The sun hung low on the horizon like an orange disk bleeding into the sky, its rays filtering through gray clouds swirling like a foreboding vortex, casting a reddish glow that bathed the East Vigil Coliseum in a light that seemed to herald blood. The amphitheater, a hulking mass of black stone weathered by centuries of brutal combat, thrummed with a savage energy that shook the wooden and stone bleachers, the ground creaking under the weight of thousands of boots stomping in a frenzy, the echo resounding like a war drum that wouldn't relent. Torches embedded in the high walls flickered with an amber glow, throwing dancing shadows across the sweaty faces of the crowd: merchants in dusty tunics shouting bets with hoarse voices, soldiers in dented armor whistling with mockery, peasants with calloused hands raising fists in a fervor that rattled the beams to their core. The air reeked of stale sweat, burning wax, and a metallic tang that stung the nostrils like a visceral warning, mingling with the earthy scent of the packed arena sand soon to become a battlefield. In the privileged stands, near the central railing offering an unobstructed view of the pit, Sebastián occupied a carved wooden seat, his body still marked by the tension of his victory days ago against Ragna "The Gray Wolf," his green shirt torn at the edges and stained with dried sweat hanging loose over his tanned chest, his dusty boots creaking against the floor with every restless shift. Plague's Edge rested sheathed at his side, the cold metal brushing his leg like a reminder of what he'd endured, the red runes on the blade flickering with a faint glow that seemed to pulse with life. His brown eyes shone with a mix of excitement and pride, locked on the arena where Kaili, his companion, his torment, his chaos queen, would soon appear, and he felt not a shred of worry for her, only a burning eagerness that seared his chest like a living flame, itching to witness the magnitude of her power, even if she'd promised to match her opponent's strength to teach him a lesson he didn't fully grasp yet.
A few seats away, Lord Valerius Thorne, leader of the East Vigil Guild, stood with a presence that sliced through the air like a sharpened blade, tall and lean, his face hardened by decades of battle etched with deep lines that looked carved into stone, his gray hair cropped close like a soldier's glinting under the fading light. His eyes, sharp as knives and a frigid blue, scanned the arena with a blend of curiosity and caution, his gray cape billowing in the wind like a banner of unchallenged authority. Beside him, his assistant, Erynn, a thin young man with a pale face, crooked glasses, and a rumpled gray tunic, clutched a notebook and quill with nervous fingers, his dark eyes blinking behind the lenses as he scribbled details with an obsessive precision that betrayed his unease. Valerius drummed his fingers against the wooden railing, the rhythmic sound barely audible over the crowd's clamor, his mind snagged on the memory of Kaili healing Sebastián with a flash of purple and crimson energy days before, a power he'd labeled "dark healing" but that left him with more questions than answers, an unease gnawing at him like a splinter under the skin. "That gardener's cleric," he muttered, his deep voice rumbling like a distant drum, directed at Erynn without taking his eyes off the arena, "I saw her mend a mangled arm in a blink—strange magic, fast… but I'm not convinced that's all she is. What do you think?" Erynn adjusted his glasses with a clumsy twitch, the quill trembling in his hand as he jotted a quick note, "My lord, it was healing, yes, but… that speed, that purple with crimson… it's not common clerical magic," he replied, his voice high and stuttered with nerves, "maybe she's a sorceress in disguise, or something darker, but against a monster like they've announced… I don't know if she'll last." Valerius furrowed his brow, his hand pausing on the railing with a dry creak, "If she's a sorceress, we'll see what tricks she's got," he growled, his tone hardening like red-hot steel, "but if she falls, it won't surprise me—that beast down there isn't a beginner's game."
