunderous roar. Vayu followed, bandages tight around his wounds, his expression calm and unreadable. The two faced each other inside the arena, the space between them charged with tension.
The elder raised his hand high. The crowd hushed, breath held in anticipation.
"Begin!"
The ground seemed to shake as the two fighters surged toward each other. Vayu slashed, steel hissing through the air. Aspen met it head-on, his axe clashing against the dagger. With a sharp twist, he hooked Vayu's blade inside the curve of his axe and yanked, dragging him forward.
Aspen's elbow crashed into Vayu's face. Blood spattered as Vayu staggered, vision blurring, but he forced himself to stay upright, refusing to fall.
Aspen roared and threw one axe. Vayu ducked at the last moment, the weapon sailing over his head, without giving him time Aspen charged in with his other axe raised high.
Vayu didn't retreat, he rushed forward, his dagger colliding against the descending blade. Steel screeched as the two locked. Aspen's free hand shot forward in a brutal punch. Vayu turned his head just in time, his dagger driving into Aspen's abdomen.
The crowd gasped.
But unlike others before him, Aspen didn't cry out. His face twisted with rage, not pain. Vayu ripped the dagger free and stabbed again, this time driving the point deep enough to pierce through the gaps of Aspen's armor.
Aspen finally yelped as Vayu twisted his dagger inside Aspen's abdomen , blood spilling down his side, Aspen angry slammed fist into Vayu's face in the same instant. The blow cracked against bone, sending Vayu staggering backward, blood running down his nose again.
His dagger remained buried in Aspen's abdomen, the hilt jutting out as blood seeped around it. Aspen ripped the dagger from his abdomen with a grunt and threw it aside, blood running down his side. His eyes blazing with fury.
Vayu had just pushed himself back to his feet when a blur of steel spun through the air. One of Aspen's axes slammed into him, the blade biting into the right side of his chest.
The impact drove him back two- three steps back. A cry tore from his throat as blood spread across his bandages. The wound wasn't deep enough to kill, but the cut was long and vicious.
Gritting his teeth, Vayu gripped the embedded axe and wrenched it free with a growl. Pain spread through his chest, but he didn't hesitate, he charged forward his dagger raised for the strike.
Aspen caught his wrist mid swing. With a savage jerk, he slammed Vayu's arm down across his knee. The shock rattled through bone, and the dagger clattered from Vayu's grasp.
But Vayu didn't falter. Using his free hand, he drove an uppercut straight into Aspen's jaw. The giant's head snapped back from the blow, sweat and blood spraying into the air as the crowd roared.
Vayu followed the uppercut with a sudden burst of speed, both feet snapping out in a dropkick that slammed square into Aspen's chest.
Aspen crashed onto the ground with a heavy thud, blood spraying from the gash across his torso. But Aspen wasn't the one to stay down. With a guttural growl, he forced himself back to his feet, his chest rising and falling, he rolled his shoulder in a slow, circular motion, loosening the joint ready to rush in again.
Now both stood inside the arena, weaponless.
Aspen moved first, his leg snapping out in a brutal kick aimed at Vayu's ribs.
Vayu, tried to grab Aspen's leg as he had in mental training. But reality was harsher than imagination, Aspen's raw power was not something to be easily contained, but it was too late for Vayu.
The moment Vayu's arms closed around his leg, Aspen's strength drove through. The kick crashed into Vayu's guard, the force slamming his arms against his own chest, knocking the air out from his lungs.
Vayu skidded backward across the dirt, boots dragging, but he somehow kept his footing, his body shaking from the impact.
The crowd roared, this was no longer a fight of blades, but of raw strength.
My head hurts, my leg hurts, my hand hurts but I can't give up, Vayu thought as he lifted his head up and looked towards Aspen, he was coming close, closing the gap between me and him with heavy, deliberate steps. His massive hand fisted my tunic, dragging me toward him like prey. His other arm drew back, fist clenched tight.
I too didn't back down, instead of shielding myself, I copied him. My hand shot out, gripping his tunic too, knuckles white, refusing to let him stand over me.
His eyes burned into mine, wild and merciless, his lips curling into a grin.
SLAM! his fist crashed into my face.
My head snapped backwards, fire spread across my cheek as the skin split open. The taste of blood filled my mouth. My vision shook, the world twisting but I clenched my teeth and swung back, my fist crashing against his jaw.
Another blow came, harder. My eye exploded with pain, swelling instantly, half my sight drowning in darkness. I gasped, my grip weakening, but I forced my arm up again, my fist slamming into his face.
SLAM. SLAM.
Each hit from him was like a hammer, tearing flesh, bruising bone. I felt the skin around my brow split, blood trickling down into my one good eye. My grip slipped on his tunic, slick with sweat and blood, but I still swung, knuckles breaking skin as I hit him back.
My body screamed with every strike. My arms felt heavy, my lungs felt on fire. But I refused to fall.
Five… six exchanges. His fists crushed against my face until I couldn't tell which pain was new and which had been there from the first hit. My eyes swelled shut, vision fading into shadows. I could barely see him anymore, just the outline of his face.
I swung one last time, blindly, my fist smashing into him.
And then… his grip loosened, hope arose in my heart, maybe I could win, that's when I realized it wasn't my strength holding me up. It was his. Aspen had been the only thing keeping me upright. My legs had already given out long ago.
The world tilted. My knees buckled. I fell hard to the dirt, my body no longer in my control. Darkness seeped into the edges of my vision until nothing remained.
Through the ringing in my ears, I heard the elder's voice, faint and distant:
"Winner — Aspen!"
Then everything went black.