Chapter 58: Ice and Steel

Malakai's eyes locked onto the elf, his mind racing with strategy. He could feel the Mana coursing through his veins, urging him to unleash his icy fury. With a swift motion, he prepared to stab his paws into the ground, summoning the ice spikes that would give him the upper hand.

But before he could even twitch a muscle, two arrows shot towards him like lightning, their tips glinting in the dim light of the arena. Malakai's instincts kicked in, and he twisted his body with a sudden jerk, breaking the Mana gathering and sending his paws swiping wildly through the air.

The crowd held its collective breath as Malakai dodged the arrows by a hair's breadth. One of them grazed his side, leaving a bloody gash that seemed to pulse with a life of its own. The air was heavy with tension, the scent of blood and sweat hanging over the arena like a challenge.