At the Grim Court, it was forbidden to kill one’s opponent. This was one of the most important rules.

However, only a small fraction of the fights usually became so intense that there was a risk of mortal danger to one of the fighters.

If there were a clear imbalance in strength between the two fighters, the fight would end rather quickly. In such cases, everything was resolved swiftly and safely.

Still, even if both fighters were evenly matched, it was extremely rare for one of them to land an attack capable of killing the other. Even if that happened, the judge would always be faster and stop the fight.

But... not this time.

Zin and Adam were exchanging their final attacks, which would decide the fight’s outcome. No matter how much Leerna wanted to, she couldn’t intervene until they had both launched their attacks. She could only react to the consequences.

Everyone had seen the abilities Adam had gained. Leerna logically assumed that he would first have to charge his blood orb before unleashing a devastating blast.

It turned out differently.

Tap.

The moment Adam’s palm touched Zin’s chest, it was all over.

Sure, in less than a split second, Leerna found herself to Adam’s right, ready to stop him, but even she couldn’t be that fast.

She realized it was a fatal attack only after Adam had already done it.

Right before her eyes, as well as before a hundred spectators, a part of Zin’s chest vanished, becoming a void, just like his heart.

Now, instead of a heart, his chest was hollow, and only a few drops flashed before his eyes.

However, instead of panic or fear of death, there was a faint smile on Zin’s face and a gaze so deep it was as if he had seen all the secrets of the universe in a single moment.

This lasted less than a breath, but that time was enough for Zin to hear the sound of his own death.

For someone who sought out sounds and saw treasures in the rarest of them, this was indeed a unique gift. Without Adam’s help, Zin would never have been able to find it.

THUD!

With a dull thud, Zin’s back hit the ground as he fell.

A cold sweat broke out on Leerna’s forehead. Her gaze wavered. This was not supposed to happen, ever.

"ZIN!!!" Es’aha cried out in panic as her aura burst forth at full power.

In a heartbeat, four shadows rushed toward the arena, arriving beside Zin and doing everything in their power to save his life. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Es’aha herself possessed no special healing abilities suitable for such a wound, and now she had only one thought - how to destroy Adam.

Whoooooosh!

In a heartbeat, she appeared before Adam as her fist hovered in front of his face.

The shockwave from her punch sent a gust of wind that ruffled his hair and coat.

Strangely enough, Adam was calm. He had expected something like this, and though Es’aha could have killed him with a single hit, he was certain it wouldn’t happen.

Clutch.

Someone’s hand was gripping Es’aha’s wrist tightly, preventing her fist from moving any further.

With a look full of rage, Es’aha turned, glaring at Kaerno.

"Let go of my hand, Kaerno!!!" she roared, shaking the entire arena.

Seeing a monster like Es’aha in a rage was a disaster in itself. If she started fighting without controlling her power, it could end in a painful death for everyone except Thorns.

"No," Kaerno replied calmly. "None of the fighters should die. That’s part of the rules. I thought you were the type who always follows the rules. Or was I wrong?"

Es’aha bared her teeth.

"He killed Zin! How can you talk about rules after what happened?!"

Clutch!

Es’aha clenched her other fist, preparing to attack again, no matter what.

Leerna’s eyes widened in panic as she hurried to stop her. She had to save at least one of the fighters.

But it seemed nothing could stop Es’aha now. After all, she was one of the strongest monsters in all of the Hollow Lands.

"W-Wait..."

Suddenly, a hoarse, faint voice sounded from behind, as if coming from the afterlife.

Es’aha froze as she realized who was speaking. With a pale face, she slowly turned over her shoulder only to see Zin struggling to get up from the ground.

"No! It’s too soon!" One of the monsters treating him exclaimed, but Zin ignored her.

Soon, all eyes turned to the hollow in his chest.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The sound waves beat vigorously, radiating outward and pushing blood through his veins. They mimicked the work of the heart he had lost just seconds ago.

Sure, it was only a stopgap measure. Without proper medical care, Zin would die in a few minutes when his energy ran out, and his blood was needed for something more than a fake heartbeat.

However, in his situation, it was more than enough.

The combined efforts of the four monsters possessing the best healing abilities among the hundreds of spectators were already bearing fruit.

Zin’s bleeding had stopped. Small cuts glowed with a faint green light as they healed rapidly, but there was still a great deal of work ahead, especially regarding the restoration of his lost left arm and his heart.

Es’aha gulped. "Z-Zin... Are you alive?"

She immediately turned to Kaerno, looking at him with shock and outrage.

"You... When did you realize he was alive?! Answer me!"

Kaerno smirked. "Almost immediately. Unlike you, I was looking at the aftermath of the last attack rather than busy killing one of them. Mind you, I wasn’t the first to realize it."

He pointed at Adam, who was standing in the same spot as during his attack.

"This guy realized what had happened before anyone else. Huh, why do you think he’s so calm?"

Es’aha was speechless.

"A-Adam, is that true?"

In response, he looked at Zin and nodded slightly.

"Yes. I gave him the sound of his own death, and he created the sound of his life. Everything happened exactly as it was meant to."

Now their fight was officially over.

One winner and one loser.