My heart leaped to my throat when Goliath turned into his werewolf form.
Crazed screams of excitement echoed so loudly around me that I feared the entire cave would collapse. The fight that we'd all thought would be over quickly had taken yet another twist. I didn't join in the cheer, but I couldn't remember the last time I was this entertained. Other than that, I felt something I wasn't going to admit to anyone—pure fear.
I'd nearly jumped into the battleground when Goliath finally struck P. 205. So far, she'd done a great job of zipping around the caveman and getting a few cuts in without getting hit herself. I was surprised and impressed by her agility and quick thinking. But I knew her blades weren't made of silver—else they would've been able to finish Goliath off. Hence, I foresaw the flaw in her plan. I thought she was a goner when she'd chosen to block Goliath's blow instead of evading it. Imagine the shock that spread through the audience when she absorbed the impact like it was nothing. More so when she started attacking with her bare hands, knocking over someone who was ten times her size. I didn't know if anyone else had noticed, but her eyes… her eyes were even bluer than before. Like fireflies had flown in and illuminated them. There was an ability she possessed that I believed was more than just super strength and crystal blue eyes; I could feel it.
Whatever it was, she was going to need a lot of it. Goliath's transformation was about to make things five times harder.
Jonas threw his arm across my shoulder and shook me out of my thoughts. "See?! What did I tell you?! This is the main event! This is the greatest birthday present you could ever give me!"
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," I answered dismissively. It was hard to take my eyes off the fight at this point. Goliath stood tall on his hind legs, advancing slowly like a predator stalking its prey. P. 205 just stood there, slightly crouched with her hands away from her body, maintaining icy eye contact with her opponent. She didn't even seem fazed that she was facing an eight-foot werewolf that could shred her like paper. The fierce determination in her blue eyes puzzled and intrigued me.
"Whatever?" Jonas repeated mockingly. "Bro, you're so drawn in you haven't sat down since the fight began."
"Yeah, yeah. Sure."
Darius laughed at this point. "I think we should let Ven soak up the moment. I haven't seen him invested in a Pit fight like this for ages. Meanwhile, you two aren't going to strike another bet?"
I heard Jonathan scoff. "The girl had done well so far. But she won't stand a chance against Goliath's beast form. Luck carried her this far, not prowess."
"I beg your absolute pardon?!" Jonas sounded genuinely offended. "Luck? That's what you call her graceful movements and strikes of precision? Oh, hush your foul hateful mouth."
"Very well, then," Jonathan said with confirmation. "I say she loses, Goliath adds yet another name to his death list, and your Mustang is mine."
Jonas laughed with glee. "And I say she wins, the big bad brute finally gets what's coming to him, and your penthouse becomes my property for a year."
I could hear the bet being sealed behind me with an audible shake of hands, and I imagined Darius shaking his head at his brothers' excesses. But none of that was my concern. The battle before me had all my attention with none to spare.
After a tense moment, Goliath finally attacked. I could've sworn I felt the rumble beneath my feet as he raced towards P. 205. The latter kept her composure until the very last second, then she moved. Just as Goliath's paw came swiping down, she spun away, barely avoiding his dagger-like claws. She came back around, stooping low to scoop up a handful of sand, then launched it forward. The red dirt had lodged in the beast's eyes, causing him to howl painfully.
And from that moment, P. 205 showed absolutely no mercy.
Holding both hands together, she swung a hammer blow at the giant's right knee. It snapped so loudly that the sound hushed the entire arena. Only Goliath's shrill howl bounced off the cave walls. P. 205 wasted no time jumping onto the werewolf's back, grabbing his neck from behind. Before he could reach backward, she swiftly extracted his throat from his neck and casually flung the bloody mess to the side. As Goliath fell on his good knee, grasping the gaping hole in his neck, P. 205 came before him with the same metal look in her eyes. Even on his knees, Goliath towered over her. But it didn't matter. She was the one in control. She called the shots from that moment. And the shots rang pretty loud with her next move.
Quick as a viper, small claws flashed from her fingertips. Then, in the same fluid motion, she buried her hand deep inside his chest. When she pulled it out, the caveman's large heart came along with it, still beating like it was nobody's business. Goliath's ruby-red eyes widened as he stared at the throbbing organ in P. 205's hand, then they rolled into his head as he crashed sideways to the ground.
There were no cheerful screams, no excited whistles, or even a standing ovation. For the first time in my life, I witnessed Hell's Pit humbled to complete silence by a stranger I'd never seen before. Even Jonas remained speechless. P. 205 still held Goliath's heart in a firm grip, as if trying to prevent it from jumping back into its owner's body. Her eyes scanned the entire arena until they landed coldly on mine. I was several steps upwards, far away from the battleground, but my keen eyes could see her. And I knew she could see me as well. Besides, I was probably the only one still standing.
"So," Jonas whispered, most likely to Jonathan. "I don't suppose you have the keys to your penthouse in your jacket, do you?"
For the first time that night, I smiled.