Zogo turned to Harsha with a strange smile.
"Come with me," he said simply.
Harsha followed, curiosity rising in his chest. They moved through a narrow wooden path behind the old hut, overgrown with vines and moss.
And then—
The trees parted.
What lay beyond made Harsha stop in his tracks.
A colossal stadium-like structure towered from the jungle floor, hidden behind Zogo's house the whole time. Circular, ancient, and battle-worn. Moss clung to its cracked stone walls, and the air buzzed with some forgotten energy.
But the strangest part?
> From the outside... it was invisible.
It didn't shimmer. It didn't blur. It simply didn't exist to the naked eye unless you walked through the hidden path. An entire arena cloaked from the world.
> "What the… I never knew this was here," Harsha whispered, eyes wide. "It was invisible…"
Zogo didn't stop walking.
"It's one of the best creations that boy has ever made," he said calmly. "The second strongest warriors in my collection have all trained here."
Harsha narrowed his eyes. "If he's that precious… why are you giving him to me?"
Zogo chuckled — a low, tired sound.
"Because I'm done with him."
Harsha raised a brow. "You? Giving up? You don't seem like the kind of guy who'd take a loss — even for someone like Sephara."
Zogo's gaze darkened.
"That kid's a headache. Never lets me sell his inventions. Refuses every quest sent his way. I get dozens of contracts every week — he turns them all down. Says if someone wants his help, they need to defeat him first."
Harsha blinked. "Defeat him?"
Zogo nodded. "In combat. One-on-one. No exceptions. And the sad part? No one's ever even laid a finger on him. Some ran away mid-match. Others never came back. I can't afford his experiments anymore. He's a genius, sure. But also… a problem."
They walked in silence until they reached the stadium's inner ring — cracked floor tiles, scorched walls, and strange metallic hooks embedded along the arena's border.
"So what's the name of this little warrior?" Harsha asked.
"Yug," Zogo replied.
"Yug… that's it?"
Before Zogo could reply, a cold, commanding voice echoed from the shadows above:
> "Don't worry… you won't be alive long enough to say it again."
A figure leapt from the top of the stadium.
The air trembled. Dust exploded around the impact point as the boy landed with a heavy thud, iron rod in hand.
Harsha coughed, squinting through the smoke — and then saw him.
Lean, sharp-eyed, with wild black hair and a look that screamed confidence and fury. His presence alone bent the air.
> "So he's Yug…" Harsha muttered. "Okay. I admit it. He's something else."
Zogo folded his arms and nodded.
"If he agrees to guide you, he'll take you to the Sacred Forest of Shadows. He's been visiting it for two years — gathering rare Shadow Stones for his research."
Yug's voice cut through the air.
> "That's enough. Stop telling this little baby my business. He's not going anywhere — because he's going back in pieces."
Harsha smirked. "Look who's calling me little."
Yug's eyes narrowed. "I don't fight weaklings. And this guy?"
He pointed to Harsha. "Fell for a rabbit trap. Let Zara steal from him. Pathetic."
"I didn't know!" Harsha protested.
"Exactly," Yug snapped. "That's why I don't fight idiots."
Harsha grinned slyly. "Instead of showing off your tongue's strength, why not let your fists speak?"
Yug didn't move. Then, slowly, he lifted his rod and spoke with eerie calm:
> "What makes humans and goblins the supreme species?
Is it speed?
Strength?
Agility?
Stamina?
Tactics?
Instinct?"
He raised a finger.
> "No. It's knowledge. Knowledge is what puts us above beasts and monsters."
Harsha shrugged. "All that knowledge, and yet still afraid of a little boy like me."
The taunt hit home.
Yug stepped forward, voice colder than steel.
"You want to prove yourself? Step into the cage . We fight till one of us falls."
"Let's see how long your mouth lasts."
Harsha walked into the center confidently.
From above, Zara leaned over the railing, laughing wildly.
> "Now that's what I call 'Invite the bull, and get gored!'"
Yug climbed two floors of the stadium, unlocking a strange capsule from a wall panel. He placed it in the center of the ring.
A mechanical hum filled the arena as glowing blue lines lit up around the floor.
The ground beneath Harsha began to vibrate.
"Zogo, out," Yug ordered. "He's in now. Arena's locking down."
The old goblin gave one last look at Harsha, then exited the perimeter with a sigh.
Yug stared at Harsha. "Choose your weapon."
Harsha glanced at the wall. Blades. Axes. Whips. Energy rods. All sorts of brutal options.
But he turned back and said firmly,
"I'm not here to kill. This isn't an official quest. So no weapons."
Yug smirked. "Then prepare to cry to your mommy when I break every bone in your smug little body."
Harsha cracked his knuckles. "Bring it."
With a loud mechanical clang, the voice command was activated.
> "CAGE COMBAT – INITIATED."
Blue light formed a dome above them — the match had begun.
---
Above the arena, orphans started pouring in from nearby huts. Cheers, whistles, and bets erupted around the ring.