A low horn blared from the coliseum's depths, a deep, guttural sound that vibrated through the walls like a primal heartbeat, shaking dust from the beams and silencing the crowd's roar for a fleeting moment, the echo thudding in the chests of everyone present like a drum foretelling death. "Quebrantahuesos, the Terror of the Ramparts, to the pit!" the announcer bellowed, his voice amplified by an arcane spell that reverberated down to the bones of every spectator, and the arena quaked with an echo of heavy footsteps swelling like approaching thunder, a rhythm that cracked the ground and kicked up clouds of dust that danced in the air like a tattered veil. From the eastern arch emerged a colossal figure that made the very air seem to recoil, a towering shadow that cut through the torchlight like a living eclipse. Quebrantahuesos, an orc standing three and a half meters tall, advanced with a presence that crushed hope, his dark green skin toughened like old leather crisscrossed with white scars mapping forgotten wars, his muscles swollen like twisted oak trunks straining under crude plates of jagged black metal armor that groaned with every step as if the steel itself complained of his bulk. In his hands, a double-headed warhammer, each head the size of a grown man, pulsed with a venomous green aura that hissed acidically as it grazed the sand, leaving smoking scorch marks that bubbled like burning flesh, the acrid stench rising in wisps that stung the nostrils and made the nearest spectators cough. His fangs, long as daggers and yellowed with age, jutted from a square jaw that looked forged to grind bones, and his red eyes blazed with a primal fury that chilled the blood, glinting under the lightning flashes like embers in a bottomless pit. He planted a foot in the sand, and the ground shattered with a dry crack that flung dust and gravel in all directions, the impact echoing like a broken drum that rattled eardrums and shook the stands to their highest beams.
"I am the breaker of ramparts!" Quebrantahuesos roared, his voice a thunderclap that echoed as if the earth itself spoke, acidic saliva dripping from his fangs and sizzling as it hit the sand with a corrosive hiss that unleashed a nauseating reek, "I've crushed entire armies, shattered fortresses with these hands! Come, puny human, and I'll grind you to dust before you can scream!" The crowd erupted in a savage roar that rocked the coliseum, some chanting his name with a fervor that resounded like a war chorus, others shrinking back from the towering figure dominating the pit, the air thickening with a tension that weighed like lead in their lungs. A second horn sounded, sharper and piercing, an echo that sliced through the orc's bellow like an icy blade, "Kaili, the Shadow of the Plague, to the pit!" the herald announced, and the crowd's clamor surged even higher, a chorus of cheers and whistles that shook the stands to their core, the ground creaking under the weight of thousands of boots stomping in a frenzy. From the western arch, Kaili emerged with firm, deliberate steps, the clink of her black armor ringing like a soft drum against the chaos, her lithe yet imposing figure cutting through the air like a living shadow. The polished obsidian of her armor reflected the lightning in sharp glints that danced across its surface, the metal creaking with each move as if alive, and her black hair fell in jagged strands over her pale skin, whipping in the wind like shadows come to life. Her eyes—black sclera with silver pupils like frozen moons—gleamed with an icy calm that clashed with the frenzy around her, flashing under the waning light as if they could slice the soul of anyone who stared too long. In her right hand, a black sword with a thin, curved blade, unmarked by runes but heavy with silent menace, rested with a deadly elegance, its edge catching the light in a fleeting gleam that rang like an omen.
She stopped in the center of the arena, planting her boots with a dry crunch that kicked up a small cloud of dust, and raised her gaze to Quebrantahuesos with a cold, mocking smile that cut sharper than any blade, her lips curling in a razor-edged arc that seemed to defy the darkened sky itself. "Ramparts? Armies?" she said, her voice a sharp purr that carried clearly over the crowd's roar thanks to the coliseum's acoustics, each word ringing like an icy blade slicing the air, "I'll match your strength, you hunk of meat, but only so my gardener can see how to squash a pig with style." The crowd roared even louder, a savage chorus that rattled the stands until the beams trembled, some shouting her name with a fervor that echoed like a war drum, others whistling with mockery at her boldness, but she paid them no mind, her silver pupils glinting with a mix of taunt and resolve that chilled the blood. Sebastián shot to his feet in the stands, his heart pounding with a mix of pride and excitement that burned his chest like an uncontrollable blaze, his fists clenched as he leaned over the railing, "Go, Kaili!" he shouted, his hoarse voice slashing through the air like a ragged blade, "Turn him into mush! Show 'em who's boss!" His green shirt flapped in the wind, dried sweat glistening on his forehead as his brown eyes tracked her every move, the burning eagerness in his chest swelling like a flame he couldn't douse.
