CHAPTER 63: THADDEUS DOUGLAS VS...

Once again, they lunged for each other.

With Quill out of the way, Liam was finding it harder to avoid those precise strikes from Celeste. He wielded the spear as if it were an extension of his body.

Finally, Liam handed a crushing blow to Celeste’s right hand, and the dagger was sent flying out of his hand.

With this massive opening he has created, Liam dived in for the finishing strike.

Celeste was already attacking again, and Liam still dived in recklessly, but brilliantly. He stepped into Celeste’s attack and let the blade graze his shoulder, not deep, but enough to shock Celeste off his rhythm.

Then Liam drove forward again and seized Celeste’s wrist, slamming the spear shaft under Celeste’s jaw and pinning him backwards by sheer strength. The tip of the spear angled up, the sharp iron point hovering an inch beneath Celeste’s throat.

If Liam thrusts upward, Celeste would die.

But Celeste was no amateur.

Even stunned, he twisted his right hand and angled the dagger up beneath Liam’s ribs, right where a werewolf’s diaphragm is weakest.

One push. One inch. Liam’s lung would collapse and it would be too late for anything to be done.

They both froze, and the entire arena went silent.

A spear at Celeste’s throat.

A dagger poised to end Liam’s breath.

What was going to happen next?

Both boys shook with exertion, and neither could move right now, which would kill the other. They were stuck in that position.

The Purest combat statement.

A kill for a kill.

Theodora’s nails dug into her palms, holding her breath as she watched along with everyone else.

"HOLD! Both fighters...yield!" Professor Shaw shouted over the arena, breaking the crackling silence that had settled everywhere.

Neither moved.

Then, Draegor’s voice commanded, "Draw! Both Combatants, Disengage!"

Only then did they release each other. They watched each other slowly as they both pulled back, breathing hard, and their weapons dropped at the same time.

At that moment, the arena erupted again, louder than ever. The sound crashed like thunder, and Theodora breathed out a sigh of extreme relief. It was as if someone had been squeezing her heart all this while, and had finally let go.

The pendant around her neck glowed for a bit.

She didn’t notice.

From where she stood, she watched as the medics arrived and escorted both of them out of the arena.

Liam turned in her direction, flashed her what looked like a smile, and continued forward. She wondered if he was happy with the outcome of the match and if his father had been, at the very least, moved by his son’s intelligence and persistence.

She looked at the Alpha, hoping to see some kind of impressed or soft look in his eyes that displayed his emotions toward this fight, but instead, there was a frown on his face.

But she couldn’t tell whether it was because of the fight or because Commandant Draegor had leaned in and was whispering something to him at the moment.

The next Combatants were called out almost immediately, and the fight commenced. After that powerful and uprising display of Liam and Quill, the first-years seemed to be handling the fights much better than before, even though they were still getting their asses whopped.

The second years were even more aggressive, clearly pained that one of the matches had ended as a draw instead of the usual ’total destruction’ that played out in the previous matches.

Theodora glanced back at the empty seat next to her.

Roman was still not back. He was surely taking his time wherever he went.

"Hey!" She barked at Dax and Collin at the other end of the seats.

They both furrowed their brows at her, "What?"

"Where’s Roman?"

"Did you keep him with us?" Dax scoffed.

"Could you stop being annoying for like five seconds? We could be next, and he’s not back from wherever he went to," She snapped.

"Not our Problem. Roman goes wherever he wants to," Clarke replied.

"Afraid to take on a second-year all by yourself?" Dax asked, letting out a low laugh, "Here’s an early Good luck from me,"

"I don’t even know why I thought asking you guys was a great idea," She murmured, shaking her head in dismay as she sat back down.

The matches continued, with the same outcome every time. She anxiously waited for her name to be called, and at the same time, she prayed it wouldn’t be called - because Roman was still not back.

By Noon, most of the matches had concluded, and there were fewer than five matches left.

"First Year Dax Davis, First Year Clarke Ryder, Vs Second Year, Hezekiah Pendragon,"

Theodora almost burst into laughter.

She hadn’t enjoyed any of the fights so far of second years beating the hell out of the First-years, but this one was a banger!

Dax and Clarke didn’t even last ten seconds and they were already strangled from blows and pain. Professor Shaw quickly announced that they had yielded and their pitiful forms were carried out of the arena.

As Zeke walked back to the sidelines, she watched him closely. It was the first time she was seeing him in actual combat, and he was truly terrifying. That lethal grace he had carried, delivering swift blows and cuts in a matter of moments, before his opponents could even realise he had moved, was damn scary.

As if he could feel her eyes on him, he stopped and turned his head to the side, his eyes glaring.

She quickly snapped her gaze to the skies, whistling away like she hadn’t just been caught.

When it was Aurelius’s turn, he was openly playing with his opponents. He deliberately made them attack, made it look like he was giving them openings, and had them on offence till exhaustion began kicking in.

Before he finished them off.

If Liam were here, he would have been insulting and yelling at the stupid guys for being so...stupid.

Finally, it was time for the last match of the day. Theodora turned to her left and right. The seats were all empty, which meant one thing.

She was next.

And Roman wasn’t back.

She stared at the sidelines for the second years, wondering who hadn’t fought yet. Since they weren’t injured much, most of them were still in their seats.

Professor Shaw stepped into the centre of the arena platform with the same commanding calm he always carried.

"Gravemont Academy," he boomed, "You have witnessed over fifty matches today. Battles of strength, grit, and raw instinct,"

Shaw’s eyes flicked across the waiting corridors, lips curling just slightly, "But now..." he continued, "We arrive at the final bout. The last match of the day. And one I suspect you will remember,"

A low ripple tore through the crowd.

Theo swallowed hard.

"First-Year Roman Barlowe, First-Year Thaddeus Douglas Versus...,"

Who would be the Second-year that would fall by her hands? She couldn’t wait.

"Versus... Second-Year, Eric Pendragon!"

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Next Chapter coming soon.

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