When the dust settled, the arena was… no longer an arena but a pile of ruins.
Mikhail's and Vincent's attacks were destructive by nature, so when they collided, everything within fifty meters was obliterated.
The arena had already been split by Mikhail's axe earlier, so this final attack served as the final nail in the coffin that brought it to ruin.
Thirteen and the spectators focused their attention on the two young men who were lying on the ground.
Both were panting for breath, and blood could be seen flowing from different parts of their body.
The Medics who were on standby glanced at Zion in askance, wanting to know if they should start giving first aid or wait until either Mikhail or Vincent was declared the winner.
Even Rolandnand Joshua, who had been bickering with each other, couldn't help but become speechless at the sheer destruction that this battle had caused.
Fortunately, the barriers around the arena were intact, limiting the damage within the arena.
"Both fighters are down for the count," Thirteen, who knew that he needed to make a decision, stated. "I'll give both fighters exactly five minutes to stand. The one who stands first will be declared the winner.
"If neither could stand up after five minutes, both will be considered the losers of the match together. There will be no draw or tie. The tournament will proceed as it is."
Hearing Zion's declaration, everyone couldn't help but take a deep breath.
The last condition might sound simple, but it was actually a hard thing to accomplish.
After hearing Thirteen's declaration, Vincent and Mikhail both braced themselves to stand up.
However, both of them were unable to do so because they felt as if their bodies were as heavy as lead.
Both gritted their teeth as they tried to move their bodies with varying results.
Vincent looked like a squirming bug trying to right himself up again.
Mikhail, on the other hand, was like a struggling turtle who was forcing himself to make his body go sideways so that he could use that opportunity to push himself up from the ground.
Thirteen looked at the two of them with a calm expression on his face. However, he was confident that one of them would be able to stand up within the given time.
Two minutes later, the two combatants were still unable to stand up.
Vincent was still trying to right himself up.
On the other hand, Mikhail laid on his back and remained motionless, as if he was gathering all of his strength for one final push, allowing him to secure the victory in this battle.
"Who do you think will stand up first?" Sherry asked Shasha, who had come to watch her brother's match.
"The one who suffered the most under brother's training," Shasha answered in a heartbeat.
Sherry frowned because he didn't remember Vincent training with Zion since the first time that they met together.
"So, Mikhail will win?" Sherry asked.
Shasha nodded without any hesitation. "Between me and him, Zion made sure to train Mikhail the harshest. After experiencing such hardships, I refuse to believe that he will not be able to stand before the time limit ends."
But before Sherry could ask another question, something changed in the arena.
Vincent was able to move his body to the side and support it with his hands.
He was on all fours and seemed to be bowing to someone. However, this sudden change made the audience start cheering and chanting his name.
The cheers of the crowd encouraged him to stand up, so Vincent focused all of his strength on his hands, which were currently supporting his body.
With a roar filled with determination, he slowly pushed himself upward, putting his strength on his arm and legs.
Slowly but surely, Vincent lifted his body despite feeling like an entire mountain was pressing on his back, preventing him from standing.
The young man's legs were shaking, and he looked like he would collapse at any moment. The cheers became louder and stronger, allowing Vincent to push himself to his limit.
Right now, he was in the crouching position, but as he stabilized his body, he was halfway his goal to stand.
Thirteen's voice reached everyone's ears, making the crowd cheer harder.
Betting everything on the line, another roar escaped Vincent's lips as he forcefully stood up, wobbling as he did so.
Half a minute later, he was able to stabilize himself. He was so focused on what he was doing that he shut off all the sounds around him, focusing only on standing up.
When he finally managed to do what he needed to do, he raised his fist in triumph as if to declare himself the winner.
The sound of the cheering once again reached his ears, making him chuckle.
Suddenly, Thirteen's voice spread in the arena, declaring the winner of the match.
"Winner, Mikhail Leventis!"
Vincent, who still had his fist raised above his head, almost fell over face-first when he heard Thirteen's declaration.
Perhaps desperate enough to understand what happened, he was able to turn his head to the side. There, he saw Mikhail standing with arms crossed over his chest.
Earlier, just as Vincent was about to fully stand, Mikhail suddenly opened his eyes and rolled to his side.
He then slammed his palms on the ground and pushed himself up to a standing position.
Mikhail stood first, and he was only a few seconds earlier than Vincent.
Only when he was certain that he was declared the winner did he cross his arms over his chest as he hid the relief that flashed across his face.
Whenever Zion beat him up during their training, he would always tell Mikhail that he only had five minutes to stand up, or else, he wouldn't be allowed to eat lunch or dinner.
So, regardless of how injured he was, the young man had already developed a technique that would ensure he could stand up before the five-minute mark was over.
Shasha understood that his brother had chosen to let Mikhail win by stating this condition earlier.
However, to prevent anyone from complaining about the five-minute rule, he added more conditions that if they failed to stand up within five minutes, both of them would be eliminated from the tournament.