The Night Walker's head rolled across the stone floor, its body dissolving into grey mist. Well, this human is more skilled than I thought.
Another Night Walker lunged, but Helios met it mid-air, his blade carving a jagged diagonal across its torso. "It seems these things only die when you take the head," he grunted, twisting his grip to decapitate the beast in one fluid motion before plunging his sword into the chest of another.
Well, mortal, don't forget our deal. The ground trembled violently, the stone slabs of the arena cracking as twenty more shadows rose from the earth.
"Damned crown," Helios hissed, wiping sweat and ichor from his brow. "It lied. I've only killed two, and now there are thirty-eight left?" He tightened both hands around his hilt and charged.
He moved like a whirlwind, a horizontal slash shearing through the necks of two monsters simultaneously. Sensing a presence behind him, he spun, blocking the snapping jaws of a leaping Night Walker with the flat of his blade. He kicked the creature back with a heavy boot and, before it could recover, ended it with a diagonal strike that sent its head spinning.
You have some skill, human. Keep this up, and you might be worthy to wear me.
"Stupid crown!" Helios spat, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "Who do you think is going to wear you if these things kill me first?"
He ducked under a clawed swipe, retaliating with a twin decapitation that left two more bodies fading into smoke. But the numbers were too great. A cold sting flared in his back as a hidden claw caught him, reopening wounds that had barely begun to clot.
Pain surged through him. Why am I doing this? he thought, his knees buckling. I've been alive for only two days and I'm going to die again. Despair began to take hold until a Night Walker's claw tore into his right shoulder. The shock of pain snapped him back to reality. He snarled, taking the creature's head and spinning into a wide arc that downed two more.
There are still so many... He looked at the sea of shadows. But if I die, who's going to take care of Luna? I can't leave her alone in that horrible place.
Steel returned to his gaze. He cleaved through another neck, his movements fueled by desperate resolve.
Oh, you still haven't given up? How interesting you are, human.
"Think, Helios, think!" he muttered to himself. Who said I had to kill them all to get the crown? It's just sitting there. No one is stopping me from taking it.
He spotted a momentary gap in the swarm and bolted. He carved through two monsters blocking his path and leapt onto the inner wall of the Colosseum. He slammed his sword into the masonry, using it as a piton to hoist himself up, repeating the gruelling process until he reached the upper tiers.
Well, it seems you aren't a useless human. You can still think under pressure. How interesting indeed.
The Night Walkers began scrambling up the walls like spiders. Helios sprinted up the steep stairs of the stands.
You thought it would be that easy to claim me? Think again.
Shadows flickered, and more monsters materialized directly in his path. Helios didn't slow down. He pivoted around four hulking shapes, his boots skidding on the stone. He decapitated a pursuer and kicked its fading carcass into the crowd below to buy a second of time. He reached the summit, breathless, and cut down the final two guardians. The remaining horde suddenly stopped at the edge of the top tier, refusing to advance.
Human, you have been an interesting toy, but it's time we stopped playing.
Helios skidded to a halt, his heart hammering against his ribs. "What are you talking about now, you useless crown? I don't like the sound of that."
A rift of absolute darkness tore open in the air. A figure emerged: a towering knight clad in ornate black plate armour with sharp, claw-like gauntlets and a tattered crimson cape that billowed in an unfelt wind.
This will be your final opponent: the Knight Lord Arthur. I hope you don't die too quickly.
"This is bad," Helios whispered, his vision blurring from blood loss. "How am I supposed to fight that?"
Arthur didn't wait. He charged with unnatural speed, bringing a massive greatsword down in a crushing vertical strike. Helios caught the blow on his blade, the impact vibrating through his bones, but Arthur followed through with a brutal kick to his stomach.
Helios flew backwards, coughing. He scrambled up and lunged, throwing a vertical slash that Arthur parried effortlessly. Helios pulled back, transitioning into a diagonal strike, but the Knight Lord stepped back with ghostly grace.
In the heartbeat, Helios was off-balance, Arthur's blade flicked out, carving a deep, jagged line across Helios's face. Blood blinded one eye. Instead of retreating, Helios roared and drove his sword straight into Arthur's midsection, ripping the blade sideways to tear open the breastplate.
Inside the armour, there was no flesh—only swirling, hollow shadow.
Oh, I forgot to mention, human... he is an upgraded version of the Night Walkers.
"You should have told me that a few minutes ago, you useless thing!" Helios shouted. "So I just need to take his head off, right?"
He circled the knight, looking for a flaw in the impenetrable defence. Arthur swung again, a wide, killing blow. Helios dropped low, the wind of the blade whistling over his hair. He slashed at the knight's side, but the shadow metal held.
"I need to wait for him to overextend," Helios breathed.
Arthur raised his sword for a final, overhead execution. This was it. As the blade began its descent, Helios leaned into the danger, sliding past the knight's guard. With every ounce of strength remaining, he swung upward. The steel met the shadow-neck, and the Knight Lord's helmeted head left its shoulders.
The crown's laughter echoed through the Colosseum.
"Why is this thing laughing? Don't tell me..." Helios watched as the body began to dissolve into embers. "You evil thing, why are you laughing?"
Nothing, nothing. It's been so long since someone won a battle against Arthur. This shows you are worthy to wear me, even if you are but a mortal.
A shimmering staircase of light materialized, leading to the high pedestal where the crown rested.
What, human? Are you not going to claim your prize?
"Finally," Helios groaned, limping toward the light. "I can get out of here. And it sounds like I have a summon now."
He reached the top and looked at the artefact. It was magnificent—forged from a metal darker than night, featuring a brilliant blue gem in the centre and two burning red stones on the sides, each topped with cruel, elegant spikes.
A blue soul-light flickered into existence beside it. Helios recoiled, hand on his hilt. "Another opponent? He doesn't look like a Night Walker... he looks human."
Don't be on guard. This is the one who will crown you.
"A coronation?" Helios muttered.
The spectral figure lifted the crown. Helios hesitated, then lowered himself onto one knee. The spirit placed the cold metal onto his brow.
"This feels... weird. Now what?"
The moment he stood, the crown erupted in a blinding golden radiance. The gold quickly bled into a deep, abyssal black. Dark armour, identical to the Knight Lord's, crawled over Helios's skin, encasing him in shadow and steel.
"Whoa... so this is it?"
Of course not. Why don't you take a seat on your throne, human?
Helios walked toward the grand chair at the peak. "This is taking forever. What's next?"
As he sat, the world began to fracture. The Colosseum walls didn't just crumble; they vanished into a void. "Why is everything disappearing? I'm going to fall!"
The void didn't stay empty. In a heartbeat, the ruins were replaced by a grand, vaulted throne room. A lush red carpet rolled out before his feet. On either side of the dais, four armoured knights stood at attention. Below the steps, a legion of Night Walkers dropped to their knees in perfect unison.
Helios leaned back into the throne, his single visible red eye glowing with an ancient, terrifying power. His dark hair lengthened, spilling over his shoulders as he gazed down at his subjects.
A title burned into his mind, cold and absolute: The Sovereign King of Nightmares.