Mace staggered where he stood.
His breathing was ragged now - uneven, heavy, dragging through his chest like every inhale cost him something. The once imposing stone armour that coated his body was no longer pristine. It was cracked, chipped, and in places entirely broken away, exposing raw flesh beneath.
Worst of all, his joints were shredded: the insides of his elbows, behind his knees, under his arms.
Every weak point Ethan had targeted was now marked with precise cuts that had long since stopped being superficial. Blood seeped steadily from them, staining the broken arena floor beneath his feet.
The so-called Beast Man didn't stop there.
He smashed him around, throwing the armoured opponent onto the ground over and over again. At one point, he had even dragged Mace around the arena, humiliating him completely.
Across from him, Ethan stood relaxed.
It didn't even look like he had fought someone; his breathing was steady and his posture loose.
