The sun was merciless, glaring down on the coliseum as thousands roared from the stands.
Shadow stood in the center of the sandy arena floor, his cloak billowing in the dry wind. The gauntlets pulsed faintly, alive with quiet anticipation.
The announcer's voice boomed like thunder.
"Today's special match! The mysterious challenger known only as Shadow—against our reigning champion, the crimson predator, Rena!"
The gates creaked open, and Rena strode onto the battlefield. Her crimson armor gleamed, a predator's grin stretched across her lips. Every step she took was confident, her eyes locked solely on him.
The crowd erupted.
---
[Status: Shadow]
Level: 15
HP: 720 / 720
MP: 640 / 640
Strength: 46
Agility: 54
Endurance: 41
Intelligence: 39
Perception: 52
Skills:
Weapon Shift Lv.5
Elemental Coating Lv.2
Stealth Step Lv.4
Appraisal Lv.2
Mana Control Lv.3
---
Shadow breathed steadily. This is my limit right now… Let's see where I stand.
As Rena raised her weapon—a crimson halberd glowing faintly with mana—he activated Appraisal.
---
[Appraisal – Target: Rena]
Level: ???
HP: ???
Strength: High
Agility: Extremely High
Endurance: High
Intelligence: ???
Perception: ???
Skills: Cannot be identified.
---
His eyes narrowed. "…Tch. Most of it's blocked."
The gauntlet's voice chuckled in his mind. "That means she's above you. A lot above you."
Before he could react further, Rena's voice cut through the roaring crowd.
"You've got guts, stepping into my arena." She twirled her halberd with a flourish, embedding the blade into the sand for a moment. "But guts alone won't save you."
She lunged.
The sand exploded beneath her feet as she closed the distance in an instant, halberd swinging with a speed that should've been impossible.
Shadow barely raised his gauntlets in time. Sparks burst as steel clashed against enchanted steel, the impact rattling his bones.
"Fast—!" he hissed, sliding back across the arena floor.
The gauntlets shifted in response, blades snapping out from the wrists as he twisted, slashing upward. Rena leaned aside gracefully, the edge grazing her armor with a shriek of sparks. She countered with a spinning sweep, her weapon carving arcs of crimson light through the air.
The crowd was on its feet, screaming.
Shadow ducked low, rolling under the swing. His gauntlets transformed mid-motion, snapping into tonfa form as he charged, striking in rapid succession—left, right, uppercut. Each blow rang out like thunder, but Rena blocked every strike, her halberd moving like a living serpent, deflecting and parrying with maddening ease.
"Not bad," she admitted, her grin widening. "But you'll have to do better."
Mana flared around her weapon as she unleashed a sweeping strike, the shockwave tearing a line through the sand. Shadow's feet skidded, his gauntlets shifting again—this time into a crossbow, mana-charged bolts flying as he leapt back.
The first volley was deflected. The second forced her to adjust her stance. The third—aimed straight at her face—she batted aside with a contemptuous flick.
"Nice try."
She vanished.
His instincts screamed, and he twisted, bringing up his gauntlets just as she reappeared at his flank, halberd descending like a crimson guillotine.
The impact rocked the entire arena.
Dust exploded.
And Shadow staggered back, gauntlets cracked but still holding.
The crowd roared even louder.
The fight had only just begun.