The big, fat Gatrus looked as if he could barely stand. His right knee buckled, and he dropped to one knee with a thud. Sikse, the Mountain Dweller, raised his hands triumphantly and saluted the crowd, accepting their cheers. He never expected the seemingly dim-witted fat man's eyes to flash with cunning as he swung his cleaver down at Sikse's left foot!
Sikse dodged in a hurry, but not quickly enough. A stream of bright red blood ran down his left calf, staining half of it red.
"Damn, that fat guy played dirty." Little Fatty was astonished. "Aren't gladiators supposed to fight fair and square?"
"Gladiators value their lives. They're professional killers, and they'll use any effective means to kill their opponents. This is child's play. Sikse isn't new to the business; getting caught like that just means he was careless," Kirk replied with a laugh. He certainly enjoyed a thrilling, head-on fight, but in a thirty-man gauntlet, the risks were enormous. If he could use a cheap trick to hurt an opponent and make things easier, he wouldn't hesitate either.
Furious, Sikse roared and charged. The big, fat Gatrus gave as good as he got, shielding his Vital Parts with his shield as he counterattacked. Taking advantage of Sikse's Attack Stiffening, he hacked off one of Sikse's hands. As his opponent screamed, Gatrus stepped into the center and unleashed a mighty Spinning Slash!
A spray of blood burst from Sikse's chest. He had taken a heavy blow! He soared through the air and crashed hard onto the sandy ground, where yellow dust filled the air. Blood and sand mingled together!
Gatrus roared triumphantly.
Bartitas and Dochet exchanged a smile but made no comment.
Kirk watched closely. That sly old fox really knew how to plan ahead. But then again,