Chapter 39: Xain Vs Mellow Part 2

"Mellow suddenly has the upper hand now! Is this it? Can Xain find any way to come back from this?!" Quincy announced, his voice rising with excitement as the crowd roared in anticipation.

"Don't give up, Xain! You can still win!" Clara shouted from the stands, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"Come on, Xain, you've fought people stronger than him… there's no way you would lose," Zee whispered to herself, eyes locked onto the fight below. Beside her, Nori's hands clenched into fists, his body tense. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes betrayed his barely contained fury. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to jump down there and kill Mellow for daring to hurt Xain, but he forced himself to stay put—just barely.

Back in the arena, Mellow loomed over Xain, his fist raised high, ready to bring it crashing down. But the moment he swung—

Thump!

Xain's leg snapped up, his foot catching Mellow's fist in midair.

"Huh?" Mellow's eyes widened in shock. Before he could react, Xain shoved him back with a powerful kick, making him stumble a few steps away.

"No way I'm letting that happen!" Mellow growled, regaining his footing as he lunged forward, swinging a vicious kick toward Xain's head.

Xain barely flinched. His right forearm shot up, absorbing the impact without much effort.

"You're not really strong," he remarked flatly. "Just fast—and only when you're running."

Xain wasn't one for taunting his opponents, but for criminals like himself? He made an exception.

Mellow had no time to respond before Xain struck. His fist shot upward, slamming into Mellow's jaw with a brutal uppercut. His head snapped back, his body nearly following—but Xain wasn't done. The instant Mellow reeled from the hit, Xain stepped in and unleashed a relentless flurry of blows.

A punch to the stomach—Mellow gasped, his breath torn from his lungs.

A swift kick to the shin—his leg buckled slightly.

An elbow to the cheek—his head jerked sideways, blood spraying from his split lip.

And finally—Xain pivoted, his leg whipping forward—a crushing kick to the chest!

Mellow's body launched backward, crashing onto the ground and rolling across the stone. But to his credit, he managed to twist mid-roll and land on his feet, albeit barely. Staggering, he clutched his ribs, looking at Xain with a mix of shock and frustration.

"Never mind! Even after those two massive hits earlier, Xain is still standing strong!" Quincy declared as the crowd erupted in cheers. The loudest voices came from Xain's friends, their joy unmistakable at seeing him not only okay—but still dominating the fight.

Back in the fighters' waiting area, Ulrich raised a brow, arms crossed. "Still up after that?" he mused, clearly impressed. "Even I'd be a little dazed after taking two hits like that."

"It's like he just ignored some of those attacks," Calvinel remarked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "That kid's really something."

Even scoffed. "If you think this is impressive, you should've seen the brat when we were fighting demons. This shit is nothing compared to that."

A sudden silence fell over the room.

"...What?" Even blinked, realizing that every fighter in the waiting area had turned to stare at him.

"We… definitely have to talk about that later," Gurion said slowly, his expression mirroring the stunned looks of the others.

Back in the arena, Mellow glared at Xain, rage twisting his bruised face. "You think you can win!? You damn null!" he spat before turning and dashing away, wind magic surging beneath his feet to put distance between them. But it wasn't retreat—it was setup. The very next second, he launched himself forward, using his momentum to drive straight at Xain with blinding speed.

Xain reacted fast, rolling out of the way just as Mellow streaked past him. But Mellow didn't stop. As soon as he landed, he pivoted and widened the gap again before whipping around, his hand slicing through the air—shhk! A razor-sharp blade of wind tore toward Xain.

Xain barely managed to hurl himself aside as the wind cleaved into the street, carving a deep, jagged gash through the stone. Before he could fully regain his footing, Mellow rushed him again. Xain twisted his body at the last moment, feeling the air shift as Mellow's fist brushed just inches past his face.

And again, Mellow didn't stop.

He kept running, circling back and repeating the process—darting in, striking, then pulling away before Xain could counter.

*Is he just going to keep this up forever?* Xain clenched his teeth as he tried to track Mellow's movements. *Crap—I can't hit him like this. And if he keeps this up, he's going to land a hit eventually.*

His eyes flicked toward an alleyway up ahead. Maybe he could force Mellow into another enclosed space—

"Not happening this time!" Mellow snarled. Before Xain could make a move, Mellow flicked his hand outward, sending a wind blade slicing through the air right into Xain's intended path. Xain barely managed to halt his momentum and leap back before it could cut him down.

In that instant, Mellow closed the distance again. Xain had just enough time to raise his arms before—

WHAM!

Mellow's punch crashed into his guard, sending him skidding backward across the stone. He planted his feet, forcing himself to stay upright, but he could already feel the strain in his arms.

"You won't surprise me this time by running away!" Mellow barked, launching forward once more.

It became a brutal, relentless cycle.

Mellow attacked. Xain dodged or blocked. Mellow retreated. Then he attacked again.

Each time, Xain found it harder and harder to react in time. His movements slowed, his breathing grew heavier. The strain of constantly evading and bracing against the blows was wearing on him fast.

