As Link Up stepped into the arena, he raised his arm, which morphed into a massive, gleaming cannon. His exoskeleton hissed with power, adapting to his commands. The crowd barely had time to react before he unleashed a devastating blast. Energy surged out in a brilliant, white-hot beam, obliterating the swarm of zombies and skeletons in an instant. Bone fragments and ash scattered in every direction, the sheer force of the explosion echoing in the warehouse.

Silence followed for a split second before the crowd erupted in cheers. Link Up stood in the middle of the arena, blowing imaginary smoke from the tip of his cannon-arm before morphing it back into his hand with a cocky smirk.

Don Cappo’s voice boomed over the speakers. “What do you expect from Link Up?” The crowd cheered again as Jason strolled out of the ring, cool as ever, waving off the praise as if it were a regular day in the office.

Don Cappo cleared his throat, regaining the crowd’s attention. “And now for the final fights! In the lightweight bracket, we have Strike versus Shadow Fang! For the middleweight bracket, Lost Stray versus Hot Fire! And finally, in the heavyweight bracket, Ironing versus Link Up!”

The crowd murmured in excitement as the first fighters were called.

Strike, her eyes burning with determination, stepped into the ring once more. She drew her twin daggers, coating the blades in wolfsbane, a deadly toxin specifically chosen for this fight. Across from her, Shadow Fang and his pack stood ready, their growls filling the arena. The fight began.

Strike moved fast, her daggers a blur as she engaged the lycanthropes head-on. Her first few strikes were precise, slicing through their furred hides, but the pack had numbers on their side. One managed to grab her arm, pulling her into a group of snarling beasts. Their claws raked at her, punches raining down, beating her as she struggled to break free. Strike gritted her teeth, twisting her body to stab one of her assailants in the chest with a wolfsbane-coated blade. The lycanthrope howled and dropped instantly, its body seizing up as the poison took effect.

More lycanthropes swarmed her, but she kept fighting, slashing through them even as they landed blows on her. Another grabbed her by the leg, and she barely had time to react before she plunged her dagger into its eye socket, feeling the resistance of bone before it crumpled. Sweat dripped down her face as she spun, stabbing one of the larger lycanthropes in the neck. It toppled to the ground, paralyzed by the wolfsbane coursing through its veins.

The fight was brutal, her body aching from the punches and scratches, but Strike fought through the pain. She spotted Shadow Fang, the leader of the pack, commanding the others with a low growl. With a final burst of energy, Strike lunged forward, dodging another strike, and drove her dagger deep into Shadow Fang’s neck. His glowing eyes flickered and dimmed as he fell to the ground.

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Breathing heavily, Strike stood victorious, but her body was battered and bruised. Don Cappo stepped forward, announcing the winner. “Strike wins!”

As she limped off the stage, exhausted, Link Up called out from the sidelines, a playful smirk on his face. “Don’t worry, Strike—getting beat up just makes you stronger, right? Or is it just practice for later?”

His words had a double meaning, teasing her about her struggles in the fight while hinting at her future battles. Strike shot him a look but didn’t respond, too tired to banter.

Then, the crowd turned their attention to the next match. Don Cappo announced, “Next up, in the middleweight bracket: Lost Stray versus Hot Fire!”

Kaelen, aka Lost Stray, locked eyes with Hot Fire, his expression cold and determined. Before the fight even started, Kaelen’s voice cut through the air. “Forfeit.”

Hot Fire blinked in surprise, but Kaelen’s gaze didn’t waver. For a moment, it looked like Hot Fire might take the offer. He hesitated, then raised his hands. “I forfeit.”

But Don Cappo’s voice boomed over the speakers, cutting through the tension. “Forfeits aren’t allowed here. You signed a contract. This fight doesn’t end until one of you is knocked out or dead!”

Kaelen’s eyes narrowed. He turned back to Hot Fire. “You heard him. Fight me.”

Reluctantly, Hot Fire summoned a massive fireball, hurling it directly at Kaelen. But before the flames could reach him, Kaelen focused his mind, using his telekinesis to redirect the fireball. With a flick of his wrist, the flames spiraled back towards Hot Fire, engulfing him in a blazing inferno.

For a moment, the arena was silent, only the crackling of flames filling the space. Then, as the fire dissipated, Hot Fire collapsed, unconscious.

The match was over.

From the side, Jason’s voice rang out, mocking but with an edge of genuine curiosity. “Showing all your cards this early, little bro? What would Father say if he was watching?”

Before Kaelen could respond, another voice interrupted. A voice Kaelen knew all too well. “I’ve been here watching the whole time.”

Everyone looked up. Red Dot, their father, uncloaked himself, standing atop one of the booths. His presence immediately demanded attention. Jason’s cocky grin faltered, and a string of curses escaped his lips.

Don Cappo, unfazed by the tension, called out again, “Link Up versus Ironing! Last fight in the heavyweight bracket!”

Jason took a deep breath, shaking off the surprise of seeing their father, and turned to his crew. “I’m handling this one alone. Stay back.”

As the fight began, Link Up wasted no time. His arm morphed into a cannon once again, but this time, he fired rapidly, not explosive blasts but small grappling hooks that latched onto Ironing’s iron-like skin. As soon as the hooks made contact, they released an electrical charge, sending shocks throughout Ironing’s body.

Ironing convulsed violently, struggling to fight back, but the electricity coursing through him was too much. His massive body spasmed uncontrollably, and before he could regain control, he collapsed to the ground.

Don Cappo stepped forward, grinning as he began to announce the final event. “And now, for the last fight of the night! A three-way match: Lost Stray versus Link Up versus Strike!”

Before anyone could react, Strike raised a hand, her face still pale from her earlier fight. “I forfeit.”

This time, Don Cappo simply nodded. “Your forfeit is accepted.”