They came at each other like thunder, tangling with each other in a ball of hitting, punching, and headbutting. Valerye jumped off the balcony, landing next to Sonya and Tiny, looking at the arena non-stop, trying not to miss a single move.
Aranea understood the woman’s feelings. The remaining trio went all out from the start, their speed was astonishing even when compared to the shamans. And confined, even if on their own volition, to such a tight space, their instincts might kick in.
This was not something to be ashamed of. The Spirits, the Blessed Mother, or the scientists who created them gave wolfkins claws for a reason. It was nearly impossible to hold them back; they were weapons of war, like fingers for other groups of people. A desire to bite into a foe’s throat, to see an opponent cleave before you, was engraved into each and every wolfkin. Many were left confused when Lacerated One and Alpha declared that no claws or fangs would ever be allowed during Challenges ever again. A few tried to argue and were introduced to a living blender named Alpha. Afterwards, the barely alive dissidents admitted that, yes, bones heal fast, but organs heal far longer.
During all-out brawls, peer pressure would often force wolfkins to abide by self-restricting rules. After all, no one wanted to appear foolish. But often, during the final phase of the fight, some would snap, unleashing their claws and turning a fight into a bloody butchery.
Four shamans entered the arena, keeping a keen eye on Virginia. All of them, including Aranea now, knew how Virginia gave in to bloodlust during her previous fight with Annie, goring the opponent despite the self-imposed ‘no claws’ rule that both of them had agreed on. This time, there would be no such accident.
Annie fought by never directly blocking a hit, she would always either redirect the incoming attack back at the attacker or allow it to only kiss her forearms. Rather than trying to match the opponents' strength, the warlord preferred to retreat a step to gain a favorable position. A small, relaxed smile was on her face, each time she sent Olesya’s fist straight back into her snout or weaved aside Virginia’s kick, a jolt of pure joy was shooting in her eyes. The warlord enjoyed herself, pushing her own skills to the limit, reveling in the supportive cheers of her pack. When the searing pain spread across her right ear, Annie kept on smiling, ignoring Svetlana’s worried screams.
Virginia had a fierce leer on her face. She came close and personal, darting between two opponents like a pin-pong ball, never holding her place for long, only appearing to shower her opponents with a flurry of blows before moving on. Her nose was bleeding, Annie had redirected Virginia’s hook straight back into her face. Virginia rewarded this achievement by almost tearing off the ear of her opponent, leaving it hanging on a thread of flesh, and kicking Annie in the stomach.
Olesya was fighting without much elegance or rage. To Aranea’s eyes, she resembled an indomitable machine, always watching for vulnerable spots, always striking forth with economic punches and swings. Such a lack of creativity cost her a fang when Annie returned the steel fist straight into Olesya’s snout, but at the same time it gained her a few more dents in Virginia’s hide. Olesya trembled slightly, often being outmaneuvered by either Annie or Virginia, receiving heavy blows against her torso. She ignored the damage and soldiered on. The look of uncertainty disappeared from her eyes, and Aranea saw old Olesya once more.
Her friend was enjoying herself. She knew that she was being outclassed. She knew that she wasn’t as skilled as her opponents. And this only sparked the flame of ambition and pride even brighter in Olesya’s chest. Here and now, a wall was before her, and the wolfkin aimed to climb over it.
The fighters fought for five long minutes, spilling blood, pieces of fangs and fur across the arena. The corner of their lips went ever higher, their eyes started to betray a hint of bloodthirst. It wasn’t long until the wolfkins gave in to their instincts.
The fight was going on for too long. If they continue, all three will be severely injured. With strained eyes, the opponents looked at each other, judging, weighting every option, looking for a weak spot to sink their metaphorical teeth in… And the answer came in a flash. The strongest one has to fall first.
The alliance was made in this very instance, and Annie together with Olesya came against Virginia in perfect unison, one reaching out for the throat, the other aiming to attack the sides. Virginia almost squealed from happiness, acting like a cub at her first birthday party, embracing the coming attack with both arms. Annie’s head ended up being pressed to the rust-colored wolfkin’s chest, and Olesya was pushed back with a kick, soon pushed even further when Virginia threw Annie at her.
