The God vs The Monster

Just after the knight briefly announced it, hundreds of hearts dropped in fear.

"FIGHT!"

…

When he raised the incredible weight, Arega instantly aimed it for Yin's head.

And Warbreaker was already up in the air, waiting to do justice to its name. 

He was fast.

"RWAHH!" Arega grunted.

He then swung forward, hoping to crack and break through Yin's skull.

But Yin sensed the incoming blow, dove back, and saved himself, dodging death by just a few breaths away.

Warbreaker slammed onto the ground, shattering and leaving lines of cracks. 

Yin was able to catch a glimpse of a smoky black trail in the air left behind by Warbreaker's speed. 

"What in the hell is that? Why's his weapon all smoky?" Yin thought to himself as his mind crumbled into bafflement. 

But Arega's helmed face still reeked of an ugly grin from inside.

The seven-foot monster struck again, giving no time for Yin to breathe or even blink.

But Yin instinctively held up Destiny to block the attack.

Warbreaker and Destiny clashed.

Surprisingly, Destiny withheld the weight and pressure of Warbreaker.

Immediately, the dark smoke that evaporated around his hammer intensified.

Yin's eyes caught sight of the smoke. 

It seemed like colored air. 

It contained no smell.

Nothing.

…

"Simply dodging and blocking doesn't make you a stronger fighter, Mr. Kong. Fight me! For real!" Arega yelled in pure rage.

He slammed Warbreaker again, aiming for Yin's skull.

But he kept ducking and dodging it.

"That's what I thought! You lousy fucker!" Arega taunted again like a raging bull.

While he continued to keep cursing and laughing at his petty attempts, Yin's eyes scanned for weak points. But his shiny metallic armor nearly covered every inch of his body. 

And then

…

"Oh." Yin exhaled as he caught a sight.

As Arega went ahead for another strike, Yin saw a portion of his rib skin revealing itself through the contortion of the armor plate. 

Yin dove left.

Arega misses him again, just a few inches away.

But he lifted Warbreaker once more.

…

"Gotcha!" Yin exhaled again, this time audible.

Like seizing the opportunity by its neck, Yin drove Destiny right into the partially revealed rib skin.

"AH!" Arega groaned at the pain from the unexpected attack. He was bleeding there. 

Though Destiny only pierced lightly, it hurt enough.

"Ya one of 'em sneaky fuckers, aren't ya?!" Arega was furious.

"I've fought many fuckers like you! All of them are rotting beneath sand and dirt right now!"

Yin didn't bat an ear for his taunts.

He gripped Destiny firmly and threw a slash at his head level.

But it was easy for Arega to predict, so he crouched down, almost taking the cut.

Yin dropped his eyes to look at him.

And Arega waved Warbreaker to Yin's ankles.

And it perfectly hit him.

"AHH!" 

Yin felt the immense pain infecting his veins.

But before his body could fathom any of it, Yin fell down on his face, eating the dust and dirt.

"I feel like an absolute loser for fighting someone like you." Arega spat.

"Here's my pity kill!" 

He raised Warbreaker high into the air, aiming to deliver the deathblow to Yin's skull.

…

Vegas's eyes blurred into dizziness as she witnessed. 

So were the faces of the crowd.

Arega's knights grinned menacingly with their yellow and crooked teeth, knowing that victory was closer to them than the helms they wore. 

…

Vegas's face and body were shaking with nervousness and fright, but she didn't let it affect her for any longer, and she automatically stopped shaking as her hands unconsciously reached behind her.

She unsheathed Juno.

…

Arega inhaled before he went for the smash.

Along with it, "AHHH!" He let out a loud grunt.

And Warbreaker smashed to the ground, cracking and forming dust around the area.

!

…

Arega's attack fell on a flat surface, and there were no visible signs of blood either. 

As the dust cleared.

Yin's calm eyes were staring dead at Arega, just inches away from Warbreaker's smash.

