Owen stood in the middle of the battlefield, blood dripping from his swords. The ground was covered in bodies, some still groaning in pain, others completely still. His breathing was heavy, his eyes dark and unfocused. The energy around him was unstable.
Leon, gripping his hammer, struggled to stand. His legs were weak, and blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. He looked at Owen, who stood motionless, his aura wild. "Hey... Owen," he muttered, but Owen didn't respond.
The masked man stood on the high platform, watching. His thin lips curled into a sinister grin beneath the mask. "Oh my, what a show," he mused. With a snap of his fingers, he leaped from the platform, landing with such force that the ground beneath cracked.
Owen turned his head slightly, sensing the overwhelming presence before him. The masked man loosened his coat, letting it slip off his shoulders. "You two survived longer than I expected," he said, rolling his neck. "But let's see how long you last against me."
Owen didn't hesitate. His body moved on its own, dashing towards the man at a speed faster than normal eyes could follow. His swords swung, aiming straight for the man's neck. But the moment the blades touched him—nothing. They sliced through air.
Owen's eyes widened.
A sharp pain struck his back as the masked man appeared behind him, his leg raised from a devastating stomp. The impact sent Owen crashing forward, rolling across the cracked ground.
Owen, still dazed, struggled to rise, his vision blurred. The masked man smirked. "Is that all?" He moved again, faster than before, his hand reaching for Owen's head.
At the last second, Owen bent backward and countered with a punch. The masked man raised his arm to block, but the impact sent him flying into the air. His arms trembled from the sheer force.
He hovered in the air, shaking his hand. "That actually hurt," he chuckled. His body began to change. His skin turned dark purple, his limbs stretched unnaturally. The skinny man kicked Leon, sending him crashing into the ground. He then leaped into the tournament arena. Owen dashed toward him, both swords slicing through the air in a deadly arc aimed at the man's neck. But as his blades struck, they passed right through—an illusion. The real enemy stood behind him.
Before Owen could react, the skinny man stomped down on his back, sending a powerful shockwave through the arena. Leon, struggling to stay upright with the help of his hammer, coughed up blood from the impact of an earlier kick.
The skinny man smirked behind his mask. He lunged, reaching for Owen's head, but Owen bent backward, barely avoiding the grasp, and retaliated with a punch. The impact sent the man flying into the air. Hovering above, his arms trembled from the force. He glanced down at Owen, now covered in blood, his gaze burning with an eerie intensity.
The audience erupted in applause, but the sudden noise only seemed to unsettle the skinny man further. Then, his body began to shift. His limbs elongated, his abdomen expanded, and two additional legs sprouted from his torso. His skin darkened to a deep purple, and his tail emerged, lashing wildly. Now a monstrous form, he turned his attention to the fleeing audience, swinging his tail and sending terrified spectators scattering.
Turning back to Owen, the monster attacked with relentless swings, the sheer force of his strikes generating powerful gusts of wind. Leon dug his hammer into the ground, bracing himself, his eyes wide in shock.
Owen, though exhausted, instinctively raised a mysterious black shield, blocking the monstrous assault. Enraged, the transformed man unleashed a blast of dark energy, but as the smoke cleared, Owen remained standing, unmoved.
Leon clenched his hammer. "Damn it..." He barely had time to react before a powerful kick sent him flying, crashing into the wall. Blood splattered from his mouth as he fell to his knees.
The creature snarled, sprouting two additional arms and lunging forward, delivering a devastating punch that sent Owen to his knees. As the monster approached to finish him, Leon, bloodied and barely standing, roared, "Hey, don't you dare touch him!"
The beast chuckled. "And what are you going to do about it?"
Leon grinned, despite the pain. "Me? Nothing. But my mentor will."
"Mentor?" the monster scoffed, before a sudden explosion shattered the ceiling above them.
His pupils dilated in pure terror.
"E-Edwin Freeman…?" he stammered, his voice barely a whisper.
Edwin surveyed the battlefield, his expression unreadable. "Good job, guys," he said calmly. "I'll handle it from here."
The monster could barely breathe under the pressure of Edwin's presence. The air grew heavy, and the very ground beneath him cracked.
"You… you're a monster," the creature gasped.
Edwin's expression darkened. "You laid hands on my students."
The creature's panic turned to desperation. He gathered all his energy, forming a massive, swirling orb of dark magic in his palm. "I won't die today!" he roared, launching the attack.
But when the dust settled, Edwin hadn't moved an inch.
His piercing gaze locked onto the monster. "Playtime is over."
The last thing the creature saw was Edwin raising his hand. And then—darkness. His head burst apart in an instant.
A team of medics rushed in, placing Owen, Leon, and the other fighters on stretchers. Edwin glanced around the ruined battlefield, then turned and walked away, disappearing into the night.