The day dragged on with endless battles, each warrior becoming stronger than the last. As the weaker warriors were eliminated, the stronger ones emerged, their power growing with each victory. I knew that if this continued, I would eventually succumb to my wounds or bleed to death.

I searched desperately for an exit, but the magical barrier surrounding the tournament grounds prevented me from leaving. I was trapped here with the other warriors until the war was over. The spectators and warriors knew that I was a wanted man, yet they continued to cheer and fight.

The spell could not be broken until the tournament was over. If it had been, it would have only been a matter of time before the soldiers came after me. After my last battle, I collapsed in a corner of the Colosseum, panting and exhausted. I needed rest.

As the voices of the fans grew louder, I turned my head towards them. To my surprise, a few people were chanting my name. Even though I was guilty, they were cheering for me because of my strength. Power has a way of attracting people.

Among the crowd, I spotted a fluffy panda and a girl about my age. They were Babu and Lezlie. As they saw me looking at them, they tried to warn me of something.

At first, I thought they were just cheering me on, but then I realized they were trying to warn me of danger. When they motioned for me to look behind me, I turned around and saw a tall, well-built man with wings flying towards me at great speed. He was of a race I had never seen before.

"This must be a joke," I muttered quietly to myself.

The winged man approached me, swinging his massive mace. I had nowhere to hide or run. My only option was to defend myself and strike back at the opportune moment.

The blow from his mace could have done serious damage, but for some reason, when he got close enough to see my face, he stopped. He stood in front of me, staring at me as if he recognized me. I wasn't sure if he was waiting for me to speak or attack.

Finally, the warrior broke the silence.

"Are you the wanted man?" he asked.

"I am," I replied.

"It took a lot of courage to come here and challenge us, knowing that everyone would be after you," he said. "But I assume you're not that foolish. You're not here for a pardon or a knighthood. I can feel it. I can see it in your eyes."

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"So why am I here?" I asked.

"Because of your destiny," he replied. "No one can escape their destiny. You and I are alike. We are both outcasts, different from the others. You are here because you want to raise awareness and earn respect. Maybe you didn't come to win the tournament, but you want respect as much as I do."

"I thought people liked those of angelic blood," I said.

"We may have wings, but we are not angels," he replied. "We are winged. We have lifespans just like you do. Even though I am of the winged lineage, part of me is of the death lineage. My own kind rejected me because of it. Even though my descendants rejected me, I received good attention from different people here."

I didn't understand how the conversation had turned in this direction, but I could relate to the winged warrior standing before me. He understood me as well.

"You wanted to repay the kindness you received from others," I said. "You wanted to help them because that's who you are. Someone who has the decency not to attack from behind."

"I guess it's true what they say about you," he said. "You really do make a difference, Ryuu."

"Thanks," I said.

"My name is Vanar," he said.

"Nice to meet you, Vanar," I replied. "You're different from the others. You're the only one who didn't attack me from behind."

"If we're going to do honorable business, we'll do it honorably," he said.

I could see the determination in Vanar's eyes. He wanted to become a paladin and win the war fairly, proving himself to the people. I could use this to my advantage and help him at the same time.

"Vanar, you want to win the war, don't you?" I said. "Take it. I don't care. I just want to stay alive until I can get out of here. You help me and I'll help you."

"No, that wouldn't be fair," he replied.

"What I want from you is not to attack together, but to hold a ceasefire until the end of the tournament," I said. "Then I'll surrender and you'll win."

"I want a real battle," he said. "No surrender."

"Fine," I said. "I've been the priority target for half the people here. If you do as I say and leave me for last, you'll have achieved some kind of justice."

"I see what you're trying to do, Ryuu," he said. "But don't worry. It'll be like you said. Our battle will be legendary in the finals. Take this as a gesture of respect."

"I look forward to it," I replied.

I knew that Vanar was powerful. I had watched him during the battles and seen him use the powers of the death lineage. He could shoot poison, become transparent, and even spread a terrible pressure around him, instilling fear in his enemies.

Another reason I knew this was because Lezlie had given me information about the death lineage during our journey to defeat Miron. With this knowledge, I thought it would be foolish to fight Vanar now.

Even if I won a battle against him, I would be exhausted afterwards. It would be better to conserve my energy until the final battle. Then I could face him and finish the tournament without dying.

I wasn't happy thinking about what kind of warriors were waiting for me.