The crowd, as usual, cheered loudly, thrilled to see Neizan slowly approach the arena. But this time, there was something unusual: Neizan wore neither a helmet nor armor. It was a strange and risky choice, as any experienced fighter would know that going in protected was the sensible choice. This bold act only made the crowd more excited, interpreting his appearance as either a show of courage or utter recklessness.
Amid the noise of the crowd, the two brothers known as the "Disaster Twins" watched closely from the other side of the arena.
『Younger Brother: Look, brother, that idiot's going in without a helmet or armor. 』
『Older Brother: Don't underestimate him. Let's go all out from the start. 』
『Younger Brother: Right, I'm going to crush him. 』
Both brothers were taller and more robust than Neizan, who stood only 1.73 meters, and their gazes reflected a mix of mockery and concentration. But Neizan, showing no hesitation, fixed his gaze on the brother with the shield and, without wasting time, charged at him at full speed. Neizan's sword collided with the rival's shield, which he blocked skillfully. In response, the older brother counterattacked with his sword, but Neizan stepped back just in time, dodging the blow.
Surprised, Neizan realized these opponents weren't the ordinary fighters they appeared to be. Both brothers reacted quickly and coordinated. However, Neizan switched tactics and turned his attention to the younger brother, who wasn't carrying a shield. He suspected that the older brother was the brain of the team while the younger was the brute force. So, if he could take down the younger one first, he'd have an advantage.
But the twins shifted positions with impressive agility. Whenever Neizan tried to strike one, the other intervened, and so both launched their attack together. Neizan, with astonishing reflexes, dodged and blocked their blows with apparent ease, keeping up with his two opponents with impressive precision.
In combat, strength and speed aren't everything. Perfect coordination is also essential—footwork, swift twists of the hips and shoulders, and torso alignment. Facing two opponents, Neizan had to stay fully focused; a single mistake, a split-second distraction, could be fatal.
The swords clashed repeatedly, filling the air with a metallic echo. The crowd was captivated, watching as Neizan, despite being outnumbered, managed to defend himself and hold his own against the two opponents. However, a critical moment came: the older brother strategically stepped back, while the younger brother moved to block Neizan's line of sight. Neizan remained on guard, but suddenly, the younger brother shifted aside, and in a swift movement, the older brother appeared from an unexpected angle.
『Neizan: What the—?! 』
A sudden cut appeared on his face, and a spray of blood erupted, leaving him momentarily stunned and reflexively closing his eyes. The shock and pain reminded him of the fight's ferocity, and the crowd held its breath. The "Disaster Twins", Bob and Roy, had just shown that Neizan couldn't afford to let his guard down for even a moment.
Neizan stepped back a few meters from the two brothers, seeking a temporarily safe spot to process what had just happened. There was something strange about the cut that now burned across his face a diagonal wound that stretched from his forehead to his cheek, perilously close to his eye. If the attack had been just a few centimeters off, he might have lost his vision.
『Neizan: «I didn't see any attack. One of them moved aside, and the other was several meters back. It's impossible they reached me with a sword from that distance without me noticing...» 』
With blood slowly dripping from his wound, Neizan stood still, his gaze cold and calculating as he watched every move of his opponents. He let neither pain nor blood blur his focus, though the mystery of the attack brought a look of alert caution to his expression.
A few steps away, the brothers, unaware of his reflection, were mocking him openly.
『Roy: Look, brother! Look at the face this fool is making! 』
The younger brother laughed mockingly, enjoying the sight of Neizan wounded. But Neizan didn't react; he only held his gaze steady and defiant, as if he were measuring them.
『Bob: Hahaha, yes, it's pretty funny. 』
The laughter of the "Disaster Twins" echoed in the arena, and the crowd, noticing the brothers' taunts, burst into a ruckus that further fueled their confidence. But Neizan, in his apparent calm, was already reevaluating the situation. His mind retraced every second of the attack, trying to deduce where it had come from and how the brothers could have tricked him.
Then, Neizan remembered something. Words from someone who had advised him once, a memory that anchored him and brought him into a state of complete concentration. With that, his eyes became even more serious.
『Roy: Now what, tough guy? You seemed so confident, and look at you now. 』
The younger brother kept laughing, mocking Neizan's injured face. But he kept his gaze fixed on them, ignoring the provocation. The calm in his expression seemed to cool the tension in the arena.
『Bob: Shut up! Don't provoke him. 』
The older brother's voice showed a hint of concern. But before either of them could react, Neizan vanished from their sight. In the blink of an eye, he was no longer where the twins expected him to be.
『Roy: Watch out! 』
Instantly, the younger brother reacted with defensive instinct, positioning his shield beside his older brother. He managed to block Neizan's sword strike at the last moment; the attack had been so fast that he barely lifted the shield to protect his brother from certain death. It was a matter of a blink: had he not intervened, his older brother would have been decapitated. Without giving them time to respond, Neizan nimbly retreated, keeping his distance but with the same fixed, calculating gaze.
The brothers watched him, now less confident. The audience, sensing the turn in the battle, fell into a tense, expectant silence. Neizan stood still, his sword ready, his expression one of cold determination.
The concentration on his face reflected his readiness to strike again at the precise moment, ignoring the taunts or provocations. The brothers, for their part, began to understand that underestimating their opponent had been a grave mistake.