Valerius turned his head toward Sebastián, his sharp eyes narrowing with a mix of curiosity and disdain, "The gardener's got blind faith in his cleric," he muttered, his tone dry but laced with skepticism, drumming his fingers against the railing with a quick rhythm that echoed faintly in the chaos, "Let's see if that faith holds up to what's coming." Erynn scribbled a hasty note, his glasses catching the torchlight as he glanced at Kaili with a blend of nervousness and doubt, "My lord, if she's just a healer, this'll be quick… and not in her favor," he said, his voice quivering slightly as he looked up at Quebrantahuesos, sweat gleaming on his pale forehead under the torch glow. A third horn blared, a low bellow marking the fight's start, resounding through the walls like a primal heartbeat that shook dust from the beams, and the entire coliseum held its breath, the silence broken only by the crunch of sand under the contenders' boots, the air thickening with a tension that weighed like lead in everyone's lungs.
Quebrantahuesos raised his double hammer with a roar that shook the ground, his fangs glinting under the lightning flashes as acidic saliva dripped from his jaw and sizzled as it hit the sand with a corrosive hiss that unleashed a nauseating stench, "I'll crush you until not even your shadow's left, rat!" he bellowed, his voice a thunderclap that echoed as if the earth itself spoke, each word amplified by the coliseum's echo until it battered eardrums like a broken drum. His boots sank into the sand with a dry crunch, kicking up clouds of dust and gravel that danced in the air like a shredded veil, and he charged at Kaili with a speed that defied his colossal bulk, the hammer swinging in a devastating horizontal arc that sliced the air with a deafening whistle, a sound that hammered eardrums like a red-hot blade. The blow's force could split a stone tower in two, the hammer's venomous green aura leaving a smoking trail that scorched the sand in its wake, the searing heat grazing the skin of the nearest spectators and making some scream in panic. Kaili, still as a statue in the pit's center, waited with an icy calm that chilled the blood, her black hair whipping in the attack's wind like living shadows dancing around her, and the crowd held its breath, a momentary silence weighing like a slab over the coliseum. When the hammer was inches from her face—so close the venom's heat singed her cheeks and the acidic stench stung her nostrils—she leaped with an agile twist, her body spinning in the air like a leaf caught in an unseen current, her boots clanging against the metal with an echo that sliced the silence. She landed on the hammer's head with a dry crunch, using its momentum as a springboard to vault behind the orc in a fluid motion that seemed to defy gravity, and the hammer slammed into the ground with a boom that rocked the coliseum to its highest beams, carving a ten-meter-wide crater that erupted in a blinding cloud of dust and gravel. The Ivory Tower's barriers absorbed the shockwave with a blinding blue flash, the runes groaning under the strain as ethereal sparks danced in the air like will-o'-wisps, the mages' low chants humming like a heartbeat struggling to contain the chaos.
Sebastián leaped from his seat, fists clenched as he shouted with a hoarse voice that tore through the air, "That's it, Kaili! Rip him apart!" His heart pounded with a pride that scorched his chest like an uncontrollable blaze, his brown eyes gleaming with a mix of awe and euphoria as he watched her move like a specter in the storm, his green shirt flapping in the wind as he leaned over the railing until he nearly fell. Valerius drummed his fingers against the railing with a quick rhythm, his face hardened with skepticism as he watched Kaili's leap, "That's the cleric who healed the gardener with that purple magic?" he muttered, his deep voice tinged with disbelief, "She looks more like a circus tumbler than a warrior—a neat trick, but it won't last." Erynn nodded with a clumsy twitch, adjusting his glasses as he scribbled a note in his book, "She patched the kid up in a flash, my lord, but this… I don't think she'll hold up against that beast," he stammered, his voice quaking as he glanced up at Quebrantahuesos, sweat glistening on his pale forehead under the torchlight. Quebrantahuesos spun his massive frame with a guttural growl, the hammer dragging a smoking furrow through the sand as he hefted it again, black blood dripping from his hand and sizzling as it hit the ground, "I'll crush you until not even your shadow's left, rat!" he roared, his voice echoing like a broken drum that rattled the stands. Kaili, landing with a clink of her armor that rang like a soft echo in the chaos, raised an eyebrow and replied with a sharp purr that sliced the air like an icy blade, "Keep squealing, pig—I'm just warming up."
