I was in the open again. Pineapple turned towards me, back folds to the edge of the ring. We both paused.

I heard something that sounded like chains sliding and shaking. A large shadow hovered over us and was getting larger and larger. I looked up. There was a giant rusty cage descending on us. It was slow and jerky at first before it was let loose with the chains waving back and forth as all of the slack was given.

Clank!

“Sorry that took a moment,”the man from earlier said and cleared his throat, “The buttons were jamming up. Anyways, we’re here now!”

“While there is a cage around the contestants, that doesn’t mean other people can’t try to mess with the fight at all. If you want, you can try to throw things at them, like the rotten tomato’s in the back. You can buy one for one silver a piece if you’d like!”

Of course.

I rolled my eyes.

Snapping back to focus, Pineapple swung a cross in my direction with his other hand catching me off guard. I was flung across the room, again, hitting the rusty bars this time.

Kkrick

The bars shook from the force

I looked up at Pineapple, gaze a little wobbly.

I really need to do something about that. I’m just a sitting duck here.

I took a quick glance behind me.

Maybe…

Pineapple charged at me with a telegraphed uppercut. As soon as he reached me and started moving his fist, I dove out of the way. The creatures fist slammed near the bar that had already cracked a bit.

I nodded to myself.

He’ll probably punch again, right?

Pineapple looked at me and opened his mouth.

Splorch!

A warm off-pink tongue stuck to my whole torso and reeled me in like a fish. Just before the thing swallowed me I held it’s uncanny mouth open with my hands and feet.

I wasn’t expecting that. I’ll keep that move in mind.

My hands were burning from touching the acid on Pineapple’s head and it’s breath smelled horrible, but there was no way I could avoid touching it eventually.

I can’t make the tongue let go myself. I’ll have to wait on it.

letting go of its mouth with my left hand I punched one of the big eyes lying on its head. Pineapple let out a high pitched gurgling screech in response but didn’t let go. I was still stuck to it, but the grip wasn’t quite as tight as earlier.

I was just about to hit it in the eye again, but I had to grab the top of it’s gummy mouth as it punched me in the side in an attempt to shove me in its mouth. Fortunately for me, it just dislodged me from it’s slippery tongue. I was now soaked from it’s spit that was now trying to freeze, but I was free, if bruised. Again.

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Once I was standing upright, clutching my side, Pineapple uncurled his right leg (which had been in a squatting position this entire time) and swept it across the whole arena. I jumped over it. After Retrieving his leg Pineapple leaped in my direction with his fist curled back. I dodged Pineapple again. He pulled the same arm back and tried to send a jab at my stomach. It only skimmed me as I moved out of the way.

I think I’m getting used to his moves.

Just as I thought I’d be fine he sent a cross in my direction, hitting me on my right shoulder.

"Ahg!"

“Don’t turn too purple!”, Drifa shouted from the stands.

Thanks.

I thought dryly.

I jumped back as Pineapple tried to land another uppercut.

Okay, I think he’s repeating the same thing as before but I’ll still look out for changes.

My large opponent opened his mouth again and I rolled out of the way. Back to where the crack in the bars were.

This better work, otherwise I don’t know what I’m going to do.

The thing went for another leg sweep and I jumped over it.

“It looks like this nobody should be preforming in a flea circus! Fleas are Pineapples favourite food. will he eat this one too?”

It sent another heavy jab in my direction and I side stepped it.

Clanggggg!

“Ohhhh! Looks like the repair team is going to have a rough go of it. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to take the cost of repairs our of their pay cheque. It won’t be your ticket prices this time.”

The bar rung and bent a little more. I stepped in front of it. Pineapple sent a second jab in my direction. I ducked letting it hit the bars again, shaking the whole cage. Once my head was up, I backed up to the bent bar and waited for his cross. I crouched again.

Creaak!

The rusty metal bent in the opposite direction. It was almost free

Almost there.

The toads lips pulled back revealing its gums, a large vein popped out of its head, and it’s eyes pressed into angry slits as it stared at me.

“Alrighty! Go Ismund!” Drifa’s high voice shouted.

I ran back to the broken rusty bar one last time. Pineapple sent a hook my way and I dodged it again.

Clonk-k-k!

One piece of a bar came free and rattled on the ground.

Finally.

I bent down and scooped it with my hands.

Let’s see how well this works.

I triggered my boots twice daily ability and leaped to the top of the cage and grabbed one of the ceiling bars. The ten foot jump was just enough to let me reach it.

“As Sun Tzu once said, ‘To know your enemy, you must become your enemy’. Our arena’s intruder has taken it to far, and done so incorrectly, and has thus poorly copied Pineapples ability leading to his own downfall.” The host said under a chuckle.

I gripped the cold rusty bar in my hands tightly. Pineapple gave out the tortured sound that is a toad screaming. It sounded like a mix of a duck’s quack and a child’s cry. I hated it probably as much as it hated me.

Pineapple jumped up at me as I planted my feet firmly on the bars above me and jumped down right back at him with my sharp metal pole.

My aim was off and I didn’t quite get the thing in the head, but I skewered its eye on my pole and ripped it from Pineapples head.

It screamed, even louder than before.

“What’s this?” the commentator said, outraged, “How dare you deprive poor Pineapple of his eye like that?”

A grim smile found it’s way on my face. Not only had I injured the monster, I could now see where it was most vulnerable: the back of its thigh, the front of its neck, and it’s eyes were the main points of interest, all highlighted from light green to dark reds, the more red it was, the more vulnerable.

I looked down at the eye I had and the eyelid that was now half attached to the monsters face and covering the copious amounts of blood leaking like a leaf on a river.

“Yeah!” Drifa shouted from the stands.

No need to be so enthusiastic. It’s hard to pay attention.

Skipping the uppercut, Pineapple launched it’s tongue in my direction.

Crap.

It’s aim was off and his tongue didn’t go quite far enough. I grabbed the wet eye from the end of my spear and threw it into the monsters throat.

I can’t do much else with it.

It’s one remaining eye went wide as it swallowed it.

Silence filled the room.

“…That… no. I can’t even. You took my criticism for being boring too seriously! Ugh.” The announcer said fighting with himself.

“I wonder what frog eyes taste like…” Abs said from the stands.

Ignoring them, I went up to Pineapple as he dislodged his tongue from the floor and tried to get his other eye with a quick slash. Pineapple moved his head up so it just missed and was cut across the cheek. His skin sprayed acid at my arm and shirt.

My chances weren’t good but it looked like I could win this. I knew where to hit it, all I needed was to avoid getting hit myself. If I was hit, I’d be in a tough spot