"Ready for round two, you pompous prick?" Gustavo snarled, spitting a glob of blood onto the marble floor. His chest heaved with exertion, every breath a reminder of the brutal beating they''d endured.


    ''This is it,'' Gustavo thought, his mind racing. ''No more tricks, no more magic. Just raw fury and the will to survive.''


    Mordred cracked his knuckles, a feral grin spreading across his face. "Time to wipe that smirk off your face, Vex. Permanently." His eyes gleamed with a mixture of pain and anticipation, the thrill of the hunt coursing through his veins.


    Mchi''s eyes narrowed, a hint of amusement dancing behind the pain. "My, such bravado from two soon-to-be cadavers. Come then, gentlemen. Let''s see what dregs of strength you can muster."


    The three collided in a fury of fists and feet, their movements a brutal ballet of violence. Gustavo ducked under Mchi''s wild haymaker, the whoosh of air above his head a stark reminder of how close he''de to oblivion. With a grunt of effort, he drove his shoulder into Mchi''s sr plexus, feeling ribs give way beneath the impact.


    The sound that erupted from Mchi''s lungs was a cross between a wheeze and a curse, spittle flying from his lips. ''That''s it,'' Gustavo thought, a surge of savage joy coursing through him. ''Bleed, you bastard. Bleed.''


    Mordred capitalized on the opening, his knee rising in a vicious arc. The crack of bone meeting bone echoed through the hall as his kneecap connected with Mchi''s chin. Teeth cked together with an audible snap, and a spray of blood painted the air in a crimson mist.


    "How''s that for finesse, you pretentious popinjay?" Mordred taunted, his voice raw with exertion and pain.


    Mchi staggered back, momentarily dazed. His mind reeled, struggling to process the sudden onught. ''Impossible,'' he thought, panic rising like bile in his throat. ''These... these animals can''t possibly...''


    But the ring on his finger pulsed, sending a wave of eldritch energy coursing through his veins. He recovered with inhuman speed, his eyes focusing with predatory intensity. "Impressive," he drawled, wiping blood from his chin. "But hardly sufficient."


    His fist shot out like a piston, catching Gustavo in the ribs. The crack of bone echoed through the hall, a sickening counterpoint to Gustavo''s agonized gasp.


    "Fuck!" Gustavo wheezed, stumbling backward. His vision swam, dark spots dancing at the edges. "Bastard fights like he''s got iron in his goddamn fists!"


    ''Stay up,'' hemanded himself, gritting his teeth against the pain. ''Stay up or die.''


    Mchi pressed his advantage, raining blows on Gustavo''s already battered body. Each impact was like a hammer striking an anvil, sending shockwaves of agony through Gustavo''s frame. "Come now," Mchi taunted, his cultured voice at odds with the brutality of his assault. "Surely you can offer more resistance than this?"


    But he''d forgotten about Mordred.


    With a roar that was more animal than human, Mordredunched himself onto Mchi''s back. His arms wrapped around the man''s throat in a vicious chokehold, biceps bulging with the effort. "Surprise, you fucking reprobate!!"


    Mchi thrashed like a bull, trying to dislodge his attacker. He mmed Mordred against a nearby pir, the impact sending cracks spiderwebbing across the ornate marble. Once, twice, three times he repeated the brutal move, each collision punctuated by Mordred''s pained grunts.


    ''Don''t let go,'' Mordredmanded himself, stars exploding behind his eyes. ''Hold on or we''re both dead.''


    "Is that truly the extent of your capabilities?" Mordred wheezed, tightening his grip. His voice was strained, but there was a note of dark humor beneath the pain. "Myte grandmother could muster more force, and she''s been pushing up daisies for a decade!"


    Gustavo, pushing through the white-hot agony of his broken ribs, saw his chance. ''Now or never,'' he thought, gathering thest dregs of his strength. He charged forward, driving his fist into Mchi''s exposed kidney with every ounce of power he could muster.


    The impact was like striking a side of beef, the meaty thud reverberating up Gustavo''s arm. Mchi''s eyes bulged, a strangled gasp escaping his lips. But still, he fought on, the ring''s power sustaining him beyond normal human limits.


    ''What does it take to put this bastard down?'' Gustavo wondered, a hint of desperation creeping into his thoughts.


    With a herculean effort, Mchi finally managed to throw Mordred off. The summoner hit the ground hard, the impact driving the air from his lungs in an explosive exhale. He rolled, years of training taking over, but the maneuver was clumsy, pain hampering his movements.


    Mchi was on him in an instant, straddling his chest and raining down punches with mechanical precision. Each blownded with devastating force, Mordred''s head snapping back against the unforgiving floor.


    "You truly believed you could best me?" Mchi roared, his fists a blur of motion. His cultured facade had cracked, raw fury bleeding through. "I am the very embodiment of power! Youe from the streets. I made the streets! I am Mchi Fucking Vex, I''ll have you remember!"


    *Bang!!* He began to rain down punches on Mordred.


    Blood sprayed with each impact, Mordred''s face quickly bing a swollen mess of bruises andcerations. But even as consciousness threatened to slip away, he managed a defiant grin. The expression was grotesque, teeth stained red with blood. "And I''m... bloody... Mordred you tight fucked asshole!"


    With thest of his strength, Mordred grabbed Mchi''s ears and yanked his head down. Their foreheads met with a sickening crack, the bridge of Mchi''s nose giving way beneath the impact. Cartge and bone crunched, warm blood gushing over both their faces.


    Mchi reeled back, howling in pain and rage. "You absolute savage!" he snarled, hisposure shattered. "I''ll y the skin from your bones for that!"


    Gustavo, seeing his chance,unched himself at Mchi with reckless abandon. His shoulder connected with Mchi''s midsection, driving them both to the ground. They rolled across the debris-strewn floor, a tangle of iling limbs and murderous intent.


    ''End it,'' Gustavo''s mind screamed. ''End it now or we''re all dead!''