NOVPUB
Chapter 413: 413
The Colosseum roared with life as Yuki stepped into the blood-soaked sands. The stands were packed with thousands of Björn’s followers, their chants rising like a storm. Warriors, clad in mismatched armor and painted with symbols of chaos, circled the arena, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust.
A booming voice echoed through the Colosseum. "Today, the outsider steps into our sacred grounds! Let her prove her worth in the eyes of Björn!"
Olaf sat in his place, watching as Yuki marched into the colosseum. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t as it seemed.
His suspicion stemmed from Finn, who sat calmly on the other side of the colosseum, his gaze also fixed on Yuki. Olaf knew Finn despised Yuki’s way of doing things. For Finn to pass up an opportunity like this—where Yuki’s life could so easily be claimed by anyone—was strange. It was unlike him, and Olaf couldn’t help but feel that something was going on behind the scenes.
Suddenly, Olaf stopped himself mid-thought. Whatever schemes were unfolding beyond his understanding, they didn’t concern him. His position and role within the Björn empire were unshakable.
With that thought in mind, he turned his attention to the beautiful woman beside him. Grabbing her roughly, he tore her upper clothing to shreds, leaving her bare-chested. She didn’t seem to mind; instead, she pressed herself closer to him. Olaf sucked on her breasts, drawing a moan from her lips as his eyes took on the same red glow that seemed to infect everyone in the colosseum.
Madness and insanity had reached their peak. Everyone, even those who had tried to suppress their primal instincts, found themselves overcome by the frenzied atmosphere. Their eyes glowed red, filled with anticipation for the bloodshed they were about to witness.
On the other side of the colosseum, Finn noticed the growing chaos. A bright smile spread across his face, his inhuman form briefly flickering as a single wing sprouted from his back. This was the sight he longed to see—something he believed his people had lost long ago.
Rising from his throne-like seat, Finn roared, "Björn! Björn! Björn!" His chant spread like a plague throughout the colosseum, echoing even in the minds of the kingdom’s residents. Soon, everyone was chanting Björn’s name in unison.
In his kingdom, Björn basked in the pure, intoxicating power of the faith being sent to him. The madness only confirmed that his plan was the right course of action.
Down in the colosseum, Yuki stood at its center, second-guessing her decision to accept this deal.
The chants of Björn’s name filled her ears as she looked around at the sea of red, glowing eyes fixed on her. The scene was hauntingly familiar. It reminded her of the first time she had arrived in the Björn kingdom—how barbaric and repulsive she had found them then.
All the work she had done over the years felt meaningless. Even those who had once been her allies had succumbed to the frenzy.
The worst part was that she, too, could feel herself slipping. The blood-red soil of the colosseum seemed alive, seeping a red mist that made her blood boil with excitement. Her pupils flickered in and out of a deep crimson as she fought to maintain control.
It was at this time that the gates of the colosseum opened up. The roar of the crowd intensified as other opponents stepped into the arena. The air crackled with a palpable bloodlust.
The Björn warriors were in their Inhuman forms displaying their animalistic features: a boar’s tusk jutting from a man’s jaw, feathered wings sprouting from a woman’s back, reptilian scales shimmering beneath pale skin. Their eyes burning with a savage hunger for blood.
The air crackled with raw bloodlust, each opponent emanating an almost suffocating aura of power. The chant of "Björn! Björn! Björn!" reverberated through her bones, the red mist thickening around her like a tangible force.
The wolf-headed warrior charged first, his obsidian claws slicing toward her face with a speed that caught her off guard. She barely managed to twist away, the claws grazing her cheek and leaving three deep, burning cuts. Yuki retaliated with a kick aimed at his knee, but instead of snapping, the joint bent unnaturally, absorbing the blow. His jaws snapped toward her throat, forcing her to wrench herself back, narrowly avoiding death as his teeth clicked inches from her skin.