The orc, enraged by his miss, planted his boots in the sand with a crunch that flung chunks of earth like shrapnel, and slammed both fists into the ground, a guttural roar thundering out that shook the stands to their highest beams, the echo dislodging dust from the walls and making some spectators scream in panic. His body swelled in a visceral burst, muscles doubling in size with a wet snap that echoed like breaking branches, green veins pulsing under his skin like rivers of venom glowing with a sickly light that lit his silhouette in the arena's gloom. His eyes turned into black pits with blazing red pupils, flashing with a fury that seemed to set the air ablaze, and his armor cracked with a dry snap, melding into his flesh as jagged bone plates that jutted out like sharpened spines glinting under the torchlight. The double hammer grew in his hands, its heads now studded with spikes that sparked with toxic energy, the green aura intensifying until the ground beneath him bubbled and melted into smoking acid pools that unleashed a nauseating stench wafting up to the highest stands, making some spectators cough and cover their noses with their sleeves. With a bellow that rocked the coliseum like an earthquake, Quebrantahuesos struck the ground again, heaving rocks from the crater with a boom that rang like a cannon shot, stone and gravel rising into the air like a shrapnel storm slicing through with a deadly whine. Seeing Kaili dodge with a lateral leap, her boots sliding across the sand with a soft crunch, he spun the hammer in a swift, cunning move, smashing the airborne rocks toward her like venom-laced bullets that whistled with a piercing buzz, each projectile wrapped in a green aura trailing smoke that scorched the sand in its path. The crowd screamed in panic, some shielding their faces as if fearing the barriers would fail, the acidic stench burning their nostrils and thickening the air into a corrosive haze.
Kaili, with a calm that seemed to defy time, redirected the shrapnel with a sword stroke, her black blade slashing the air in precise arcs that rang with a sharp whistle splitting eardrums, deflecting each rock toward the barriers with surgical accuracy that kicked up dust swirls clouding the arena. The blue runes sparked as they absorbed the impacts, bright flashes dancing like fireworks as the mages' low chants hummed like a heartbeat struggling to contain the chaos, the ethereal glow lighting her silhouette like a specter in the storm. Seizing the momentum, she raced along the hammer's haft with light steps that echoed like a soft drum, her armor's clink mingling with the sand's crunch under her boots, and struck a weak spot in the orc's shoulder with her sword's hilt, a wet crack ringing like a snapping bone as black blood spurted in a jet that splattered the sand like spilled ink, the metallic reek blending with the venom's acid in a cloud that stung the nostrils. Quebrantahuesos roared in pain, a sound that thrummed in the spectators' chests like a shattered drum, and staggered back, his arm quaking under the hammer's weight as black blood dripped from his shoulder and sizzled on the ground with a corrosive hiss that unleashed a nauseating stench. Sebastián leaned over the railing, hands gripping the wood until his knuckles whitened, a hoarse laugh bursting from his throat as he shouted with a voice that tore the air, "That's it, Kaili! You're giving him a damn lesson!" His heart pounded with a pride that scorched his chest like an uncontrollable blaze, his brown eyes gleaming with a mix of awe and adoration as he watched her move like a specter in the storm, his green shirt flapping in the wind as sweat glistened on his forehead under the torchlight.
