The consecutive victories Leo had achieved within the Colosseum were not, as some might have assumed, a source of pride for the arena's management.
Quite the opposite.
With every battle the masked boy won, a growing sense of anger and unease spread among those who controlled the games.
Each victory left a heavy mark on their ledgers.
There were two clear reasons for this.
First—money.
The repeated financial losses from betting had begun to sting.
Many of the Colosseum officials themselves had placed their gold on seasoned veterans of the arena, utterly convinced that a small, unknown boy like Leo would never survive long.
Yet reality had defied their expectations again and again.
One match after another.
And slowly but surely, the sacks of gold in their coffers began to shrink.
But the second reason was far more dangerous.
It was the reputation of the Colosseum itself.
The spectators had begun asking questions.
How could warriors who were proclaimed to be the beasts of the arena be defeated by a boy so slight in build?
Whispers began to circulate among the crowd.
At first quietly.
Then more boldly.
Some claimed the matches had been nothing but staged performances from the beginning.
That the Colosseum manipulated the results to excite the audience and increase profits.
And to the management…
There was nothing more dangerous than an audience that doubted the authenticity of bloodshed.
That night, as darkness settled over the city of Lonaria, a heavy tension filled a stone cellar deep beneath the Colosseum.
The chamber was dimly lit by a few flickering torches.
Their flames cast long, wavering shadows along the damp stone walls.
Around a massive wooden table sat several high-ranking officials of the Colosseum.
Their expressions were grim.
The air itself seemed weighed down by frustration.
Suddenly, one of the men slammed his fist onto the table.
The cups upon it rattled violently.
"What is this nonsense?!" he barked angrily.
"How can some inexperienced brat continue winning like this?!"
Another man cleared his throat.
He spoke more calmly, though the concern in his voice was just as evident.
"This has gone beyond simple matches. The betting funds are beginning to suffer… and worse than that, the spectators are starting to suspect us."
He paused briefly.
"Some believe we are deliberately falsifying results to manufacture a new champion."
Silence filled the chamber for several seconds.
Then a third official spoke while crossing his arms.
"If we don't stop this soon… the prestige of the Colosseum will collapse."
The men exchanged uneasy glances.
Each of them searching for a solution.
A way out of the problem that boy had created.
Then—
One of them leaned forward slightly.
A slow, cunning smile appeared on his face.
"Why not…" he said quietly.
"…pit him against the undefeated champion of the Colosseum?"
A heavy silence followed.
For several seconds no one spoke.
Then, one by one, smiles began to spread across the officials' faces.
They had found their answer.
The following day, the Colosseum's stands were once again filled with spectators.
As always.
The noise gradually rose like a storm gathering strength.
Thousands of voices blending together as the crowd awaited the next series of battles.
Meanwhile, Leo was escorted through the familiar stone corridors leading toward the arena.
Chains rattled.
Torches burned along the walls.
The air smelled faintly of dust, iron, and old blood.
Leo walked calmly.
Unaware that a very different fate awaited him that day.
When he finally stepped onto the arena floor, the announcer's voice thundered across the Colosseum.
"Ladies and gentlemen… today we have a very special match!"
A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd.
The announcer continued, his excitement rising.
"Today… the arena will witness the appearance of your undefeated champion!"
Gasps could be heard among the spectators.
"No… it can't be…"
"Is it really him…?"
The announcer raised his voice even higher.
"The man with the body of steel… the crusher of his enemies…"
"ARON!!!"
The Colosseum erupted with thunderous cheers.
Aron's name was a legend within the arena.
He had never been defeated.
Not once.
And no opponent had ever walked away from a battle against him unscathed.
As the cheers echoed through the massive stadium, spectators began to whisper among themselves.
"So who's the unlucky bastard fighting him today?"
The announcer smiled as he delivered the answer.
"And facing him today…"
"The black horse of the Colosseum… the masked fighter who shocked everyone with his consecutive victories…"
"Leo!"
For a moment there was silence.
Then laughter broke out across several sections of the audience.
"Well… that brat's finished."
"What terrible luck."
"Guess we all know where to put our bets today."
When the two fighters stepped onto the arena floor, the difference between them was almost absurd.
It was like placing a child before a giant.
Leo stood quietly.
Small.
Calm.
Composed.
Aron, however, was enormous.
His towering body reached nearly nine meters in height.
His muscles overlapped like living stone, forming a monstrous frame that radiated brute strength.
In truth, he resembled a giant troll far more than a human being.
But that form was not natural.
Years ago, Aron had been subjected to brutal alchemical experiments.
His body had been transformed into a living weapon.
And over time…
Only the weapon remained.
His personality had long since disappeared.
Aron possessed no true will.
He was nothing more than a tool.
A creature that obeyed commands.
The battle began.
Leo moved quickly, applying the combat techniques he had learned over the past few days.
His sword flashed through the air as he launched several rapid strikes toward Aron's massive body.
But—
They did almost nothing.
Aron's skin was as tough as armor.
Leo's blade left nothing more than shallow scratches.
Then the giant retaliated.
Aron raised his enormous fist…
And struck.
The blow hit Leo like a falling boulder.
The boy was hurled across the arena before crashing violently onto the ground.
The crowd roared.
Leo forced himself back to his feet.
Gritting his teeth, he lunged forward again and concentrated all his strength into a single thrust aimed at the giant's chest.
But the result was the same.
A shallow wound.
Nothing more.
And in that moment—
Leo understood.
The gap between them was enormous.
With Aron's second blow, Leo collapsed once again.
Blood covered his body.
Inside his mind, a quiet thought echoed.
Is this… the end?
But just as everyone believed the battle was over—
Leo suddenly smiled.
A calm, quiet smile.
He whispered softly.
"Finally… you're back."
In the next instant—
A tremendous force exploded outward.
Aron was suddenly thrown backward as though struck by an invisible giant.
Silence fell across the Colosseum.
For at that moment…
Leo's magic had returned.
More than that—
He had broken through to the Fifth Circle.
Raising his hand, he immediately cast a healing spell.
Warm light flowed through his body, rapidly closing his critical wounds.
And now—
The balance had shifted.
Aron charged forward in a savage attack.
But this time glowing barriers of mana rose around Leo.
Defensive spells of the Fifth Circle.
The giant's blows crashed against them again and again—
Yet they left no mark.
If Leo without magic was like a wounded wolf…
Then with magic, he became a predatory lion.
Leo gazed at the giant who attacked him without awareness.
Then he spoke quietly.
"You can rest now."
He raised his hand.
And unleashed a massive Fifth Circle fire spell.
Flames burst forth with terrifying intensity.
The arena trembled beneath the heat.
The blazing inferno swallowed Aron's gigantic body whole.
As his form slowly dissolved within the fire…
A peaceful smile appeared on his face.
And in a faint voice, barely audible, he whispered—
"…Thank you."
At last—
He had received the release he had long awaited.