The crowd in the arena was hyped up, buzzing with energy. Everyone knew this match was going to be insane. Damien stood in the middle, looking cool and calm as always. Across from him was Cassius, smirking like he already had the win in the bag. The guy was full of himself, but that wasn't going to stop Damien.
"This is where you lose, Damien," Cassius said, his voice dripping with arrogance. "I'm not holding back this time."
Damien didn't even flinch. He just gave him a look, as if saying, We'll see about that.
The whistle blew, and the match started.
Cassius wasted no time. He shot his hand out, and this massive, swirling black orb appeared above his palm. It was his favorite move—Shadow Orb. The thing was pure magic, and it could totally wreck anything it hit.
Damien's eyes sharpened. He didn't move at first, letting Cassius think he had a chance. Then, before anyone could blink, Damien was gone. He blurred across the arena like a shadow, barely even making a sound. The Shadow Orb exploded behind him, sending chunks of the arena flying everywhere. It was powerful, but it didn't even touch him.
Cassius was pissed. He'd clearly underestimated Damien.
"You're gonna have to do better than that," Damien muttered as he appeared right behind Cassius, barely visible. He didn't give Cassius a chance to react before landing a hard punch to his back.
Cassius grunted, stumbling forward, but he wasn't done. In a snap, he summoned a cloud of bats from nowhere. These weren't just regular bats—they were magic. They could form a shield, hide him, or even attack on command. It was like a living defense system.
But Damien was used to crazy stuff like this. He snapped his fingers, and instead of bats, Eclipse Veil surrounded him—dark, shadowy figures that moved like extensions of his will. It was smoother than Cassius's chaotic swarm. His shadows whipped around him, forming a protective barrier that the bats just couldn't get through.
Cassius gritted his teeth. His bats were getting blocked, and he was running out of ideas.
Damien smirked. "You should've thought this through."
Cassius tried again. This time, he summoned an even bigger Shadow Orb, the size of a small boulder. It spun violently in the air, crackling with dark energy. Damien could feel it in the air—it was intense, and it was coming straight for him.
But Damien was already in motion. He flashed forward, closing the distance between them faster than the eye could follow. As the orb flew toward him, Damien stretched out his hand and summoned his shadows to grab Cassius's wrist, slowing the orb's speed just enough.
And in one smooth movement, Damien lunged at him. His fist slammed into Cassius's chest with enough force to send him flying backward.
Cassius didn't expect that. He staggered, gasping for air as he tried to push himself up. The Shadow Orb hit the ground behind him, exploding in a massive burst that sent a shockwave through the arena. The dust and smoke filled the air, but Damien was already gone again, disappearing into the shadows.
Cassius growled, his frustration growing. His swarm of bats circled around him as he tried to find any trace of Damien. But the guy was a ghost. He couldn't catch him.
Then, with barely a whisper, Damien reappeared in front of him. This time, Cassius had no time to react. Damien's fist hit him square in the face, and Cassius crumpled to the ground. The power behind the punch would've knocked out anyone else, but Cassius wasn't just anyone. Still, he was feeling the pain.
Cassius glared up at Damien, anger and pride flashing in his eyes. "You're gonna regret that."
But just as Cassius started to get back on his feet, the bell rang. Loud and clear.
The match was over. And Cassius was done. He barely had the strength to stand, his body aching from Damien's hits. He hadn't won—but the rules of the competition had saved him from an absolute beatdown.
Damien didn't even look at him. He just turned, walking away like it was no big deal. The crowd was whispering, and everyone knew who had actually won.
As he walked off the arena floor, he could feel eyes on him. Nadia. She was watching him from the stands, and for a second, Damien thought he saw a flicker of something in her eyes. Maybe respect, maybe something else. For some reason, he really wanted to know what it was.
This wasn't over.
🤗🤗🤗🤗.