The Angel of Death

Chapter Nine

Author's note:
Hello once again! I'm really sorry I haven't been able to update consistently and with school coming up in a week I don't think I'll be able to update it often :( but again, thank you for staying with me and following the story :) I'll try to update as often as I can. Enjoy the chapter!

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As he entered the fighting area, the Prince looked around and sized up his competition. Aside from the King and Queen, none of the other fighters looked to be much of a threat. They all had heavy armor and huge weapons that would severely impede their movement, a fact that would cost them dearly in the huge arena. Spotting the Dynamic Duo, he made a mental note to himself to always know where the two were. They were his only true competition, and the Prince knew that. As he looked on, the two were going through their usual routine before arena battles: the King, quietly internalizing the fight with his eyes closed, and the Queen, energetically bouncing around the King with excitement and happiness. The Prince smiled to himself. The two were complete opposites yet perfectly complemented each other's fighting style. Now, he was in the perfect position to observe how they fought and learn from them and at the same time prove to Captain Mirafuentes, who was undoubtedly watching, that he was a skilled enough fighter to join her crew. Finally, the horn sounded. The battle was about to start.

Seeing as how the rest of the fighters carried huge weapons, the Prince decided against using Perseus in order to be as lithe and agile as possible. At the same time, he knew that the Dynamic Duo was extremely fast, and he needed all the advantage he could get against them.

A big man wearing an oversized breastplate and wielding a huge axe ran at him. Another fighter, this time with the right sized breastplate and a longsword also started running at him, and soon, another joined them. Three big fighters were running towards the Prince, and he just smiled. Biding his time, he readied himself to leap out of harm's way. Once the first fighter neared him, he jumped, allowing his powerful ichthyan legs to carry him 10 feet straight up. The man stopped. Staring up in confusion, he watched as the Prince slammed into the ground with enough force to knock him over. The man groggily stood, but by the time he had gotten to his feet, the Prince was already in his face. Whipping a roundhouse kick at the man, the Prince followed it up with an uppercut to the jaw. With a groan, the fighter crumpled to the ground. Sensing movement behind him, the Prince quickly spun around and threw a punch. The second fighter immediately collapsed due to the immense force that the Prince had thrown into the punch. With a shrug, he threw the man off. The third fighter had stopped running by the time the Prince knocked out the first fighter, and as he looked on, the Prince casually turned around and smiled at him. He immediately turned and ran away. The Prince chuckled softly and sighed. He hadn't even broken a sweat. If this was the competition that the Dynamic Duo faced....no wonder they were "legendary."

He quickly ran around the arena, dispatching anyone who got in his way. He was a whirlwind of ichthyan power, gracefully dancing among the fighters. Seemingly untouched, the other fighters would suddenly drop dead. A closer look would reveal shattered limbs and deep, dark bruises all over their bodies. The Prince may have looked timid and soft spoken, but underneath his shy demeanor was a cold blooded fighter. In a few minutes, the arena was littered with dead bodies and bloody armor.

As the dust settled, he saw the King of the Arena a few meters across. With one hand, the King was hoisting a fighter in the air as the man struggled to breathe, pathetically flailing and clawing at the King's arm. Slowly, the King tightened his grip, mercilessly crushing the man's windpipe and prolonging his agony. The Prince was shocked. He looked at the Queen standing beside her partner, expecting a disgusted expression, but she had the same nonchalant look of the King, albeit brighter and giddier. Finally, the fighter found enough strength to choke out a single word. "Mer....mercy...." The King cocked his head. "What was that?" he asked as he loosened his grip. The man abruptly started coughing, grateful for the small amount of oxygen allowed to him. Slightly annoyed, the King shook him and again asked, "What was that?" in a harder tone.