Valerius leaned forward, his sharp eyes narrowing as he watched Kaili's move, his hand pausing on the railing for the first time, the wood creaking faintly in the chaos, "She redirected that with a sword?" he muttered, his tone shedding its initial disdain for a curious edge that betrayed his hardened facade, "That's no ordinary cleric… that precision isn't magic." Erynn swallowed hard, scribbling frantically in his notebook, the quill trembling in his hand as sweat glistened on his pale forehead, "My lord, that speed… it's not just dark healing, it's pure physical skill," he stammered, his glasses reflecting the barriers' glow as he stared at Kaili with wide eyes blinking behind the lenses. Quebrantahuesos spun his massive frame with a growl that thundered out, black blood dripping from his shoulder and sizzling on the sand, "You won't escape, human rat!" he roared, his voice deeper and more resonant, amplified by the fury boiling inside him like a volcano about to blow. Kaili, planted with a crunch of her boots that kicked up a small dust cloud, laughed with a dry, cutting sound that sliced the air like a frozen blade, "Escape? I'm just toying with you, beast—watch and learn, gardener, it's easier than it looks."
The orc, bleeding from the shoulder, raised his head to the darkened sky and let out a roar that made green lightning crash around him like spears of light piercing the air, the echo thundering like a storm that shook the stands to their highest beams and sent some spectators screaming in panic. His skin darkened to a blackish green with a wet crack that echoed like tearing leather, bone spines sprouting from his joints like natural daggers glinting with a sickly edge under the torchlight, the sound of his flesh shifting blending with the acidic hiss that unleashed a nauseating reek. The double hammer melted into his hands with a corrosive sizzle, morphing into massive gauntlets studded with spikes dripping black venom that burned the sand into smoking pools, the acrid stench rising in wisps that made the nearest spectators cough and cover their noses with their sleeves. His fangs stretched into curved sabers, and his breath released a toxic vapor the barriers contained with a corrosive hiss that rang like melting metal, the air thickening with a heat that left the crowd sweating under their dusty tunics. His whole body vibrated with wild energy, veins pulsing like rivers of green lava lighting his silhouette in the arena's gloom, and with a bellow that rocked the coliseum like an earthquake, he unleashed a barrage of punches that sliced the air with a deafening roar, each blow loosing a venomous energy burst that fractured the ground in a twenty-meter radius, enough to topple a rampart with a single hit. The air filled with dust and toxic gas, a thick cloud cloaking the arena and sending spectators screaming in panic, some shielding their faces as the acidic stench seared their nostrils and the scorching heat soaked them in sweat beneath their ragged clothes.
Each punch boomed with a thud that battered eardrums like a hammer on an anvil, shockwaves crashing against the barriers with a resonant crack that flung blue sparks into the air like a broken fireworks show, the mages' low chants humming like a heartbeat straining to hold the chaos. Kaili danced through the onslaught with precise steps, her figure a blur of black armor slipping through the mayhem like a specter in a storm, her armor's clink mingling with the sand's crunch under her boots as she redirected each punch with open-palm strikes, her hands moving at a speed that defied sight and shunting the force toward the barriers with a sharp whistle slicing the air like an icy blade. The sand quaked under her boots, dust rising in swirls that cloaked her silhouette like a tattered shroud, and she found a gap in the orc's guard, striking a weak spot in his rib with a swift sword slash that rang with a wet snap splitting eardrums. Black blood gushed in a jet that splattered the sand like spilled ink, the metallic reek mingling with the venom's acid in a cloud that stung the nostrils, and Quebrantahuesos staggered back, a pained roar tearing from his throat that thrummed in the spectators' chests like a shattered drum, the sound echoing through the stands until it rattled the highest beams. Sebastián leaned so far over the railing he nearly toppled, hands gripping the wood until splinters dug into his palms, a wild laugh bursting from his throat as he shouted with a hoarse voice that tore the air, "Damn it, Kaili! You're a freaking storm!" His heart pounded with a pride that scorched his chest like an uncontrollable blaze, his brown eyes gleaming with a mix of awe and adoration as he watched her dance through the blows, his green shirt flapping in the wind as sweat glistened on his forehead under the torchlight.
