As the deep bass of the drums reverberated through the arena, Rain silently raised his sword.

It was a simple gesture, lifting his sword and shield slightly, yet it was enough to signal the start of the battle.

Both of us held our swords steady, lowering our stances as we began circling each other counterclockwise, tracing a near-perfect circle.

It seemed Rain and I shared the same intent—to gauge the other’s movements before committing to an attack.

Crossing into this circle would place us within striking range.

I took a quiet breath, inhaling slowly and exhaling just as steadily.

Rain’s breathing was shallow and deliberate. He likely understood that muscles relax when taking in a breath, leaving a momentary opening.

Suddenly, Rain stepped forward, his movement so natural it almost went unnoticed.

I hesitated, reacting a fraction too late.

Taking advantage of this opening, Rain’s sword sliced toward me in a motion as smooth and fluid as flowing water.

I barely managed to position my own sword between my face and the oncoming blade.

But before I could fully recover, Rain launched himself forward, using the force of his step to kick my arm and drive me backward.

I stumbled two, three paces before straightening to ready my stance.

Rain, however, gave me no time to reset. His strikes came relentlessly, aimed at my arm, legs, and even my eyes.

His blows were fast and sharp—slashes and thrusts delivered with surgical precision.

Desperately, I used my sword and shield to block his three consecutive attacks.

The seamless elegance of his earlier movements had given way to a ferocity akin to a sudden flash of lightning.

I found myself retreating under his relentless barrage, using my shield and sword to brace for impact.

"Shh," came a soft exhale from Rain.

A silver flash caught my eye, and I instinctively swung my sword downward at an angle.

The clash of metal rang out, a high-pitched, grating sound that echoed in my ears.

I couldn’t win this with the sword.

"So much for thinking I’d gotten better," I muttered, stepping forward into Rain’s strike and using my shield to absorb the blow.

Truthfully, that block had been pure luck.

Smirking to myself, I advanced further toward Rain, bracing for his assault.

Four strikes came at me in rapid succession—each deflected with desperate parries from my sword and shield. This time, knowing they were coming allowed me to respond.

There’s a difference between unseen and unpredictable.

An unpredictable attack relies on reflexes and intuition to dodge, but an unseen attack can be anticipated by watching the attacker’s body language.

Even so, I was only just managing to fend off Rain’s relentless offense, struggling to close the gap between us.

Then, Rain raised an eyebrow and eased his assault, leaving an unexpected opening.

As I stumbled slightly, thrown off by the sudden shift in pace, Rain surged forward, and I reflexively swung my sword in a wide arc.

It cut through empty air.

Rain, clad in full armor, had leapt effortlessly over my head without a running start.

As he landed behind me, his sword arced down toward my back.

Sensing the attack, I raised my sword behind me without turning, using it to block the strike.

The force of his blow sent my blade crashing into my back, driving me forward.

Stopping now would be fatal.

I let the momentum carry me, dropping to the ground and rolling forward.

As I rose, I spun to face Rain, slashing upward to force him to defend.

He evaded once again, my sword cutting nothing but air.

Despite his earlier aggressive assault, Rain had already retreated several steps, creating a significant gap between us.

As I turned and extended my arm to strike, my reach fell short, leaving my stance overextended.

Rain capitalized immediately, raising his sword for a decisive downward strike.

He lunged forward, his movement akin to a kendo master’s swift and calculated overhead strike.

The perfect timing. The perfect strike.

In that split second, time seemed to slow.

I focused on my shield in my left hand.

It wasn’t enough.

Dodging was impossible—Rain wouldn’t allow it.

Was this the end?

Memories flashed through my mind—my days as a pro wrestler, my time as a gladiator, and the faces of Emera, Cradle, and Sprex... though Sprex mattered less.

Emera—she wasn’t ready to stand on her own yet.

The fans, who believed I was the strongest—how could I fall before their very eyes?

Unacceptable.

As the strongest gladiator and wrestler, I couldn’t let them see me defeated so pathetically.

My role was to inspire dreams.

"Haah!"

Gritting my teeth, I thrust my head upward, angling the rounded top of my helmet toward Rain’s descending blade.

The force of the impact reverberated through my neck, but my training as a wrestler had strengthened it. I could endure this.

The sword veered off course, grazing my helmet.

Now only my shoulder and upper arm remained in the blade’s path.

Even if I failed here, losing an arm was a price I was willing to pay for victory.

I twisted my body, lowering my shoulder to align with the sword’s trajectory.

Sparks flew as Rain’s blade screeched against my armor, glancing off my shoulder plate and skimming down my arm.

I had blocked it.

Before I could consciously register this, my body moved instinctively.

Lowering my stance, I charged into Rain, slamming my armored shoulder into his abdomen.

At last, I had caught him.

I pressed further, pushing my head into his side to lift him onto my right shoulder.

Rain, disarmed and immobilized, was at my mercy.

"Time to end this!" I roared, gripping his body tightly.

With a powerful leap, I launched us both high into the air, twisting as we ascended.

Rain’s armored form weighed heavily, but I ignored it.

As we descended, I positioned his back and shoulders to absorb the brunt of the impact.

The ground shook as we landed, a cloud of dust rising from the point of collision.

Rain groaned weakly beneath me, his voice barely audible.

Standing, I brushed off his arm and retrieved his sword from the ground.

Rain lay motionless, his strength spent.

The dust settled, revealing the stunned faces of the packed audience.

Raising Rain’s sword high above my head, I shouted.

"I am the victor!"

The crowd erupted in thunderous applause and cheers, shaking the very arena.