5th Muriel, 1093.

Second Under.

"My Lord!" Nadir prompted, eyes wide in shock as a mass of black shot past them, jumped over thirty meters, then landed in front of the lead Vekraptor, ripping its head off with his bare hands. Before the remaining two could comprehend what happened, the black avenger had buried his hands in their sides, leaving something inside them.

The subsequent explosion forced Nadir to hold a column for support. Three Vekraptors. That weak daeben he toyed with for the past three days just dispatched three Vekraptors like they were a couple of rabbits. The general felt the cold hand of death grip his throat as the daeben lifted the young one and cast a momentary glare in his direction. "W-what do we do?" he stammered.

Froy listened to the daeben berate the dwarves from a lavish private box. White knuckles gripped the armrest and his teeth ground against each other. This wretched daeben had accomplished in four seconds what he had failed to do in years: Command the dwarves' attention. Even now, the choking atmosphere that pervaded the arena proved what he feared. The dwarves were all listening to this daeben. And for what? Because he was spouting a few names from their past? This was ridiculous! "Shut it down," he growled.

Nadir nodded sharply, and then barked orders into a modified Rink. Moments later, at least forty robed soldiers stormed through the gates, weapons trained at the daeben. He made to give the order to execute, but Froy's sharply raised arm gave him pause.

Froy saw it out of the corner of his eyes. Zeing's enraged grip shattered the armrest beneath him. A moment later, the dwarf was across the arena in one giant leap. A grin spread across Froy's face as he watched one pest challenge the other. This was good. He couldn't kill Kashi, or let him die in an 'accident.' The higher-ups would have him killed. And slowly too. But if the daeben died by Ashqoj's hand; now there was something even they could not hold over him. His smile widened as it seemed fate had finally decided to grant him some goodwill. "I want to watch."

"My Lo—" Nadir never finished his rebuke as the ground quaked dangerously beneath them. Cracks ran across the earth and up the stands, creating a large fissure which the general fell into. His panicked scream was the last Froy heard from him.

The Priest, however, did not seem too bothered by the gaping hole next to him. Froy lifted a silver goblet and took a sip of the exquisite wine as he watched the proceedings below.

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Kashi glanced at the fissure created. Somehow, it seemed the dwarfs had expected that outcome because they all successfully dodged the strike. Only that sorry excuse for a general had fallen. Kashi kinda sorta felt sorry for the guy. Nadir's consistent efforts were somewhat cute in their own way.

A sharp grunt brought Kashi's attention back to the monster that had produced this disaster.

Zeing rose to full height, brows tightly bunched together. "Looks like I loosened this a bit too much," he revealed with sharp laughter as he twisted something on his gauntlets. Gloating eyes mocked Kashi. "Still think you can handle this?" He challenged as he slammed his fists against each other.

Kashi was forced to take a step back as a result of the wind generated by that little motion. "Like hell you did," Kashi shot back. He could tell a born fighter when he met one. There was no need for formal speech. "You wanted to scare the shit out of me, didn't you? Hoping I would back down?" Kashi released a maniacal laugh of his own. "You must have gone senile if you think I'll back down now."

"HAHA!" Zeing guffawed proudly. "Well said!" His voice lowered to a menacing growl as he finished, "Looks like I'll enjoy killing you at the very least." Zeing pointed at Zuri. "Hope you don't plan on using that girl as a shield. I will smash you both."

Kashi surrendered Zuri to the nearest soldier. "Protect her with your life," he ordered as he relinquished his hold on her. "Anything happens to her," Kashi's eyes assaulted the poor man who found himself frozen beneath the deadly glare. "Your death. It will be slow and painful. That I promise." Kashi ignored the man's frantic nod as he brushed stray strands of hair off Zuri's face. Now that he saw her in the light, he noticed her skin was closer to a pale blue than it was to his soot-black complexion. "Wait for me." That said, Kashi turned to face Zeing.

At Froy's command, the soldiers exited the grounds, leaving the two men alone at the center of the 'ring.' Both men glared at each other, eyes burning with a raging challenge. Without ceremony, they charged each other, Zeing bent low and arms wide to grab Kashi.

Kashi read his purpose. The daeben kicked hard into a high roll over Zeing. His elbow struck the dwarf's head, but there was no give. Zeing sharply spun in place, and his fist followed swiftly, crashing into the daeben.

