Starting out as a Dragon Slave
Chapter 39: Kata sequence

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Kata sequence

Only a few hours after his exhausted return from the mine, Mordred was sitting in his cell, leaning against the cold, damp wall, his wounds painfully reminding him of every second spent striking the unforgiving rock. His mind, haunted by the cries of pain from the other slaves, was vainly trying to find a moment’s peace, when suddenly the metallic sounds of heavy boots echoed down the narrow corridor.

The cell door opened violently with a sinister creak, revealing a massive dragon guard, his reptilian gaze icy with familiar contempt.

- Get up, you vermin!" he growled, throwing his now customary leather gladiator outfit and protective gear down at Mordred’s feet. Get ready quickly. You’re fighting again today.

Mordred slowly raised his head, gazing into the dragon’s cruel eyes with a dull but controlled anger. Without answering, he stood up slowly, reaching for the leather protectors, his hand lightly gripping the black katana he’d received last time.

- Try to put on a better show today, vermin," sneered the guard contemptuously. And if you try the slightest rebellion... tell yourself that the whip will be a sweet relief compared to what I’ll put you through.

Without waiting for his reply, the guard abruptly closed the door, leaving Isaac alone to prepare himself in silence. Slowly, he put on his leather protections, his mind focused and determined despite the accumulated fatigue. With every movement, he clearly felt his muscles protest violently, but also a strange satisfaction at his newly acquired power.

Finally ready, Isaac was rudely escorted into the arena, through the damp corridors to the gladiators’ entrance. There, he was left alone in the relative darkness, silently waiting for the show to begin.

Around him, tension was rising rapidly as dragon spectators slowly began to fill the upper tiers of the arena. The dragons arrived from the sky, their immense wings spread majestically, before descending in a graceful, powerful movement towards the stands. Isaac watched silently as they transformed into fascinating yet intimidating humanoid forms, each more beautiful, majestic and arrogant than the last.

Finally, the trumpets sounded solemnly, announcing the arrival of royalty. The silence immediately became total, almost religious, as an immense black dragon, accompanied by three other impressive dragons - white, blue and green - majestically flew over the arena. Their immense shadows slowly enveloped the entire space, imposing an almost overwhelming aura of power and undisputed supremacy.

Isaac, fascinated despite himself, watched their regal descent. Their massive, terrifying form dissipated in a fraction of a second, giving way to four perfect, graceful and magnificent humanoid forms, who took their places solemnly on their seats of honor, clearly dominating the crowd below.

Seconds later, powerful trumpets sounded once again, officially announcing the start of the games. Immediately afterwards, the announcer, dressed in his extravagantly colorful outfit, advanced towards the central stage, amplifying his voice magically:

- Welcome, noble dragons and honored spectators! Tonight, once again, blood, spectacle and glory await you! We have for you an exceptional selection of fighters, humans, monsters and creatures of all kinds, ready to sacrifice their lives for your entertainment!

The crowd immediately erupted in wild cheers, eager for the violence they had been waiting for. Isaac, from the dark depths of the arena, felt an unpleasant shiver run up his spine. No matter how strong he became, he remained for them a mere distraction, destined to die for their cruel pleasure.

The announcer continued, enthused by the hysterical shouts of the spectators:

- Without further ado, let’s get the first fight underway! Today, we have a brutal confrontation between two promising gladiators: on one side, Garak, the human with the war hammer, and opposite him, a ruthless creature straight from the savage depths of the north: THE FREEZING LYCANTHROPE!

The crowd immediately erupted in enthusiastic roars, excited by this announcement promising pure blood and savagery. Isaac watched with extreme tension as the first gladiator advanced across the sand, massive but clearly nervous despite his imposing build.

Opposite him, a terrifying monster emerged from a dark cage. The creature resembled a huge humanoid wolf with muscles taut as steel ropes, covered in white and bluish fur, its sharp claws gleaming dangerously in the cold sunlight.

Isaac looked away momentarily, acutely aware that this fight would probably be Garak’s last. But he couldn’t afford to be distracted: in a few minutes, it would be his turn.

He slowly closed his eyes, inwardly repeating his personal mantra:

"Lightning strikes without hesitation or remorse. My body is perfect, my movements precise."

As Garak’s terrified howls echoed brutally across the arena, a clear sign of his failure against the ruthless lycanthrope, Isaac maintained his absolute calm, focusing his mind solely on the challenges ahead.

Today, he was determined to survive, whatever the cost.

For every battle he won brought him a little closer to freedom.

Each victory gave him another chance of one day regaining his life, his sister and everything he loved so deeply.

He gripped the hilt of his katana tightly, ready to face what would soon be unleashed before him.

This time too, he would not go down without a fight.

