At that very moment, Diamante hadn't even noticed the pair of eyes fixed on him from the arena floor.
He was too busy stewing in frustration.
It had been over two months since the "Man-Eating Monster" first appeared. Aside from a crude sketch drawn from memory, not a single living soul could provide a real lead—because everyone who'd ever seen the creature ended up as nothing more than a pile of white bones.
Dead beyond saving.
"That damned bastard…" Diamante growled, teeth clenched, veins bulging at his temple. "He was just some nobody, and now he's turned the entire kingdom upside down?!"
His fists tightened around the railing.
"When I find him, I'll tear him apart piece by piece. I'll feed his flesh to the dogs and make him beg to die. I'll make him feel every second of the pain I've suffered because of him!"
His hatred burned deep—black and endless.
The Arena of Blood
"Ha! I'm the mightiest general from the Kingdom of Londo! You insects think you can compete with me for that hundred-million-Berry prize?!"
A towering man—nearly three meters tall and wrapped in heavy armor—bellowed, slamming his sword against his shield. His arrogance shook the stands.
"Tch. Never heard of your backwater kingdom," sneered another contender, a bald, muscle-bound giant gleaming with sweat and steel. "You should've stayed home and nursed from your mama, old man!"
"My bounty's eighty million Berries!" shouted a third—a massive pirate with a hammer the size of his torso. "When this is over, you'll all be paint on my hammerhead! Surrender now, and maybe I'll leave you with your bones intact!"
Even before the fight began, the contestants were already barking, biting—their egos clashing louder than their weapons.
"Annoying," White Flame muttered around his cigarette, voice calm but edged with frost.
"Oi, shorty," the swordsman beside him growled. "What did you just say? You looking to die first?"
Compared to the hulking gladiators around him, White Flame was of ordinary height. Among this crowd, he truly did look small.
"If you think you can kill me," he said, eyes narrowing, "I'll give you the chance. But to me, you're just another insect. A slightly larger one, maybe—but still an insect."
The swordsman's face flushed red. He stepped right up to White Flame, foreheads nearly touching.
"Say that again, you little bastard!"
White Flame exhaled smoke directly into his face.
"Insect."
The man roared and swung his blade down to cleave White Flame in half—
—but he never even saw the kick coming.
"Pathetic speed," White Flame said coldly. "And that strength? You call that killing intent?"
He raised his leg and drove a brutal kick into the swordsman's face.
THUD!
The man flew backward like a ragdoll, crashing over the edge of the ring and plunging into the moat—where a monstrous fighting fish burst from the water, jaws snapping.
The crowd gasped as blood sprayed high into the air.
"Whoa! Before the match even began, one of the contestants fell into the moat and got devoured!"
"Who was that fighter? The one in the black coat—one kick and it was over! Incredible power!"
"To avoid further delay—let the match officially begin!"
DING! DING! DING!
The bells rang, and the crowd erupted in deafening cheers that rolled like thunder through the Colosseum.
"Finally! Time to spill some blood! HAHAHA!"
"Anyone who looked at me funny dies first!"
"The prize money's mine, you worthless trash!"
The arena exploded into chaos.
Dozens of warriors—gladiators, pirates, bounty hunters—charged at one another in a violent storm of steel, muscle, and bloodlust.
One pirate spotted White Flame standing calmly amid the madness.
"Hey, shorty! Don't think you're safe just 'cause you got lucky!" he yelled, swinging a massive spiked flail. "Let's see you block this!"
The iron ball screamed through the air toward White Flame's skull—fast enough to shatter bone.
It never reached him.
White Flame didn't move. He simply raised his hand.
CLANG!
The flail stopped cold—caught between his fingers.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
The pirate's eyes filled with disbelief.
White Flame tightened his grip.
CRACK.
The steel sphere dented inward, his fingers leaving claw-like imprints in solid metal.
Then, with a flick, he yanked the chain—pulling the pirate forward screaming.
"Return to sender," White Flame said softly.
He hurled the weapon back.
SPLAT!
The iron ball smashed into the pirate's head, bursting it like an overripe fruit.
Blood splattered across the arena floor.
White Flame shook off droplets of red from his sleeve, his expression flat.
"A bunch of noisy insects buzzing in my ear," he muttered, eyes sweeping the carnage.
He took a slow drag from his cigarette.
Then his lips curved upward—just slightly.
"Enough noise."
He dropped the cigarette and crushed it under his boot.
"All of you…"
His voice lowered to a whisper—cold and final.
"…die."
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 3 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 20 Power Stones.
Thank you for your support!