Chapter 7: Absolute Dominance

The entire colosseum was filled with inexplicable silence and anticipation. Tension so thick one could cut it with a knife.

Everyone's eyes were transfixed on the two fighters on the stage. On one end was the champion on a winning streak, the one everyone thought would be the obvious winner of the entire challenge—well, almost everyone.

On the other end, though, was a bizarre sight that seemed to have no place on the stage meant for warriors. Donning a disheveled, nearly oversized jacket, and shorts, the... boy... couldn't be said to be an ideal opponent to the tall man who stood a distance from him.

He was a kid!

No, maybe he wasn't, but his appearance certainly told everyone he was one. This lad, Theo, had just said something absolutely insulting and condescending that caused everyone in the room to gasp and fall silent, looking at the one who was just verbally assaulted to see his response.

The weak-looming kid, having a defiant expression and a rogueish charm plastered on his face had just called the Tall Serpent... weak!

"What did you just say, brat?"

Sure, it sounded like the immature prattling of a child who knew nothing, but warriors weren't known for their nice and understanding personalities, especially when their egos had been bruised.

Even though Zeke Larnard was far from being weak, it was an insult to the countless battles he fought, the title he donned, and the pride he felt as a man.

'He said he's not a kid, right?' The warrior's mind rang murderously.

Cracking the bones that held up his neck as well as his knuckles, the Tall Serpent began approaching the cheeky boy who didn't know his place.

"Then, I suppose we'll just have to find out, won't we? Just how 'weak' I am."

This statement caused the brat, Theo, to smile ruefully.

He rolled his eyes, gave a light shrug, and then raised both his hands as though expecting a hug.

"Give it your best shot."

"HAAAAAAA?!!"

The audience simultaneously sounded in shock.

This was indeed too much! Even if the Tall Serpent won, there would be no honor to gain, no pride to restore. This kid was absolutely repulsive.

Why was he in such a place meant for only the most seasoned warriors... and why did the guards let him in the first place?

"That's it!"

Breaking the stifling atmosphere with his growling words, the Tall Serpent quickened his pace and neared the brat at a frightening speed.

>WHOOOOOSHHH<

Everything else became a blur as the man became a few inches apart from his target in no time, already brandishing his tightly clenched fist.

His tensed muscles sought relief, and he was going to pound everything into the brat before him.

Theo, he was called. He did say he was not a child, didn't he? As far as Zeke was concerned, that gave him no liability. As a warrior participating in such a match, death was nothing strange. In fact, there was no penalty for killing another challenger. Even then, the entire gladiator ring was chock-full of contestants.

That was how incredible the reward—an Object Of Power, was.

'If I kill him now... there's nothing wrong with that!'

Looking at the unfazed expression of Theo, even as he drew nearer and brought the devastating fist closer, Zeke Larnard was a bit unhinged.

Thoughts like; 'Why isn't he moving' or 'What kind of death wish does this kid have?' rang in his head.

Still, he had come too far to back off now. Wondering whether the kid was indeed confident or just foolish, maybe both, the Tall Serpent launched his bare fist that could dent even hardened metal and shatter rock easily.

This strike would most likely crush the boy's bones and grind them to dust.

>VWOOOOMMM!<

The arms went, and then >BAM!< the impact connected.

>BOOM!<

The audience certainly felt the vibration caused by the Tall Serpent's impact and widened their eyes in shock. Dist picked up and the wind howled, swirling across the stage in response to the clash of two people.

The blow was faster than most of the warriors could see, but a few had. They followed each motion and saw it cleanly hit the young challenger's head, certain his skull would be broken like fine glass.

However...

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"T-That is...!!!"

"W-what—?!"

"N-no way..."

The sight they witnessed changed their view entirely.

The aftermath of the clash didn't end with Theo on the ground, his skull pieces probing out of his head, or splatters of blood across the arena floor. No, it was the opposite actually.

This caused the whole spectators to go into a frenzied commotion as they wondered what the heck had just happened.

"You... actually... withstood that?" Zeke Larnard, the Tall Serpent managed to croak as he also witnessed what should have been impossible.

He ignored the noise of the crowd around him and stared right in front, astonishment clearly written all over his face.

Taking a few steps backward in recoil to his fist meeting a more sturdy object and also the shock he was now feeling.

His target, the little kid that would barely pass as thirteen years, was completely unharmed and unfazed by his destructive blow.

 

"Hmm, you held back at the last minute, uh? Why? Well, it wouldn't have made much of a difference, anyway." Theo casually muttered.

He had patiently waited for the man to unleash his attack, and what a letdown it was. He knew the Tall Serpent was disappointingly weak, but now that he had experienced how much so he was, Theo was even more irritated.

"I told you already... you're weak. This is a waste of time..."

Zeke was beyond startled. Sure, he had stopped his hand at the last minute so he wouldn't kill Theo, but only injure him greatly, maybe cause a concussion, but there were still supposed to be some signs of blood or pain from the target.

Not only did he get pushed back from recoil, but Theo also didn't even appear to take any damage.

"Your time is up. You got your chance." Theo sighed.

He drooped his hands and gave a sharp stare at Zeke's flustered expression.

"It's my turn now."

Never in a million years had Zeke ever imagined that he would be this shaken by the threats made by a child.

No, he had to stop thinking like that. For him to have tanked his attack, it proved that this brat was truly no longer a kid, but a fully-fledged warrior.

If that was the case, full attention was required. He had to get into stance quickly!

Fumbling for a moment in his footwork, the Tall Giant tried to regain composure and keep his eyes on the enemy. Even though he held back, a clean strike to the head would disorient even the most seasoned warriors. If Theo truly felt nothing, that meant he had no choice.

'I have to use it... another of my Ultimate moves.'

Zeke's stance was nearly done. Once he had a firm footing on the ground, he would unleash hell on Theo.

'He's not a kid! He is a warrior! I have to use it... I have to use—'

Unfortunately for Zeke Larnard, the boy had grown bored of the whole thing and decided to end things.

With a single step, he closed the distance between the both of them and raised one of his hands lightly.

Casually drawing it close to Zeke's face, Theo gave his own strike in the form of a hot slap.

The Tall Serpent, same as the entire audience of warriors, couldn't even see the 'child's' movement until it was too late.

>WHAP!<

In an instant, Theo's soft, small hands landed on the warrior's cheeks, sending a loud noise reverberating across the ring. Wind flashed, causing everyone to cringe at the pressure.

 

The neck of the warrior that was hit, before he even realized it, made an entire 360 degrees turn until it faced the front again.

Something snapped from within, and in that single strike... the Tall Serpent met his demise.

'Looks like it's my win.'

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