Kashi barely had time to shield the blow with his arms. But the force slapped him across the arena regardless. He stifled a cry as he skin scrubbed against the hard earth, then righted himself with a quick jump. Instinct forced him to jump another step back. And it was good he did, as the ground erupted right in front of him, dust and stone the heralds of Zeing's proximity. Kashi cursed as his back hit the arena's wall. That initial punch really sent him flying.

There was no time to think, as Zeing emerged from the column of smoke with the roar of a raging bull. Kashi swiftly ducked under a right fist that buried itself in the wall. Activating Ferulic's Spirit , Kashi shot upwards, smiling as his fist solidly connected with Zeing's jaw. That smile soon disappeared.

A snide grin corrupted the dwarf's face as he bent his head to look at the daeben. "That was a good hit." Before Kashi could process what the hell just happened, Zeing's left hand wrapped around the daeben's midriff and slammed him against the wall. "Why don't you apologize to my people," Zeing advised as he tightened his grip. His gauntlet stained with Kashi's blood as the daeben coughed. "I might consider forgiving you."

Kashi tried his best not to scream, but that took nothing away from his body’s immense agony. His stomach and chest felt they were going to explode from the pressure built up inside. However, one glance into the stands above forced his decision. Bloodshot eyes glared into the dwarf's. "I don't need your forgiveness!" Kashi screamed as he slammed his fists against the wall.

Pillars of stone shot from around Kashi and crashed against Zeing. The collective blows were enough to momentarily disorient the dwarf, causing him to release the daeben. Rage quickened Kashi's bloodstream as kicked the dwarf's chest with both feet, knocking him back a couple of steps. The daeben stomped against the earth, and a slab of earth rose behind the dwarf.

Kashi closed the distance as Zeing's back hit the wall. A quick punch to the face sent Zeing crashing through the stone, but the daeben was far from done. He followed up that first blow with a flurry of never-ending punches and kicks, each pushing the dwarf further and towards the opposite wall.

Growls akin to that of a beast escaped Kashi's gnarled lips as he slammed Zeing against the wall. Raging cries rang out as he buried the older man deeper and deeper into the wall with each blow. Kashi ignored the smoky cracks that ran along the wall, the smoky dust that rose with each consecutive impact; he dismissed the crowd's boos and derogatory chants, Froy's content smirk, even the protests from his muscles. Nothing else was on his mind except to punch.

Punch! Hit! Bury him! Deeper, deeper, even deeper! Keep going, keep going, you're not done yet!

And Kashi kept going; for several minutes, just hitting. The spectators had long since gone deathly quiet. They had never seen Zeing in a situation like this. In fact, at this point, they couldn't even see him at all. However, after what felt like an eternity, Kashi's arms began to tire. The time between each strike slowly increased, fatigue seizing control over his body. But surely, he'd done enough. No one should be able to—

Boom!

‎ Kashi's eyes widened in panicked fear as a gauntlet shot out from the rubble and latched onto his.

Zeing rose from the debris, nary a scratch on his perfect frame. "You've got potential," he remarked as he switched his grip to Kashi's neck. "I felt some of those." Zeing lifted the daeben above himself. "Last chance. Beg for forgiveness."

Kashi winced from the force of the dwarf crushing his throat. "I... I said nothing to apologize for," he pronounced with a wry grin.

"That so?" Zeing tightened his grip. "I hope you still keep that view in your next li—"

"Let Kash-Kash go!"

"OW," Zeing yelped as his hand involuntarily opened up.

Kashi immediately put some distance between them, coughing as he massaged his sore throat to ensure nothing was broken. A glance at the dwarf answered his question as to why he had been released. It also filled him with astonished amazement.

Zuri scurried around the man's frame like a rat, biting and clawing away at him. What was more, she was drawing blood. Something Kashi himself had failed to do so even after pummelling Zeing for several minutes. However, her luck could not last forever. Zeing caught her leg and made to slam her against the earth.

Kashi burst forward. Frustrated growls rang out as he punched the gauntlet that held Zuri. The young girl fell on all fours, immediately spreading her body like a cat.

Only a momentary glance confirmed her well-being before Kashi snapped back to an amused Zeing. Kashi then nimbly sidestepped a left swing then took a step into Zeing's space.

