Draco could feel it.
His arms were starting to go numb from the sheer number of strikes they had taken in such a short time. Worse than that, he could feel himself slowing down as the fight dragged on.
The realization only made the frustration boiling inside him grow hotter.
"First a sneak attack, then feint attacks, and now you're playing dirty directly?!" Draco roared. "Is this what the Dark Prince is about? Do you have no sense of honor?!"
He glared at Kael, chest heaving, anger flashing across his face. Kael still stood there without a single visible injury, while Draco—despite still standing strong—could feel something was wrong.
His head had begun to throb.
The first punch Kael had landed was finally settling into his body now that the rush of adrenaline was beginning to ebb.
Kael looked at him calmly and replied with a faint smile.
"Dark Prince is just a title the ladies gave me because of my handsomeness."
He paused just long enough for the words to sink in.
"Just like how you are called the Ugly Brute Orc… Draco."
Kael smiled as he said it.
Inside, however, he remained careful and composed. The taunt was deliberate. He was exploiting Draco's emotional brutishness, trying to drive the man into another blind rage.
And it worked.
Draco's eyes flared as if something inside him had finally snapped again. Adrenaline surged through him like fire as he screamed.
"AAAAHHH! I WILL KILL YOU!"
He launched himself forward once more.
This time he attacked with everything he had, throwing punches wildly, ignoring the throbbing in his head and the numbness creeping through his arms.
Kael's expression sharpened.
Seeing the chaotic barrage rushing toward him, he began stepping back, weaving away from the storm of blows. Draco's attacks had become too random, too relentless. There was no longer any clean opening to strike at the arms like before.
For now, all Kael could do was evade.
Haah… this is going to be a long fight.
----
Well, it seemed he had been wrong.
After three minutes of relentless, adrenaline-fueled frenzy, Draco finally began to run out of steam. The giant stood there huffing and puffing, his massive chest rising and falling heavily as he stared at Kael.
Kael, however, was no longer untouched.
One of Draco's wild punches during the frenzy had managed to connect with his guard. Kael had raised his arm to block the blow before it could reach him, but the brute's strength was monstrous. Even through the defense, the impact had been brutal.
His entire arm was now red and swollen.
Kael breathed hard, the sting pulsing through the limb.
That single mistake had nearly cost him the fight.
He had noticed Draco beginning to lose momentum. As the seconds passed, the storm of punches slowed, their ferocity fading with each exhausted breath. In response, Kael's movements also became more measured. His dodges were less frantic now, his timing sharper again.
He even resumed striking Draco's elbow, driving precise blows into the hollow of the joint whenever the opportunity appeared.
But just as he moved in to strike again—
Draco changed.
Instead of letting his arm fully retract, the brute suddenly swung with the other one immediately, launching a direct strike without resetting his stance.
It caught Kael completely off guard.
Instinctively, Kael raised his arm to guard.
BOOM!
A violent shockwave rippled through the air as the blow landed.
Even with the block, the force behind it was overwhelming. Kael's body was hurled backward, skidding violently across the sand until he crashed near the far end of the arena.
In terms of raw strength, Draco was far superior.
And that was hardly surprising.
The man was older, larger, and had spent far longer training his body for combat.
But none of that mattered now.
The match was nearing its end.
----
Draco stood there, barely upright.
His hands had gone completely numb, hanging useless at his sides. His head throbbed violently now, the damage from Kael's first strike finally catching up to him.
Across the arena, Kael stood at a distance, watching him.
Both of Kael's arms hung low by his sides as well. The elbows were red and swollen, the muscles around them tight and aching as if they might burst at any moment.
For a long moment, neither of them moved.
Then Draco finally spoke.
"You play dirty… but you… win…"
The last of his strength left him as he said it. His body swayed once before his consciousness slipped away.
He collapsed face-first into the sand.
The impact sent up a thick cloud of dust that burst outward across the arena floor.
Seeing this, Kael finally let out a quiet sigh. Slowly, he lifted one trembling hand into the air.
At that moment, the anchor's voice exploded across the coliseum.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WE HAVE GOT OUR NEW CHAMPION! THE ONE STILL STANDING—DARKKKK… PRINCEEEE!!!"
The audience erupted.
"DARK PRINCE! DARK PRINCE! DARK PRINCE!"
The chants thundered through the arena.
But Kael was not looking at the crowd.
Instead, his gaze lifted toward one of the special chambers positioned high in the middle of the coliseum—where the most important guests were seated.
Among them sat the master of the arena.
The man noticed Kael watching him. He rose from his seat and stepped forward to the railing, looking down at the fighter below.
"Your rewards will be granted."
His voice was calm and low, yet it carried effortlessly across the entire arena, reaching the ears of every spectator.
The crowd burst into another wave of excitement.
Kael smiled faintly when he heard those words.
He wanted nothing more than to leave this place now.
But…
Would it really be that easy?
----
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