Valerius shot to his feet, his sharp eyes wide, his hand squeezing the railing until the wood creaked under his fingers, "What the hell is that woman?" he exclaimed, his voice taut with awe, trembling for the first time in years as he watched Kaili glide through the onslaught like a specter in a storm, "That's not healing—it's a damn martial art! That precision isn't human!" Erynn dropped his quill, his notebook shaking in his hands as he stammered, "My lord, she… she's toying with him… that speed, that technique… it's beyond any magic we've seen…" His glasses reflected the barriers' glow, his wide eyes blinking behind the lenses as he stared at Kaili with a mix of terror and fascination that left him breathless, sweat glistening on his pale forehead under the torchlight. Quebrantahuesos raised his gauntlets with a growl that thundered out, black blood dripping from his rib and sizzling on the sand, "My fists are death itself!" he roared, his voice a warped echo that rumbled through the stands like a broken drum. Kaili, planted with a crunch of her boots that kicked up a small dust cloud, replied with an icy purr that sliced the air like a frozen blade, "Death's clumsy, beast—notice, gardener? Weak spots are his ruin; one good hit's worth more than a hundred of your flailing swings."
The orc, teetering on collapse, raised his head to the darkened sky and unleashed a howl that shook the barriers until they nearly shattered, a sound that echoed like the earth itself was tearing apart, rattling the stands to their highest beams and sending spectators screaming in panic as dust rained from the walls like dry snow. His body stretched to four meters with a wet crack that rang like ripping flesh, his skin turning coal-black, red fissures glowing like lava lighting his silhouette in the arena's gloom, the sound of his shifting flesh blending with the acidic hiss that unleashed a nauseating reek. His gauntlets morphed into massive claws sparking with green and red energy, each claw the size of a longsword, and his venomous aura thickened into a toxic shroud that dissolved the sand around him into smoking pools wafting an acrid stench up to the highest stands, making some spectators cough and cover their noses with their sleeves. His fangs lengthened into curved sabers, and his red eyes blazed with a fury that seemed to ignite the air, the heat of his presence soaking the crowd in sweat as the ground quaked under his weight like a furious heartbeat throbbing in everyone's chests. With a roar that rattled the soul of every spectator, Quebrantahuesos launched a double claw strike, a green-and-red energy blast slicing the air with a deafening roar, enough to fracture a fortress with one blow, the air crackling with a green heat that scorched lungs and stung nostrils with its acidic reek. Shockwaves slammed into the barriers with a resonant crack that flung blue sparks into the air like a broken fireworks display, the mages' low chants humming like a heartbeat straining to hold the chaos as the sand erupted in a blinding cloud cloaking the coliseum, chunks of earth and gravel rising like a shrapnel storm slashing through with a deadly whine.
Kaili, with a cold smile that cut sharper than any blade, dodged with a spinning leap, her body twirling in the air like a specter caught in an unseen current, her boots ringing against the sand with a soft crunch as she used the attack's force to propel herself behind the orc. She struck a weak spot in his nape with her sword's tip, a wet crack ringing like a snapping bone as black blood gushed in a jet that splattered the sand like spilled ink, the metallic reek mingling with the venom's acid in a cloud that stung the nostrils. Quebrantahuesos crashed face-first with a boom that rocked the coliseum to its highest beams, his aura dissipating in a swirling plume of black smoke rising like a tattered veil, the acrid stench wafting in wisps that made the nearest spectators cough as his motionless body lay in a smoking crater bubbling like burning flesh. Sebastián vaulted over the railing, hands gripping the wood until splinters dug into his palms, a wild laugh bursting from his throat as he shouted with a hoarse voice that tore the air, "Damn it, Kaili! You're a freaking hurricane! That was epic!" His heart pounded with a pride that scorched his chest like an uncontrollable blaze, his brown eyes gleaming with a mix of awe and adoration as he watched her stand over the orc's still form, his green shirt flapping in the wind as sweat glistened on his forehead under the torchlight.
