1. The Aftermath: Price of the Tie
The Colosseum had seen nothing like it. Kevin and Even, the two unconscious champions, were carried out of the arena on stretchers, side-by-side, just as they had fallen. They had won the title, but their victory was a testament to mutual annihilation.
The recovery was grueling. Even, whose body was already ravaged by the poison from the semifinal and the brutal beating from Kevin, took the worst of it. He had multiple cracked ribs, a severely damaged knee, and a concussion. Kevin was mostly concussed and bruised, his injuries cleaner but still debilitating.
During their recovery period, the political and public fallout was massive:
Public Opinion: The citizens of Samara were divided. Half feared the 'Bandit Champions' for their savage brutality, particularly Even's unchecked rage. The other half revered them for their unbreakable will and their willingness to challenge the establishment's perfect Kaelus.
Royal Obligations: King Elarion honored the bargain without hesitation. He publicly declared them joint champions, solidifying their legend. He also upheld the financial terms: Kevin immediately transferred the agreed-upon half a million gold coins of their own money into the Samaran economy, upholding the 'Wager of Gold.'
The Wager of Loyalty: They had sworn the oath: to aid Samara against the Surat Kingdom if needed. This promise was now a matter of public record, binding their freedom to a future political conflict.
2. The King's Final Warning and the Surat Shadow
A week into their recovery, King Elarion granted them a final, private audience. Even was still heavily bandaged, and Kevin was leaning on a cane—a testament to the ferocity of their tie.
"You won your prize," the King stated, his voice flat. "And you have become a legend. But legends attract attention, not just admiration."
The King placed a small, heavily sealed scroll on the table.
"This is a direct military intercept. The Surat Kingdom has replaced General Kray. They have sent their new Commander, a ruthless man named Jaran, to the border. He is not mobilizing a full army. He is mobilizing a Shadow Hunt. They believe your team is a mercenary asset of Samara, and they intend to eliminate you quietly, on foreign soil."
The King's warning was clear: Surat wasn't waiting for a war; they were sending assassins. The Freedom Fighters, now notorious and rich, were their prime target.
"You have fulfilled our contract," Elarion concluded. "You have your gold, and you have your freedom. Leave Samara immediately. If you stay, Surat will attack, and I cannot risk war for two bandits."
Kevin took the scroll. The Unseen Edge immediately recognized the gravity of the threat. Surat wasn't interested in simple robbery; they were interested in revenge and eliminating a future strategic problem.
3. The Great Escape Plan (The Reverse Death March)
Even, whose rage was always his strategy, wanted to stay and fight the Shadow Hunt. "Let them come! We'll carve a path through them and send their heads back to their King!"
"No," Kevin said, shaking his head slowly. "We don't waste our resources on their revenge. We have the gold, and we have the goal. The ultimate goal is Meridian. We leave quietly, using the Thirteen Million to disappear."
Kevin, despite his injuries, spent the next two days crafting the ultimate escape plan, using the detailed maps provided by the King. They couldn't take the main roads, and the jungle was too slow given Even's injuries.
The Strategy:
Dispersal: They would use their three loyal veterans to create false trails heading towards different borders, drawing the initial attention of Surat's trackers.
The Gold Line: They would use the vast majority of their gold to bribe a network of river captains and mountain guides—people who worked outside the law and were loyal only to wealth.
The Hidden Path: Kevin charted a dangerous, little-used route that ran through the central mountains and into a desolate, smaller neutral kingdom—a route that would take them far from both Samara's and Surat's surveillance.
"We have to move like ghosts," Kevin told Even. "Fast, silent, and without leaving a single clean trail. It's the Death March, in reverse."
4. The Final Farewell (The Emotional Cost)
The night before their departure, Even looked out over the massive, twinkling lights of the Samaran capital—the city of "joy" that had almost killed him.
"You were right, Kev," Even mumbled, his voice rough. "That happiness... it's not for us. We tried to touch it, and it nearly broke us. We belong back in the dark."
Kevin simply nodded. They had proven they could win against the best, but the price of engaging with the civilized world was too high. They were creatures of the dark, and they needed to return there to execute their plan.
The next morning, the small, five-man group slipped out of the Samaran capital. They were no longer the notorious 'Bandit Champions,' but five nondescript travelers carrying unimaginable wealth and a world-changing plan. The Surat Shadow Hunt was already close, but the Freedom Fighters were determined to disappear entirely, preparing for the one true fight that mattered: the eventual return to the Meridian Crown.