The coliseum fell into stunned silence. Gasps rippled through the audience, murmurs of shock and disbelief spreading like wildfire. Even the king, who had witnessed countless battles, seemed momentarily shaken by the brutality and sheer dominance displayed before him.
When the dust finally settled, only three figures remained standing—Ethan, Nile, and Aron.
They stared at each other, their minds reeling from the revelation of their identities.
The masks lay discarded at their feet, exposing not just their faces, but the tangled past they had all but forgotten—until now.
The Weight of Recognition
Aron's eyes flickered with recognition as he looked at Nile. Memories resurfaced—of training him, guiding him, pushing him to grow stronger.
It had been a different world. A different life.
Yet now, here they stood.
No longer teacher and student—but opponents.
Ethan, too, was trapped in his own storm of recollections. His gaze burned into Aron as memories surfaced.
Aron—his mentor in the modern world.
The man who had once treated him with respect, who had unknowingly taught the very people who would replace him.
Aron hadn't known.
The company had kept the truth hidden from him—that Ethan and Greg were the ones chosen to take his place.
Now, in this world, fate had rewritten their roles.
No offices. No corporate chains.
Here, they were warriors.
And this world demanded blood.
Ethan stepped forward, his expression darkening as he met Aron's gaze. His voice was steady, but beneath it, there was an undeniable tremor of anger and disbelief.
"You're the one who killed my brother in this world, Aron."
The words cut through the silence like a blade.
Nile's breath hitched as he looked between them, sensing the gravity of the moment.
Aron's eyes narrowed.
"Your brother...?"
A beat passed. Then, his jaw tightened.
Recognition.
"I didn't know." His voice was even. Unreadable. "But that doesn't change anything."
Ethan's fists clenched, his body trembling with raw emotion.
"Doesn't change anything?" His breath came heavy, ragged. "You were my mentor once! You taught me everything. And now..."
His grip tightened around his weapon.
"Now you're just another killer."
The air crackled with unspoken history.
Nile remained still, watching as past and present clashed violently before him.
This world had twisted everything—friendships, loyalties, even fate itself.
And as much as he wanted to stop it, he knew one thing for certain.
This wasn't over.
A sudden wave of exhaustion washed over him. His vision blurred, his knees buckling.
Then—
A Notification Appeared.
MP: 15
Nile collapsed, his breath ragged from fatigue.
"Nile!"
Both Ethan and Aron moved, catching him before he hit the ground.
Then—
A voice broke the silence.
The King's Arrival
"What a match..."
King Greg stepped forward, flanked by his ten wives, his regal presence radiating authority and amusement.
His gaze swept across the battlefield, taking in the devastation, the revelations, the tension hanging thick in the air.
But as he took another step forward, his brows furrowed.
"And why did the gods suddenly appear?" he murmured to himself.
A Fury Long Buried
Aron's eyes darkened as another memory surfaced—one that ignited a long-buried rage.
He remembered.
The betrayal.
The shattered family.
His ex-wife's affair.
With Greg.
The man who had stolen everything from him.
And now, that same man stood before him. A king. Untouched by consequence.
A roar tore from Aron's throat as he lunged at Greg, weapon raised, ready to strike.
But before he could land a blow—
A blur of movement.
**Reika—one of Greg's wives, a dual-wield combat specialist from the East—**moved with inhuman speed, intercepting Aron effortlessly.
In an instant, she disarmed him, her blades flashing, forcing him to his knees.
The Chains of Fate
Greg stopped before them, nodding in approval.
His eyes landed on Ethan.
"Here is your necklace, Ethan."
Ethan caught it, his fingers clenching around the metal.
Memories flooded him.
His brother's voice echoed in his mind.
"From now on, we're brothers."
The way his brother had fought and died in this very arena.
The weight of loss, grief, and rage bore down on him.
With a sudden burst of fury, Ethan charged at Greg, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten.
But before his strike could land—
Another blur of movement.
**Amara—one of Greg's wives, a brutal brawler with raw strength—**stepped forward.
With blinding speed, she delivered a precise blow that knocked Ethan unconscious.
A King's Mercy
Greg sighed, shaking his head.
"Can we stop this tension for now?"
He turned to the royal guards.
"Take them to the Royal Infirmary. Let them rest."
The guards obeyed, lifting Ethan and supporting Aron as Nile drifted in and out of consciousness.
His mind swirled with fragmented thoughts—of past lives, of betrayals, of the choices that had led them here.
And then, as exhaustion finally claimed him, the world faded to black.
A Battle Immortalized
King Greg turned to the stunned crowd, his voice booming across the coliseum.
"This battle has come to an end!"
"Let it be known that today, history was written in blood, and fate entwined in the arena!"
For a moment, the audience remained frozen, still reeling from what they had witnessed.
The presence of a god in their arena.
Then—
whispers turned to cheers.
And soon, the entire coliseum roared in unison, their voices shaking the night.
"ZERAPHIS! ZERAPHIS!"
Their chant echoed through the air.
Sealing this battle in legend.
To be Continued.