In response, the giant quickly turned and, with surprising speed, delivered a powerful kick. Neizan barely had time to raise one of his swords to block, but the force sent him stumbling several meters back. Just as he regained his footing, he saw the giant leap toward him, gripping his kanabo with both hands and bringing it down in a devastating strike. Neizan crossed his swords to stop the attack, but the impact was so fierce that his feet sank into the ground, and the blow also caught his forehead, opening a wound that began to bleed profusely. With a cry of effort, Neizan pushed his swords upward, managing to shove the giant's arms back just enough to step away and free himself.
『Neizan: "Ahh, ahh!"』
He breathed heavily, his shoulders rising and falling as the giant prepared for another assault. In a deafening crash, the kanabo smashed against one of Neizan's swords, shattering it into pieces. Neizan barely had a second to register his loss when the giant launched another attack before the broken blade even hit the ground. Neizan managed to dodge, but the blow grazed his cheek, leaving a burning cut that quickly began to bleed.
『Neizan: «It can't be! Will nothing make this monster stop? I've made several cuts, and none seem deep enough…» 』
Fatigue was starting to take its toll. Neizan retreated with each strike, defending as best he could, but the giant's relentless strength was cornering him. In a moment of weakness, Neizan lost his balance and dropped to one knee, struggling to catch his breath. He had no time to react: seeing his chance, the giant raised his kanabo and swung it down with all his might. Neizan managed only to lift his lone remaining sword to block, but the impact was so overwhelming that it sent him flying through the air, his body bouncing on the ground multiple times before he lay sprawled on the arena floor, a pool of blood beginning to form beneath him.
『Lina: Nooo! 』
『Arthur: Neizan! 』
Silence wrapped around everyone like a shadow, each feeling the weight of what they had just witnessed. Neizan's body, lying motionless on the ground, seemed to confirm what none of them wanted to believe. A sense of emptiness and despair gripped their hearts, as if with that final blow, any glimmer of hope had vanished.
『Roberto: Looks like it's over. 』
『Miguel: … 』
『Meilia: «This is a nightmare…» 』
For a moment, no one wanted to look any further. Arthur clenched his fists, unable to move, his eyes full of anger and pain. Lina, struggling to hold back her tears, covered her mouth to stifle a sob. Miguel's gaze was fixed on the ground, as if by not looking at his friend's body he could deny what had happened. And Meilia, with her eyes clouded with tears, murmured softly, as if trying to convince herself that none of this was real.
These were seconds that felt eternal, where silence echoed like the announcement of a tragedy.
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Neizan was always a serious and calm boy. From a young age, his mother, Jessica, instilled a love for reading in him, bringing home various books from the local library, which Neizan devoured one after another. His simple, modest life—in a small apartment without television or internet—only made him immerse himself even more in the stories he read, becoming an intelligent, sharp-minded young man with a great imagination. Additionally, Neizan showed a natural talent for sports, especially soccer, which became his passion.
Despite his reserved character, Neizan was devoted to his mother, always helping her with household chores and showing a maturity that other boys his age didn't usually have. In the neighborhood, he was known for being respectful and responsible, and this respect extended to his neighbor and friend, Marck, who, being nine years older, became a sort of older brother figure to him. Marck, who also had a rough life in the neighborhood, taught Neizan how to survive on the streets, sharing his own tricks to make a living and stay safe. For Neizan, Marck was a pillar of trust and respect, and he always listened to him attentively and stayed loyal to him.
Neizan enjoyed the company of his friends on the street, where he spent his afternoons playing and learning. In high school, besides soccer and basketball, he began to practice boxing on his own, seeking to strengthen himself both physically and mentally. He also discovered his skill in strategy games, especially chess, which he learned from his friend Joel, a shy and intelligent boy whom Neizan trusted from day one. Joel and Neizan met when Neizan defended Joel from some classmates who were bullying him. Since then, a deep friendship was forged between them; Joel helped Neizan with his English homework, in which he always excelled, and Neizan returned the favor by protecting him from conflicts at school. Their relationship was so genuine that they would spend hours talking about their favorite books or challenging each other in chess.
When Neizan was 13, he made his first female friend, Elena. Unlike Joel, Elena was an extroverted, charismatic, and kind girl. They had seen each other since they were kids in school, but it wasn't until an incident where Neizan defended Elena from some boys who were bothering her that they began to talk. This moment was decisive for both of them, and from then on, Elena began to get closer to Neizan. Although it was uncommon for him to get into fights, since most kids in the neighborhood and school respected him, Marck's influence—who was known among the toughest guys in the neighborhood—meant that few dared to mess with him.
In his adolescence, Neizan began training more seriously in boxing, perfecting his strength and agility. Although he wasn't the tallest of the group, at 178 cm tall, he possessed a speed and skill that made him stand out in sports. At that age, he also started working with Marck, earning money in a risky way, getting involved in drug dealing to help his mother with the household bills and pay for his boxing classes. With his savings, he even bought a television for their apartment, wanting to improve his mother's life, although he knew deep down that his methods were not the best.