Chapter 14: City of Knights (V)

CRASHHH!!!

The gates on the opposite side of the arena exploded open with a burst of dust and smoke.

A large figure stepped through, shirtless and covered in red war paint, his bulging muscles tense like coiled metal.

A massive two-handed axe rested lazily on his shoulder as he cracked his thick neck side to side.

Rufar the Red.

That name alone stirred a wave of excitement in the stands. The entire arena buzzed like a hive struck with fire.

Gray stared ahead, his expression was flat, though the twitch of his jaw betrayed his increasing annoyance.

’Of course, they’d throw a lunatic at me right after a warm-up match…’

Rufar stepped forward with heavy, almost joyful footsteps, grinning so wide his teeth showed through the red paint on his cheeks.

“Well well well…” he chuckled, his voice deep and coated in venomous glee. “They gave me a cute little worm to squish today, huh?!”

Of course, Gray didn’t respond… to be honest… he was a bit lazy to do that. It required a huge effort to do so, especially for such an ugly man.

However, his black eyes started tracking the man’s every movement like a hawk staring down a storm.

“Ohhh~! And look at those eyes!” Rufar laughed louder, slamming the flat of his axe onto the ground with a heavy sound.

“Don’t glare at me like that, little rat. I’ll carve those pretty pupils right out of your skull.”

Gray reached for his rapier, pulling it out slowly.

Fsshhh.

The steel gleamed in the sunlight. But it looked… far too small compared to the monster in front of him.

[Oh, this one’s gonna break you, Gray! I can already feel it! He’s drooling just from looking at your blood vessels~!]

“…Jasmine, shut the fuck u—”

“START!!!”

The announcer shouted.

And everything moved.

CLANG!

The axe came crashing down without hesitation, straight from above, a massive overhead swing aiming to split Gray from shoulder to foot.

Gray leapt back instantly, feeling the wind rush past his nose.

And the moment the axe struck the ground…

BOOOOOM!!!

Dust and chunks of earth flew everywhere, the force so brutal it left a small crater.

Gray’s body twisted in the air, and he landed with a slight skid, only for Rufar to appear in front of him again, almost unnaturally fast for his size.

“Did I say you could breathe yet, boy!?”

CRASH—!

The axe swung from the left this time, making Gray raise his rapier in a block, but the sheer force flung him sideways like a broken toy.

THUD—!!

His back slammed into the wall of the arena, coughing up blood on impact.

“Gh—!”

He fell to his knees, gasping.

“HA! That’s the best ya got?!” Rufar barked out, strolling forward.”You got fancy footwork, sure. But in front of me? You’re just meat.”

Gray tried to rise, but his shoulder screamed from the impact.

[Awww~ You look so pathetic right now, Gray~ It’s kinda cute. You gonna cry soon? Should I pat your head~?]

He spat blood to the side, gripping his rapier tightly.

“No…”

“…Just calculating how to defeat an Elementary level Knight…”

He ducked the next swing, not fast enough to avoid the slice, though. The edge of the axe grazed his ribs…

SLLLKKK!!

And blood sprayed.

“AAHH—!!”

Gray winced hard, staggering back.

His shirt was torn, red pouring down his side.

“Oh, that’s beautiful! YES! That’s the color I want to see!” Rufar giggled at the sight.

[Oh~, that familiar color! YES! THAT’S IT! BLEED MORE!]

And Jasmine somehow continued it.

BANG!

The axe slammed into the ground again as Rufar danced, lifting it back with one hand like it weighed nothing.

“More! Show me more of that pain! BLEED, YOU LITTLE RAT!”

Gray panted heavily. His body was already covered in cuts and bruises. One rib felt cracked.

And his left ankle was slower, twisted during the last dodge.

But during that same time, Gray’s eyes never left Rufar’s figure, carefully analyzing his weird movements.

He watched the pattern he moved…

Rufar always swung from the same foot.

Always reset his stance the same way.

Always laughed when he drew blood.

’…Gosh… he’s really fucking dumb.’

Gray took one step forward, baiting the man.

Rufar took the challenge.

Another wide swing.

And at that moment, Gray ducked, but not back…

Forward.

He rolled under the man’s reach, his fingers grabbing the scattered sand, throwing it straight into Rufar’s eyes mid-spin.

“GRAAARGHH!!”

The giant screamed, stumbling as he blindly slashed.

At that sight, Gray smiled devilishly and used the moment.

CHCK!

He stabbed the rapier into the man’s shoulder joint, twisting it in deep before pulling out with a slash.

SSSSKRRRRT!

A spray of blood.

“YOU FUCKING INSECT!!” Rufar roared again.

Gray rolled again, panting, his ribs throbbing.

’He’s right-handed. Left side’s open when he panics…’

Rufar stormed forward, swinging wildly.

Gray kept weaving, cutting only when he saw an opening.

A thigh… a wrist, and a tendon.

Slowly and precisely.

And of course, the crowd noticed.

The screaming began to shift as the cheer switched from Rufar’s name to Gray’s, along with more gaps and definitely…

More horror at the blood flying from both men now.

Even Jasmine quieted for a moment.

[…Oh. You’re actually… doing well. No Swap. Just pain. Heehee~ Now that’s just hot.]

“Dammit…!”

Gray gritted his teeth as blood ran down the side of his face…

THUMP!

