The arena was silent, the hum of the Overseer AI the only sound breaking the tension in the air.
Kael stood tall, his posture impeccable. His opponent, barely able to stand, was a mess of sweat, blood, and exhaustion. His clothes were torn, his face etched with pain. But still, despite everything, he refused to fall.
Kael's movements were sharp, every strike landing with precision. His opponent had no chance—each counter, each blow, each dodge, calculated to perfection. The boy was desperate, his body trembling with effort, but his resolve was unyielding.
"Just give up," Kael muttered under his breath, taking another step forward. "It's over."
The boy wiped the blood from his lips, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His strength had nearly been exhausted, but still, his eyes burned with a fierce defiance.
With a roar, he lunged forward again, throwing a punch full of desperation.
Kael side-stepped easily, catching the boy's wrist and twisting it to bring him down to the ground with minimal effort.
"Why do you keep trying?" Kael asked quietly, looking down at the boy's defeated form. "It's over."
But then, something happened.
The boy's body trembled violently, and Kael's eyes widened.
The boy's body jerked—strange, uncontrolled motions that only lasted for a moment before his fists clenched. His body went rigid.
There was something unnatural about it. The boy wasn't giving up, but it wasn't him in control anymore.
Kael took a cautious step back.
"What the—?"
Before Kael could react, the boy's body surged forward again, faster, more fluid than before.
His strikes came quicker, harder, and Kael barely had time to raise his guard.
This wasn't the boy's normal strength.
There was something wrong here.
Each punch, each strike, felt like they had been injected with an unfamiliar power.
The boy moved like a wild animal, unpredictable and with terrifying speed.
Kael had to stretch his own limits just to keep up, his reflexes pushed to the edge.
The boy wasn't acting on instinct anymore.
Something—someone—else was controlling his movements.
Kael narrowly dodged another flurry of strikes, blocking with barely enough time to react.
His own thoughts raced, trying to piece together what was happening.
Was this some sort of last-ditch effort? Or was there something more at play here?
The Overseer AI's voice echoed over the arena, gleeful as ever.
"Oh, looks like things just got interesting, folks! This boy has more fight in him than I thought! Is it desperation? Or is it something else? Let's see!"
Kael's eyes narrowed as the boy's movements became more desperate.
Every strike, every dodge, felt more powerful than before, like the boy's body was fighting a battle within itself.
He was faster, stronger—but it wasn't him. Not completely.
Kael blocked another blow, and for a moment, his guard faltered.
The boy's punch crashed into Kael's ribs, and Kael winced.
The pain was dull, but it was there.
The boy's movements weren't just fast; they were forceful.
"Stop!" Kael shouted, his voice sharp, but the boy's body continued to fight on, its erratic attacks growing wilder.
Something was wrong.
The boy's eyes burned with a strange intensity now, and Kael felt a sudden unease creeping up his spine.
He moved forward, ready to finish this fight.
But just as he did, the boy's body froze again.
His movements jerked, then stilled.
Something dark seemed to flicker across his expression, and for a moment, Kael hesitated.
What was going on?
Was the boy really doing this on his own?