But this moment of dominance wasn't cheap for Virginia. As a result of Annie's slap, a stream of blood poured from her left ear. Two of her ribs were shattered during Olesya’s advance, and one finger was shattered by Annie’s blindingly fast kick. The strongest kept her presence in this match by paying with her durability and health. And just like that, there was no longer a strongest in this fight.
Instincts demanded an answer, and the wolfkins found it at once. If they can’t deal with the strongest, they will stop the breath of the weakest. And in this moment, Virginia and Olesya united, coming at Annie as allies. They pushed on through a net of Annie’s strikes, enduring hits against their shoulders and forearms, aiming to pull the opponent down.
With only one foe, Virginia used her cushioning style, enduring a hit against her stomach with seemingly casual ease. Seeing this, Annie’s eyes narrowed, and she used her own left arm as a whip, tearing off the clothes, fur, and meat from Virginia’s shoulder, leaving behind a huge torn wound. Olesya gasped for air, feeling an elbow hit against her throat.
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They had misjudged their approach. Annie grabbed the foes by their snouts, positioning each of her legs behind one of Olesya’s or Virginia’s legs. And yanked them off their feet, sending them flying and spiraling through the air like buckets at a birthday party. Only these ‘buckets’ fell on the ground with enough force to leave prints in the stone, sending cracks across the concrete.
"Ha!" Annie laughed, showing middle fingers to both opponents. Her breathing was hard, the strained muscles trembled like they were stretched to the point of snapping ropes, sweat, mixed with blood, soaked her gi. And she was happy. Aranea could tell that the warlord was positively elated, her concentration was pristine, but her mood was one of pure bliss. "Though me weak, did you? Eat shit…"
Both opponents jumped on their feet, charging at the warlord anew. Annie switched to a low stance, taking a step back. Her eyes had already found the perfect way for a counterattack—to redirect the cruel swings of her foes back on them and to…
She hesitated, feeling her foot step into a crack. It was a momentary hesitation, one that lasted less than a second, less than a heartbeat. And it cost her the match.
Both fists, one of flesh and one of steel, have reached her chest, burrowing into her breasts. Annie let out a short scream of pain, feeling the bones of her body snapping under the pressure of these two attacks that had speared her body. The ankle of her trapped foot cracked under the pressure, and the force of the blows lifted the warlord off her feet, sending her cartwheeling across the arena and nearly falling off it.
Annie groaned, piercing the stone before her with her fingers. She coughed out a blob of dark blood on the stone, trying to stand up and nearly falling again. The gi on her chest was torn, showing two lumps of flesh pushed into her torso, surrounded by cracked skin and white bones of sub-dermal armor and bones. Annie's every breath was a wheezing struggle to stay conscious.
"Annie, are you ok over there!?" Virginia shouted, not letting her eyes off Olesya.
"Give… give me a moment and I… Stand up and… Oh, Spirits, I feel my insides coming out…" The warlord coughed, "Great, now my bowels as well."
"This answers it. Stay there and let the docs take care of you!" Olesya shouted worryingly, showing her open back to Virginia.
"I can still fight! I can still…" Annie spilled out more blood on the concrete.
"You know," Virginia put her paws behind the back, looking at the screens. All the other Challenges were already done, and now packs were cheering on the victors, "I never wanted to fight against you, Olesya. Not out of fear or disgust… But it feels wrong to beat down a cripple. And you'd already been through one mile too much shit."
"I am not a cripple, Virginia," Olesya stretched her whole body, turning to Virginia, "And I too have my pride. No holding back, let’s go all out."
Aranea heard Scorpio shifting behind her, his scales slightly rubbing against each other when a smile came upon his face. The tip of his tail touched Ofelia’s shoulder encouragingly, while Aranea clenched her paw, praying for her friend’s safety.
