Rena's strikes came faster now, like a storm tightening around its prey. Shadow's lungs burned, his body screaming with every movement.
The gauntlets strained, their edges cracked from constant weapon shifts. His arms felt heavy, each swing slower than the last.
The crowd's roars blurred into a single thunderous wave.
He had found the openings—tiny flaws in her rhythm—but she was too fast, too practiced. Every time he tried to exploit them, she was already there, punishing his attempt with bone-rattling blows.
Another thrust grazed his shoulder, ripping fabric and flesh alike. He staggered, blood dripping down his arm.
"Still standing?" Rena asked with a grin that was more wolf than human. Her halberd glowed crimson with mana. "Impressive. But you're finished."
Shadow spat blood, smirking faintly despite the pain. "You talk too much."
He lunged, gauntlets morphing mid-stride into dual blades, each wreathed in a faint flicker of lightning. He slashed in a whirlwind, his movements desperate but precise. Sparks flew as steel clashed against enchanted steel, the sound echoing through the arena.
For a moment, the crowd went silent, breath held.
Rena blocked. Parried. Countered.
Then, with terrifying speed, she pivoted and slammed the halberd's shaft into his ribs. The crack of bone echoed louder than the cheers.
Shadow gasped, collapsing to one knee. His vision swam.
The gauntlet's voice hissed in his mind. "Get up. GET UP."
He forced his legs to move, staggering forward. He threw one last desperate punch, the gauntlet flaring into gun form, a single mana bullet screaming toward Rena's chest.
It struck. The explosion of energy kicked up dust and flame, drawing a gasp from the crowd.
When it cleared, Rena stood unharmed, her halberd spinning lazily in her hands. The attack had scorched her armor, but little more.
Shadow's knees buckled. He couldn't fight anymore.
Rena leveled her weapon at his throat but didn't strike. Instead, she smiled. A real smile, sharp but approving.
"You're strong," she said simply. "Stronger than anyone your level has a right to be. But strength without years of battle is just borrowed time."
The announcer's voice thundered through the coliseum.
"VICTORY—RENA!"
The stands erupted, but it wasn't just her name they shouted.
At first, the chants were for the champion. But then, slowly, it shifted.
"RE-NA! … SHA-DOW! … SHA-DOW! SHA-DOW!"
The crowd roared in unison, stomping their feet, hands slamming together. Not just for the winner, but for the challenger who refused to fall quietly.
For the underdog who had shown them weapons they'd never seen before, a fight that defied imagination.
Shadow collapsed, the gauntlets sparking weakly, their glow flickering like a dying ember. His consciousness wavered. The last thing he saw was thousands of faces screaming his name—half in awe, half in disbelief.
And Rena, the crimson predator, watching him with a predator's grin… and the faintest glimmer of respect.