Before she could recover, the serpentine warrior struck from her flank, his venomous claws slashing toward her ribs. Yuki twisted just in time, but the tips of his claws raked her side, tearing through her leather armor and drawing blood. The venom burned as it seeped into the wound, sending a wave of nausea through her. She stumbled, her vision blurring for a moment, and that was all the opening the bear-armed brute needed.
With a guttural roar, he barreled into her like a freight train, his massive fists hammering down. Yuki barely managed to raise her blade in defense, but the force of the blow sent her skidding across the blood-soaked sand. Her arms screamed in pain, the impact nearly dislocating her shoulders.
The crowd erupted into a frenzy, their cheers and chants blending into a deafening cacophony. Above it all, Finn’s voice rang out like a king commanding his subjects. "Yes! Make her bleed! Make her feel what it means to fight for her life in Björn’s world!"
Yuki staggered to her feet, blood dripping from her side and mouth. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, the red mist seeping into her mind, amplifying the pain and fear. But there was no time to rest. The reptilian warrior came next, his scaled body moving with unnatural agility. He slashed at her, each strike a blur.
Yuki parried the first two attacks but was too slow to block the third. His claws raked her thigh, carving deep gashes that sent her to one knee. The wolf-headed warrior, now recovered, leapt at her with a feral snarl. Desperation overtook her as she drove her blade upward, catching him in the stomach. Blood sprayed onto her face, but he didn’t stop, slamming her into the ground with his full weight.
Yuki’s head smacked against the sand, stars exploding in her vision. The wolf’s jaws clamped down on her shoulder, teeth sinking deep into flesh. She screamed, the sound drowned out by the crowd’s manic roar. Summoning all her strength, she drove her elbow into his throat, forcing him to release her. She rolled out from under him, but her body was already faltering, her movements slower, her breaths heavier.
The others didn’t wait. The bear-armed warrior was on her again, one massive fist slamming into the ground where she had just been. The impact sent a shockwave through the arena, the sand trembling beneath her feet. The serpentine man flanked her, his venomous claws slashing at her once more. She twisted away, but the effort left her open to the scaled warrior, who tackled her from behind, dragging her down into the blood-soaked dirt.
Clawed hands and fanged jaws descended upon her, tearing at her armor, ripping into her flesh. The crowd’s chants became a fevered drumbeat in her skull, driving her closer to the edge of madness.
Somehow, Yuki found a surge of strength. Her demonic side clawed its way to the surface, her pupils flickering red as a guttural growl escaped her lips. She grabbed the scaled warrior by the throat and drove her knee into his face, shattering his snout in a spray of blood and bone. He fell back, howling in agony, but the others closed in.
The bear-armed brute swung a massive fist, and this time Yuki couldn’t dodge. The blow connected with her ribs, the sickening crack of bone echoing through the arena. She hit the ground hard, coughing up blood as the world spun around her.
"Is this it?" Finn’s voice rang out, mocking. "Is this the great Yuki? Is this all she can do?"
The crowd jeered, their bloodlust palpable. The red mist thickened, seeping into her lungs, her veins, her mind. Her vision blurred, and for a moment, she thought she might give in. The soil beneath her hands felt alive, pulsing with the energy of the colosseum, as if it too demanded her submission.
But something deep inside her refused to break. A low growl built in her throat, growing into a roar that matched the frenzy of the crowd. Her pupils burned red, her demonic side fully unleashed. She rose to her feet, blood dripping from her wounds, her body shaking with a mixture of pain and adrenaline.
"You want a fight?" she snarled, her voice distorted, inhuman. "Come and get it."
The Björn warriors hesitated for a moment, sensing the shift in her aura. But the frenzy wouldn’t let them stop. They roared as one, charging her with renewed fury.
Yuki’s roar shook the air, silencing the crowd for a heartbeat before they erupted into an even more frenzied roar. Her crimson pupils glowed like burning coals, and the dark mist swirling around her thickened, taking on the faint outline of writhing, clawed specters. Her wounds stopped bleeding, her muscles tensed with otherworldly power, and the air around her vibrated with an almost unbearable heat.
