Hey guys! Already got sixty total views! Glad people like this story! I've almost finished prewriting it, and I'm super proud of it. Anyway, thanks so much for reading, and feel free to comment ideas, suggestions, or spelling critique! I like talking to readers! Hope you enjoy!

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Keith squeezed his eyes shut to avoid watching the bloodbath. Despite him not seeing it, he knew the result from the screams from the Arusian and the crowd, the sound of spurting blood and a lifeless body thumping onto the ground.

The fight was over in less than a minute.

Keith took the sword from the sentry, marching into the ring next. Lotor stood with a smirk as the masked twig swung his weapon threateningly, waiting for the signal for the fight to start.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Lotor boomed. "I proudly present the fight of a century! We have the undefeated champion, the Masked Beast, who slaughters anything unlucky enough to face him!" The crowd screamed and roared applause.

"And for our next challenger, we have a true treat: one of the legendary defenders of the universe, the Red Paladin of Voltron!" Gasps and mutters swept across the stands, before loud booing filled the arena.

Well it's obvious who the crowd wants to win...

Keith held his sword tighter. It was a bit heavier and more awkward than his knife and bayard, but it would have to do. The two fighters circled one another, waiting for the bell to start the match.

Patience yields focus. If Shiro could do it, I can to... I have to.

Lotor started the match, but Keith drowned out him and the rest of the crowd as he stepped into an attack stance. He was going to wait and see what his opponent would do.

Twig didn't hesitate to attack, his whip swinging straight towards Keith. Keith blocked it with the sword, but he got lucky.

The Masked Beast pulled back for another try. It arced around Keith instead of going straight towards him.

Keith rolled to the side as it sliced the air where his head was seconds before.

The crowd gasped and watched in anticipation as they circled each other once more. Twig suddenly lunged and lashed out, faster than Keith was prepared for.

The whip shot by, less than an inch from Keith's head, slicing a few of his longer hairs in the process. Twig gave the weapon the smallest tug, and Keith felt it tear his ear open.

He pressed one hand to the wound before stepping into an attack stance again. Maybe he fought like that Gladiator Robeast we first faced...

Keith watched as his opponent swung again. He opened himself up. Keith lunged, swinging with all his might.

Except the whip followed him. Twig's weapon wrapped around Keith's sword, jerking it from his hands and sending him tumbling across the arena in the process.

Hiding behind a column was a death sentence. The whip could wrap around him and the column and slice him to pieces.

Patience yields focus...

The whip did swing like a normal whip. It had followed Keith when he attacked. This gave Keith an idea, but if he tried it, and he was wrong, it could cost him his life.

Keith skirted to a stop and stared at the Twig as the crowd shouted grotesque options for the Twig.

"Slice his other ear off!"

"Give him a haircut!"

"Cut off his legs so he can't run!"

The Masked Beast pointed at one of the audience members and nodded, but Keith missed whatever that Galra had offered.

Twig swung his whip threateningly as he crept forward. Keith didn't budge. In fact, he smirked.

"Come on, Twig!" Keith insulted. "You heard them! HIT ME!"

Clearly agitated, the Masked Beast obliged with a roar, and swung straight at Keith. Keith leapt over the whip and rolled to his feet to the side, and watched as the whip curled towards him.

"Yes," he muttered, inaudible to anyone else over the cheering. "Oh wait, that's bad!" Keith sprinted around the Masked Beast as the whip followed him and slowly grew closer.

Keith was right. The weapon used some sort of heat-seeking technology.

Keith suddenly dove towards Twig, sliding past him. He got to his feet, a slight smile on his face when he heard the thump of the Beast's body collapsing.