As the bird dove, its speed kept increasing until it was less than two meters away from the lizard. Then, with a sudden flare of its wings, it snapped them open wide, its momentum bleeding away in an instant. The maneuver was quick, precise, almost graceful, leaving it just enough speed to stretch out its sharp talons and rake them down toward the lizard's back. It was obvious what the bird wanted: to grab hold of the lizard and drag it into the air where it would have the advantage.
But to my surprise, the lizard moved at the very last moment. Just as the claws were about to sink into its back, its body twisted, legs coiling, and it leapt sideways in a burst of energy. The talons sliced through empty air, missing their target by inches. My eyebrows rose without me realizing. Up until now, my lizard had crushed everything it faced so easily that I hadn't really seen it pushed before. But now… now I could see it. Beneath that bone-like armor and venomous bite, the creature had a natural instinct for combat. It was a natural predator.
The bird clearly hadn't expected its strike to fail, but it didn't linger or panic. With a powerful beat of its wings, it soared back into the air, climbing steadily to prepare for another dive. Its golden-white feathers caught the light as it circled, searching for the next opening.
The lizard, for its part, no longer wasted its energy with useless leaps. It seemed to realize that it couldn't reach the flying creature no matter how high it jumped. Instead, it crouched low, its body pressed to the ground, its glowing eyes locked onto the predator above. Every muscle was coiled, ready to react.
And so, the pattern began. The bird would swoop down with lethal precision, talons stretched wide, only for the lizard to dodge at the last second. Each time the bird would have no choice but to pull itself back into the sky, wings flapping harder and harder to regain altitude. Then the cycle would repeat again, and again, and again.
Dozens of times, the same deadly dance played out. To anyone else it might have looked repetitive, but from where I sat, I could feel the tension mounting. Every dive carried the risk of the bird landing a killing strike, and every dodge pushed my lizard closer to exhaustion.
At first, I thought it would go on forever, neither beast able to land a decisive blow. But then I noticed something. Subtle at first, almost unnoticeable. The bird wasn't flying as smoothly as before. Its wings didn't beat with the same sharp rhythm. Its turns were just a touch slower, its dives less crisp. Piece by piece, it was losing its edge. It was getting tired.
A faint smile tugged at my lips. All we had to do was wait.
But I'd overlooked something important. The lizard wasn't unscathed either. Dodging, twisting, and leaping over and over was just as draining. Its movements were beginning to slow, the sharp precision of its sidesteps dulled by fatigue. Every successful dodge came at the cost of just a little more energy, a little more focus, and the strain was adding up.
The cycle stretched on until finally, the inevitable happened. The bird dived again, streaking downward like an arrow loosed from a bow. The lizard readied itself to leap, but this time its timing was off. Its legs bunched to spring, but whether it slipped on the dirt, or its muscles simply gave out, it didn't matter. Its body lurched awkwardly, the movement far too slow.
The bird's talons struck true. With a savage cry, it clamped down on the lizard's back causing blood to spray. It began beating its wings with all its might, and lifted the armored reptile into the air.
My heart skipped a beat.
Higher and higher it flew, the lizard thrashing violently, its claws scraping at the empty air, tail whipping, but unable to break free of the bird's powerful grip. I knew immediately what Cain's champion intended. It wanted to drop the lizard from high above, smashing it into the earth with enough force to kill it outright.
But my lizard wasn't so helpless.
Realizing escape was impossible, it did the only thing it could: it turned its fury on its captor. Twisting with surprising agility, its head craned backward, bone armor grinding as it contorted. With a sudden snap of its jaws, its teeth sank deep into the bird's side.
That was all it needed.
Venom, potent and corrosive, surged into the bird's bloodstream. Its cry echoed through the colosseum as its wings faltered, flapping wildly but losing coordination. Within seconds, its body stiffened. Its feathers locked, its muscles froze, and the steady rhythm of its flight collapsed entirely.
Both creatures plummeted.
The lizard dangled limply in its claws as gravity claimed them, pulling them down faster and faster. I leaned forward unconsciously, watching the ground race toward them. At the speed they were falling, it looked like a tie was unavoidable. If they hit the earth together, both would surely be smashed to pieces, neither standing when the dust cleared.
But then, just before impact, a new system notification flickered into view.
[Winner: Nexus]
The two champions dissolved into streams of light, disintegrating before they even touched the ground. The arena floor remained unmarred, as though nothing had happened at all.
I exhaled slowly, tension draining from me. I'd gotten lucky. The venom had done its work just in time, killing the bird before the fall could claim them both.
My relief didn't last long. My own body began to unravel, dissolving into specks of light once more. The next match was already waiting.
But just before I vanished completely, a faint whisper reached my ears. Cain's voice.
"Who would have thought that my masterpiece could lose? I've still got a lot of work to do."
Then the light consumed me, and I was gone.