The situation was chaotic, and Dylan found himself at the heart of the maelstrom, throwing a punch with all his strength at the gremlin. His attack landed squarely on its face, with a violence he hadn't known he possessed.
However, it wasn't enough to faze the creature. The gremlin was just as resilient, perhaps even more so. Without warning, it retaliated, swinging its fist toward Dylan. He barely dodged and countered immediately, driving his fist into the gremlin's chest, causing it to stumble.
Under normal circumstances, fighting like this would have been reckless, especially with a dozen feral creatures released into the arena. But nothing about this situation could be called "normal."
Two types of animals roamed the arena: one group comprised four leopards accompanied by two jaguars; the other, six wolves with gray fur streaked with black.
As soon as they appeared, the creatures lunged at each other, engaged in a fierce battle for control of the arena. Their attention was fully consumed by the territorial clash, leaving the two bipeds wrestling over a piece of metal embedded in the ground unnoticed.
All except for one.
A leopard, standing apart from the chaos, watched the scene. Its blood-soaked jaws slowly licked clean, analyzing its potential prey with unsettling intelligence.
Meanwhile, Dylan exchanged violent blows with the gremlin. He utilized every fighting technique he knew, every skill he had learned, but he was struggling to gain the upper hand. His fists met the resistance of a wall, and his strength was beginning to wane.
Or at least, that's how it felt. The gremlin was clearly too strong. It had likely survived longer in this arena than Dylan. Perhaps it was even a veteran. Dylan had shown up, and by a stroke of luck, stolen the spotlight.
These creatures must have killed to survive. They had absorbed anima gems, growing stronger with each victory. This gremlin was undoubtedly on a different level than Dylan.
He still remembered the horrifying scene he had witnessed recently: this gremlin fighting its own brother for a gem. There had been no hesitation, no trace of emotion. When the dust settled, the creature had finished off its brother before claiming the gem of its fallen opponent. Not just its brother's gem; it had also taken the one from the creature Dylan had killed earlier.
It was cruel. Inhuman.
But then again, these creatures had never been human.
Dylan didn't know how many fights this gremlin had survived, how many gems it had absorbed. None of that mattered now. Because Dylan was going to kill it anyway.
He knew what awaited those who died in the arena. He had seen their mutilated corpses, their bodies devoured or left as offerings to the monsters. Dylan refused to meet such a fate. So it didn't matter if this gremlin had swallowed a hundred or a thousand gems, no matter how invincible it seemed. Dylan would kill it with his own hands.
He clenched his fists, feeling pain reverberate through his knuckles, but he paid it no mind. That pain, he welcomed it. It was a reminder that he was still alive. And he intended to stay that way.
That's when the leopard attacked. It had been observing its prey all this time, its feline gaze scrutinizing every movement of the two bipeds locked in combat.
Leopards are among the few big cats unafraid to take on creatures larger than themselves. Even in motion, it had pinpointed its target.
It could have chosen the smaller, green-skinned one, but its animal instincts guided it toward the larger one, who seemed more vulnerable. Its first prey was chosen.
It approached slowly, skirting the battle zone of the two bipeds. With each step, it closed the distance between them. Then, at the precise moment the taller one prepared to kick his green opponent, the leopard pounced. It toppled him to the ground under its weight and seized the opportunity to sink its teeth in with all its strength.
Dylan fell heavily, his back scraping roughly against the scattered rocks on the ground. A wave of heat surged through his back, but he ignored the pain.
There were more pressing matters.
It was instinct—a reflex he neither imagined nor planned, and one he might never repeat if given the choice.
Blood streamed from his hands as he gritted his teeth, desperately holding back the leopard's jaw from closing. The creature doubled its efforts, and he could feel his palms inching closer under the immense pressure.
Despite his newly acquired strength, he was far from matching the raw power of this wild predator.
It wasn't just his hands he risked losing; failing here meant being torn apart in front of a frenzied crowd, eager to see blood spill.
He refused to give in. Even as the sharp teeth tore into his fingers, he held on. His survival instinct took over.
In a desperate effort, he tried to rise. Still gripping the leopard's jaw, he planted one knee on the ground, searching for a stable footing. His muscles burned under the strain as he wrestled against the animal's crushing weight.
The beast's claws dug into his chest, shredding his flesh with every movement. But Dylan, his face contorted in pain and rage, refused to yield. No matter what, he wouldn't let those jaws close on him—it would mean losing the use of his hands forever.
With relentless determination, Dylan finally managed to pry the leopard's jaws apart, or at least enough so that his hands were no longer touching.
But it was far from reassuring. He was using every ounce of strength he had, refusing to underestimate the slow but deliberate movements of the creature's jaw.
Gradually, the jaws began to give way. Dylan gritted his teeth, which quickly turned into an involuntary grin as his heart pounded in his chest.
The feline's maw was now wide open. Guttural, raspy sounds emanated from its throat, but Dylan didn't stop there. He continued to exert his strength, driven by an almost inhuman rage, as if he intended to tear the beast in two.
Suddenly, a long sword pierced the leopard's throat, missing Dylan's face by mere millimeters.
His eyes widened in horror as the animal's hot blood splattered across his face. He stared, stunned, as the gremlin withdrew the bloodied blade with a brutal motion.
That, he hadn't seen coming.