Mako had won.
To the rest of the crowd, it was over in less than a minute. They watched, stunned, as Catherine fell to the ground almost instantly.
Each time they looped back in time, Mako gained new scars, and the pain started anew. Catherine, on the other hand, felt the effects all at once.
She returned unscathed, only for Mako's attacks to hit like ghostly explosions in the air, every blow he'd landed returning in an instant.
'If it weren't for that initial blow…' Mako thought to himself. 'If it weren't for that left hook, I would've been defeated after going back.'
Everyone in the Grand Coliseum was applauding, astonished. Even those who wanted Mako crushed from the depths of their hearts joined in.
It was astounding. To their eyes, it was as if Mako had defeated Catherine without any effort.
Little did they know that the battle, which lasted mere minutes…
For Mako and Catherine, it might have spanned days or weeks…
Perhaps longer.
Only the two of them could keep track of it.
As Mako continued to raise his arm to the sky, triumphant, he shouted to the entire crowd, "This is my power! I can defeat anyone! Without even moving a muscle, I can defeat anyone!"
The crowd was even more shocked, clapping with renewed fervor.
Then, to everyone's surprise, the queen rose from her seat.
The announcer looked up and, with a tone of utmost respect and seriousness, said, "Please, esteemed audience, silence. The royalty will deliver their verdict."
The king was nowhere to be seen. After witnessing Mako's victory, he had vanished without a word.
The queen smiled warmly at the announcer's words.
The queen was a tall woman, her silver hair gleaming uniquely. Her long dress stood out with floral patterns, blending pastel blues and purples.
This elegant woman, wearing a pure gold tiara embedded with precious gems, raised her arm forward.
Her fist was closed, and with approval, she gave a thumbs-up.
"He's done it!" the announcer shouted as the silence shattered, the entire coliseum erupting in cheers.
Mako, seeing the queen, lowered his arm. After her gesture, there was no doubt…
"I did it," Mako said to himself amid the joyful shouts of the crowd. "I finally did it."
He sighed in relief.
It was like lifting a torturous weight off his shoulders.
He could hardly believe it. Used to the crowd's boos, Mako felt, for the first time, the sweet taste of victory accompanied by a glorious moment.
Many began chanting his name.
"Mako! Mako!"
Victorious, Mako walked away, relieved that it was all over.
How many bones had he broken in the fight?
How many cuts now scarred his body?
How many times had he teetered on the edge of death?
Only Mako knew.
As he passed through the massive doors he'd entered, the cheers of congratulations grew fainter and fainter.
Once the doors closed, all that remained was a distant murmur. An echo of his name, barely audible.
The place was empty.
Mako laughed.
"Damn it…" he said, collapsing to the ground. "I can't even call for medical help… Everyone must think I won effortlessly."
Though Catherine's ability no longer gnawed at his muscles with agonizing pain, exhaustion weighed on every part of him.
Still, Mako didn't seem defeated.
'I didn't do this alone,' he thought in the empty antechamber of the coliseum. 'Ana… Even Polifemo, ha. I'm doing this for my House, for every member…'
At that thought, Mako remembered Erick.
'Well, almost everyone.'
◇◆◇
The news of Mako's victory spread like wildfire.
"I told you, I told you!" Fox said from his casino, smoking and drinking wildly. "And you didn't trust me, you idiots."
The thugs laughed at their drunken leader as they celebrated in the casino's grand hall.
"Come on, boss. Don't be so hard on us. Think of the poor bastards who bet against him," one thug said, holding a mug of beer overflowing with foam.
"Yeah! Yeah! Now we're even richer," another thug added beside him.
Fox just laughed, tossing gold coins into the air like confetti.
But the news didn't just reach the underworld of Galandria.
In one of the hidden corners of hell, a small demon reporter was spreading the juicy news like hotcakes.
"Extra! Extra!" the tiny flying demon shouted, dropping pamphlets and newspapers.
One of those papers landed on the head of another demon with a balloon-like body, a single massive eye, tiny wings, and even shorter limbs.
It was Polifemo.
"Damn it, they don't watch where they throw their trash," Polifemo grumbled, rubbing his forehead as he bent to pick up the newspaper.
Upon reading the headline, his eye nearly popped out of its socket.
"KRYAAAAAAAA!" Polifemo screamed so loudly that every demon around turned to look.
Polifemo, who had been in hell for days, was still stuck in an endless queue to return to the mortal world.
"How long have I been down here? Please, I have to see them again, my God," Polifemo sobbed.
"Hey! Watch your language," a nearby demon snapped.
Polifemo, ignoring him, clutched the newspaper with a photo of Mako, fist raised in triumph.
"That bastard…" Polifemo said through tears. "Ah, but don't get cocky, you jerk! You've still got a lot to learn!"
◇◆◇
Mako prepared to leave the Grand Coliseum at last.
He could hardly believe the incredible feat he'd achieved.
As he was about to pass through the entrance arch, a crowd greeted him.
But despite the noisy scene, only one person in that multitude caught Mako's eye:
It was Ana.