1. The Semifinal: Strategy Over Strength (Kevin)
The arena was buzzing, the energy electric for the second semifinal: Kevin, The Unseen Edge, vs. Sir Kaelus, The Royal Blade. Sir Kaelus was the reigning Champion—a mountain of heavy armor and technical perfection.
Kevin entered the arena, his posture calm, his gaze sharp and calculating. He knew Kaelus was strong, but predictable.
The match began with a methodical assault from Kaelus, who relied on the sheer momentum of his heavy broadsword and his impregnable armor. Kevin, light and precise, did not engage in a test of strength. He used the Unseen Edge, allowing the heavy blows to whistle past him by mere millimeters, forcing Kaelus to exhaust himself.
Kevin's strategy was simple: Disruption. He moved in patterns that broke Kaelus's technical rhythm. When Kaelus swung horizontally, Kevin would duck under the blade, striking the back of Kaelus's knee joint with the flat of his weapon. When Kaelus lunged, Kevin would sidestep, using the heavy momentum to spin the knight off balance.
After fifteen grueling minutes, Kaelus was breathing heavily, frustrated by the phantom opponent he couldn't hit. Kevin saw the opening: the small, thin gap at the neck where the helmet met the gorget—a fatal vulnerability hidden by speed.
Kevin feigned a retreat, drawing Kaelus into a final, frustrated overhead swing. As the heavy broadsword descended, Kevin slipped inside the swing's arc and delivered two lightning-fast strikes: first, the dull pommel of his blade slammed hard into Kaelus's elbow, disarming him; second, the blade's tip rested precisely in the tiny gap at Kaelus's neck.
Kevin won with surgical precision. He had not drawn blood, but he had demonstrated absolute mastery over his opponent's technique. The crowd was silent, awed by the sheer strategic genius.
The final was set: Kevin vs. Even. The brothers-in-arms, the architects of the Death March, would finally meet in combat.
2. The Buildup: Two Sides of the Same Coin
The day before the final, Kevin visited Even in his quarters. Even was recovering slowly, his body a roadmap of bruises and Riona's venom. He was pacing, his energy too high for his damaged body.
Even looked at Kevin, his eyes a mix of pride and challenge. "You fought like a ghost, Strategist. Clean, fast. You didn't even break a sweat."
Kevin nodded, his voice steady. "You fought like a madman, Even. You won by destroying your body. You rely too much on rage."
Even roared, throwing his hook-blade onto the table. "Rage is what kept me alive in the March! You rely on logic; I rely on will! This fight isn't just for the prize, Kev. It's for the truth. Which one of us is right?"
Kevin walked to the table and picked up the Ghost Hook, turning it over in his hands.
"This isn't about right or wrong, Even. This is about us. For five years, we were one machine—the Edge to see the weakness, the Hook to exploit it. We are brothers, forged in the same hell. Tomorrow, we fight the truest fight. No strategy, no escape plan. Just us. And may the best half of the machine win."
The tension was immense, yet the respect was absolute. They were fighting not for the title, but to determine which ideology—Perfect Control or Untamed Will—was the superior weapon. They promised each other one thing: No quarter given. No restraint shown.
3. The Grand Final: A Dance of Destruction (The Two Reds)
The Colosseum was packed; King Elarion and Prince Alistair watched from the Royal Box. The atmosphere was a fever pitch of anticipation. The crowd loved Kaelus, but they feared the two Bandit Champions who had defeated him.
Kevin and Even stood opposite each other. The referee announced the rules: no killing intent, fight to submission or unconsciousness. Kevin wielded his sharp, thin blade; Even, his massive, curved Ghost Hook.
As they circled, Kevin spoke softly, for Even's ears alone: "No logic, brother. Just instinct."
Even grinned, a terrifying flash of white. "No control, Kev. Just us."
Phase 1: The Initial Clash (Edge vs. Hook)
The fight began with a shocking torrent of speed. Kevin moved first, launching a series of lightning-fast, surgical attacks aimed at disarming Even. But Even had anticipated this. He didn't block; he used the Ghost Hook as a massive, sweeping shield, forcing Kevin to retreat. Even then charged, a raw, terrifying locomotive of muscle and rage. He swung the Hook in wide, unpredictable arcs, forcing Kevin to dive, roll, and use every inch of the arena to avoid being crushed. Even's brute force dominated the early stages, breaking Kevin's defensive rhythm.
Phase 2: The Logic of Pain (The Turning Point)
Even cornered Kevin, forcing him to absorb a glancing blow from the Hook that cracked his ribs. The pain was agonizing, but it cleared Kevin's mind. He realized Even's rage was a pattern. Kevin stopped running. When Even swung the Hook high, Kevin lunged under the arc, burying his shoulder into Even's stomach and delivering a short, brutal punch to the liver—a move learned in the prison's close-quarter fighting pit.
Even gasped, stunned by the cold, precise pain. Kevin followed up, using his blade's hilt to repeatedly strike the muscle mass of Even's thigh, crippling his mobility. The fight shifted: Kevin, using pure strategy, was dismantling the unstoppable engine of the Ghost Hook.
Phase 3: The Final, Primal Effort (The Confession)
The final moments of the fight were a desperate, brutal confession of their unbreakable bond. Both men were exhausted, bleeding, and fighting on pure will.
Even threw his Ghost Hook away, embracing pure, weaponless chaos. He pinned Kevin against the wall and delivered a series of crushing blows to the head and ribs. Kevin's vision swam. He was losing consciousness.
In a last, desperate move, Kevin managed to twist his body, using his blade's hilt to strike a precise nerve cluster in Even's neck. Even staggered back, momentarily paralyzed and dizzy.
They both knew this was the end. They looked at each other—two figures, broken and bloody, two halves of the same scarred soul. With the last of their strength, they charged each other one final time:
Even: Aiming a wild, powerful, closing punch—the Hook's final expression of untamed will.
Kevin: Aiming a lightning-fast, strategic kick to the knee—the Edge's final, disabling logic.
They delivered their final, simultaneous blows. Even's punch connected with Kevin's temple, and Kevin's kick slammed into Even's knee.
The crowd roared, but the sound died instantly as both men, their bodies finally giving out, collapsed backward onto the dusty arena floor at the exact same moment. They lay motionless, utterly unconscious, side-by-side.
4. The Verdict: Champions of the Two Worlds
The arena went silent. The referee rushed in, checking both men. Both were alive, but both were completely knocked out—the ultimate physical stalemate.
The decision was debated fiercely by the King and the Royal Council. Finally, King Elarion stood and announced his verdict, his voice ringing with awe and respect:
"The Grand Samaran Tournament has witnessed a level of skill and will that transcends all honor codes and all rules! No man defeated the other. They are two halves of the same, unbreakable force! Therefore, I declare them both the champions!"
Kevin and Even were both named the Grand Samaran Champions. Their unique, brutal style was instantly legendary. They had not only won the tournament but had rewritten the very definition of victory, proving that the chaos of the Death March could indeed create a force stronger than the stability of the Crown.
The final price was paid: they won the title, securing their legend and their political leverage. Their ultimate war against the Meridian Crown was now just a matter of time.