Hiro, his vision blurred and his mind still clouded with the haze of battle, opened his eyes to see the arena's aftermath: the bodies of dead opponents placed on one side of the arena, the sands stained red with their blood. As he lifted himself to a seated position, a sudden commotion caught his attention.
Through the throngs of spectators, he spotted the young girl from earlier, Liza, but now she stood alone, bathed in the harsh glare of the noonday sun. In her hands, a sword gleamed with a deadly shine. suddenly, Liza's gaze met Hiro's before then turned her attention back to her opponent, a man nearly twice her size.
Liza, her fiery hair billowing in the wind, met the arrogant man's gaze with a withering stare. '' Are you sure you wanna do this '' she said, her voice dripping with venom. The man, his eyes glittering with derision, '' Ugh, with a big talk for a girl. This is just going to be a waste of time''.
Liza's lips curved into a smile that sent down the man's spine. '' Then I guess we will just have to find out how true that statement is.'' The man, still thinking Liza was all bark and no bite, charged at her with a wild swing of his sword. But Liza, in one fluid motion, dodged his attack and retaliated with a slash of her blade.
'' You're slower than I thought,'' Liza taunted, her grim widening as she danced around the man's strikes. The man, his face turning a shade of red that marked his hair, barked in frustration, '' Shut up, you little brat!'' The man dashed forward with his sword ready to cut anything that stood in its part, but Liza, her movements swift and precise, ducked under the sword, spinning around him in a jumble of shinning steel and red hair.
As Liza whirled around the man, his movements unexpectedly swift, a kick connected with her face, sending her reeling. The man, a sinister grin now on his lips, turned towards her, his voice oozing with scorn. '' Child's tricks'' he spat, his eyes glittering with malevolence. '' Is this the best you can do?''
Without waiting for a reply, he lunged towards Liza, his sword singing through the air with deadly intent. Liza, stunned by the blow, but not yet defeated, managed to roll out of the way just in time, avoiding the man's blade. The man, once again snarling with frustration, turned to face her, his eyes burning with hatred. '' You're a tricky one you know that, I'll give you that,'' he sneered.'' But in the end, you're just another weak girl who needs to be put in her place. why did man capture you in the first place anyways?''
Liza, her face contorted with rage, sprang to her feet, her sword flashing as she launched into a furious attack. The clash of steel echoed through the air as Liza's blade clashed with the man's in a furious dance of both death and survival. The man, his expression a mask a twisted rage, matched her strikes blow for blow. Liza, her teeth bared in a snarl, pushed forward, each movement an explosive burst of raw power. But the man, his skills gotten from his years of experience, managed to hold his own.
'' Tell me girl who trained, and if you are this good how did you manage to get captured?'' the man asked as a cruel appeared on his face, '' I would ask you the same question,'' Liza replied. The two fighters continued to fight, their bodies slick with sweat, grappling for an advantage, each one determined to emerge victorious.
The two, their swords a blur of shinning steal, whirled and spun, each one trying to catch the other off guard, Liza, her eyes blazing with determination, scored a glancing blow against the man's side eliciting a cry of pain from her opponent's. But the man, his blood up, retaliated with a brutal slash that would have disemboweled Liza if she hadn't twisted out of the way but by her doing that, she let her guard down for one second.
The man, sensing an opening in Liza's defenses, seized his chance and launched into a ferocious series of strikes. Liza caught off-guard, struggled to keep up, her sword becoming a shield against the relentless assault. The man, his face turned into a grimace of glee, charged again for another attack, his sword cutting into Liza's arm. she cried out in pain, her blood spattering the ground at her feet.
The soldiers, their bloodlust now a deafening roar, urged the man on '' Finish her!'' they shouted. '' kill her!'' The man, his eyes now alight with savage glee, pressed on with his relentless assault, his sword now a thing of precision and grace as he danced around Liza's faltering defense.
Her arms heavy with exhaustion and pain, Liza could do little but parry the man's strikes, each one slicing deeper into her flesh. The man's blade once again found its mark in her shoulder, the steel biting deep muscle and sinew. Liza her body shaking with effort, her sword arm heavy and getting useless, fell to her knees, the man towering over her.
The man stood over Liza, a sadistic grin on his bloodied face, '' Look at you, all bloodied and bruised, '' he taunted, his voice dripping with venom, '' You thought you could beat me, a man ?''
Liza, her face a mask of defiance, spat at the man's feet. '' You.... you're are nothing but a coward, '' she hissed, her voice thick with contempt. The man's grin turned to a snarl. '' A coward, am I?''
The man. his eyes narrowing with hatred, raised his sword high, the blood-stained tip, gleaming in the sun. ''let's see how much of a coward I am, you insolent wench,'' he spat. Liza, her strength failing, could only watch as the blade descended towards her, the world seeming to slow down around her.
Time slowed to a crawl as the sword, its edge gleaming with the promise of death, drove inexorably downward. Liza could hear her heartbeat, pounding like a war drum in her chest. And then, in a moment of pure horror, the sword struck. It tore through the delicate flesh of her scalp, parting her hair like the parting of a red sea, the steel biting into her skull with a sickening crunch.
The man, his blood dripping with Liza's blood, raised his arms in triumph, a shout of savage joy bursting from his lips. '' I told you, you little witch!'' he shouted, his voice echoing across the arena, '' You women are nothing compared to men !'' The crowd erupted into a frenzy, their cheers a deafening cacophony of bloodlust and delight.
But then, something happened. Liza's body, lifeless and limp only moments ago, began to stir, And as the soldiers watched in stunned silence, her skin began to glow, a flame rising from within.