𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀, luke castellan

ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴᴛʏ-ᴏɴᴇ

Son of Poseidon, Face Your Doom.

🧶

The first fight began with a deafening clang, the heavy iron gates of the arena slowly creaking open, revealing the combatants behind them. A wave of anticipation rippled through the crowd, as the scent of blood and sweat began to thicken in the air. The crowd grew silent for a moment, waiting for the first sign of action, the calm before the storm.

From one of the dark, foreboding tunnels that wound beneath the arena, another centaur emerged. His massive hooves thundered against the dirt floor with each step, the rhythm echoing like a drumbeat in the ears of the spectators. His body, half-human and half-horse, rippled with muscle, the wild and untamed power of the creature evident in every movement. His eyes burned with a savage intensity, and his thick mane whipped around as he swung a massive double-headed axe with deadly precision. The blade caught the flickering torchlight, gleaming menacingly, a signal of the brutality to come.

The crowd roared with approval, the cheers of the bloodthirsty spectators reverberating off the stone walls. They knew this fight would be a spectacle—a clash of raw strength and power. But the cheers began to die down, replaced by murmurs of curiosity and doubt as a single human figure emerged from the opposite entrance.

A demigod. Young, too young. They appeared slight against the towering form of the centaur, their celestial bronze sword gleaming in the dim light. Armor adorned their body, but it was ill-fitting, as if hastily crafted or perhaps just too large for the frame it was meant to protect. The crowd could sense the odds were stacked heavily against them. There was no way a lone demigod could stand against the towering force of the centaur.

The demigod hesitated for only a moment, but it was enough to see the fear flicker across their face before they took their first step into the light. The crowd grew restless, the air thick with tension. Some cheered, some jeered, but most waited with bated breath, eager for the violence to unfold.

Antaeus, sitting on his stone throne, grinned widely, his piercing gaze never leaving the fighters below. His massive hands drummed lazily on the armrests, as though he were merely watching a play instead of a brutal battle. He leaned forward, his voice booming. "A promising matchup, don't you think?" he said, though it was more to himself than to his esteemed guests. His laugh echoed through the arena, deep and guttural, as though he reveled in the suffering that was about to unfold.

And then, the battle began.

The centaur surged forward with a powerful roar, its hooves crashing into the ground like thunder. The axe rose high, ready to cleave the demigod in two. The demigod, however, didn’t flinch. They were quick, their instincts honed by years of training, and at the last moment, they sidestepped the mighty swing, narrowly avoiding the deadly arc of the weapon. With precision, they brought their celestial bronze sword down in a flash, slicing through the centaur’s flank.

The beast let out a guttural bellow, the sound of agony mixing with the roar of the crowd. The centaur stumbled, its massive body spinning around in a flurry of fury and pain, but the demigod was already on the move, their sword held ready. The demigod’s agility and speed allowed them to dodge another strike, a blur of motion as they ducked under the centaur’s next swing, narrowly avoiding once more being cleaved in half.

But the centaur was relentless. It was faster than it appeared, its agility defying its size. With a fierce grunt, it brought the axe down in another sweeping arc, its raw strength forcing the demigod to the ground. The blade grazed the demigod’s side, leaving a deep wound that sprayed blood across the dirt, staining it a dark crimson. The crowd gasped, their voices rising in excitement. The demigod struggled to get up, their breathing ragged, their armor dented and bloodied. Their sword was still clutched in their hand, but they looked dazed, the weight of the centaur’s strength beginning to take its toll.