The day of the second match arrived.
"Fuuu..."
I woke up early and started doing some warm-up exercises to prepare myself and get my body going.
I stretched my arms, legs, twisted my torso, did light squats—anything to shake off the stiffness from sleep and get the blood flowing.
Then after that...
Tap—
"Yo, kid! Good luck today!"
"Are you good to go?"
I stepped out of my room and joined Brock and the others for breakfast.
"Good luck to us both."
Jin was already there, sitting relaxed, even though he was fighting today just like me. He looked calm, like it was just another normal day.
"Yeah, let's celebrate after our fight."
I told him, a small smile forming on my face.
The four of us then started eating casually, chatting and laughing lightly, as if today wasn't a big deal at all.
Then a few minutes after we finished eating...
"Gladiator Kaiser and Jin, it's time!"
A guard appeared, stopping in front of the metal-bar gate.
And hearing that—
"We'll get going then, guys."
"See you later, misters."
Jin and I said that to Brock and Khan with a nod before walking up toward the guard.
Tap- tap- tap—
On our way out...
"We'll be watching!"
"Don't embarrass yourselves out there, you two!"
We heard Khan and Brock shout behind us, their voices full of energy.
"Meh."
Jin just waved his hand lazily, not even bothering to look back.
"..."
As for me... I didn't know what to say.
So—
Tap- tap- tap—
I just stayed silent and kept walking.
And with that...
CREAK—
T A P—
Jin and I stepped out of our cell.
*****
A few minutes later...
"Hmm..."
I found myself back in the same waiting room I was in before my first match. The only difference now was that I wasn't alone—Jin was in the room with me.
"You nervous?"
Jin asked, glancing over at me.
"..."
I turned to him with a blank face.
My mind recalled who my opponent was—the fat bastard.
And after remembering what he did, the disgust I felt for him—
"Nah."
I simply replied with a shrug.
"Wow, it's only your second fight and you're already that composed, huh."
Jin said in his usual flat tone.
I could tell he was genuinely surprised, though. He's just not that expressive sometimes.
"Well, guess I'm special."
I said, casually.
And hearing that—
"Yeah, something's definitely wrong in your head."
Jin immediately shot back, dead serious.
"..."
I just went silent after that.
"By the way, nice getup."
Jin suddenly spoke again, eyeing my short sword and buckler, then glancing over the brown shirt and black pants that I was wearing.
"But what's that on your back?"
His eyes landed on the javelin strapped across it.
"Hm?"
I glanced over my shoulder at it.
Then, with a small smirk on my face—
"It's my surprise weapon."
I declared smugly.
"...?"
Jin tilted his head, giving me a weirded-out look.
"That's a weak-ass looking spear, not gonna lie. It's not even a surprise if it's just hanging there in the open."
He said it like I was stupid.
I opened my mouth again, ready to explain—
But then—
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT'S TIME FOR OUR WEEKLY GLADIATOR MATCHES!!!"
A familiar loud voice suddenly echoed from outside.
Fwish—
My head immediately turned to the metal door that led to the open arena. Jin's eyes followed right after.
'It's that same announcer.'
And just as I thought that...
"WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET US START THE SHOW!!!"
"WHOOOOOOAAAAA—!!!"
"YEEEEAAAHHH!!!!"
The announcer's voice boomed again, riling up the crowd.
"LET'S START WITH OUR FIRST FIGHTER OF THIS EVENT!!!"
He exclaimed, the excitement in his voice rising.
"THIS IS JUST HIS SECOND MATCH!!!"
"AND HIS FIRST MATCH? BARELY A WEEK HAS PASSED SINCE THEN!"
And after hearing that—
Fwish!
"..."
I immediately stood up from my seat. I just know he was talking about me.
And realizing that too—
"Good luck out there."
Jin said from behind me.
"Thanks."
I simply replied.
Tap- tap- tap—
I started walking toward the metal door.
"HE IS THE YOUNGEST GLADIATOR IN THIS COLISEUM, MAYBE EVEN IN THE WHOLE EMPIRE AND CONTINENT!"
The announcer kept going, hyping up the crowd.
And then—
"EVERYONE, PLEASE WELCOME—A BOY WHO'S ONLY SIXTEEN YEARS OLD, FIGHTING TO SURVIVE THIS PLACE—KAIIIIISER!!!"
He shouted my name.
CREAK—!
BAM!
The metal door in front of me violently opened, letting in the blinding sunlight from outside.
Fwish—
A gust of wind brushed against my face.
And along with it—
"YEAAHHH!!!"
"IT'S THAT CRAZY KID FROM THE LAST EVENT!!!"
"SHOW US WHAT YOU GOT, KID!!!"
"ARE YOU ELBOWS FINE?!!"
—the deafening cheers of the crowd hit me like a wave.
"..."
I stood still for a moment, squinting my eyes at the sudden brightness.
The roaring noise, the stamping feet, the shouting voices—it was all the same as before.
But this time...
"These guys are noisy as fuck "
It didn't shake me.
Tap—
Tap—
Tap—
I calmly stepped out into the open arena.
The ground beneath me was the same dry, cracked dirt as last time.
Above me, the sun blazed mercilessly, like it wanted to burn everything down.
All around me, the stands were packed full of people hungry for blood and violence.
And right across the arena—through the bars of a similar metallic door.
Fwish—
I spotted my opponent. His face is the only thing I can see.
The fat bastard.
He stood there, breathing heavily even when he wasn't moving yet. An ugly sneer was plastered on his sweaty face.
He noticed me staring at him through the bars, and as a response—he raised his hands.
And in his hands—
He was holding a giant mace almost as big as his torso. He was smirking too as he showed me that.
'That thing looks heavy as hell... Just like its user.'
I thought to myself.
Then—
"AND HIS OPPONENT—A VETERAN GLADIATOR WHO HAD FOUGHT AND WON SIX TIMES NOW!!!"
The announcer's voice boomed again.
"EVERYONE, MAKE SOME NOISE FOR—BARNUUUUUS!!!"
"UWOOOOOOOOHHHH!!!"
The crowd went wild again upon the introduction of my opponent.
BAM!
The metal door across the arena swung open loudly.
And from it—
TAP—
Barnus stepped forward heavily, revealing himself to the crowd.
FWISH— FWISH— FWISH—
"KAHAHAHAHAHA—!!!"
"BARNUS!!!"
"SMASH THAT KID TO PIECES!!!"
"GIVE US ANOTHER BRUTAL FIGHT!!"
I watched as that fat bastard raised his mace and waved it around to hype them up, basking in their attention like some kind of disgusting clown.
'...Gross.'
I couldn't help but grimace a little.
Then—
BANG!
A loud drum beat echoed through the coliseum.
That was the signal.
The match was starting soon.
FWIP—
I immediately shifted my stance, raising my short sword with my right hand.
My left forearm, protected by the buckler, raised up slightly in front of me.
Clench—
I tightened my grip on my sword.
"Huuuuuu..."
I took a deep breath, centering myself.
No hesitation. No fear.
The real fight is about to begin.
And just seconds after...
"ENOUGH WITH THE WAITING—LET THE FIGHT BEGIN!"
The announcer declared that.