Swift strikes to the dwarf's temple, and chest followed, but Zeing's mocking grin was the only response Kashi received.

"I was right. You do have potential," Zeing pronounced between blows. "But, you're still far too weak to be challenging…" Zeing grabbed Kashi's right arm with his left, "ME!" Then he grabbed the daeben's face and crushed it against the earth.

Kashi convulsed from the shock but caught himself soon after. His entire face was covered by the monstrous hand, blocking his sight and preventing him from breathing. Did this crazy loon intend to choke him to death? Like Hell! Muscles bulged as Kashi tried his best to pry the stubborn hand off his face, but Zeing was equally determined.

A sharp cry suddenly rang out, and Kashi could breathe again.

A sharp intake of air resulted in rapid coughs as Kashi pushed against the earth to put some distance between them. Any illusion he might have saved himself was shattered by the figure that flitted in and out of his vision.

Zuri was fast! Even faster than Kashi was. The little monster continuously sped past Zeing, somehow leaving claw marks on his chest. Kashi's confused frown deepened when Zuri clambered up Zeing's back. Sharp teeth sunk into Zeing's shoulder.

Zeing grabbed her face and yanked her off his back. A chunk of his shoulder followed the daeben as a token of her efforts. Disgusted, he tossed her towards Kashi, then inspected the shoulder wound. A little deep. That girl's teeth were sharper than any Hydra's.

The wound had already begun to heal when Zeing entered a stance for the first time. "Seems I underestimated you," admitted Zeing. "Perhaps I should take this a little seriously."

Kashi glanced at the little girl to his side. Nothing about her looked human: from her crouched stance, to the way her lips curled in a snarl. Even her pupils had dilated to resemble a cat's. The growls that escaped her lips would make the toughest of beasts reconsider their approach.

No matter how Kashi looked at it, this was no deliberate act or role-play. This girl had obtained all her mannerisms from the beasts she'd fought in this arena. That she would imprint on the creatures rather than her fellow men was something Kashi would worry about later. What mattered was what this meant. He could now confirm without a doubt that she did not know about her menu before he came.

So, that left option two.

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Kashi glanced up at Froy, who watched the proceedings with that smug smirk entitled brats sported. I know what you did. And I swear you shall pay for it. There was no way for Froy to read his mind, but sometimes words are not necessary to convey meaning.

Froy squirmed in his chair, momentarily overwhelmed by the weight of Kashi's glare. Froy did not know how, but he knew. That damned daeben knew. Things just got a lot more complicated. Froy gripped his armrest, desperation in his eyes as he whispered, "Finish him already, you waste of space!"

A satisfied smirk played on Kashi's face at Froy's expression. "No," Kashi said as he turned to Zeing. "It's I who have criminally underestimated your prowess." The young daeben entered into a stance of his own. "Allow me to rectify my error."

BOOM!

Zuri was forced to put some distance between herself and Kashi as night-black aura exploded around him, gushing like a never-ending wave. The earth rumbled slightly beneath her limbs, and the air choked with pressure from Kashi's aura.

Zeing frowned, terribly surprised by what the daeben was doing. That move was Chi-Release, a forceful opening of all the chi-centers in a person's body. This move wasn't taught willy-nilly to anybody, but even if it was, Summoned were ultimately terrible at it. Unable to picture the stream of energy leaving their body, they always ended up finishing their Mana Pool before they could even enter the second stage. A wry grin crossed his cheek as he realized this daeben intended to prove him wrong. Zeing had no plans on giving the daeben the chance.

The dwarf's subsequent charge was stopped by a small bundle of teeth and claws. With Zeing's new stance, he had no real openings, but the little tyke was as determined as she was deadly. Zuri's low stance, which left her face just inches from the ground, made it very difficult for Zeing to instigate any attacks. Instead, he was forced to defend when she pounced. The worst thing was Zuri could suspend in the air for multiple seconds, allowing her to launch a flurry of attacks before falling back into her low stance. It was all the dwarf could do just to ward off her steady stream of attacks.

While Zuri held off the maniac, veins bulged on Kashi's muscles as he struggled to keep the spiraling energy in check around him. This skill: [ Chi Release ] was Razznik's signature move. The tumultuous aura choked opponents, but also served as a shield against elemental attacks. Better still, it could be released as a weapon to attack enemies. The major disadvantage of this skill was that if the user weren't careful, all of the chi released would escape into the atmosphere. And since one's Mana Pool& Stamina were what made up a person's chi, the escaped energy drained the user's MP and stamina. Worst case, the user would be left incapacitated in the middle of a battleground.

