I walked forward with heavy steps. This was it. They yelled, but I didn’t answer. All I heard was my thumping heart, as it thoroughly beat inside my heaving chest. I saw my opponent, it was him, my brother. His eyes met mine, I knew that we had to fight. Up above, the yells and whistles slowly began to tone down as the announcer yelled with a loud voice.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I am very glad to have you here, for tonight is what you all have waited for, the long awaited duel, the most anticipated fight of the competition. Brother vs brother will clash for the final prize. The battle for the divine clam. Fighters, prepare.”
After hearing what the announcer said, I took my stance, and readied myself. My mane was golden, I was a seven-headed golden lion, and so was my brother. We were beasts out of legends that stood upon the very pinnacle of the food chain. We were both proud, strong and unyielding creatures and refused to lose.
My brother in front of me growled, “Algsr, watch how I tear you apart. You dare to fight for the shell with me, you deserve death. How do you even dare to question me, your older brother? Did you not pay heed to fathers words?
I growled back, showing my long, sharp teeth, “Quiet, Aretr! Father’s gone! Age doesn’t matter. I’ve had enough of blindly accepting what you tell me to do. I am not a little cub, I am a grown seven-headed lion. I won’t allow you to boss me around anymore, even if you’re my older brother!
“Humph!” His expression turned cold, “Then so be it.”
“Fine!” I roared back, “One of us shall live, one of us shall die!”
Then, the announcer spoke, “Fighters, get ready. I'll count to three, then the battle will begin. Only one of you can leave the cage alive. May the strongest win, 1. 2. 3! Begin!”
Aretr brandished his claws and threw himself at me. I swung up my paw in response, to block him. He crashed into me, and we rolled around on the ground. He bit me in the side, I bit him back. Each of his seven heads were engaged to mine, the arena floor soon turned golden from our blood. I had already lost three heads, while he had lost only two. Fuck, he had the advantage.
“Little brother, just give up!” He roared and slashed my stomach open. “I am much stronger than you!”
I gurgled blood, and I felt that my head was heavy. Some of my insides fell out. My body was in the midst of regenerating, but it took time, and Aretr’s claws were faster. Crap, I felt my life fading away.
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No, I refuse to submit. I’ve done it my whole life, I cannot do it now! “Brother!” My eyes were bloodshot, I roared in anger, “I shall not be defeated! Not now, nor ever again!”
Something that had been keeping me back stopped to exist. I felt as if the chains that dragged me down, and the weight upon my shoulders that pushed me down was released. My limbs bulged, power erupted inside my body. I pushed forward and threw my brother off me onto the arena floor where he landed with a big thud.
“Ohh! He fights back!” The announcer's voice resounded in the arena, “Will this fight take an unexpected turn? Who will win, who will lose?!” The crowd on the stands went crazy. Their blood was pumping, who would win? Who would die and who would live?
“Aretr!” I lunged at him. He was still shocked from my unexpected power, so he could barely dodge, and only able to block with his body. “Sha!” Blood splattered on the ground, and several round, golden heads the size of thirty in diameter rolled out onto the arena floor.
“Y-y-you fucker!” Aretr coughed up blood, “H-how dare you?” He had only one head left, whereas the spaces where the rest of his heads were supposed to be, only the necks, cut in halves, were left, revealing a bloody mess underneath. His ribs were caved in, he had a difficulty to speak!
“How dare I?” I delivered the finishing blow to my brother, cut of his last head, and closed my eyes as his lifeless body fell down to the ground. The cheering from above continued, but I felt no happiness, only a bitter taste form my mouth. Why did it have to end like this?
“Congratulations! You have won the competition for the golden shell. I expect many to be jealous of you now that it’s in your possession. Thank you for playing our little game, feel free to come back anytime. I wish you good luck in what’s about to come!”
Suddenly, pain spread across my body. It was like a blazing inferno that quelled everything to smithereens. The now searing pain made me go berserk, I roared loudly. Then, everything became pitch black, like the darkest abyss deep below earth's surface. I lost consciousness.