"With all our passion and our pride," Virginia nodded, "Let the better fighter win."
At this precise moment, Olesya took a swing. The steel fist crashed into Virginia’s face, pushing into flesh. Virginia turned along with the strike, jumping in the air and scissoring her legs around Olesya’s metal shoulder. Her paws closed around the exposed wrist. And the wolf hag pulled, aiming to break the metal limb.
There was no hint of pain on Olesya’s face, instead, the warlord came down, falling and landing the metal elbow into Virginia’s chest with a sound of tearing flesh and breaking bones. Virginia landed on the concrete, coughing up blood, but refused to let go of her opponent’s arm. Her muscles bulged, spearing her fur and showing a horrible net of scars beneath.
Olesya stood up, slamming Virginia into the floor again. And again. All the while, a sound of tearing metal could be heard around the arena. Both struggled, giving their all. The arena shook under each destructive fall that brought more and more pain to Virginia’s back. Olesya’s metal arm twitched, spilling out sparks everywhere and setting some of the fighters’ fur on fire.
Still they thought, asking for no mercy and showing no animosity toward each other. Just pure struggle and a desire to prove who was the strongest. Injuries and broken bones were ignored. All that existed for Olesya was bringing her elbow down on Virginia, and all that existed for her opponent was just the metal arm before her.
Virginia let out a howl, pushing the metal arm with all her remaining strength, and with an infernal hiss of electricity, Olesya’s arm came apart in three parts. It was not torn from her shoulder. It didn’t break or snap like a bone would. No, the metal came apart under Virginia’s might, falling on the ground along with the wolf hag and leaving Olesya with a torch made of gushing electricity that scorched Virginia’s heels.
"Idiot! I warned you about not tearing off limbs!" Alpha jumped to her feet, motioning for the medics to rush onto the arena.
"Olesya!" Aranea jumped to the warlord, covering the entire distance with one leap. She touched the overheated metal, unsure what she should do to help, and was brushed aside by Till Ingo.
"If the flesh got torn, I would understand," Lights shone brightly on the scientist’s face, followed by his murmur. His silver arm extended like a rubber band, coming into Olesya’s broken shoulder, the fingers changing shape, becoming various tools, "If it got broken, I could understand too… But ripped apart? This alloy? How? How is this possible?"
"Sorry, about… arm," One of the shamans jerked the wolf hag onto her feet, and she nearly fell again, bleeding a small waterfall of crimson from her mouth. Two of the omegas, Blaze and Ron, rushed to her side along with Estefania, "I am fine, fine! Just… got a few torn veins, blood vessels, broken bones, and… Guess this is a draw since neither of us can fight anymore?"
"You are disqualified." Alpha came over, casting her shadow on Virginia.
"Oopsie. Annie, you have any claims for the win?"
"I am f…" Annie’s eyes found the worried looking Svetlana, "…frivolously stepping down from the challenge. All hail Olesya!"
"All hail Olesya! The champion of this year!" The crowd roared back.
And this time Scorpio joined them, half-cheering, half-letting out a roar of frustration that made a few pieces of plaster fall from the ceiling. Before it could hit anyone, the laughing Ofelia gestured with her hand, sending them elsewhere. Seeing the black wyrm’s roar, the wolfkins joined it, competing with each other in an attempt to out howl Scorpio.
"Wait, I won?" Olesya asked, her ears ringing from the din. "How? What just happened? The last thing I remember is slamming Virginia against the floor, and... Oh. My arm is missing."
"Also we are rich," Aranea explained the wager, "We will split the prize thirty three to each…"
"I don’t need cash." Ingo winced, stopping the flow of sparks, and gestured for medics with a stretcher to come closer.
"Fifty-fifty then. I would like to borrow your part."
"Why? What for?" Olesya raised her remaining brow, and Aranea started hushing into her ear, explaining her idea. The warlord's lips spread in a wide cheeky grin as she looked at the shamans chastising Virginia. "Oh, I like it. I like this idea a lot."