I, the slave boy, awaken with the most potent seed!!

The Butcher\'s response was a guttural roar that shook the very foundations of the arena. He charged forward, his metallic fists raised high.

Zafron, still riding the wave of his Berserker Mode, met the charge head-on. His fist, encased in hardened red slime, collided with the Butcher\'s jaw. The impact reverberated through the arena, sending shockwaves that rippled through the air.

But the Butcher wasn\'t fazed. He grabbed Zafron\'s arm, using the momentum to hurl him across the arena. Zafron\'s body slammed into the wall, leaving a crater in its wake.

"Zafron!" Sakura cried out, her momentary distraction costing her.

The Butcher\'s massive hand closed around her throat, lifting her off the ground. Sakura clawed at his arm, her nails leaving deep gouges in his flesh, but the Butcher seemed impervious to pain.

"Is this all you\'ve got, little kitten?" the Butcher sneered, tightening his grip.

Sakura\'s eyes flashed with anger. Her body began to shift, fur sprouting across her skin as her features took on a more feline aspect. With a yowl of rage, she kicked out, her newly formed claws raking across the Butcher\'s face.

Blood sprayed from the deep gashes, momentarily blinding the giant. He stumbled back, releasing Sakura, who landed on all fours, her tail lashing behind her.

"Who\'s the little kitten now, asshole?" she spat, her voice a low growl.

From the sidelines, Draco watched with growing frustration. "What are you doing?" he shouted at the Butcher. "Finish them!"

The Butcher wiped the blood from his eyes, his face contorted with rage. "Shut your mouth, Draco! I don\'t see you down here fighting!"

Zafron, having extricated himself from the wall, rejoined the fray. His body moved with inhuman speed, closing the distance between him and the Butcher in the blink of an eye.

"Forgot about me?" Zafron growled, driving his fist into the Butcher\'s solar plexus.

The Butcher doubled over, the air driven from his lungs. But even as he gasped for breath, his hand shot out, catching Zafron by the ankle. With a roar of effort, he swung Zafron like a club, using him to bat Sakura aside.

The two fighters tumbled across the arena floor, a tangle of limbs and fur. They came to a stop near the edge of the fighting pit, both momentarily stunned.

"Well," Sakura groaned, pushing herself up, "that was new."

Zafron staggered to his feet, his vision swimming. The Berserker Mode was taking its toll, each movement sending waves of pain through his body.

[My lord, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your Berserker Mode will deactivate in approximately two minutes,] Calista\'s voice echoed in his head.

"Fantastic," Zafron muttered. "Any other good news?"

[Well, on the bright side, you haven\'t been turned into a pancake yet. Shall we call that a win?]

The crowd was going wild, their cheers and jeers creating a cacophony that threatened to drown out all other sound.

"Rip their heads off!"

"Show \'em what you\'re made of, Butcher!"

"Come on, Slimy! Don\'t let that overgrown meat sack push you around!"

The Butcher advanced on Zafron and Sakura, his steps leaving small craters in the arena floor. Blood still flowed from the gashes on his face, giving him a nightmarish appearance.

"I\'m going to enjoy this," he growled, cracking his knuckles.

Sakura\'s ears flattened against her head, her tail puffed up to twice its size. "Got any bright ideas, rookie?" she hissed to Zafron.

Zafron\'s mind raced, searching for a strategy. His eyes landed on the discarded gauntlet near Draco. "Maybe one," he said. "Can you keep big and ugly busy for a minute?"

Sakura\'s lips curled into a feral grin. "Oh, I think I can manage that."

She launched herself at the Butcher, her claws extended. The giant raised his arms to block, but Sakura was too quick. She darted around him, her claws leaving a crisscross of bloody furrows across his back.

The Butcher roared in pain and fury, spinning around to try and catch the nimble cat-girl. But Sakura was always one step ahead, ducking and weaving around his massive frame.

"What\'s wrong, big guy?" she taunted. "Can\'t keep up with little old me?"

While Sakura kept the Butcher distracted, Zafron made a break for the gauntlet. He could feel his strength waning with each step, the Berserker Mode\'s energy rapidly depleting.

Draco, realizing Zafron\'s intent, moved to intercept him. "Oh no, you don\'t," he snarled, stepping into Zafron\'s path.

Zafron didn\'t slow down. Instead, he lowered his shoulder and barreled into Draco, sending them both tumbling to the ground. They grappled furiously, each trying to gain the upper hand.

"You\'re out of your league, boy," Draco spat, managing to pin Zafron beneath him.

Zafron\'s response was a headbutt that sent Draco reeling back, blood pouring from his now-broken nose. "Maybe," Zafron panted, "but I\'m not the one bleeding."

He scrambled to his feet, diving for the gauntlet. His fingers closed around the cool metal just as a shadow fell over him.

The Butcher had finally managed to catch Sakura, holding her aloft by her tail. With a casual flick of his wrist, he sent her flying across the arena.

"No more games," the Butcher growled, advancing on Zafron.

Zafron raised the gauntlet, desperately trying to figure out how it worked. "Come on, come on," he muttered.

The Butcher\'s massive fist came down like a sledgehammer. Zafron raised the gauntlet in a futile attempt to block—

And a burst of energy exploded from the gauntlet, catching the Butcher square in the chest. The giant was lifted off his feet, hurled back across the arena to crash into the opposite wall.

The crowd went wild, their cheers reaching a fever pitch.

"Holy shit!" someone yelled. "Did you see that?"