Zeke did not intend to dodge Leo’s blade. If his friend wanted to trade injuries, then he was more than willing to abide. The iron head of his staff was whistling towards Leo’s chest. The blunt weapon would easily crush bone if he managed to land a direct hit.

Leo had decided to go for a piercing strike aimed at Zeke’s heart. In the remaining second, Zeke shifted slightly so he would be hit on his shoulder instead. His [Perfect Spatial Awareness] was unmoored from his body. It always made him feel like a spectator watching somebody else fight. Still, he had gotten somewhat used to the feeling and was able to control his body even from this third-person perspective.

Zeke was astonished that Leo didn’t change his course of action. Could he really intend to exchange blows? This was very much unlike Leo. Just as Zeke was certain that Leo had missed the chance to dodge, something changed. Leo lowered his arm as he flicked the blade upward at the same time. Through his Spatial awareness, Zeke could see his own mouth drop open at the display in front of him. Leo had somehow contorted his upper body out of the path of his swing, without giving up on his own strike.

The blade was closing in on his face. Zeke yanked his head back and managed to escape with only a shallow cut to his face, as he stepped back. Leo followed closely behind. His friend would not let this chance slip away. Zeke was already on the back foot after only their first exchange!

Leo was right on his heels, his rapier poised to strike. Zeke had yet to regain his balance after retreating in such a hurry. His heavy staff only unbalanced him further. It was then that Leo struck. His blade found an opening and bit deep into Zeke’s thigh with the precision of a viper. Zeke gritted his teeth. He had to change the flow of combat. This could not go on. Before Leo could retract his weapon, Zeke’s gauntlet closed around the blade.

A rapier was usually used for stabbing and not cutting. Zeke was betting on the fact that the edges of the blade were not sharp enough to cut through the leather protection of his hand. He noticed almost immediately that he had miscalculated as the blade bit deep into his hand. He was glad for his numbed nerves as the sting was still almost enough to make him let go reflexively.

Leo’s eyes widened a fraction as he noticed that he was unable to retract the blade. In the next moment, Zeke’s elbow connected with Leo’s face. Even though his head shot back, the blonde boy did not relinquish his hold on his weapon. Instead, he brought both of his legs up and kicked Zeke in the chest. He was clearly trying to force Zeke to let go.

Zeke was left with a choice between loosening his grip or risking his fingers. Reluctantly, he opened his hand and firmed his stance. He was just in time to avoid being unbalanced by the kick. Leo used his attack as a way to create room between the two. He launched himself back and landed a couple of steps away. With a graceful twirl, he dispensed all his momentum. The two were face to face once again.

Zeke scanned both of their conditions after this first exchange. Leo had a busted lip but was otherwise in good shape. He, on the other hand, had a cut on his forehead, alongside an injured hand and leg. A trickle of blood was freely running down his leg from the stab of the rapier. He could not use his [Blood Manipulation] to stop the flow either, but his passive regeneration was already working on his injuries. It would only be a matter of minutes before the wounds would be closed. It was immediately obvious who had come out on top in their first exchange.

Still, injuries like this would not decide the outcome. Leo would have to land a critical blow in order to keep Zeke down. However, he was still worried about the flow of combat. He had recognized immediately that the gap of skill between them was much wider than he had anticipated. Even though his [Perfect Spatial Awareness] gave him a clear view, it didn’t allow him to predict Leo’s movements. All his strength amounted to nothing if he could not hit his opponent. It had been a while since he last fought without his magic, and Zeke realized how much he had come to rely on his spells.

The two started to circle, changing posture every now and then to probe for weaknesses. It was not long before Leo started his next offensive. He was also aware of the fact that Zeke would heal if given the time. He lunged into an overhanded swing, only to break the feint off a moment later. He dodged out of the way of Zeke’s attack with casual ease as he leaned to the side. He aimed a quick slash at Zeke’s ribs before retreating. Zeke was barely able to block the strike with his vambrace.

The same scenario repeated over and over again. Leo would feint or simply dodge all of Zeke’s attacks while chipping away at his opponent before retreating. Zeke was getting more and more frustrated with the situation. He felt helpless. No matter how he schemed and planned, he was unable to land a single hit. It was as if Leo could see the future. He would always predict the trajectory of Zeke’s strikes accurately. Not once did he fall for any of Zeke’s faints or tricks. Zeke also struggled with his lack of magic. Many of his spells such as his [Air Step] had long been integrated into his fighting style.

