The tir in Axel's head ticked louder with each passing second. *Ten minutes until one of us dies... or we both do.* The weight of those words clung to him like a noose. This wasn't just a mission; it was a twisted ga. There was no ti for hesitation.
Axel's senses sharpened as the beastly figure of tal Jaw charged toward him. His opponent's movents were fluid yet devastating, his massive sword cutting through the air like a guillotine. Each step of tal Jaw shook the ground beneath him, leaving deep cracks in the stone platform. His heavy breaths sounded like thunder, echoing in the space between them.
The sword in Axel's hand felt heavier than usual. *Stay focused, keep your head in the fight,* he reminded himself. tal Jaw was fast—far too fast for soone of his size. The huffing beast blurred as he vanished from sight, reappearing a re ter away. Axel barely had ti to react as the crimson energy-infused blade of his enemy descended toward him with deadly precision.
*So fast!* Axel raised his own sword, gripping the hilt with both hands as tal Jaw's blade clashed against his. The impact rattled his bones, the force nearly ripping his weapon from his grip. Sparks flew from the point of contact, falling like burning embers, searing the air between them. Axel growled in frustration. *I can barely hold him off!*
Before he could adjust, tal Jaw disappeared again. *Where is he?* Axel's heart pounded in his chest. Every nerve was on edge, every muscle tense. He strained his ears, trying to catch the faintest sound, the smallest clue.
*Left? Right?* His instincts scread at him, and just in ti, he spun around, raising his sword to block. tal Jaw had appeared behind him, swinging with enough force to cleave him in two. Axel caught the blow, but the force sent him flying. He tumbled across the platform, his body bouncing off the hard stone before he finally skidded to a halt.
"Aargh!" Axel groaned, pain radiating through his limbs. His hands throbbed from the impact, trembling under the strain of the blows they had just blocked. *He's strong. Too strong.*
He forced himself to his feet, his vision blurred montarily from the pain. tal Jaw stood still, watching him with a monstrous grin. His eyes glead with amusent, as if Axel's resistance was nothing but a fleeting distraction.
*He thinks I'm weak...*
Axel's breathing steadied as he locked eyes with his opponent. His mind raced through potential strategies, his brain running multiple scenarios on how to turn the tide of battle. *He's not invincible... there's a way to beat him. I just have to find it.*
tal Jaw's laughter rumbled through the arena, a deep, mocking sound. "You are weak!" he bellowed. "Are you even a real candidate? You don't deserve the power you've been given. I'll do you a favor—by carving it from your skull!"
The hulking brute let out a disturbing gurgling sound, a twisted form of amusent.
*He's underestimating ...* Axel's lips twitched into a smile, despite the pain coursing through his body. *I can use that.*
Straightening his posture, Axel glared at his opponent, his voice cold and steady. "I want you to answer a few questions for before I decide how I'll end your miserable life."
tal Jaw chuckled again, clearly amused by Axel's bravado. "Questions? Fine. I'll humor you. Ask away. It'll be fun to see you squirm before I crush you."
Axel raised a finger, keeping his voice asured. "Where are you from?"
The question seed to catch tal Jaw off guard for a mont, but he answered quickly. "Sowhere far beyond your world. A place you wouldn't understand."
"Another world?" Axel pressed. "Are you from a race like the Fatek, or sothing else?"
tal Jaw let out a long growl, the sound reverberating off the stone walls. "Let's just say... it's an alternate world to your own. But I'm done answering that. Two more questions."
Axel absorbed the information carefully, his mind calculating. *So, he's not from here. An alternate world, maybe sothing even the system didn't anticipate.*
"Alright," Axel continued, "how did you find ? As a challenger, I an. Was it the system that brought you here, or did you select a statue of one of the Primordial Gods like I did?"
tal Jaw growled in frustration, his impatience growing. "I don't know what nonsense you're spouting about gods. I was given a test by a strange Grim Reaper—a path to ultimate power. Since then, I've fought my way through caves, monsters, and enemies until I reached you... a pathetic excuse for a boss, really."
Axel nodded slowly, piecing the details together. *So he's been through a similar test. But his wasn't tied to a Primordial God. This is valuable information.*
"Alright, last question," Axel said, his eyes narrowing as his voice dropped to a dangerous tone. "In what way would you like to die?"
The question hung in the air, and for a split second, Axel saw sothing flicker in tal Jaw's eyes—surprise, maybe even fear. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by a snarl.
"I'd prefer a painful death!" tal Jaw sneered. "I thrive on pain."
Axel smiled darkly. "Good. I'll make sure to deliver exactly what you want."
With that, Axel's hand shot into his pocket, pulling out two small pills. He crushed them between his teeth without hesitation. A surge of energy burst through his body, every cell vibrating with newfound power.
[Evolution Pill]
*The price for victory... worth it.*
Light purple and red energy began to swirl around him, crackling and oozing from his skin like a storm about to break. His body surged with power, his muscles expanding, and his senses sharpening to an unimaginable degree. Every sound, every shift in the air beca crystal clear. He could feel the blood pumping through his veins, and he embraced it—the raw, violent energy flowing through him.
"Now! I shall fulfill your wish and usher you to your demise."
***Author's note***
Still hoping for a magic castle, in return mass release. Please support the contest ends next week and I'm still far behind. I need you desperate support
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