Zara stood on a stone table, grinning wide.
> "Ladies and weirdos! Place your bets! It's genius vs. idiot, Brave vs timid , The warrior vs. bangle boy, the predator vs the prey
! LET THE MADNESS BEGIN!"
The hum of electricity was like a warning growl—deep, unnatural, and charged with the promise of pain. A glowing blue energy cage descended from above, locking into the arena floor with a hiss of steam and light.
From outside, Zara's voice crackled over the speakers,
> "Ladies and goblins! Get ready for a fight that will burn into your brain—because this one's going to hurt!"
Inside the cage, Yug stepped forward, tapping the iron rod in his hand against the floor.
> "This cage is laced with high-voltage energy," he announced casually, smirking at Harsha. "Strong enough to kill a grown man. And it'll shrink every minute. So don't come crying later, saying you didn't know."
Harsha didn't respond. He simply adjusted the bangles on his wrists, letting the silver glint under the arena lights.
And then, Yug charged.
The first swing of the iron rod came fast—deadly.
CLANG! Harsha blocked it with his forearms. The bangles shimmered with each strike, absorbing the brutal force. Sparks erupted in the air as iron met enchanted alloy, the smell of ozone filling the shrinking space.
The crowd roared.
"Aw, look at him go," Zara sneered. "Bangle Boy thinks he's a real warrior now!"
Yug swung again—harder—but Harsha caught the rod this time. With a growl, he threw Yug with all his might across the cage.
Yug flipped in mid-air, landed on his feet, and smiled darkly.
> "So… I'm fighting an animal. Good. Let's see what happens when this animal meets a predator."
Yug crushed a Shield Stone—its earthy magic forming a floating platform in mid-air. He rebounded off it, twisted mid-air, and slammed down with a full-force strike.
Harsha raised his bangles. CRACK! The shock lit the cage with light.
> "That tickles," Harsha said with a bloodied grin. "Like a baby scratching. Oh, sorry… I forgot—you are a baby."
Zara's voice screeched:
> "Ooooh! Someone get the bangle boy a leash!"
Both fighters stepped back. Yug tapped his belt—a high-tech storage enhancer. A Mirage Stone ejected and, with a flick, he crushed it.
In an instant, he vanished.
WHACK! A hit to Harsha's side.
THWACK! One to the back.
But the third—Harsha anticipated. He ducked, spun, and kicked.
BAM! Yug was knocked back, visibility flickering.
> "Got you," Harsha growled.
In response, Yug activated a Graviton Push Stone. A burst of force sent Harsha flying across the cage, crashing to the floor with a heavy thud.
Harsha stood slowly, blood in his mouth.
> "What was that?"
> "You said fists only," Yug replied. "So close your mouth, Bangle Boy—you haven't even touched me."
Harsha charged again, reckless and full of fury. But as he neared within ten meters, Yug raised a hand and cracked another stone.
Graviton Pull.
Harsha's body whipped forward, yanked by magnetic force.
CRACK! Yug struck him straight in the gut. Lightning arced. Harsha flew again, but this time he landed crouched, coughing blood—and laughing.
> "Let's dance."
He grabbed a discarded iron rod, snapped it in half, and spun the two jagged ends in his hands like twin blades.
> "Oh, so you wanna dance?" Yug smirked. "Fine. I'll show you rhythm."
Yug triggered another pull—but Harsha stabbed one rod into the floor, used it as a pivot, and spun with violent force—nullifying the effect. The second rod slashed at Yug.
CLANG! He blocked.
> "Not bad," Yug admitted. "Let's see how long you last."
He landed two hits—both to Harsha's skull. Blood spilled, but Harsha only smiled wider.
Then—he punched the ground.
BOOM! Tiles shattered. The ground surged upward—an earthquake.
Yug was tossed into the air.
Harsha leapt like a beast, caught him mid-air, and slammed him to the floor.
Yug countered just in time with a Water Shield, cushioning the impact. But Harsha ripped the rod from Yug's hands, struck the ground—
Spark!
> "Every third hit… it charges," Harsha whispered.
Yug, drenched, took the shock head-on.
He staggered but smiled.
> "You finally landed a blow. Keep it. You'll need it."
Harsha tossed the rod aside, raised a single hand.
> "Come on, predator."
Zara's voice cheered now for Yug:
> "Let's go, Yug! End this Bangle Boy's fairytale!"
Harsha whispered,
> "I'm not allowed to kill."
> "You're not capable of killing me," Yug spat.
They met again, this time—fist to fist, no weapons, no tricks.
And behind them, the electric cage buzzed louder… and closed in tighter.
Next Chapter 14: THE FIST THAT BIND PART 2
Author's Thought
🔥 So… who are you rooting for?
The unpredictable underdog with silver bangles and a storm in his fists?
Or the genius predator who's never been touched, never been beaten… until now?
⚔️
Tell me in the comments.