Isaac gripped the hilt of his black katana, every beat of his heart echoing intensely in his ears. Garak’s howl of pain had abruptly died away, leaving behind an eerie silence quickly covered by the excited cries of the blood-hungry audience.

The announcer, at the center of the arena, raised his arms in a theatrical gesture, his magically amplified voice clearly resonating in the icy air:

- And it’s a clear victory for the terrifying Lycanthrope du Gel! What magnificent violence, what artistic cruelty! My dear spectators, enjoy this pure savagery, for the show has only just begun!

The crowd responded immediately, exulting as they roared their unhealthy pleasure, the dragons in the stands roaring their brutal approval at the carnage that had just taken place before their very eyes.

Scrawny, frightened human cleaners quickly entered the arena, clumsily dragging Garak’s mutilated body out of the now blood-stained sand. They moved swiftly, fear evident on their emaciated faces, as if their own lives depended on the speed with which they accomplished their thankless task. The ground was quickly cleared, prepared for the next confrontation.

A dragon-guard brutally grabbed Isaac by the shoulder, dragging him without gentleness towards a metal grate, pushing him roughly against the cold bars. Mordred could clearly feel the excited vibe of the impatient crowd, their thirst for violence barely satiated by the first fight.

His heart was pounding furiously, aware that this time too, his life would be on the line in a matter of moments. Yet a strange serenity pervaded him, fueled by his recent training and hard-won new power.

The gate in front of him slowly began to lift, the sinister creak of metal mingling with the enthusiastic applause of the crowd. Isaac inhaled deeply, staring intently into the open space before him, awaiting the announcement of his name.

- My dear dragons, the time has come for our second battle!" shouted the announcer, his demented enthusiasm rising yet another notch. You already know him, this human whose improbable survival continues to surprise everyone here. Welcome with morbid curiosity... MORDRED, the human with the black sword!

Isaac stepped slowly into the arena, his feet firmly planted on the sand still damp with blood from the previous fight. His gaze slid briefly towards the royal stand, meeting for a brief moment the intense, curious gaze of the dragon princess. She stared at him silently, intrigued and impatient, her discreet, enigmatic smile arousing a strange nervousness in Isaac.

The presenter continued immediately, introducing his opponent in a voice hysterical with sadistic pleasure:

- Facing him today, a creature as brutal as it is unpredictable, from the wild jungles of the deep south! Prepare to discover bestial violence at its purest! Behold... THE TITANESQUE GORILL!

Another gate, massive and reinforced with thick chains, opened abruptly, slowly revealing a massive, terrifying shadow.

Isaac immediately felt instinctive terror grip his heart at the creature that slowly appeared in the light.

It was a monstrous gorilla, twice the size of a human, with a massive body covered in thick black and gray fur, huge muscles bulging beneath its thick skin like taut ropes. His powerful, oversized arms almost brushed the ground, and his huge fists seemed capable of easily crushing a man with a single blow.

But most terrifying of all were its red eyes, bloodshot with insane rage, staring back at Isaac with palpable savagery. The beast let out a deafening roar, revealing sharp, menacing fangs, ready to tear apart any living flesh that came within range.

The crowd immediately roared with unhealthy pleasure, delighted by this obvious promise of a spectacular and probably bloody fight.

Isaac gripped his katana tighter, staring silently at the creature in front of him, his heart pounding violently in his chest, but a fierce determination clearly burning in his eyes. This fight would be different: this time, he felt ready.

He murmured slowly to himself, determined:

- No matter what you are... no matter how strong you are... I’ll survive, whatever it takes.

Isaac stared at the monstrous gorilla charging at him, the ground trembling under the violence of the creature’s every heavy step. Its bestial roar ripped through the air, a savage sound that vibrated to his very bones.

The audience was already exulting, howling with anticipated pleasure, waiting with morbid greed for the violence to begin.

Isaac inhaled deeply, his muscles tensing instinctively, every fiber of his body preparing for battle. He immediately activated [Black Stone Skin], feeling his skin harden, covering itself with a protective dark layer that immediately reinforced his defense and power.

The creature, furious and savage, charged straight at him, raising clouds of sand behind it. Isaac lunged to dodge, instantly adopting the initial position of the first kata.

"Raijin no Kata: Shidensen", he murmured rapidly.

His body literally became a bolt of lightning, moving with extreme speed and precision, dodging the brutal strike of the gorilla’s massive fist which slammed violently into the ground, throwing sand everywhere. Isaac took advantage of the opening to retaliate immediately, striking with all his might with his black katana, which clearly split the creature’s thick skin.

But even though the blade had clearly penetrated the thick flesh, the gorilla seemed to feel only minor pain, barely enough to slow him down momentarily.

The beast howled in anger and, with surprising agility for its size, swung sharply, sending a massive backhand with devastating force.

