Steel rang against steel inside the vast sparring arena beneath the colosseum, each clash sharp enough to send echoes rolling through the stone chamber like distant thunder. Dust drifted across the cracked floor while two figures moved through the haze with lethal precision.
On one side stood Lucias, broad-shouldered and imposing despite the arm he had lost months ago. Thick brown leather armor wrapped around his body, reinforced with iron plates near the chest and legs without sacrificing mobility. In his remaining hand he wielded a long war spear, its dark shaft scarred from countless battles.
Opposing him stood the masked gladiator known only as Lionheart, his face hidden beneath an onyx mask and his body clad in heavy black armor engraved with roaring lions along the shoulders and chest. Twin tachi rested in his hands, their curved blades gleaming faintly beneath the torchlight.
Lucias grinned fiercely as he advanced, his spear whipping through the air with terrifying speed despite the handicap of fighting one-handed. Every thrust carried enough force to shatter bone.
Vale, Lionheart, gritted his teeth beneath the mask while retreating step by step, sparks bursting from every impact as he deflected the spear with both blades.
Lucias pressed harder, relentless as a storm, forcing Vale backward across the arena until the younger fighter suddenly twisted his entire body sideways. His twin swords crossed around the spear's shaft in a perfect trap.
With a violent yank, Vale ripped the weapon from Lucias's grasp.
The spear clattered across the stone floor.
Lucias did not even attempt to stop it.
Instead, he lunged forward instantly, his remaining arm shooting out and clamping around Vale's wrist with crushing force. His grin widened with genuine excitement.
"Your style is evolving," he said, his voice filled with approval.
At the same moment, his knee rocketed upward toward Vale's face.
Vale leaned backward just enough for the strike to whistle past the edge of his mask. The movement was razor-thin. Any slower and the blow would have shattered his jaw. Using the opening, Vale reversed the grip on one blade and drove the dull edge toward Lucias's throat. Lucias stepped aside smoothly, allowing the strike to skim past his shoulder before Vale instantly transitioned into a forward stab aimed directly for the chest.
Lucias's eyes widened.
Fast.
Far faster than before.
He reacted on instinct alone, raising his knee and slamming it against the flat of the blade, knocking the strike upward just enough for it to slide harmlessly over his shoulder rather than pierce him outright.
"Damn, man!" Lucias barked with a laugh. "Talk about skill!"
He released Vale's arm and immediately kicked him in the abdomen.
The impact sent Vale skidding several meters across the arena floor before he dug his boots into the stone and stopped himself. Dust rose around him while heavy breaths escaped beneath the mask. For several seconds the two simply stared at one another.
Then Vale laughed quietly.
He sheathed both tachi across his back and bowed respectfully.
"Thank you for the match, Sir Lucias."
Lucias retrieved his spear, twirling it once before resting it across his shoulder. "No need to thank me," he replied warmly. "If anything, I enjoy fighting someone like you. Keeps me sharp against both beasts and men."
Vale chuckled beneath the mask. "I suppose that goes both ways. You've improved rapidly yourself."
Lucias smirked.
"You asking if I've gotten used to fighting with one arm?"
"A little."
Lucias exhaled through his nose and flexed the fingers of his remaining hand. "I used to be Royal Guard," he said casually. "Adaptability was beaten into us from the day we enlisted. Losing an arm wasn't going to end me."
For a brief moment, silence settled comfortably between them.
Then slow applause echoed from above.
Both men looked upward.
Standing atop the staircase overlooking the arena was the bronze-haired boss of the colosseum, dressed in his usual dark attire, one hand lazily clapping while the other held a glass half-filled with liquor. A crooked grin spread across his face.
"You two truly are remarkable," he called down. "That agility… those instincts… there's real artistry in the way you fight."
Vale tilted his head slightly. "Boss," he said calmly, "are preparations for the match complete? Will we finally be able to go all out?"
The man waved a dismissive hand. "Of course. Today's a Category Three match. With the two of you together, it shouldn't pose much trouble."
Vale's eyes narrowed slightly behind the mask.
"A Category Three…" he muttered. "This'll be my first. Are you certain it isn't too dangerous?"
The boss burst into laughter. "Dangerous? If you fight the way you just did, the beast doesn't stand a chance."