Yin immediately jumped up high while blocking himself with Destiny and landed a fatal kick on Arega's helm. 

With his bare foot.

It hit hard. Harder than Arega expected, as it kicked away his horned helm. 

And what was revealed was the volcanic and enraged face of Arega. He was embarrassed as he scanned the faces of his knights and the prisoners who were tied to the poles.

He was deeply embarrassed. 

For the first time. 

...

He then turned his face to Yin, who stood firmly in front of him, unbled and untouched.

"First you dodge, then you disrespect?" Arega's voice lowered in tone, almost casual.

Erik, who was standing among the crowd, froze at the change in tone.

He knew what it meant.

If anything, he bore the scars given by that monster.

Erik knew that he was the only person who was still left alive, even though he had been touched by Arega. 

…

"It's not my fault that your previous opponents weren't strong enough." Yin said it almost mockingly, but boldly and confidently.

It fueled the volcano even more.

And at any given moment, it would erupt.

Uncontrollably.

"I have never had the privilege to move around and fight in a battle. It usually ends in a single blow." Arega's baritone voice sounded like two rocks rubbing against each other. 

"Such a shame." Yin smiled like a joyous kid. 

"AHH!"

The dark smoke evaporated heavily, leaving air of smog around. 

Arega swung Warbreaker left and right.

And Yin dodged back and forth with aerial acrobatics. 

The jumps were uncalled for, with his arms extended to their sides as he threw Destiny up in the air to distract. 

Whatever he did, he wore a smile like it was necessary clothing. 

However, Arega did not look at it, nor was he distracted by his flashy and twisted acrobatic attempts.

He kept swinging repeatedly so that Yin could not come near him.

But Yin caught sight of an opening on the left-hand side of his body.

Arega was fast and quick for his size, but he never paid attention to the openings or spaces that were created whenever he aggressively attacked. None of Arega's opponents had made it this far into a battle, so he simply never cared about his weaknesses.

Arega continued spinning and swinging Warbreaker in various angles and directions.

Yin smiled and rolled over to the left to deliver another unexpected attack. 

He drew Destiny forward and aimed for Arega's neck.

Destiny was breaths away from Arega's decapitating.

…

Yin's and Arega's eyes clashed. The dark blue and white-black eyes glared at each other.

Yin wore a smile.

But in seconds, Arega's anger turned into a grin.

"This is how you lure a rat." Arega whispered to Yin.

Before Yin could decode the puzzle, Arega clutched Yin's neck with his left hand.

The immense pressure of Arega's grip caused Yin to lose hold of Destiny from his hand.

And she fell to the floor.

Yin's eyes were slightly popping out of pressure, and his skin was turning purple. 

And Arega grinned like a maniac.

"I noticed your filthy style of finding openings to strike. Such disgraceful and pathetic style." He spat on Yin's face. 

"Now let me give you a gift. I call this the Nail to the Coffin!" Arega yelled at Yin's face.

The enigmatic dark smoke intensified.

Then he tossed him in the air with his left hand.

And quickly shifted back his stance by holding Warbreaker with two hands.

He clutched the hammer's grip intensely. 

Yin was afloat.

"SLAM!"

Arega grunted and brutally batted Yin, who was mid-air.

The attack could've internally cracked his skull.

Yin took the attack and fell to the floor, face first.

"That's game done." Arega announced.

…

Vegas, Erik, Lars, Colt, Mathen, and Brody froze completely; their mouths opened wide in fright. 

Vegas dropped Juno, and then her heart dropped.

...

But before he could walk away with the victory, Yin's body moved.

And he turned himself.

Yin's face had blood, as did his nose and forehand.

…

It was the first time Yin had bled since landing on Meilands.

"How am I bleeding?" Yin questioned himself in absolute disbelief.

"I am a God. How can I..."

Yin's heart stopped momentarily. 

…

The real battle was on.