Isaac, taken by surprise, had only time to activate [Black Stone Skin] to reinforce his defense. The blow struck him hard, throwing him backwards several metres. Such was the power of the impact that he felt several of his ribs crack painfully, despite his defensive skills. Breathless, he rolled violently across the arena sand, before coming to a heavy halt, spitting a stream of blood onto the ground in front of him.

The crowd roared with delight, thrilled by the brutality of the scene.

"Damn, this monster’s too tough", he thought with growing anxiety, his breath coming in sharp gasps from the searing pain pulsing through his body.

He struggled to his feet, staggering slightly on his shaky legs. The gorilla was charging again, its red eyes filled with murderous rage.

Isaac gritted his teeth, his fingers clenched painfully around the black katana. He concentrated all his determination, all his willpower in his breathing, calming his thoughts, forcing his battered body back into perfect posture.

"I’ve got to find an opening," he said angrily to himself, his thoughts echoing intensely in his mind.

Again, he launched his technique:

- "Raijin no Kata: Shidensen!"

The katana sliced through the monster’s skin once more, but the wound was superficial. The furious gorilla immediately turned with a roar and slammed savagely into the ground, shaking the whole arena.

Isaac barely dodged, but the sand thrown violently into his eyes momentarily blurred his vision. Taking immediate advantage of this imbalance, the gorilla inflicted a violent blow that threw him back against a wall, this time with even greater violence than before. He clearly felt his ribs crack even more under the terrifying impact, intense pain exploding throughout his body.

Isaac struggled to his feet, feeling the thick, metallic taste of blood in his mouth. He wobbled on his legs, his ears ringing loudly, his senses blurred by the intense pain.

In the stands, the announcer exulted:

- Look at this magnificent futile resistance! This human doesn’t want to die easily, but how long can he hold out against the brutality of our gorilla berserker!

Isaac sat up slowly, his thoughts suddenly very clear despite his state. A crazy but lucid idea suddenly emerged in his confused mind:

"I must combine the two movements of the Kata."

He inhaled deeply, concentrating all his willpower on this new idea. He slowly closed his eyes, ignoring the gorilla’s violent roar, the audience’s howls, the searing pain throughout his body.

"Lightning strikes without hesitation or remorse. My body is precise. My mind clear. I am lightning."

Isaac abruptly opened his eyes at the exact moment the gorilla charged towards him again.

He immediately executed the first Kata to perfection, his body propelling itself at supernatural speed to the side, dodging the gorilla’s brutal attack. Then, immediately after dodging, without wasting a fraction of a second, he unleashed the Kata’s second technique: the "Shinsoku".

This time, everything was perfect.

His body swung with impeccable balance, the blade tracing a swift, fluid arc of surgical precision. His katana tore through the massive gorilla’s throat in a brilliant, clean attack, as sharp as lightning itself.

The creature, frozen in mid-motion, its mouth open in a mute howl, fell slowly to the ground. Its massive body collapsed heavily, raising a cloud of sand and dust, perfectly dead.

Isaac, panting and covered in blood, slowly reopened his eyes. The total silence in the arena lasted only a second before the audience erupted in excited howls, impressed by the incredible violence of this sudden conclusion.

[Ding!]

[Successful creation of new skill: Lightning Kata chaining (Active) level 1]

[Description: Perfect combination of Shidensen and Shinsoku. Triggers a series of high-speed strikes, drastically increasing the effectiveness of attacks and enabling critical damage to be caused even on extremely resistant targets].

A new notification appeared immediately afterwards:

[Ding!]

[Boss defeated! Absorption available: Physical statistics or Physical skill?]

Still trembling with pain, Isaac immediately muttered:

- Physical stats.

[Ding!]

Isaac, exhausted but victorious, slowly raised his bloodied katana in the air, silently defying the crowd who had suddenly fallen into stunned silence at this totally unexpected turn of events.

Finally, the announcer shouted with hysterical excitement:

- INCREDIBLE VICTORY FOR MORDRED! WHAT A PRODIGIOUS TECHNIQUE! THE HUMAN IS TRULY INCREDIBLE!

Some spectators stood up, slowly applauding in astonishment. Others, furious, howled their displeasure, but the dragon princess stared at Mordred with unsettling intensity, her enigmatic smile seeming to say that she had anticipated this result.

The gate behind him opened abruptly, revealing two dragon-guards who were visibly annoyed but impressed in spite of themselves. They advanced slowly, looking at him with a mixture of distrust and newfound respect.

- Come on, vermin," said one of them in a tone slightly less contemptuous than usual. Go back to your cell. You’ve earned the right to a little rest this time.

Isaac slowly sheathed his black katana, feeling the stinging pain of each of his wounds as he slowly crossed the arena towards the dark corridors leading to the prison.

His weapon was taken from him and he was given time to change.

- Right, then! Let’s enjoy the show now.

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