After taking another cut to his chest, Zeke swung his staff in a wide arc to create room for himself. Expectantly, Leo fell back. The blonde boy had not overextended or taken any risks in this fight. He did not underestimate Zeke one bit. He was also aware that Zeke only needed a single good hit to turn this fight around. His face was a mask of focus and confidence as he jumped slightly backward, just out of reach of the strike.

Zeke hefted his staff as he took stock of the situation. He was bleeding from numerous cuts all over his body. Most of them were shallow, but the sheer number meant that he was still losing a lot of blood. Leo was still uninjured. Zeke had not managed to land a strike again after their first exchange. His heart was hammering in his chest as Zeke considered his options. He had to bite back a snarl. Didn’t he train every single day so that he would never be in this situation again? Had it all been for nothing?

Leo didn’t press the attack for a change. He was also catching his breath. Despite not being injured, this level of high-speed movement and constant alertness couldn’t be easy to maintain. Still, Leo didn’t stop circling, searching for weaknesses in his defense. Zeke felt like he was stuck in quicksand. No matter what he tried, it had absolutely no effect. He could only flail helplessly as Leo played around with him.

“FUUUUUUUCKKKKK!” Zeke bellowed. He placed all his feelings of frustration and helplessness into the scream. His outburst was so unexpected and violent that Leo took a few steps back, eyeing him carefully.

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Zeke took a deep breath, filling his lungs to the brim. After holding the air in for a second, Zeke let it all out. He felt a lot better after releasing the built-up tension. All the pressure he had put on himself was constricting him. Constricting his thinking, constricting his movement, and most of all, it was sucking all the enjoyment out of the fight. He had been so excited about this. But now, all he could think about was that he had to win. That he couldn’t make any mistakes.

A wide smile spread across his face as Zeke threw away all those considerations. His overly worried, overly serious approach had failed. It was time to try something new. He would fight to his heart’s content. If he still lost after giving it his all then he could at least look back at the fight without having any regrets. Zeke looked down at the staff in his hand. He lifted the weapon up and brought it back down with speed. He rammed the staff into the ground where he stood. His trusty weapon would do him no good in this fight.

Zeke stepped around the staff and stood face-to-face with Leo once more. He could feel a cool breeze in his hair as he stretched out his arms. He and Leo had both decided to not wear their helmets for this final round. He enjoyed the cooling wind for a second before focusing back on the fight. He cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulder to get the last bit of stiffness out.

“Playtime’s over,” Zeke stated with a predatory grin, “it’s time to get serious!”

Leo didn’t respond, but his eyes turned even more solemn. It was Zeke that initiated the charge this time. He shot forward like a coiled spring, closing in on Leo in a mere instant. Zeke's final goal was not trying to land a punch but to grab Leo. If he were to manage to get a good hold on his opponent just once, he was confident that the fight would be over.

Leo’s footwork was impressive as always as he danced and weaved. He never gave up on a chance to use the rapier either during Zeke’s aggressive charge. Zeke deflected what strikes he could with his gauntlets during the wild chase. The others, he simply endured. Finally, Leo’s luck ran out as Zeke managed to land a lightning-fast kick to the boy's stomach.

He was catapulted backward and rolled across the floor before managing to right his position. He used the rest of the momentum to get back on his feet. Before Leo could even begin to get his bearings, his opponent was already upon him. Zeke made for a terrifying sight. He was bleeding freely from countless cuts all across his body. Despite the numerous injuries, there was a wild, manic smile on his face. His body also moved as if uninjured as he jumped at Leo with his arms outstretched. He lept at his opponent in an open-armed tackle.

Leo’s eyes opened wide. He managed to throw himself on the ground and roll out of the way. Any semblance of grace was missing as he hurriedly got back on his feet. Zeke was already charging again. He seemed to know no exhaustion as he charged again and again. On several occasions, Leo only managed to evade by a hair’s breadth. He still managed to inflict wounds on his opponent every now and then. Still, Zeke’s ferocious charge had forced him on the defensive.

