Tamed || Wriothesley x Reader

Chapter 57

❄️

Oh, how history repeats itself.

Standing in front of Wriothesley again had everything inside and outside of your body as tense as it could be. One year ago, you had fought him in this very same place, on this very same day, at this very same time.

But only now, you weren't going to make the same mistake twice.

Wriothesley's eyes bore right back into yours, even the crowd sensing the tension between you two. He was heavily on edge, his muscles taught and sharp as he remained unmoving.

For him, it wasn't that he didn't want to fight you. He wanted to completely take you.

But he knew he couldn't.

Because he could see Chronie standing in the mix of the crowd, a disapproving look on her face as she stared him down. One wrong move would set her off, and he'd lose everything.

"Exactly one year ago, Y/N and the Duke faced off in a brutal match for the champion title!" Roussimoff began, standing between the two of you. "Now, they will face off again, for the champion title once more!"

The crowd went up in an uproar, minimal chants and cheers bouncing off the walls. It was clear that this fight was going to go down in the history books, something you wanted to happen.

Because not only were you going to defeat Wriothesley... you were going to taking his life, too.

It's only fair since he's the reason you gave yours away.

You knew you should have stayed in the desert. You shouldn't have listened to your father, to Dehya, to anyone. Your head was in the right place, and you should have trusted it. Your home wasn't Fontaine--it was never Fontaine. You didn't grow up here, you didn't know anything about the land, and you certainly did not want to be here.

Sumeru was your home. It was always your home--your only home.

"Get ready..." Roussimoff moved off the ring, preparing to start the time. "...Fight!"

Your mind immediately snapped out of your dark thoughts, your body acting on instinct once the match began.

The both of you fiercely charged at each other with an exceedingly high speed, both your eyes flickering with determination. Wriothesley managed to catch the first blow, but you grabbed his wrist in response and twisted it painfully. He grunted at the discomfort, using his free hand to defend himself from your attack.

The crowd watched in awe as the intensity of your fight only grew. Neither of you were willing to back down, the advantage getting exchanged between you two. Even Roussimoff was stunned at how much strength was being displayed, the amount of pressure and tension causing him to swallow harshly.

Finally, the advantage had switched to you once more, and you put full force into knocking the wind out of Wriothesley, the same move you had played earlier in your fight with Galvaryet.

But Wriothesley had observed how you used that play, and quickly tried to think of a defensive move to input before you skewered his intestines against each other. Your attacks were relentless, and he could tell that this was much more than just a fight.

This was life or death.

He suddenly grabbed your wrist forcefully, gritting his teeth as he pushed you back with a great amount of his strength. Before he knew it, he was channeling the energy from his vision, sending you flying back against the edge of the ring.

You managed to catch yourself, your jaw clenched tightly as you prepared to charge at him again. But right as you looked up, he had already charged at you, his fist colliding with your stomach.

He mocked your play, turning it into his own as he twisted his wrist, digging into your stomach flesh and forcing the cryo energy he had recuperated into your system.

Your body fell limp as you felt the ice cage you in, locking your figure in place. You struggled against the hold, your breathing growing extremely heavy as the weight of the situation dawned on you.

Everyone was on edge as Wriothesley approached you once more, clearly preparing to knock you out to finally end the match. What had stunned everyone was the fact that Wriothesley never used his vision during a match--because there isn't anyone who has participated in the Pankration Ring's activities that has a vision. He prefers to keep it fair, knowing he didn't need his vision to display true strength.

But fighting with you was completely different. Every fight Wriothesley had fought was pure determination and dominance. When he fought you for the first time a year ago, he had actually found a challenge--someone who he could actually put effort into beating.

And for the first time, despite the two of you having had plenty of battles before, he actual felt a sense of fear.

Something he only felt around you.

His fists balled as he continued his approach, the reluctance eating away at him. He never wanted things to be this way, but it was his own fault that your life was forever on the line.

He wanted to tell you that he was sorry for what he was about to do, but he held it back, his gaze darkening as he charged at you.

Your eyes widened, your breathing coming to a complete stop at your sudden failure. It was like that moment that just flashed across your mind when you were in the desert, back in your younger years of becoming a fighter. You weren't strong enough then, and it seemed like you weren't strong enough now.

But as you looked back at Wriothesley, you were reminded of why you were a fighter.

And that reason alone is what caused something into you to snap.

Your body grew hot, a wave of something foreign coursing through your veins. A sharp burst of energy flooded out of you with a flash, causing the ice you were trapped in to burst into flames. The force of it sent everyone back, including Wriothesley.

You dropped to your knees, the energy completely draining from your system. Your vision went blurry, and you felt your face collide with the ground.

Everyone was sent into immediate silence as the sight of what had just happened, leaving awe, fear, and feelings of confusion.

Roussimoff balanced himself up, staring wide-eyed between you two. The both of you were completely knocked out as the impact had knocked the back of Wriothesley's head right into a nearby pole.

But the fact that you were still inside of the confines of the ring, including Wriothesley, is what left everyone silent and still.

A draw had never been a thing with the Pankration Ring. People bet their coupons on matches such as this, meaning that there needed to be a winner. But since the both of you had passed out at the same time, there couldn't be a winner.

The crowd started to get a bit rowdy, murmurs and disappointed words echoing off the walls. Roussimoff quickly stood up and interjected, not wanting to lose the general public of the Fortress.

"This match is a draw!" He said, though there was a hint of uncertainty in his words. "Meaning, we will have to reschedule the fight to a later date!"

The crowd fell silent, contemplating the change of events once more. Roussimoff quickly rushed over to your side first, checking your pulse and making sure you were just unconscious for the time being.

But before he could properly adjust you and go over to check on Wriothesley, he noticed the small red glow emitting on your side.

There laid a vision, the casing of it belonging to the home of Fontaine.