His gaze shifted toward Lucias.
"Lucias. The opponent's a forest drake. Make sure Lionheart understands exactly what he's dealing with."
Lionheart.
The name still felt strange to Vale even after months of hearing it screamed by crowds. Yet he had accepted it quickly enough. It was the only name connected to family he still carried proudly, Leo Lionheart, the man he remembered more fondly than anyone else. Using the name felt less like adopting a title and more like preserving a memory.
As the boss disappeared through the doorway above, Vale turned toward Lucias again.
"So," he said, "forest drakes. Their greatest strength is agility, correct?"
Lucias laughed softly. "You've been studying."
Vale rolled his eyes beneath the mask. "Something like that."
"Boss lend you those ecology books?"
"Unfortunately."
Lucias smirked and began walking toward the arena exit. "Come on then. Crowd's waiting. Let's give them a show worth remembering."
Vale followed beside him, armored boots echoing steadily against the stone corridor.
After a moment, he spoke again.
"Lucias… what level would you place me at currently?"
Lucias glanced sideways at him while approaching the massive gate leading toward the arena proper. He thought for a few seconds before answering.
"Honestly? High-ranking Royal Guard level." He paused. "Not Sentinel level yet, though."
Vale smiled faintly beneath the mask.
"But you were a Sentinel once, weren't you?"
Lucias nearly choked on his own laugh. "Where the hell did you hear that?"
Vale shrugged.
Lucias sighed. "Yeah. It's true. Used to be one." His expression darkened briefly as his gaze drifted toward the empty sleeve hanging at his side. "If that Category Three beast months ago hadn't possessed such a nasty ability… I'd still have my arm."
He waved the thought away before the mood could sink further.
"Forest drakes fight like oversized tigers," he continued. "Their claws are the real threat. Sharp enough to shred steel if they hit properly. Their jaws are even worse. Don't try slashing through the hide either, it's too dense for that. Pierce between the scales instead. Follow those rules and you'll be fine."
Vale nodded seriously.
"Understood."
Then the gate began to rise.
Sunlight flooded into the corridor, blinding after the dim torchlight below. The roar of hundreds crashed over them instantly like a tidal wave. Cheers. Screams. Chants. The entire colosseum trembled with excitement as the two gladiators stepped into the arena together.
Vale instinctively looked toward the noble balcony where Drago usually sat observing the matches.
Drago was absent.
But Korin stood there instead, leaning against the railing with unmistakable excitement on his face. The moment he spotted Vale, he waved enthusiastically.
Vale couldn't help smiling beneath the mask.
He raised a hand dramatically toward the audience like some celebrity entering a grand stage, earning another eruption of cheers from the crowd.
Then the commentator's amplified voice thundered across the arena.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!"
The entire colosseum erupted.
Vale immediately unsheathed his twin blades.
"TODAY WE BRING YOU A SPECIAL MATCH!" the announcer bellowed. "THE COLOSSEUM'S TWO GREATEST GLADIATORS, LUCIAS! AND LIONHEART!"
The crowd roared so loudly the stone walls themselves seemed to vibrate.
Lucias spun his spear once, settling into stance while grinning nervously.
Then,
BOOM.
A tremendous impact slammed against the opposite gate.
Vale's eyes snapped toward it instantly.
Another bang followed.
Then another.
The iron gate visibly bent inward from the force.
"Seems pissed already," Lucias muttered. "Let's put the thing down quickly, yeah?"
He glanced toward Vale.
Vale lowered his center of gravity, blades angled low beside him.
"Roger that."
The banging intensified until finally the gate burst upward.
A massive creature exploded from the darkness beyond.
The forest drake towered over the arena floor, its body covered in thick brown scales layered like natural armor. Powerful hind legs dug into the earth while muscular forelimbs ended in claws long enough to rival swords. Its jaws flexed open with a deafening roar, revealing rows of teeth capable of crushing steel like brittle twigs. Yellow predatory eyes locked onto both gladiators instantly.
Vale felt tension crawl down his spine.
"Yeah…" he muttered quietly beneath the mask. "Definitely can't afford getting hit by that."
The drake lowered itself into a hunting stance.
And above the chaos, the commentator screamed with overwhelming excitement,
"THE INFAMOUS FOREST DRAKE!"