Cassius' anger grew to immeasurable heights. Even when he was a shunned by most Siladarians they never once physically harmed him. Lost and confused, Cassius continued to wonder what would push humans to be so seemingly heartless.
"Hopefully it's just this city," he tried to persuade himself but the damage done had already ran deep into Cassius.
"AND NOW NUMBERS 4 AND 2, MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE STAGE!"
Cheers and chants alike continued to boom through the colosseum as the next victims of the city approached the stage. Cassius refused to watch, trying with all his might to block out the sounds from spectators and the fight. He wanted nothing else to do with this tournament.
"Number 1 is faster than Garth, and he seemed to be just as merciless as the other humans here," Cassius was only focused on his next fight, knowing he needed to win until he and Garth fought.
"I feel confident in my abilities, faster or not, I can beat him."
Match after match, the cheering from the crowd continued as the smell of blood protruded into Cassius' nose. Still refusing to watch the fights due to their brutal nature, until it became Garth's turn; his curiosity overpowered his disgust.
"NUMBERS 24 AND 13, MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE STAGE!"
The tone of the noble became increasingly ecstatic. As the fights went on, he became happier and happier, loving the sight of others mercilessly beat one another and kill them.
Cassius became glued to the viewing hole in his room. He absolutely had to see what Garth would do in this situation. Would he try to save his opponent? Would he kill them as quickly and painlessly as possible? Would they be too strong for Garth?
Garth and his opponent walked onto the stage, both grinning from excitement. Neither would give even the slightest bit of fear for their life. Instead, they were both confident and conducted themselves as such.
"What's this? You're smiling? You must think you're stronger than me."
"Who knows? I'm just excited to fight a Siladarian. I haven't seen one of you in a long time," number 13 said while the two slowly approached the center of the stage.
To Cassius, number 13 looked like a young adult that is 5"9', with long black hair that was very unkept, and his body was very thin as if he had no muscle or fat. He also had a-
"A collar around his neck? Cuff bands around his wrists and ankles? He looks like a prisoner," Cassius had wondered if number 13 was an escaped prisoner.
"It's possible they actually got him from prison to throw him in this tournament. I wouldn't put it past this city."
Garth and 13 came within 2 feet of one another, staring each other down and refusing to break eye contact.
"You seem like a serious guy. Are you serious," Garth was testing the man's resolve and reasoning.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHA! You got a nice spark about you kid. I'm always serious in battle! I never complain about a fight, whether it's forced on me or I ask for it. I consider it fate if I lose or win! Whatever will happen, let it happen."
"BAHAHAHAHA!" I like your view on life! Then blame fate for your loss and nothing else!"
"Well, we'll see," 13 continued to hold a confident smile after this exchange of words.
The two bowed at each other and entered into their fighting stances. Cheering boomed from the colosseum as the spectators knew they were about to see a fight that would add even more excitement, one that would be battle oriented rather than killing being the main objective.
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Fists began flying at both fighters, a blur of motion around them as their arms were too fast to be seen by most spectators. Confused about what was happening, the people of the city began to shout cries of anger and disappointment. However this lasted only a second.
Immediately as the crowd began their cries of disappointment, an enormous shockwave blew them back and claps of thunder filled the colosseum. Spectators were holding onto their seats with all their might, hoping to not be swept away by the ferocious wind. Garth and 13 both had not taken a step away from their starting positions, only their arms and fists had been used. They were in a battle of attrition, seeing which one would slow down first and take a hit.
They remained this way for 30 seconds, both unleashing 41 hits every second. Garth smiled more, amazed at the speed of 13. They both stopped, realizing neither would yield anytime soon if the fight was to continue this way.
"Even Cassius isn't this fast. He relies on his skill and intelligence. I can tell this guy is more like me," Garth thought to himself.
"How do you move so fast, 13?"
"It comes with the job I had before. You don't last long as a soldier if you aren't strong."
"That still doesn't explain. I've never seen a human move this fast before. You're matching with a Siladarian. I'm still not at my peak, but to keep up is still something very rare." Garth's smile of confidence turned to a smile of excitement.
"It's too bad you won't ever know. You or I will die here! I'm sure you've seen how they conduct this tournament."
"Yes, they kill everyone that loses. I bet they'd even kill the winner, that the $1,000,000 loaves is just to bring fighters in. So, in your last breathe, you'll tell me what made you as strong as you are now."
"You just don't give do you? I've never liked people as serious as you!"
"But, you're a pretty serious person too." Garth was a little confused at the hypocrisy that was seemingly coming from 13.
"I may be serious, but you're way too serious!"
"BAHAHAHAHA! There's no other way to be! Life is all about dos and don'ts, and so I do what I want with 100% effort and I don't ever slack!"
"Let's finish this, kid."
13 dashed at Garth, aiming to land a diving kick to his knee and render him immobile. Garth jumped above the attack and 13's kick had landed on the stage floor. He then used the momentum from the kick to also propel himself upward, raising his arms and connecting with Garth. 13 grabbed both of Garth's legs and began to swing him down to the stage. Garth stiffened his legs and used his core to fling his head around and headbutt 13. While Garth's pelvis had crashed into the stage floor, 13's head was slammed into it from the headbutt; with so much force that 13's skull became fractured, and his brain had ricocheted multiple times inside.
A dent 3 inches deep was left in the steel stage from 13's head colliding with it. Garth's pelvis had become bruised, but he had not taken any serious damage. Garth stood up and entered into his fighting stance again, unsure if his attack was effective or not. He began to hear deep breathes from 13, but they were unsteady.
"I have been beaten. If I were to stand up, I would just fall over almost immediately," 13's breathing became even shakier as he spoke.
"What have you experienced to be as strong as you are? Please, tell me," Garth knew that the man before him was strong, he had just faced an even stronger opponent.
"I will honor the wish of the man that beat me. Many years ago, I was a colonel-"
Just then 5 guards rushed number 13 and began to punch and kick him. They mercilessly pummeled an already defeated opponent.
"Hey! You're interrupting som-" Garth went to intervene but remembered what Cassius did. He was unsure why Cassius didn't continue attacking the guards when he fought, but Garth trusted that he had his reasons. Garth stopped his attack on the guards before he even did anything to them.
The 5 guards put chains on the bands and collar of number 13. The links were 5 inches thick. 13 was pulled away under the colosseum, while Garth was escorted back to his waiting room.
"WOW WHAT A DISPLAY! I'd say we were all on the edge of our seats, but we weren't even in our seats for that fight! Apologies for the loser remaining alive. He is a special case, a gift from the general Ariel! I was told to not let him die, and to not let him escape. Moving on!"
Garth and Cassius heard this and wondered what it meant. 13 was a gift? Not only did they treat people like things, they even referred to them as such.
"They really have no distinction between objects and people that don't fit in their lives," Cassius' anger began to grow, but a new feeling had crept in as well. He felt sadness for the people that had to live such empty lives because of the rule of others. The two emotions collided within Cassius and he began to scream from the overwhelming feelings.
He sat down and held his head in his hands, staring at the ground while he thought about the things of this world he had never known.
"The humans here do not know any love besides the love of greed and power. I want nothing to do with them," Cassius had decided to completely reject the people in this city as those from the same race as him.
Rather, on this day, at this time, he had slowly started to reject that he was human.