『Neizan: And why would I bother explaining it to you, idiot? 』
He had used his reiki to harden and protect specific points on his body, forming a kind of internal defense that minimized the direct impact on his vital organs. By fortifying those points where the projectiles threatened to pierce arteries and organs, Neizan had managed to avoid fatal injuries. However, this strategy was a desperate gamble, and he had paid the price. Exposed in areas where the cuts wouldn't hit arteries or organs, he had protected his most critical points, but in return, his leg, an arm, and one shoulder now suffered reduced mobility. The open wounds continued to bleed, and Neizan knew that although he was still standing, a countdown had begun—the time was ticking before blood loss would cause him to collapse.
Yet, with each step he took and each breath he drew, a strength and resolve filled him that Alan couldn't understand. For Neizan, the fight wasn't over as long as his will could keep him standing.
『Alan Léonas: You damned bastard…! Look at what you've done to me! 』
Alan growled, his voice laden with fury as he touched his cheek with his left hand, feeling the sting of the cut. Losing his composure, he wiped away the blood running down his skin with his forearm, staining his tunic.
Neizan watched him with a cold, challenging gaze, a slight smile playing on his lips as if the strike was only the beginning of his game.
『Neizan: Does it bother you to have that pretty face of yours marked? 』
He replied mockingly, his words like poison aimed at wounding Alan's pride. After a deliberate pause, he added.
『Neizan: It was obvious you still had some of your magic power left. I knew this was a trap, and I fell into it on purpose to wear you down. 』
In truth, Neizan had no idea there was a trap waiting for him, but his cunning allowed him to improvise the lie to destabilize his rival. He noticed how Alan's anger intensified, just as he had hoped.
Alan gritted his teeth, the veins in his neck pulsing with pure rage. He extended his arm towards Neizan, invoking his magic with reckless fury.
『Alan Léonas: "Die! Die! Die! 』
He roared, his voice breaking with hatred as a deadly layer of cold began emanating from his hands, spreading rapidly. Frost crept from the hilts of his swords up to his forearms, trying to trap Neizan in its deadly, frozen grip.
However, just as the ice seemed about to completely encase Neizan's arms, something unexpected happened: the spread of the ice halted, freezing him only up to his elbows.
『Alan Léonas: What… what the hell is going on…? 』
He murmured in disbelief, looking down at his hands, unable to understand why his magic hadn't had the devastating effect he expected.
Neizan smiled, showing only a hint of satisfaction as he watched the baffled expression on his enemy's face.
『Neizan: Wondering why I haven't turned into an ice statue? It's simple. 』
He said calmly, flexing his fingers beneath the layer of frost.
『Neizan: When you froze my sword, I sensed something in the hilt. By focusing my reiki into my hands, I realized I could stop the ice from spreading, confining it only to the hilt. 』
Alan stepped back, stunned, watching Neizan partially free himself from the ice. But before he could react, Neizan seized the distraction, advancing towards him with agility.
『Neizan: You've always relied on your power, Alan, without realizing that true strength lies in control, not in mindless destruction. 』
He spoke in a low but dangerously calm voice. In one fluid movement, he brandished his sword and struck with precision, slicing one of Alan's sleeves, making him stumble back, his confidence shattered, fear surfacing in his gaze.
Alan staggered, his balance lost, and with a final cry of frustration, he unleashed a burst of freezing magic, desperate to keep Neizan at bay.
The battle had taken an unexpected turn, leaving Alan on the brink of defeat. But deep within him, something dark ignited. In that moment, he decided that if he couldn't defeat Neizan with his powers, he would turn to something even more terrifying: the corruption of his own soul, unleashing the forbidden magic he had sworn never to use.
『Alan Léonas: ¡Aaaaaah! 』
Shaking off the ice from his forearms, the two frozen swords Neizan held melted, leaving him unarmed. Alan seized the moment and launched an attack with his sword, directing his blade toward Neizan in a decisive strike. Neizan swiftly dodged and lunged for his own sword, which, now unfrozen, was embedded in the arena floor. The two stood face to face, ready for a direct confrontation, sword against sword.
『Neizan: Are you as skilled with the sword as you are with magic? I don't think so. 』
Sweat ran down Alan's forehead as he, in a defensive move, began to form an ice sphere that covered his entire body. However, at that precise moment, four large doors around the arena opened, releasing four beasts that charged straight at Neizan.
『Neizan: «So that's what this is about. They never intended for me to win this fight.» 』
The situation made it clear that the battles were rigged. Not only because Neizan had to face the emperor's son, but because both the prince and his final opponent in these games belonged to the same faction, Rómanes, directly allied with the emperor. The faction bore the name of the community and the capital Liones of the empire, where Neizan and the others now fought within the coliseum.
There are eight communities within the great empire, each governing its respective territories in the name of Emperor Erick. However, dissatisfaction over the lack of independence and inequality among them began to divide the population into two factions: those who revered the emperor and wished to follow his commands, and those who despised him and wanted to rule themselves. For this reason, the Gladiator Lion Games have been held for centuries, a competition in which the victorious community gains temporary political and economic control over the empire until the next games, held every five years.