"Looks like Mellow has Xain locked down! He can't do anything! Can he escape this situation, or is this finally it?!" Quincy announced, her voice rising with the excitement of the crowd. But even as she spoke, she mulled over a decision. *I should change the arena soon... but the crowd looks super absorbed into the fight. Changing it might take them out of it...* She bit her lip, then nodded to herself. *Okay! I'll keep it the same for another minute!*

Up in the VIP stands, Samwell scoffed, swirling a glass of wine in one hand. "Even with that armor of yours, you're no match for magic," he muttered dismissively. "Even if it's from a bumbling fool like him. As expected."

Meanwhile, Xain's friends grew more anxious by the second.

"I don't know if he can get out of that," Elsa admitted, watching intently.

"There has to be some way, right?" Clara asked desperately.

Elsa shook her head. "I don't think so."

Back in the arena, Xain panted, sweat trickling down his forehead. His arms ached from absorbing so many blows, and his legs felt heavier with every dodge. Across from him, Mellow still looked steady. Definitely tired, but nowhere near as exhausted as Xain.

*He's enhancing his lungs,* Inside his mind, Ercale chuckled. *What are you gonna do, ape? You're gonna lose your first match at this rate.*

"Just give up already! There's nothing you can do!" Mellow taunted, raising his arms for another strike.

Xain took a deep breath.

*Should I use that? Should I use the Hatred?*

His hands twitched at the thought. If he did, he would definitely win. He knew that much. But… something in him recoiled at the idea. He never liked using it— but especially today, he just couldn't bring himself to use it.

*Think, Xain. How am I supposed to win? He's faster than me. I can't catch him like this…*

His mind raced, searching for something—anything. And then—

A memory.

His breath steadied. A thought flickered in his mind.

*Could I do that? Could I be like… her?*

His eyes slid shut for a brief moment as he exhaled deeply. Then, as he opened them again, his entire body changed. His stance relaxed. His shoulders lowered. His breathing became slow. Controlled.

Across from him, Mellow tensed, his instincts warning him that something was different.

The entire coliseum watched in confusion as Xain… loosened his posture. He stood straight, flat-footed, his body no longer coiled for battle. Then—before anyone could react—

Shhk!

Xain grabbed a section of his thieves' garb and tore off part of his sleeve. With deliberate movements, he tied his hair back into an artful bun, securing it in place. And then—

A sultry smile curled on his lips.

Xain leaned forward slightly, tilting his head in a very sensual manner. His finger lifted—slowly, delicately—before curling inward in a beckoning motion.

"Come on~" he purred, his voice smooth as silk and undeniably feminine. "Don't keep me waiting~"

Mellow stopped dead in his tracks. His expression twisted into sheer, utter bewilderment.

"E-Eh? Eh, eh!?" Zee sputtered, flustered and confused all at once.

"I—I have no fuckin' clue what's happenin'," Larkin admitted, looking just as lost.

Nori had a similar reaction—his confusion mirroring Zee's.

And it wasn't just them.

The entire fighters' waiting room had frozen. Every combatant who had been watching the fight with rapt attention now just stared through the window, their faces reflecting the same bafflement as the crowd.

"Wha—what is Xain doing!?" Quincy blurted out, her usual confident commentary completely thrown off.

But amidst all the confusion, one person remained utterly unfazed.

X, watching from the stands, merely nodded. "Is he getting into character?"

Sarandel blinked, glancing at him. "What do you mean by that?"

"You'll see," X replied cryptically, never taking his eyes off the arena.

Mellow shook himself out of his bewilderment. "I don't know what you're playing at here, but it isn't going to work!" he snarled before charging straight at Xain—a massive mistake.

The moment Mellow stepped into range, Xain's posture shifted in an instant. His body, once lax and inviting, moved with deadly precision. As Mellow threw a punch, Xain caught his arm with a sudden, fluid motion, twisting it sharply. With an effortless pivot, he used Mellow's own momentum against him, flipping him over his shoulder and slamming him into the stone with bone-crushing force.

A choked gasp tore from Mellow's throat as the air was violently driven from his lungs. His body spasmed from the impact, his vision swimming. Xain gazed down at him, a playful smirk curling his lips.

"You can't be finished after just one stroke," he purred, his voice dripping with amusement. "You'll never satisfy me like that." A soft giggle escaped him before he suddenly winked. "No, that was just one."

Before Mellow could even process the words, Xain moved. In a single fluid motion, he leaped into the air, twisting his body with breathtaking grace. His form spun like a dancer mid-performance—only instead of a delicate landing, both feet came crashing down onto Mellow's chest. The brutal impact sent a sharp crack through the air as ribs snapped beneath Xain's weight.

"That's two~!" Xain sang teasingly.

Mellow barely managed a choked sound before his body went slack, pain swallowing him whole as he passed out on the spot.

Xain straightened, flicking his bangs as he placed a hand on his hip, striking a dramatic pose. With a triumphant flourish, he raised his other hand high.

"I win~" he declared.

"Xa—Xain wins!" Quincy shouted, snapping out of her own stunned silence.