His feet skidded across the blood-slick sand as Rufar lunged again, his massive axe sweeping in a wide arc.

“COME ON, FINGERLING!!” the brute bellowed, red warpaint smudged with his own blood.

“FIGHT BACK! OR JUST DIE LIKE THE WHORE YOU ARE!”

CLAAANG!

The axe barely missed as Gray twisted his body, pivoting low and striking Rufar’s exposed knee with the hilt of his rapier.

A sharp crack echoed as the brute let out a surprised grunt.

“Khh… you little—!”

SLASH!!

A shallow cut opened across Rufar’s forearm as Gray rolled past him, his breaths sharp and hoarse.

One eye was nearly swollen shut, and his side dripped red with every move, but he kept going, calculating, like always.

[That’s it… Keep targeting his weak points… make him… BLEED.]

Jasmine’s voice cooed through his head like honey soaked in poison.

And she would get what she wanted because Gray had finally had enough.

“…Shitmouth, meathead, worm, weakling, fop, brat, rat—” he muttered.

All the insults Rufar had thrown at him from the start.

Every word fueled the flame inside his chest.

Gray’s fingers tightened around his rapier.

“…You just couldn’t shut up, huh?”

Rufar charged again, clearly slowing now, his blood loss making him sluggish. The arrogance was gone from his movements, replaced by desperation.

He raised his axe high, roaring like a beast.

And that was the moment Gray was waiting for.

He stepped into the swing.

CLANG!!

His blade scraped the haft of the axe, redirecting the weight off-center. Rufar stumbled.

Thmp.

Gray kicked him behind the knee.

Rufar dropped.

SPLAT!

Face-first, blood spraying into the sand.

Gray landed on his back and jammed his knee into the brute’s spine, pressing him down hard.

The crowd screamed.

But it wasn’t clear whether it was excitement… or fear.

“Stop squirming,” Gray growled, grabbing Rufar’s right wrist.

Rufar roared and tried to swing again with his left, but Gray’s free hand caught a rock and smacked it into his knuckles, forcing the weapon to clatter away.

The crowd had turned completely breathless.

No one cheered, nor did they move, even the air felt frozen in place, clinging to the tension like a noose.

“…Big mouth,” Gray muttered, crouching down slowly, his voice as cold as steel dragged over stone.

“So many names. So much FUCKING barking…”

He grabbed Rufar’s right arm and yanked it upward.

“Ugh…!”

The man groaned.

Gray gripped the thick fingers, starting with the pinky.

“I bet you’ve never had to pay for your words.”

CRRRAACK!!

“GRAAAAHHHH!!”

The sound was horrible, like snapping a thick chicken bone.

Blood spurted from the broken joint as the finger bent completely backwards at a grotesque angle.

Rufar screamed like an animal.

Gray didn’t flinch.

“Let’s make sure you never forget this lesson.”

He grabbed the next one.

SNAP!!

“AAAAAARRGHH!!!”

The joint dislocated and twisted, the skin stretching unnaturally as Gray jerked it sideways.

CRUNCH.

“NGHHH—! P-PLEASE!!” Rufar sobbed, tears streaking down his dirty, blood-caked face.

But Gray’s grip was unrelenting.

A storm was brewing behind his eyes.

A storm of pure and raw rage…

“You don’t get to beg.”

CRRACK!!

Another digit, this time, the middle finger, shattered.

The sound echoed across the arena like a gunshot, followed by a fresh chorus of pained wails.

[Mmm… yessss~ Tear him apart, piece by piece~♥] Jasmine purred inside his mind, practically moaning.

[This is who you are, Gray… It’s beautiful. Isn’t it~?]

He gritted his teeth, then slowly raised Rufar’s last finger.

The index.

The one the brute had wagged in his face earlier, calling him a “filthy rat.”

“…This one’s special, you wanna know why?” Gray whispered, locking eyes with the sobbing man beneath him.

The sobbing man shook his head frantically, but Gray ignored him, parting his lips open.

“…This one talked too much.”

He bent it backwards slowly.

Deliberately.

Creeeak…

CREEAAAKKK…

The crowd could hear it.

Bone straining, cracking under pressure.

Rufar thrashed, biting into the sand, his legs kicking weakly as his voice broke into guttural, helpless cries.

And then…

SNAAAPP!!!

The finger exploded in a spray of crimson.

Rufar passed out from the pain, his head falling limp against the sand.

Gray stood up at last, breathing heavily, his hands coated in blood, trembling slightly—not from fear… but from satisfaction.

[Ohhh… I’m soaked just watching you~] Jasmine whispered darkly, sounding oddly seductive.

[You’re just like a little devil… A beautiful, blood-stained devil~]

The arena was dead quiet.

Until a single voice cracked through the silence.

“…He crushed his fingers…”

“…Every last one…”

And then another…

“Gray…”

“GRAY!!”

“FINGERCRUSHER!!!”

The crowd screamed the name as if possessed.

“FINGERCRUSHER!!”

“FINGERCRUSHER!!”

“FINGERCRUSHER!!”

To their words, he simply turned, his face blank but for that one twisted smirk tugging at his bloodstained lips.

“It was fun…”

[Wasn’t it?]

Gray nodded slighly.

“No wonder those guys like these gladiators so much…”

“I can understand them.”

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