But Kashi was not Razznik. He had no intention of fighting like that reckless monster.

Kashi closed his eyes, releasing a relaxing breath from between his lips. His right leg slid back, and his arms rose in front of him.

Imagine it. Compress it. Let it flow.

Zeing's eyes widened with shocked surprise. Kashi's aura was reducing, but not how he had expected. Rather than dissipating, the visible mass thickened as it receded then ultimately settled around the daeben like a second skin—an extremely powerful and volatile skin.

A blast of pressure slammed against Zeing as Kashi's eyes snapped open. "Zuri!"

Zuri spread flat against the ground as Kashi appeared above her, arm drawn back.

"HAHAHA!" Zeing laughed as his fist met Kashi's. The resulting explosion pressed Zuri against the earth, but Kashi was far from done.

"Not enough!" Kashi yelled as he redirected all of his energy into his right hand. Zeing was knocked back by the expelling force. Kashi was in front of him before he could regain his balance. Kashi threw a fist, but Zeing slammed his forehead against it.

Kashi stomped his right foot against the earth to prevent himself from falling over. With gritted teeth, he pushed onwards, but his fist only met with Zeing's gauntlet. With a determined roar, he lashed out with his left, but that too was parried by the gauntlet. He struck again, but his blow was parried, then again, and again. His fists blurred as the moments between each punch sharply decreased.

Pressure built up between the warriors as they traded blows, neither willing to give any ground. With all his energy concentrated on his fists alone, Kashi could more than hold his own against Zeing's superior strength.

Crick!

Zeing's eyes widened when a crack formed on the gauntlet. What was this? This gauntlet had been specially crafted, so it never broke. Yet this daeben had managed to force a crack on it. What's more, with each blow, the cracks deepened till they ran the gauntlet's length. Impossible! He wouldn't!

Kashi's fists sped up so much they left afterimages in their place. To the naked eye, it seemed like both men had six arms as they struck and parried blows, high and low. The cracks along the gauntlet did not escape Kashi's eye. He guessed that thing was enhancing the man's strength. With one last desperate cry, he slammed his fists against the gauntlets, then allowed the energy concentrated in his fists to gush into the gauntlet.

For the first time that night, panic filled Zeing's eyes. Black aura gushed out from the cracks like geysers. The internal pressure was too much!

Kashi jumped back to dodge the massive explosion that followed. Black plumes shot high and then flung a metal hand to the earth in front of him. Sweat drenched the daeben as he glared at the plume of smoke while struggling to steady his breath. Using [ Asura ] with [ Chi-Release ] left him almost completely drained. He had allowed too much Mana to waste during the first stage, which in turn drained his stamina.

Kashi panted hard, still unable to catch his breath. Try as he might, he couldn't relax. His fingers were jittery, and his heart just wouldn't slow down. Was this fear? Real fear? Obnoxiously loud laughter did not help the daeben's emotional turmoil.

The smoke clouds cleared with a loud burst from the center. Zeing stood there, lips curled in a snide grin... without a single scratch. The old dwarf cracked his bare knuckles against each other, arms finally freed from the cage that held them. "Well, well, daeben. Never would've thought you had it in you. Even managed to destroy my limiter."

Kashi's brows furrowed. "L-Limiter?"

"Yeah," Zeing revealed with a proud grin. "I'm too strong, you see, and not really good at holding my strength." He stomped the earth, and a slab of stone shot up. "Plus, it stops me from using my real techniques." Kashi's eyes widened with shock. "You guessed it." Zeing punched the slab, and it shattered into several small pebble-sized stones that hovered in front of him. "[ Earth-Shattering Technique True Form: Assault ]!"

Kashi froze in place. His mind struggled to accept the accompanying glow on Zeing's forehead: The tattoo: Seven broken swords bound by a blood sash. Who the hell had he been fighting!?

"Watch out!"

Zuri's voice barely reached Kashi before something pushed him to the floor. By the time he realized what had happened, it was already too late.

