The heavy iron gate opposite Quinn groaned upward, spitting a cloud of rust into the stifling heat of the fighting pit.The announcer’s voice boomed over the deafening roar of the crowd, echoing off the cavernous ceiling. "In the red corner, the undisputed butcher of the lower rings! The man who drinks his water with a side of blood! Gristle!"The crowd completely erupted. Thousands of exiled criminals, smugglers, and rogue fighters stomped their boots against the metal bleachers, chanting the name until the entire arena vibrated. *Gristle! Gristle! Gristle!*A hulking, violently twitching man stepped out into the red sand. He dragged two massive, jagged iron axes behind him. His bare chest was a horrifying patchwork of thick, raised scars and fresh scabs. He had no hair, and his eyes were completely bloodshot, darting around the arena with an unhinged, manic frenzy. Thick, yellow saliva dripped from his chin, sliding down his jaw as his mouth stretched into a grotesque, ear-to-ear gr