The arena became silent. Not because the crowd wasn't tense, but because everyone was holding their breath.
The referee raised his hand.
"Begin!"
Aldric Vealmont was the first to move. No hesitation, no holding back. With a lightning-fast movement, he pushed himself off the ground, his right fist encased in a faint, silvery aura. He reinforced his body with something.
Corin dodged elegantly to the side without taking his eyes off Aldric. Too predictable. But he sensed it, it was a feint.
His raven.
The shadow in his mind showed him the true target. Even before Aldric set foot on the ground, Corin knew the real attack would come from the left. He ducked, just in time as Aldric's knee whizzed past his head, powerful enough to knock an average opponent unconscious.
Corin seized the moment, dived under Aldric's guard and landed a precise blow to his ribs. He heard the crack, felt the slight give in the skin beneath his knuckles.
But Aldric did not stumble. He was tougher than he thought.
Aldric whirled around, his hands clenched into fists. He pushed himself off again, this time with considerably more force. The ground beneath his feet cracked slightly, he not only strengthened his body, but also his movements.
A straight punch, clean and fast. Corin backed away, but Aldric pursued him, leaving him no room, no moment to catch his breath. A jab, a hook, a kick to the ribs, all precise, all executed with brutal efficiency.
Corin blocked, dodged, let Aldric hit nothing.
'He can't see me properly.'
His muted presence made him move like a shadow, always just outside Aldric's grasp. But Aldric wasn't stupid. Suddenly, instead of turning to Corin, he hit the ground with all his might.
'Damn!'
The impact sent a shockwave through the arena, kicking up sand and dust. Corin jumped back, but the brief moment of distraction was enough, Aldric was already on top of him.
Corin saw the fist coming.
Too late to dodge.
He raised his arm, blocked the blow, but the force was enormous. He slid back several meters, the ground beneath his feet torn open.
He shook out his hand. Enough playing.
With a fluid movement, he grabbed his wrist. The inconspicuous chain he was wearing began to pulsate. Dark energy rippled around his arm as the metal changed, expanded, took on a new shape.
His spear.
With a slight twirl, he brought it into position, feeling the familiar weight in his hands.
Aldric eyed the weapon with cool calculation.
He smiled slightly.
"Serious at last?"
Corin spun the spear once, letting it cut through the air with a whirring sound.
"Let me show you."
And then they rushed at each other again.
Distance was Corin's world now.
With the spear in his hand, the balance of the fight shifted completely. Before, Aldric had pressed him with his strength and unrelenting pressure, but now? Now it was Corin who dictated the pace.
Aldric charged forward again, his fist driven by sheer physical force. Corin saw it coming, not with his eyes, but with his raven. They were here, even in this arena. Every muscle, every tension, it was like an echo of something that had already happened.
Before Aldric could fully extend his fist, Corin cut the air with a fluid motion. The spearhead struck Aldric's wrist, only lightly, but enough to deflect the blow.
Aldric's eyes widened as his fist went nowhere.
Corin spun the spear once around its own axis, keeping it low and in constant motion. A dance, fluid and ceaseless. Aldric was strong, yes. His blows had power. But what good was brute force if it never hit?
Aldric tried again. A lunge forward, a ruthless attack. Corin stepped back, letting the spearhead skim almost casually along Aldric's side, a hint of blade, sharp enough to warn but not hurt.
Aldric landed heavily, skidding across the sand and gritting his teeth.
"Don't just stand there!" he growled, leaping forward again.
Corin whirled the spear once more, bringing it between himself and Aldric. An impenetrable wall. Every punch, every kick was blocked with minimal movement. Aldric became angrier, his style more ferocious, but that only made it easier.
He was slow. Not physically, no, but compared to Viviana? With someone who cut through space like a blade, with a grace that was deadly? Aldric was like an insect in comparision.
And Corin was tired of playing with insects.
With a single, final movement, he let his spear meet Aldric's next fist, not dodging, not deflecting. But rather hitting. The force drove through Aldric's arm, forcing him to stumble to the side. Just at that moment, Corin whirled around, his spear tracing a perfect line through the air.
The blunt back of the weapon struck Aldric right in the back of the knee.
A controlled, precise blow.
Aldric dropped to one knee.
And then, with the cold elegance of a man who had already won the fight ten minutes ago, Corin placed the sharp blade of his spear against Aldric's neck.
Silence.
Aldric was breathing heavily, sweat dripping from his forehead. His fists were still clenched, but he didn't move.
Corin's voice was calm, almost gentle.
"You fight with strength. With determination. But without control."
He looked Aldric in the eye.
"And that's why you lost."
The referee stepped forward. "The duel is decided."
The arena took a moment to process it. Then it erupted in loud cheers. Corin let his spear disappear in one fluid motion, becoming a simple chain on his wrist again. Then he turned and left the arena.
The first statement had been made.