The top of her scythe poked out of my shield mere inches from my nose.

She pushed harder. The crack widened. I elbowed up.

The shield slammed into her.

She stumbled back. I twisted my blade, sending it straight for her ankles. Y/N jumped over it. She looked back.

I winked to her and yanked.

While she was distracted by one blade I sent the other into a platform on the other side of the arena. I could see her face flush in anger.

A beauty.

I quickly checked my arm. A cut but not too deep.

"AAAAH!"

I screamed as she kicked me off the platform.

How did she get here?

I shot my blade and it lodged into the platform. I climbed the chain. Scanning the arena she seemed to have disappeared.

"Oh sweethearrrrt...where are youuu?"

I swung around.

There.

Her E/C eyes met mine just as I smashed into her.

I have to win. Whoever their champion there's no doubt he's ruthless.

I won't let her get hurt by some gladiator wanna be.

I dodged and parried. She went up so I ducked and kicked her legs so she fell.

"My own moves against me?"

She joked but I could hear bitterness there.

I hated it. I hated that she hated me. If only she understood why I did what I did.

She sliced through the air at me. I lodged my blade into a higher platform and leapt over her scythe and her body.

I yanked it down.

I shoved her onto the ground. She fell, heaving. Baby hairs sticking with sweat to her forehead. The gash ,while it was healed, still bleed through her pants.

I walked slowly toward her. Used my blade to lift her chin. I had won.

But my smile vanished.

Her E/C eyes glared up at me. Filled with absolute hatred. Raging anger.

But as I looked closer I could see the pain, disappointment and hurt in her.

The hurt I had placed there. My eyes faltered to the scar across her eyebrow.

The hurt I had placed there...

A blur and a sharp stab of pain.

Crack!

I dumbly lifted my hand to my nose. Broken.

She brought her scythe down. I rolled but it ripped my sleeve off.

She made heavy blows continuously. All I could do was dodge and parry.

W-where'd this energy come from?

I tried to jab at her shoulder but she swiftly moved away from it.

Just as I swung my blades to go on offence she stuffed her hand into her pocket.

I tugged the chain so the blade would fall onto her. She opened her hand and blew.

My vision quite literally became red and blurry.

I can't...see...

I heard the wind move and then something sat in my shoulders. I harshly scratched at the object and found soft thighs.

What?!

Before I could process, Y/N pulled her upper body backwards and tightened her grip on my neck with her thighs.

Any other situation and this would be heaven.

Focus you idiot!

Next thing I felt my body crash into the floor.

My ribs are definitely broken.

I coughed violently. My eyes still blurry from that red dust.

Y/N brought her scythe to my neck.

She smiled and spoke, still searching for more air.

"I...will...never...be hurt...by you...again."

🖤