Sweat mixed with blood ran down their foreheads, dripping into their eyes with a stinging burn, yet they did not dare blink or even breathe too heavily.
Because the young man across from them was watching.
His eyes were terrifyingly calm, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, as though he were examining three corpses that had long since died.
Shatterbone's heart pounded wildly. He could hear the rush of blood through his veins, the sound growing louder and louder until it nearly drowned out the frenzied roars from the surrounding stands.
He was a powerhouse with forty-seven consecutive victories, a figure feared throughout Slaughter City.
He had smashed the bones of countless opponents with the iron hammer in his hand. Listening to the sound of bones shattering had always given him a sick sense of satisfaction.
But now, his hand was shaking.
The iron hammer that had followed him through hundreds of battles felt as heavy as a mountain.
"Join forces..." Shatterbone forced out the words through clenched teeth, his voice hoarse beyond recognition. "If we don't, we're all going to die."
A crazed gleam flashed in One-Eye's single eye. The spiked mace on his chain swayed faintly in his hand, every spike having once pierced an enemy's body.
"You need to tell me that?" One-Eye gritted his teeth. "This kid isn't human at all... he's a monster!"
Dual-Sworder said nothing, merely adjusting his breathing in silence.
He held a slender sword in each hand. Their blades were thin and light, their tips glinting coldly in the dim light. They were weapons perfectly suited for assassination, and the foundation that had allowed him to survive in Slaughter City until now.
Yet at this moment, the two swords felt heavier than ever before.
Because he knew that what he was about to