Iron Maiden

Finally, there was a fight he was actually interested in for once. As the two fighters made their way to the stage, Lyrian noticed that Leonidas' face was still as stoic as he remembered from his camp.

He grasped the hilt of his sword, preparing for battle. However, as Endra also made his way to the arena, Lyrian noticed something different about one of the two.

Unlike Endra, who you could clearly sense possessed magic, Leonidas didn't have any mana exuding from him.

This alone caused some of the kids to begin berating the person who they thought was just a peasant, seeming to match his clothes.

"What the heck? That kid has no magic aura!"

"He's just some street rat! I guess we won't get to see young master Endra's special power."

Another exclaimed in disappointment, as Lyrian continued to think about where he had seen Leonidas' name before.

'...That's right!' He finally remembered. 'Leonidas was the 5th place finisher in the magic potential tests.'

Although Lyrian was beginning to think that Leonidas wasn't anything special as well, following the thought process of everyone else, this realization made him think differently.

Now, he was interested equally in both Endra and Leonidas' powers. 'How did he place so high in the tests without any magical aura?' He thought to himself.

"Alright! Three, Two," The fight announcer began to count down as Endra put his palms on the ground, going into a quadrupedal stance similar to an animal.

As he looked at Leonidas with ferocious eyes, his large k-9s sticking out from his mouth, his gaze was met by a stern, yet calm one.

Endra's demeanor going into the fight was one of a wild beast getting ready to attack, while Leonidas' was like a warrior getting prepared to battle.

Lyrian could sense the disciple honed into Leonidas' hands as he gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

"One! Fight!"

"Iron Blitz." Leonidas quietly said under his breath.

In a split-second, he disappeared from his spot and reappeared right in front of Endra's face--his now unsheathed sword only millimeters away from reaching Endra's neck.

Endra widened his eyes in shock as he witnessed the eyes of Leonidas. They were completely white, devoid of all color and emotion.

In that sliver of a moment, he managed to sway backward, narrowly avoiding Leonidas' sword, before quickly dashing away to the other side of the arena, allowing space between the two fighters.

Many gasps of awe and bewilderment echoed through the crowd as they saw Leonidas' sudden and powerful attack.

Endra was left panting and his heart beat quickly. 'What the hell was that!?' He thought to himself.

What Leonidas did was completely unexpected from his calm demeanor. In the beginning, Endra wanted to be the first one to initiate the fight, but Leonidas nearly actually killed him before he could even move.

He knew that he wouldn't have actually died, under the gaze of many powerful sorcerers, but at that moment it felt like death itself was staring directly at him.

After finding his grounding, Endra regained his composure and realized the gravity of the situation. He couldn't afford to underestimate Leonidas any longer.

The crowd was on the edge of their seats, their earlier dismissive remarks now replaced with a newfound respect for the young swordsman.

Endra decided to tap into his own unique power, the magic passed down to him via generations of his family that he had honed over the years.

In a mesmerizing display, his hands elongated and grew larger, morphing into powerful tiger paws.

His once-human fingers gave way to fierce, razor-sharp claws that glinted menacingly in the light.

The texture of his skin transformed, now resembling the supple, striped fur of a majestic tiger.

Simultaneously, Endra's feet underwent a stunning alteration. They stretched and lengthened, taking on the characteristics of the springy legs of a gazelle.

Muscles rippled beneath his new feline-like limbs, granting him enhanced speed and agility while retaining an elegance reminiscent of the graceful gazelle.

With a fearsome roar that reverberated throughout the arena, Endra unveiled his complete transformation.

His eyes burned with an intense, amber glow, mirroring the predatory instincts that now coursed through his being. His presence exuded a primal aura, commanding attention and respect.

Leonidas observed Endra's display of magic, his white eyes unwavering. Without a trace of fear or panic, he raised his sword and took a defensive stance.

His body seemed to emanate a subtle aura of concentration and control.

Without wasting any time, Endra sprang forward with his gazelle legs, closing the distance between him and Leonidas instantly.

Once close enough, Endra launched his ferocious paws toward Leonidas, who will continue to stay still, even in the midst of such danger.

The display was enough to cause the anticipation of the crowd to max out.

As Endra's sharp claws reached only inches away from Leonidas' skin, again, Leonidas whispered something under his breath. "Iron Maiden."

Without warning, Leonidas suddenly unleashed a barrage of sword strikes toward Endra, the speed of his blows causing a gust of wind to blow on the faces of all of the spectators.

Endra tried to parry the sword jabs for a couple of seconds but it was clear to see that he was no match for Leonidas' speed.

Just as a strike that he failed to parry neared his abdomen, the fight announcer suddenly appeared between the two, stopping the fight in an instant.

"Winner, Leonidas!" He yelled, his hand pointing towards the victor.