『Alan Léonas: Aaah! 』
Pain began to consume Alan, who had never once suffered an injury in his life. He had grown up in the comfort and security of a prince, where everything around him responded to his will, and had never experienced the brutality of real combat. His face showed the terror of someone forced to confront his own limits, lacking the resilience, courage, and endurance that Neizan brought to every move. Qualities that, though invisible, could determine the outcome of a fight. Alan lacked that determination Neizan displayed; and in the heat of battle, this tipped the scales.
Desperate, Alan summoned ice daggers that began to materialize in the air, floating menacingly around both combatants. Each one was aimed at Neizan, who sensed the danger and began to move quickly. The first dagger barely missed his cheek, leaving a thin line of blood, and the following ones fired from unpredictable angles. Neizan moved with agility, dodging those he could and enduring the hits from those that found their mark. Though weakened, they barely harmed him. A thin layer of mana covered his skin, acting as an invisible armor that softened the blows.
『Neizan: Your luck ends here! 』
Taking advantage of a moment when Alan hesitated, realizing his magic's futility, Neizan delivered a powerful, precise strike that disarmed his opponent, sending Alan's sword crashing to the ground. For a few seconds, Alan was vulnerable, but he quickly conjured a new ice sword in his right hand, formed from a swirling, frigid wind around him. Just as Neizan charged again, Alan barely had time to raise the newly formed sword to block the attack.
『Alan Léonas: Argh!? 』
The ice sword was no match for Neizan's steel. In a single stroke, Neizan shattered Alan's sword and slashed deeply into his forearm and chest, blood spraying into the air before dripping onto the ground. Alan fell on his back, his horrified gaze fixed on the gash running along his arm, blood spurting from it in small jets. Stunned and silent, he tried to comprehend the severity of his wounds while his left hand tried to stanch the bleeding. His face twisted into a scream of pain and despair.
In a desperate attempt to escape, Alan staggered to his feet, turning his back on Neizan. But before he could take a step, his right leg gave out. Neizan's sword had partially severed his leg, and as he tried to move, the wound tore open, pouring a torrent of blood onto the ground.
『Alan Léonas: AAAAAAAAAAH! 』
Alan's piercing scream echoed across the arena, a cry of pain and helplessness. The reality of defeat and vulnerability overwhelmed him. In front of him, Neizan, still standing firm, observed the fallen prince, fully aware that he had made it clear who possessed true strength.
The prince was terrified, staring at the young man in front of him, who held his sword with an intimidating firmness and a cold, unfeeling gaze. Desperately, Alan turned his head, scanning the crowd until his eyes met his father, the emperor, who stood watching the scene from the stands.
『Alan Léonas: FATHER! 』
The emperor remained silent, a twisted smile curling on his lips. Slowly, he raised his arm, preparing to make the gesture that would seal his son's fate.
『Alan Léonas: Father! PLEASE, I BEG YOU! FORGIVE ME, I DON'T WANT TO DIE! 』
Unmoved by his son's desperate pleas, the emperor turned his thumb down, sentencing him to death. His cynical smile revealed a cruel indifference to Alan's suffering, as if his own son's life held no more weight than that of any other fallen gladiator in the arena.
『Alan Léonas: Aaah… 』
Tears began to roll down the prince's face as his last hope crumbled. He looked back at Neizan, who watched the emperor's decision with cold detachment. Alan raised a trembling hand in a pleading gesture, hoping for some shred of mercy. But Neizan, without shifting his gaze, gripped his sword with both hands. As their eyes met, Alan understood his fate was sealed.
The sound of the blade slicing through flesh broke the silence in the arena. Alan's head separated from his body, spinning in the air before hitting the sand with a dull thud, leaving a trail of blood behind it. For a moment, the audience was silent, shocked by the sight of an emperor's son executed in such a brutal manner.
Then, the emperor broke the silence, raising both hands to clap, an echo quickly imitated by the entire crowd. The applause resounded through the coliseum, a macabre tribute to the brutality they had just witnessed.
『Neizan: You're all disgusting. 』
Neizan murmured with disdain as he turned and headed toward the exit of the coliseum, without a backward glance. He walked through the guarded doors and made his way to the infirmary, where he would once again have his wounds treated.
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Seeing Lina sitting on the bed, Neizan moved closer and sat beside her. He looked straight ahead, his head lowered, but from time to time, he cast a sidelong glance to his right, where she sat—the girl with dark, beautiful hair and eyes. She was silent, gazing downwards, lost in thought. Her worry was likely because Neizan was reaching his limit; the battles in the coliseum were growing increasingly challenging, leaving him with more severe wounds each time, dangerously close to death. Meilia had already warned him about it the last time she and Lina treated him after a particularly brutal fight. His blood loss had been so severe that Neizan had fainted on the way to the infirmary, forcing the guards to carry him there.
『Neizan: You're very quiet. Is something wrong? 』
『Lina: …No. 』
In a subdued voice, Lina replied without looking at him. The entire day had passed since the fight with the prince, and now, with night having fallen, Neizan and Lina shared the same room to rest. Since then, Lina hadn't lifted her head. Watching Neizan fight so brutally, seeing him kill, be injured, and endure pain... It was all affecting her deeply, wearing her down psychologically during their time in the coliseum.