Todd's ten opponents are subtly divided into three camps.
Three people from the North Island, covered in tattoos and each carrying two hand axes, stood at the front of the group.
Warriors from five barbarian tribes, four men and one woman, stood in the center.
The two who were at the back were a tall and thin man and a stocky and sturdy man, who looked somewhat like people from the plains of the south.
After assessing the strength of the enemy before him, Todd twirled his longsword and placed his shield in front of his chest.
In his mind, he recalled a sentence that Cumberland had once told him on the battlefield: Any enemy that appears in battle formation, no matter how well coordinated, will inevitably have flaws in its formation when marching and attacking.
Todd positioned himself behind his shield, adopting a defensive stance, his eyes fixed on the ten men in front of him, wondering if everything was as they claimed.
As expected.
Seeing that Todd did not attack, a small dispute arose among the ten gladiators regarding tactical arrangements.
Ultimately, the North Islanders, eager to take Todd's head, launched the first attack.
Ignoring the shouts from those behind them, the three gladiators suddenly accelerated to their maximum speed and charged straight at Todd.
After estimating the time and distance, Todd slowly retreated, creating a gap between the enemies.
Amid the gasps of the audience, Todd crouched down, first using his shield to block the axe blow from the fastest charging man, then lunged forward, burrowing into the enemy's arms, pinning him against the shield, and suddenly yanking him off.
The North Island warrior was lifted off the ground by the immense force transmitted from the shield, propelling his body into the air.
Todd seized the opportunity, flipped his body 360 degrees in mid-air, and as the enemy fell, his longsword drew a beautiful arc in the air, severing the opponent's neck precisely.
The sword flashed, and blood splattered.
The headless corpse fell to the ground, and the entire arena suddenly fell silent.
Less than fifteen seconds into the game, one of Todd's opponents was killed in a single blow.
But what truly stunned everyone present was not just that.
The routines of gladiatorial combat in the North are simple and monotonous, mostly consisting of one person slashing and another thrusting. Therefore, very few people have ever witnessed this dance-like series of attacks.
Cheers and applause rose and fell, and the atmosphere at the scene was like a bomb ignited by a spark, completely exploding in the "red circle".
The two remaining North Island warriors took a few steps back in unison, exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, raised their axes, and charged at Todd side by side once more.
Taking a deep breath, Todd abandoned his defense and sprinted toward his two opponents.
Just as he was about to collide with the two, Todd suddenly leaned back, knelt down, and used the momentum of his run and the mud on the ground to form a "bridge" position, sliding all the way through the enemy's encirclement.
The axe blade grazed Todd's nose, and the two North Island gladiators stared in disbelief at their side, using a slide to dodge their opponent's attack.
As they passed each other, Todd swung his sword with his right hand, slicing it across one man's abdomen; with his left hand, he struck another man's knee with his shield, severely injuring both North Islanders to the ground.
The gladiator, his abdomen slashed open, his intestines spilling out onto the ground, lay there groaning in agony, clearly not going to live.
The other man, whose knee had been shattered, struggled to turn around. Just as he was about to observe the enemy's position, a rapidly spinning, ever-enlarging shield in his pupils plunged him into endless darkness.
Under the watchful eyes of the entire arena, Todd's series of movements—sprinting, lying down, sliding, slashing, and shield bashing—were executed flawlessly, as if flowing water.
In the blink of an eye, the three gladiators from the North Island were all killed or wounded.
Another wave of thunderous cheers erupted from the stands. The father and son sitting in the front row stood up and looked at the arena. The young man clapped his hands vigorously, his eyes filled with rapt attention and longing: "Fantastic! That was fantastic! Did you see that? Those movements in the fight were like a dream, so violent, yet they displayed boundless beauty!"
The older man, acting as Todd's father, watched as Todd walked to the body, retrieved the shield, and shook his head, saying, "Son, those moves may look incredibly flashy, but they're not very practical in actual combat. The most effective and safest approach is to parry with your shield while simultaneously thrusting with your sword. Skills like his, if used on the battlefield..."
Realizing his son wasn't listening, the older man sighed and muttered to himself, "But then again, those movements were indeed pleasing to the eye..."
Todd wiped the blood off the shield onto the dead man's clothes. He turned around and saw the seven remaining gladiators opposite him, their eyes filled with fear, staring at each other, hesitant to move forward.
Todd laughed as he recalled his actions.
First, use your shield to flip the enemy over, then do a side somersault to decapitate them. This combo comes from the action game "God of War" and is Kratos' signature finishing move. As for sliding through two enemies and hitting them on the left and right with your weapon, this move comes from the action game "Conan the Barbarian" and is a common action routine in Hollywood blockbusters.
These two moves are more for show than practical use. If they were used on the battlefield, Cumberland would definitely condemn them as "suicidal acts."
Only a monster like Todd, who has been modified by superpowers, can disregard his own safety and use these attack moves in a show-like manner when his strength, speed, and reaction ability completely overwhelm his opponent.
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