Kashi blinked as thick liquid drenched his clothes and threatened to drop into his eyes. He raised his hand to his forehead, then above his head to inspect the blood. Not too deep. The stones had just grazed him, it seemed. Well, chalk this one up to luck. It was about time he apologized. The dwarfs should have plenty to think about after his defiant display, plus he had confirmed a lot of things concerning Zuri. Any more against a survivor from the old world was paramount to suicide.

The daeben made to sit up, but a mass weighed down against his chest. He raised his head to take a look. "Zuri!" Kashi shot up and cradled the girl in his arms. Blood, too much blood! There was blood everywhere! There were holes in her arms, legs, and chest. What the hell happened!?

Then Kashi remembered. Zeing's attack. Kashi had blanked out after seeing that tattoo. But that attack should have hit him far worse than it did. Zuri was the one who pushed him to the ground. But she hadn't been fast enough.

Zuri suffered the bulk of the attack, while Kashi, already falling backward, skated by with but a few scratches.

Oh, this was terrible... terribly bad! He couldn't save her with [ Resuscitate ] if she died. After Lunette, he had learned that while Resuscitate brought people back to life, it still had several limitations. Most important of which was, in its low-level, it could only heal a minute injury after resuscitation. Resuscitating Zuri in this state would only lead to her dying a second time. Shit!

Zuri trembled in his arms, breath ragged. Tiny fingers weakly clutched his top, squeezing tight like it was their sole lifeline. Light grey eyes gazed up at him from behind bloodied curtains. Her left arm rose weakly to meet his face. A weak smile warmed her face. "Kash-Kash, okay?"

"Y-yeah," Kashi replied with a short laugh. "Yeah, I am. You saved me."

"Zuri's glad," she said as her arm fell from Kashi's face.

Kashi caught her arm and shook her frame. "Yeah, I'm glad too. Now come on, it's my turn to save you."

The motion was enough to keep Zuri awake, though she seemed delighted. Her eyes stared into nothing, but she pulled closer to Kashi. Zuri pressed her head against his chest and smiled at the erratic beating, enchanted by its melody. "It's warm."

"Is it?" Kashi wondered aloud as he got to his feet. He glanced around the arena. He had to get out of here. Just like Perdition Pit, he couldn't take anything from his inventory when he was in the arena. "I never thought I had one."

Zuri shook her head. "Nn-nn. Kashi's heart is warm. Zuri likes it."

Kashi frantically scanned the arena for a way out. That's right. The stands. He had come in through there. He made to run towards the wall, but Zeing burst out from the earth ahead of him.

"You weren't thinking about running, were you?" Zeing challenged.

Kashi's countenance snapped. Brows bunched tightly together, his lips curled, as a deep growl akin to a beast escaped his throat. "Get out of my way."

"Do you apologize?"

Kashi growl deepened, but coughs against his chest drew his attention. A glance at Zuri drained the building rage. Kashi released a breath. "Fine. You win. I apologize. Now please, I need to go."

Zeing's expression soured. "No."

"What!?"

"I said, no!" Zeing stomped against the earth. The earth split beneath his feet right beneath Kashi. Before the daeben could retreat, claws of stone shot up around him, then encased him in a stone dome. "Hrmph," Zeing huffed. "That should teach you a le—" BOOM!

The dome exploded, flinging debris in all directions.

Aura, like death, choked the air, leaving Zeing speechless. He hadn't seen anything like this for centuries. What was this? Who was this man?

Turbulent winds scattered Kashi's hair to reveal the wolf emblem on his forehead, burning brightly. The young warrior's eyes were blackened with rage, scales slowly growing along the length of his face and arms.

Soldiers poured into the arena at Froy's panicked command. The determined soldiers formed a circle around the beast. Arrows and elements zipped towards Kashi, while others followed close behind, swords at the ready to rip through the creature.

All missiles scattered from a maddening roar, the likes of which shook the entire arena and forced the spectators against their seats. With a single leap, the beast was out of the arena and among the spectators. With its second, the monster disappeared, lost to the mazes of Second Under.

Left behind, Zeing was as confused as everyone else. That emblem, he had heard the Order’s goons speak of it. The guild that troubled the Order: The Hopeful Maggots. He glanced up at Froy, whose eyes looked like they could send out flames at any second. Something was wrong. Just who was that brat? He didn't look or act like the usual riff-raffs Froy captured.

Zeing scratched his beard and huffed. Eventually, he would find out. Second Under was big, but that brat could not hide forever.