My cowardly little brother!

Killian looked down at the tendrils that seemed to wait for his permission for something. He fell back to the chair, and inhaled deeply.

The tendrils retracted.

This isn’t my fight. It’s Evelyn’s. Yet.

He forced himself out of his seat and walked to the host. The host raised a brow as he got close.

"Shouldn’t there be a time limit to how long he can fool around?" Killian tried to keep his voice low as he spoke.

The host looked at his screen, humming. "This is the last match for today, so he can take his time."

Do hosts suck up to him? Killian’s eyes remained on the host, long enough for the host to sigh and add. "I can add a new rule for you, Grim Warden."

Killian’s eyes shifted back to Evelyn, then back to the host. "He doesn’t know what he’s doing so set a time limit. Or will that affect the aim of this?"

The host wrote on his tablet. "The aim of these duels is to get Wardens who act."

Killian waited to be sure of the rule added, before he returned to his seat. The rule was set on the projector, and Elaine and her friends scurried to the wall curiously.

"There might be a time limit added if you don’t end it quickly." The host announced verbally. "So, please." He glanced at Keith, before returning to his position.

Killian returned to the seats, but didn’t sit.

His brother was really shameless to make the duel add a new rule because of his inability to fight back.

Even if he’s still weak from his injury, he could put up a fight to save face.

Does he really like being called a Fraud?

Evelyn stayed at a distance again. The wind swirling around her fist dispersed. She glanced at Killian and smiled a bit.

"I guess I wouldn’t consider your older brother anymore, Keith." She shifted her brown eyes to her opponent.

"You better start acting alive, or you’d bore me."

Killian smiled, stomping a leg on a seat. "Don’t consider me. Just beat him up."

Keith didn’t look at him even once.

A few others in the area concurred with Killian yelling ’yes!’ and ’force him to move!’.

The place went silent when Keith made a long sigh. Something in his eyes darkened as he faced Evelyn again.

"I won’t consider you as my older brother’s friend either." The lightning around his fingertips flared and extended to his arm.

Their blue spasms flashed a little brighter. "And I’ll beat you properly, Evelyn Constantine."

Killian scoffed under his breath. Finally he has the guts to acknowledge his opponent.

But a thought crossed his mind quickly.

Does he still think of me as his older brother? Does he even still think we are family members? Why does he care to be considerate of my friend?

Keith followed his words with action, charging forward, to the standing Evelyn.

Killian noticed that her hands weren’t coated with wind as the attack came. Has she run out of mana already? Keith came in fast, but then she dodged.

And slammed her elbow at his sides.

She jumped back, and brushed off the sweat from her brows. Her eyes quickly moved over his body, as she closed in again.

She’s taking advantage of the fact he hasn’t moved for a while. But it wouldn’t take long for adrenaline to start pumping in him too.

Will she match his stamina and mana output then?

The answer came quickly when Keith’s lightning dispersed her blows again, and again.

He already outmatched her in mana output, and her precision couldn’t break his lightning yet.

For the first time, he slammed a punch at her sides. She blocked it, frowning. It wasn’t fast and was almost teasing. Even if it was his first direct attack.

"I told you to actually fight, didn’t I?" She cursed.

Her fist drove into his chest with a compressed vortex that burst on impact and forced the air out of him.

Instinctively, Killian winced. There were gasps from the others as Keith stumbled backwards.

Killian’s leg began tapping again.

That’s what he gets for underestimating her, but he’d get serious now.

He wouldn’t give her any more chances to land a hit again.

For a split second, Keith stayed still, lowering his head and shoulders tense as the noise died down around them.

His fingers curled slowly and the lightning around his hand snapped louder than before as he raised his head. Something in his eyes finally broke.

Killian bit his lower lip. Shit. Evelyn. His hand tightened under an armrest as he watched attentively.

The difference in their stamina was starting to show, as Keith never slowed down, while Evelyn was pushing herself harder with every move.

Some watching had already started praying for her.

Even when Evelyn’s fist landed against Keith’s jaw, turning his head slightly to the side, Keith didn’t react beyond that small movement.

He just kept going like nothing happened, pushing her farther back and not giving her a chance to build mana around her fists.

So it was purely Evelyn’s natural strength going on par with his lightning fists.

Her knuckles and the arm she blocked with had slight burnt marks. But she didn’t fall and kept going, even if she had already been pushed to defense.

Until she landed another hit, but her fist loosened slightly due to her tiredness and her nails scraped across his face and drew blood.

A thin line cut across Keith’s cheek, as the trail of three fingers crossed his cheeks.

Evelyn hissed softly. "Sorry, that was a mistake—"

SLAP!

The slap came out of nowhere, as Keith’s hand struck her face. Evelyn’s head snapped to the side, and her feet slid back from the sheer force.

No one breathed. The Host froze. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

A drop of blood fell from her lip, staining the white arena floor. The silence that followed was heavier than the noise.

Keith touched the scratch on his neck, and stared at the blood on his fingers.

"How dare you!"