Glen did not hold anything back. He knew he had exactly one chance to strike before the S Rank monster overwhelmed him.

"Thunder Phantom Step" Glen roared.

Purple lightning exploded from his body shattering the sand beneath his boots. He crossed the fifty yard gap in a microsecond moving faster than the cameras could track. He channeled every ounce of his Level 15 strength and the explosive momentum of the B Rank skill into his heavy black longsword. He swung the blade in a brutal horizontal arc aiming directly for Evander’s neck.

It was a strike that had obliterated B Rank monsters and shattered A Rank armor.

Evander did not dodge. He did not even raise his golden lance.

He simply raised his empty left hand and caught the edge of the massive black longsword with two bare fingers.

A deafening shockwave of displaced air ripped through the arena but the blade stopped dead. It did not move a single millimeter further. The purple lightning crackled violently against Evander’s skin but it could not pierce the invisible layer of S Rank mana protecting the Dragon Knight.

Glen’s eyes widened in absolute shock. The kinetic recoil traveled up his arms nearly dislocating his shoulders.

"You are fast" Evander said his voice perfectly calm amidst the roaring wind. "But you are still to weak."

Evander flicked his wrist.

The sheer physical force of the casual motion ripped the heavy black longsword completely out of Glen’s grip sending the massive weapon spinning high into the air.

Before Glen could even process the disarmament Evander stepped forward and delivered an open handed palm strike to Glen’s chest.

"Abyssal Juggernaut Armor" Glen screamed activating his ultimate defense in a desperate panic.

The dark crimson and black plating materialized over his skin just as Evander’s palm connected.

The A Rank armor shattered instantly like fragile glass hit by a sledgehammer.

Glen was launched backward with the velocity of a cannonball. He flew across the entire length of the arena crashing violently into the reinforced magical boundary wall. The blue energy shield flared blindingly bright absorbing the impact but the physical trauma to Glen’s body was catastrophic.

He slumped to the sand coughing up a massive amount of blood. Three of his ribs were broken. His left arm hung uselessly at his side. The fight had lasted exactly four seconds.

The stadium was dead silent. The crowd was witnessing the terrifying reality of an S Rank Hunter. It was not a fight. It was a god swatting an insect.

Up in the VIP suite Elias Vance laughed a booming cruel sound. "Look at the little pest now Vane. Broken by true power."

Down in the arena Evander slowly walked toward Glen. He dragged his golden lance through the sand his amber eyes glowing with draconic authority.

"Yield Mcdonald" Evander commanded. "You have proven your bravery. Do not throw your life away."

Glen forced himself to his hands and knees. His vision was swimming his ears ringing with a high pitched whine. The pain was absolute. But deep inside his chest the fragment of The Lost began to pulse. The demonic anti mana sensed his weakness and tried to surge forward offering him the power to destroy the golden knight.

*Let us out. We will rot his flesh. We will consume his light.*

"No" Glen gritted his teeth spitting blood onto the white sand. He forced the demonic energy back down refusing to become a monster just to win a match. He would do this his way.

Glen staggered to his feet. He swayed heavily clutching his broken ribs. His black longsword was embedded in the sand thirty yards away. He was unarmed battered and completely outmatched.

"I said" Glen coughed forcing a bloody smile onto his face. "I am going to make you bleed."

Evander frowned. The Dragon Knight raised his golden lance the tip glowing with a blinding holy fire. "Then fall."

Evander vanished. He did not use a movement skill. His base agility was simply that high. He appeared directly in front of Glen thrusting the blunt end of the golden lance toward Glen’s stomach to knock him out permanently.

Glen knew he could not dodge. He knew he could not block.

So he did the only thing he could do. He stepped into the strike.

Glen threw his body forward intentionally taking the blunt impact of the golden lance directly to his already broken ribs. The pain was blinding a white hot flash of pure agony that nearly shut down his brain.

But by stepping into the strike Glen closed the distance to zero. He was inside Evander’s guard.

Evander’s eyes widened in surprise at the suicidal tactic.

Glen raised his trembling right hand. He channeled every remaining drop of his mana into a single desperate C Rank skill.

"Savage Strike."

Glen punched Evander squarely in the jaw.

The impact did not send the S Class flying. It did not even make Evander stumble. But the sheer concentrated force of the C Rank skill combined with the element of absolute surprise was enough to snap Evander’s head slightly to the side.

A heavy silence fell over the arena.

Glen collapsed falling backward onto the sand completely unconscious. His body had reached its absolute limit.

Evander stood perfectly still the golden lance resting in his hand. He slowly raised his fingers to his face. He touched his jaw right where Glen’s knuckles had connected.

He pulled his fingers away and looked at them.

There resting on the tip of his pristine white glove was a single drop of bright red blood.

The F Rank Mimic had broken the S Rank monster’s defense.

Evander stared at the drop of blood for a long time. The anger and the draconic pride faded replaced by a profound sense of respect. He looked down at the unconscious boy bleeding in the sand.

"Match Two Winner" the announcer finally called out his voice trembling with shock. "Evander Buchanan."

The crowd erupted but it was not the usual cheer for the golden boy. It was a chaotic roar of disbelief. They had seen the impossible. They had seen the untouchable S Rank bleed.

Evander turned his back on the VIP suites. He looked up at the competitor balcony where Isla Sinclair and Caleb Sterling were watching. Evander gave them a slow respectful nod acknowledging the monster they had allied with.

Glen Mcdonald had lost the match. He had been absolutely demolished. But as the medics rushed the field to carry him away everyone in the stadium knew one terrifying truth.

The boy was going to come back. And next time he would not just take a drop of blood.