The crowd of skeletons rattled and cheered, their fervor echoing in the blood-soaked arena as Travis faced Gladia, his sword glowing faintly with his remaining mana. Every muscle in his body screamed for rest, but his focus was unyielding. Across from him, the towering minotaur, equally scarred and battered, gripped the haft of his colossal axe, its blade now floating ominously in two spinning segments above him.

Gladia chuckled darkly, rolling his shoulders as steam hissed from his nostrils. "You’ve pushed me farther than I expected, human," he said, his voice rumbling like distant thunder. "But this… this is where you die!"

The detached blades spun faster, their sharp edges glinting as they circled around the minotaur like predators awaiting a command. Travis steadied himself, gripping his sword tightly.

"Bring it," he muttered under his breath, his eyes locked on Gladia.

With a guttural roar, Gladia thrust his hand forward, and the two spinning blades hurtled toward Travis like twin whirlwinds. Their speed was unreal, the air around them hissing as they sliced through it.

Travis threw himself into a roll, narrowly avoiding one blade as it buried itself into the ground with a deafening sound, spraying sand and debris into the air. The second blade curved sharply, tracking his movement. He swung his sword with all his might, deflecting the spinning metal.

CLANG

The force of the collision sent a painful shockwave up his arm, but he didn’t falter.

Gladia was already moving, closing the gap between them with a burst of speed that belied his massive frame. The haft of his axe whipped through the air, aiming for Travis’s side.

Travis barely had time to react. He twisted his body, the wooden haft grazing his ribs with a bone-jarring CRACK. The impact sent him skidding across the sand, his boots digging trenches in the ground.

'Damn, that hurts,' Travis thought, clutching his side. He couldn’t afford to falter now.

The detached blades returned to Gladia, hovering beside him as he advanced. With a sweep of his arm, the minotaur directed one blade to fly low and the other high, creating a deadly pincer attack.

Travis dropped to one knee, leaning back as the lower blade zipped over him, missing his chest by inches. The second blade came down from above, and he twisted his body, raising his sword to deflect it.

Clang!

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Sparks erupted as the weapons collided, and Travis used the momentum to spin into a rising slash aimed at Gladia’s midsection.

The minotaur anticipated the move, stepping back while swinging the haft of his axe. The wooden shaft slammed into Travis’s sword mid-swing, knocking the blade off course. Before Travis could recover, Gladia followed up with a spinning kick.

THUD!

The hoof caught Travis square in the chest, lifting him off the ground and sending him crashing into the sand several feet away.

The skeleton crowd erupted in cheers, their hollow voices chanting Gladia’s name. Travis coughed, struggling to push himself up. His vision blurred for a moment, but he forced himself to focus.

'Stay calm. Think. Adapt.'

Gladia approached slowly, the detached blades spinning lazily around him like vultures circling a carcass. "You’re outmatched," he said, his tone almost pitying. "Even if you’ve got tricks left, you can’t beat me."

Travis wiped the blood from his mouth and smirked. "I’ve heard that before."

Gladia roared in frustration, sending one of the blades flying toward him at full speed. This time, Travis sidestepped smoothly, letting the blade embed itself into a nearby pillar.

He darted forward, closing the distance between himself and Gladia in an instant. His sword came down in a diagonal slash, glowing faintly with mana.

Gladia reacted with surprising speed, using the haft of his axe to block. The clash sent another wave of sparks flying, and for a moment, the two warriors were locked in a contest of strength.

"You’re strong," Gladia admitted, pushing back against Travis’s blade. "But you lack the killer’s edge."

Travis grinned, a glint of defiance in his eyes. "Guess I’ll have to prove you wrong."

He shifted his weight suddenly, letting Gladia’s strength throw him off balance. The minotaur stumbled forward, and Travis spun behind him, delivering a swift horizontal slash aimed at his back.

The blade connected, carving a shallow gash across Gladia’s massive frame. The minotaur howled in pain, but before Travis could capitalize, the remaining detached blade zipped toward him.

Travis ducked just in time, the blade whistling past his head. It circled around, forcing him to roll and leap to avoid its relentless pursuit.

Gladia turned, his golden eyes burning with fury. He slammed the haft of his axe into the ground, sending a shockwave through the arena that threw Travis off balance.

"Enough games!" Gladia bellowed, bringing both detached blades back to him. He raised his arms, and the weapons began to spin in unison, creating a whirlwind of metal around him. The minotaur charged, the whirling blades cutting through the air with a deafening sound.

WHIRRR.

Travis’s heart raced as he calculated his next move. 'I can’t block that. I have to end this now.'

Summoning his mana, he poured it into his sword. The blade began to glow brighter, crackling with raw energy. He steadied his breathing, his mind sharpening as he prepared for the final clash.

Gladia swung the whirlwind of blades toward him, a storm of death that tore through the air. Travis didn’t flinch. He stepped forward, dodging one blade by a hair’s breadth and deflecting the other with a precise parry.

As Gladia brought the haft of his axe down in a crushing vertical strike, Travis sidestepped and unleashed his mana slash.

The glowing arc of energy erupted from his blade, a searing wave of red light that tore through the air with a thunderous.

BOOM.

Gladia’s eyes widened in shock as the mana slash struck him head-on. The impact sent him flying backward, his detached blades shattering into pieces as the energy consumed them. The minotaur crashed into the arena wall with a deafening CRASH, leaving a massive crater in the stone.

The skeleton crowd fell silent, their rattling bones ceasing as they watched the aftermath.

Travis stood in the center of the arena, his sword dimming as the last remnants of mana faded away. His chest rose and fell heavily, his body trembling with exhaustion, but his gaze remained steady.

Gladia slumped against the wall, bloodied and broken. Yet, even in defeat, the minotaur managed a faint, toothy grin.

"You… are worthy," he rumbled, his voice weak but filled with respect. "Well fought… warrior."

With that, Gladia’s massive form went still, his golden eyes dimming as his body dissolved into glowing particles.

The skeletons erupted into a cacophony of cheers and applause, their hollow voices chanting Travis’s name.

Travis sheathed his sword, his expression a mix of relief and triumph. "That was insane," he muttered to himself as he turned toward the glowing exit that appeared at the far end of the arena.

He didn’t look back as he walked away, his steps slow but resolute. The fight was over, but the journey ahead promised even greater challenges.

TO BE CONTINUED