Capítulo 52: Dance of Rust and Steel
Sunlight, harsh and merciless, baked the gladiatorial sands of the Colosseum. Dust swirled like smoke in the roaring stands, a hungry audience thirsting for blood and bone. In the center, Jikirukuto, weathered warrior and prisoner of fate, stood defiant. He wasn't just flesh and bone; he was a storm brewing within, his mind a whirlwind of calculations and counter-plans.
His opponent, a blur of lean muscle and flashing blades, charged like a viper with a glint of cruel delight in his eyes. The swordsman moved with a dancer's grace, a lethal ballet of spinning steel. But Jikirukuto watched, not with fear, but with the cold precision of a hawk eyeing its prey.
Every clang of metal, every flicker of sunlight off the swords, spoke volumes to Jikirukuto's trained eyes. He saw the swordsman's predictable patterns, the telltale wobble in his left wrist, the slight hesitation before the final lunge. Jikirukuto's lips curled into a grim smile. He was a scientist in this arena of death, dissecting his opponent's movements with the scalpel of logic.
The first clash was a whirlwind of fury. The swordsman struck like a viper, his blades a blur aimed at Jikirukuto's heart. But Jikirukuto, anticipating the move, raised his shield, a battered circle of iron scarred by countless battles. He tilted it at a precise 45-degree angle, deflecting the blow with a clang that echoed through the stands.
Time seemed to stretch, every movement slowed to a crawl in Jikirukuto's mind. His spear, a weathered companion honed to needle-sharpness, became an extension of his will. In a flash, he thrust, a viper striking back against the cobra. The spear, propelled by four meters of pure fury, met the swordsman's leg with a sickening crunch.
A scream, raw and primal, tore through the air. The swordsman crumpled, clutching his mangled leg, crimson blossoming against the pale sand. Jikirukuto felt a flicker of satisfaction, but it was quickly shadowed by a deeper unease. The spear, its tip slick with blood, bore an unwelcome glint of rust – a silent harbinger of death.
Rust, they called it, the insidious enemy that lurked in even the mightiest weapons. It whispered promises of festering wounds, of tetanus' cruel grip, of muscle spasms that choked the breath from your lungs. Jikirukuto knew the risk intimately; it was a constant companion in this gladiatorial hell.
He watched the swordsman writhe, his breaths shallow and raspy, his handsome face contorted in agony. Each spasm, each shuddering cough, echoed in Jikirukuto's own gut. He was the victor, yes, but victory tasted bitter in the face of this invisible foe.
As the arena roared with bloodthirsty glee, Jikirukuto knelt beside his fallen opponent. Not out of pity, but because he needed to know. He checked the wound, tracing the path of the spear with a practiced eye. The gash was deep, bone visible beneath torn flesh. And there, a tiny speck of red-brown, the insidious glint of rust.
Jikirukuto looked up, his gaze meeting the swordsman's pleading eyes. In that shared moment, something flickered between them – a spark of humanity amidst the savagery. A silent exchange of questions, of fear, of the desperate clinging to life.
"Five percent," he whispered, his voice rough against the sand-choked air. "That's what the healers say. Five percent chance you'll see another sunrise."
The swordsman's breath hitched, his eyes widening with terror. In that moment, Jikirukuto was no longer the victor, but a harbinger of mortality. He had won the battle, but the war against rust, against fate, was far from over.
As the medics swarmed towards the stricken swordsman, Jikirukuto rose, the weight of his victory heavy on his shoulders. He turned towards the roaring stands, a cold defiance burning in his eyes. He was Jikirukuto, the Rust Warrior, and his gladiatorial dance had just begun.
Cliffhanger: Jikirukuto faces a new set of challenges: the silent threat of rust, the unpredictable whispers of fate, and the ever-present hunger of the Colosseum. Will he survive to see another sunrise?
Estado de energía semanal
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