Zeke didn’t slow down once. He knew that the moment he allowed his body to rest, he would not be getting up again. The fire in his eyes only grew brighter as he lept into another attack. He managed to land a solid punch on Leo’s shin. Leo had thrown the kick to create room, but he had severely underestimated how hard Zeke’s fist hit. Zeke could see Leo wince for a moment after putting weight back on the leg.

Zeke started to feel his body slowing down. His [Perfect body Control] told him that he had lost a dangerous amount of blood as well. If he couldn’t close out the fight in the next minute or so, he would simply collapse. However, this didn’t cause Zeke to panic. He had given the fight his all, and if it was not enough then that was that.

With a content smile, Zeke charged again. He carefully observed Leo’s movements. His friend looked a lot more bedraggled now. Leo was breathing heavily and Zeke could tell that he also had trouble swinging his weapon. His armor was dented in several spots where Zeke had managed to land a punch. His newly regrown arm was hanging limp at his side once again. He had sacrificed the limb to block one of Zeke’s kicks. Still, Leo had also not lost a single bit of his fighting spirit. His eyes were blazing with the same determination that Zeke knew that he would find in his own gaze.

The two met for another clash. Leo managed another cut to Zeke’s face. A fresh stream of blood forced Zeke to close one of his eyes. In exchange, he had managed to ram his shoulder into Leo’s chest, sending him flying. Leo got back to his feet with trouble. He was having trouble breathing after taking this last hit.

It was at this moment that Zeke’s legs started shaking. He noticed that he could not muster any strength. After taking one last step, he fell to his knees. Zeke had to catch himself on his hands in order not to fall flat on his face. He was breathing heavily. He felt like the air he managed to inhale didn’t do anything to counter the intense stinging in his sides and chest. Zeke could finally feel the pain all over his body. His heart was hammering. He felt so heavy and weak. All he wanted to do was to collapse forward and surrender to the sweet promise of unconsciousness.

It took a supreme effort of will for Zeke to stay kneeling. No matter how much air passed through his lungs, he seemed unable to catch his breath.

“Do you surrender?” Leo asked from several steps away. Zeke merely chuckled in response. The sound quickly turned into a raspy cough as he struggled to breathe.

“Are you afraid?” Zeke asked in a hoarse voice. It was Leo’s time to chuckle.

“Hardly,” he responded, “what are you going to do? Fall on me?”

Zeke managed a weak smile. Leo was right, what could he even do? Despite his words, Leo approached warily. He might be in better condition than Zeke, but he was by no means uninjured. After a while, he managed to lift the sword enough to attack.

“Good fight,” Leo said as he thrust his sword at Zeke’s throat. He had no intention of actually going through with the attack, but he didn’t even get the chance as something intercepted the blade. Leo looked down in shock, only to find that he had pierced right through Zeke’s outstretched hand. He was too shocked to even react as Zeke’s fingers closed around the blade. With a strength much greater than Leo had experienced before, Zeke ripped the blade out of Leo’s hands. He had no chance to even fight back. The force was so immense that Leo was dragged along and stumbled forward.

Panic set in as he felt a muscular arm loop around his neck. He couldn’t move at all. Zeke’s grip felt like it was cast of iron. With all his remaining strength he punched at Zeke, trying to break his hold, without any success. It felt like Zeke had been replaced by a statue. Leo struggled for air. He wouldn’t last for much longer. In his panic, he looked up and met Zeke’s eyes. His struggle seized immediately.

Leo’s body went rigid as his gaze was met by burning eyes of gold and fire. A slitted pupil was looking at him as if he was nothing but a worthless bug to be trampled over. The feeling was so strong that Leo didn’t even dare to resist. He felt like he would be squashed the moment he dared.

It was mere seconds later that Leo finally lost consciousness. Zeke released his grip and lowered his friend to the ground. Mustering all the strength he could, he managed to raise a single arm above his head.

There was absolute silence in the arena. Then, like a dam that broke, an onslaught of cheers flooded the Colosseum. The entire crowd was on their feet.

“BLOOD DRAGON! BLOOD DRAGON! BLOOD DRAGON!”

Zeke could feel his own heart swelling at the applause. A bit of strength returned to his limbs, and he managed to slowly get back to his feet. Zeke couldn’t hold back as he screamed his elation at the heavens. The crowd went even wilder upon hearing him roar.

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WE HAVE A VICTOR!” was the last thing Zeke heard before he also collapsed backward.