The air still lingered with smoke and energy from the previous match. The clash between Sohan and Hridoy had left a deep impression, but the Hero Exam had no time to pause for anyone.
As the next matchup was announced, a murmur swept across the crowd.
— "Rajib? As in our Rajib?" Rakib blinked in surprise.
— "Snake... I've heard of him," Tisha muttered, her tone tightening. "He uses poison. They say he paralyzed ten examinees during last year's unofficial test."
A bell echoed through the air.
From one side of the arena, Rajib stepped in with calm, measured strides. His eyes sharp, a single dagger spinning lightly in his right hand. In the other hand, two throwing knives twirled silently between his fingers. No fear, no nervousness—just focus.
From the other side came Snake.
His face was mostly obscured by a dark mask, and a faint green vapor swirled around him, like a mist of toxic air. His very presence felt venomous.
He stopped several meters away from Rajib and tilted his head.
"You throw knives? That's cute," Snake said, voice low and smooth like a serpent's hiss. "But poison can't be cut."
Rajib didn't answer. He raised one of his daggers slightly in response.
The crowd fell silent.
The two combatants locked eyes.
Then—
"Begin!"
Snake lunged without hesitation. His speed was uncanny—unnatural. He glided over the ground like a living shadow.
Rajib reacted instantly, hurling one of his daggers straight toward Snake's chest.
Snake ducked, but the blade grazed his shoulder, slicing open the fabric and skin.
Still, he didn't stop.
He rolled to the side and twisted mid-air, landing just inches from Rajib, slashing with a pair of curved, green-tinged knives.
Rajib leapt back, dodging the first strike.
Snake laughed.
"Your dagger may cut," he said, "but my blood will burn through the earth."
From the shallow wound on his shoulder, drops of dark blood splashed onto the ground—and the earth hissed in response, small wisps of smoke rising as it sizzled.
Tisha gasped from the observation seats. "That's acidic blood. He's a living weapon."
Rajib didn't flinch.
He closed one eye and breathed slowly, raising his arm.
Suddenly, from his coat, seven throwing knives launched into the air, forming a deadly ring above the battlefield.
Snake paused for just a moment, surprised.
Rajib's voice was calm.
"Blade Rain."
The knives dropped like arrows, each aimed with surgical precision.
Snake twisted away, flipping backward as blades whistled past. But they weren't meant to strike.
They formed a perimeter, surrounding Snake like a cage.
"You're trying to trap me?" Snake growled, twirling his poisoned blade.
He countered by flicking two venomous needles toward Rajib. One struck Rajib's shoulder—his arm spasmed slightly.
Snake smirked.
"Just a graze, but give it five minutes. You'll lose control of that arm."
Rajib didn't respond immediately. He adjusted his stance, switching his grip to his left hand.
"I don't need both hands to finish this."
He dashed forward.
His movements were precise, silent. A flick of his left wrist—and a dagger carved across Snake's arm.
Blood dripped—but this time, the earth didn't sizzle.
Snake's eyes widened. "What...?"
Rajib smiled faintly.
"This dagger is coated in an anti-venom seal. One I developed for enemies like you."
Snake took a step back, finally realizing he was caught.
And the worst part—he hadn't even seen it coming.
Rajib raised his hand.
The daggers hovering above suddenly reoriented, all locking in on Snake from different angles.
"I didn't throw them randomly. I mapped your escape routes," Rajib murmured.
"Wait—" Snake tried to move, but the knives had closed in.
Boom.
The sound of blades landing—sharp, clean.
They didn't impale.
They cut precisely at Snake's joints and pressure points, disabling his movement but sparing his life.
Snake collapsed to the ground, unable to move his limbs. His body trembled, not from pain—but from frustration.
The bell rang.
"Winner: Rajib — Dagger Man."
---
In the viewing area, the others stood in stunned silence before clapping.
Tisha smiled softly. "He doesn't just throw blades. He thinks three steps ahead."
Rakib nodded slowly. "That's why he's one of our cornerstones."
Sohan remained still, watching from the shadows. His lips barely moved as he whispered to himself—
"Rajib... you're terrifying."
---
[End of Chapter 10]