Daemion dashed forward, snatching his thrown sword from the sand in one fluid motion; and charged straight toward Arthur once more.
The battle had truly begun.
The prince's boots tore across the arena floor, scattering grains of sand behind him as he accelerated. Each stride drove him faster than the last, his body leaning forward like an arrow loosed from a divine bow. The twin swords gleamed in the sunlight as he raised them.
Arthur stood motionless.
The seasoned warrior held his spear upright before him, the polished shaft resting lightly against his palm. His eyes closed, his breathing steady, as though the thunder of the roaring arena did not exist.
Daemion slashed his right sword forward.
A column of compressed air burst outward, forming a sharp crescent arc that screamed across the arena toward Arthur.
Without pause, Daemion followed with his left sword. Another arc tore through the air, chasing the first like a hunting hawk pursuing prey.
Each time he unleashed a slash, the recoil pushed him slightly backward, grinding his boots into the sand. His forward momentum faltered, and his chest heaved.
"Shit… I'm exhausted… creating air slashes requires more stamina," he muttered beneath his breath.
His body dipped forward from the strain. He extended his right hand toward the ground, dragging the tips of his fingers through the sand as he swept his arm backward. The friction and grounding motion steadied him, redistributing his balance. Strength surged through his legs again.
He pushed off.
And sprinted forward once more.
The twin air slashes raced toward Arthur.
Arthur remained still, eyes closed, head slightly tilted as though listening to a distant melody. The vibrating hum of the approaching air columns brushed against his senses.
Slowly, he raised his free hand.
His fingers bent into a precise gesture; two fingers folded inward, while his index and middle finger remained straight and upright. His thumb pressed perpendicular across them. He drew the gesture close to his face, thumb grazing his chin while the upright fingers aligned along his nose and forehead.
The first air slash reached him.
Arthur turned his body slightly to the right. The arc howled past his shoulder, missing him by the width of a whisper.
The second followed instantly.
Arthur leaned backward, one leg straight and grounded while the other bent for balance. His torso arched impossibly far, his body suspended momentarily in mid-air as the second arc sliced above his face, close enough to disturb a strand of his hair.
The crowd erupted.
"WOOOOAH!"
Arthur rolled forward smoothly and returned upright in a single motion, landing with calm precision.
High in the stands, his wife watched with shining admiration, her warrior's eyes glowing with pride and affection.
Daemion regained his full momentum. With a powerful leap, he launched himself high into the air. His body bent slightly backward to generate force, both swords raised parallel in his hands, separated by several feet like twin fangs descending from the sky.
Arthur adjusted his stance.
He held the spear horizontally in his left hand, parallel to the arena floor. His right hand floated freely beside him. His left knee bent forward while his right leg anchored behind, stabilizing his center of gravity.
As Daemion descended, Arthur grasped the spear with both hands and raised it vertically.
Steel met steel with a thunderous crack as Arthur intercepted both swords at once.
In the same instant, Arthur drove his leg backward in a devastating kick, striking Daemion squarely. The force launched the prince upward, spinning him helplessly into the air.
Arthur moved seamlessly into a spinning assault.
His torso twisted gracefully while his spear rotated continuously in his grasp. His legs lifted rhythmically, following the spiral momentum of his upper body. The movement resembled a lethal dance; each spin accelerating the weapon faster and faster, the spear blurring into a ring of steel.
The crowd gasped at the mesmerizing display.
As Daemion was flung skyward, the spear tip whirled dangerously close to him, missing by mere inches. Arthur planted the spear tip into the arena floor during the downward phase of his spin, using it as a pivot. He vaulted upward again, dragging the weapon in a rising circular arc behind him.
With explosive precision, Arthur struck.
The spear tip slammed into Daemion mid-air.
"BOOOOOM!"
A violent burst of red energy glitched across the invisible armor surrounding the prince. The impact hurled him downward with catastrophic force.
Daemion crashed into the arena floor, the sand exploding upward in towering waves that spread in all directions.
He groaned, struggling to rise.
Arthur landed lightly on one leg. Without pause, he swung his spear in a sweeping semicircle using a single hand. Flames ignited along the spear's tip, swirling outward into a blazing sphere.
The fireball shot toward Daemion like a comet.
"Shit!" Daemion gasped, raising both swords to block.
Too late.
The fireball slammed into his chest.
"BOOOOOM!"
Another crimson flash erupted across the protective armor. The impact blasted Daemion backward through the air. His body slammed violently against the arena wall, the stone trembling beneath the force.
Cracks splintered outward from the point of collision like lightning veins carved into rock. Small fragments of stone rained downward as dust clouds rose from the fractured surface.
The crowd collectively roared.
"DAAAAAAMN!"
From the edge of the arena, Broj Haldrik's voice thundered across the battlefield.
"Two devastating strikes; back to back! The veteran shows no mercy against the rising heir!"
Arthur continued his motion seamlessly. He spun the spear again in widening semicircular arcs. Each rotation ignited fresh bursts of flame at the spear's tip, forming blazing orbs that detached one after another.
Five… six fireballs streaked through the air in rapid succession, all racing toward the prince, who was still leaning against the cracked arena wall.
Daemion's breathing grew ragged.
The shadows of the incoming firestorm danced across his armor and face.
And slowly…
He closed his eyes.