Valerius clutched the edge of his seat, his face pale, wiping cold sweat from his brow with his sleeve as his sharp eyes quivered for the first time in decades, "She's no cleric!" he hissed, his voice cracking with an awe that shook him to his bones, "She's a damn battle demon! That technique… it's not human!" Erynn trembled, his notebook slipping from his hands as he stammered, "My lord, that precision… I've never seen anything like it… what is she really?" His glasses reflected the barriers' glow, his wide eyes blinking behind the lenses as he stared at Kaili with a mix of terror and fascination that left him breathless, sweat glistening on his pale forehead under the torchlight. Quebrantahuesos, in his fall, raised a trembling claw with a growl that thundered like a broken drum, black blood dripping from his nape and sizzling on the sand, "I'm a god of war!" he roared, his voice shattering like glass. Kaili, planted with a crunch of her boots that kicked up a small dust cloud, sighed with an icy purr that sliced the air like a frozen blade, "A dead god, beast—did you catch that, gardener? Technique kills strength; one well-placed strike ends it all." The orc groaned, a low, broken sound escaping his throat, "I… can't…" and collapsed, his motionless body sinking the sand into a smoking crater bubbling like burning flesh.
The crowd erupted in a roar blending terror and reverence, a savage chorus that rocked the stands until the wooden beams and stone slabs trembled, some shouting her name—"Kaili! Kaili!"—while others shrank back from the towering figure dominating the pit, the air thickening with an energy that weighed like lead in their lungs. The Ivory Tower mages reinforced the barriers with a final chant, their voices humming low to steady the blue runes, the ethereal glow fading into wisps dancing in the air like fleeting ghosts, the hum dying with a soft echo that faded into the silence following the roar. The announcer, quaking behind a raised platform, lifted a hand with a shaky twitch, his voice amplified by the arcane spell cutting through the clamor, "Kaili, the Shadow of the Plague, the winner!" Kaili wiped her sword with a swift stroke that rang with a sharp whistle, black blood splattering the sand in drops that sparked like liquid fire, and strode toward the stands with firm steps, her armor's clink echoing like a soft drum in the silence after the roar, her silver pupils rising to Sebastián with a mix of taunt and satisfaction that cut sharper than any blade, a fleeting smile curling her lips like a freshly forged dagger. "What a waste of meat," she muttered, her voice low but sharp as a freezing wind, audible only to those closest as she sheathed her sword with a dry snap, "Declare my win, and bring something worth my time next round—this wasn't even a warm-up."
Dust still drifted in the air like a tattered veil, settling slowly over the sand streaked with black blood and smoking pools that wafted an acrid stench stinging the nostrils, the ground creaking under the orc's motionless bulk as the coliseum quaked with the echo of cheers, a savage chorus resounding through the stands like an unrelenting war drum. Torches flickered on the high walls, casting dancing shadows over the sweaty faces of spectators, some standing and clapping in a frenzy, others recoiling from the imposing figure of Kaili leaving the pit with firm steps, her black armor's clink ringing like a soft echo in the chaos. Sebastián, unable to hold back, vaulted the stands' railing with a clumsy but determined leap, his boots slamming the wood with a dry crunch that echoed in the air, "Kaili!" he shouted, his hoarse voice slashing through the clamor as he raced toward her, dust kicking up in small clouds under his hurried steps, sweat glistening on his forehead under the torchlight as his green shirt flapped in the wind. The crowd turned to watch, some laughing at his boldness, others whistling in mockery, but he ignored them, his brown eyes locked on Kaili as she paused at the arena's edge, turning her head toward him with a raised eyebrow and a mocking smile that cut sharper than any blade, her silver pupils glinting under the fading light with a mix of amusement and annoyance.
"What are you doing, gardener?" she growled, her voice low but thick with sarcasm, crossing her arms with a creak of her armor as she watched him approach with a blend of amusement and exasperation, "You think this is a circus for you to play the fool?" Sebastián didn't answer with words; he reached her with a final leap that kicked up a dust cloud, wrapping her in a clumsy but fierce hug, his arms encircling her with a strength that defied his own exhaustion, sweat gleaming on his forehead as he lifted her off the ground with an effort that shook his muscles, spinning her in the air like she was a child instead of a warrior who'd just felled a titan. The crowd burst into laughter and cheers, the comical gesture shattering the battle's tension with an echo of humanity ringing through the stands, some shouting their names—"Sebastián! Kaili!"—while others clapped in a frenzy, the air thickening with an energy that weighed like lead in their lungs. "Damn it, Kaili, you're incredible!" he exclaimed, his hoarse voice ringing against her armor as he held her aloft, his tanned face lit by a wide, crooked grin glowing with a pride he couldn't contain, "You beat that sack of dung like it was nothing! That was epic, my queen!"
Kaili stiffened for a moment, her silver eyes widening with a mix of surprise and exasperation, but then let out a dry laugh that sliced the air like a freshly forged blade, "Put me down, you idiot!" she growled, her voice thick with mockery as she kicked the air with a clang of her armor, "What do you think you're doing, pervert? I'll bury you right here if you don't let go!" But she made no real effort to break free, her hands gripping his shoulders with a force that belied her cold facade, nails digging into his shirt with a soft creak echoing in the chaos. Sebastián set her down with a grunt, his boots crunching against the sand as he steadied her, but kept his hands on her shoulders, his tanned face lit by a wide, crooked grin glowing with a pride that scorched his chest, "I saw you, Kaili! You thrashed him like it was a damn game!" he exclaimed, his voice ringing with a mix of euphoria and adoration that cut through the air, "You're a freaking hurricane, 'wife'!" She snorted, a dry sound echoing in the cool air, shoving his hands off with a firm push that creaked her armor, but a fleeting smile curled her lips, sharp as a dagger yet warm in its depths, "Don't get used to it, gardener," she growled, her tone cutting but softer than usual, her silver pupils glinting with a mix of taunt and something deeper she wouldn't name, "You got your show—now walk before I drag you like a sack of potatoes and sell you to the first butcher I see."
From the stands, Valerius watched with a pale face, his hand still gripping the railing as his sharp eyes tracked Kaili's every move, cold sweat glistening on his brow under the torchlight, "That woman…" he muttered, his deep voice trembling with an awe that shook him to his bones, "Not a cleric, not a sorceress… something else—something I don't understand." He turned to Erynn, who fumbled to pick up his notebook with trembling hands, the quill dripping ink onto the crumpled paper as sweat glistened on his pale forehead, "Write this: the Shadow of the Plague isn't what she seems—we need to know more; this doesn't end here," he ordered, his tone hardening like red-hot steel as his sharp eyes bored into Kaili's figure. Erynn nodded, his high voice stuttering with nerves as he scratched out the command, "Yes, my lord… but if that's what she does without dark magic… what else can she do?" His glasses caught the torchlight, his wide eyes blinking behind the lenses as he stared at Kaili with a mix of terror and fascination that left him breathless, sweat glistening on his pale forehead under the waning glow.
Sebastián laughed, a hoarse sound ringing in the air as he grabbed Kaili's hand with a boldness that made her silver pupils flare with a mocking threat, "Come on, 'wife'! You earned that massage I promised!" he exclaimed, tugging her toward the coliseum's exit as she growled in protest, her armor clanking with each forced step, "Let go of my hand, pervert, or I'll cut your fingers off and use 'em for fertilizer!" she roared, but didn't pull free, her boots crunching against the sand as she followed with a mix of annoyance and amusement that betrayed her cold facade, her armor's clink blending with the creak of his boots as dust kicked up in small clouds under their hurried steps. The crowd sent them off with cheers and laughter, the echo of their footsteps fading into the din as the sun sank below the horizon, painting the sky a blazing red that bathed the city in a bloody glow mirroring the battle they'd just witnessed. The coliseum fell behind, a silent battlefield streaked with black blood and smoking pools bubbling like burning flesh, the Ivory Tower barriers fading into a dim glow that winked out with the mages' final chant, the low hum echoing softly before vanishing into the silence. But in the stands' shadows, Valerius's sharp eyes stayed fixed on the exit, his mind churning with unanswered questions, a spark of caution burning inside him like a fire that wouldn't die, cold sweat glistening on his brow under the torchlight as the coliseum sank into a silence that weighed like lead in everyone's lungs.