With the decision made, Hao, Mentos and Yoad approached the registration booth, where a grizzled man with a scarred face sat behind a wooden counter. The man looked up at them, sizing them up with a critical eye before asking gruffly, "You here to sign up for a death match?"
Hao agreed. "Yes, I want to enter the tournament. I've got Blade Tokens right here…” He placed the bag on the counter, “And my Beast Companion right here…" He gestured to Barkcode.
“Hmm… that animal.” The man seemed to have figured out who it belonged to, his eyes drifted to Yoad who he was familiar with. “So you’ve brought another set of competitors to test your luck. These two even look more pathetic than the last.”
“Hmm, what do you mean by that.” Mentos was curious, was it a regular thing for the lad to bring fighters here?
Yoad hurriedly intervened, “Don’t mind him.” Tapping his hand on the counter he continued, “Hey, Gragley hurry and sign my fighter up.”
“As you demand runt.” The man accepted the necessary items then scanned Barkcode before examining the Blade Tokens.
While he counted the tokens, Hao spoke up. "I'd like to make an additional agreement if I may. If I win my match, I want not only the Blade Tokens but also the Bastian of my defeated opponent."
The scarred man raised an eyebrow but shrugged. "That's a risky wager, but if you're willing to put up your tokens and your own Beast Companion as collateral, I'll allow it."
Hao turned to Yoad, who hesitated before giving a reluctant nod. "Alright," Hao confirmed, "we agree to the terms."
The man made a note of the agreement, and Hao signed his name on the registration sheet. With the formalities completed, the trio found a place to wait for Hao's turn to take part in the tournament.
While waiting, they watched a female fighter and her enormous Bastian dominate the arena. The Bastian was an impressive creature, with the size of a dinosaur and the agility of a cheetah. Its powerful limbs and sharp claws made quick work of their opponents, drawing excited cheers from the bloodthirsty crowd.
"She's Kiera," Yoad said to Hao and Mentos, "One of the best fighters in the Hallows. She usually fights with 3 types of Beast Companions but her main Bastian, the one that you’re looking at now is called Maelstrom. It is known to be nearly unbeatable."
Hao's interest was piqued. "Maelstrom, you say? That's the kind of Beast Companion I'm looking for. It would prove quite sufficient to satisfy its thirst." He observed Judgment Day’s hilt as he said this. Aiming his focus back to the arena, he listened intently to the sounds of the ongoing battle, feeling the vibrations in the ground and the shifts in the air as the Bastian moved. The sheer power of Maelstrom was evident even to a regular blind person.
Mentos garnered Hao’s attention and spoke, "You'll get your chance, my friend. Just stay focused and trust in your skills. Remember, this place is enthralled by death matches. Just listened…"
Rumble!
The deafening roar of the crowd reverberated through the Hallows as they viewed the ongoing battle. Kiera's largest Bastian, Maelstrom, locked its massive jaws around the skull of its opponent.
Crack!
A visceral crunch echoed through the arena, which made the audience cheer wildly. Maelstrom tossed the lifeless body of the defeated creature aside like a ragdoll. The Bastian, with its thick, armoured skin and clawed limbs, not only resembled a monstrous dinosaur but acted just as vicious! It had been brought back to life for the sole purpose of wreaking havoc in the arena.
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Boom!
Kiera who was perched atop her mighty steed began brandishing her weapon - the Serpent's Lash, which was a menacing Whip Blade that coiled and slithered like a living creature. With each snap of her wrist, the blade sang ahead, leaving a trail of crimson in its wake as it sliced through the flesh of her opponents. Her eyes glinted with a savage delight. She revelled in the gruesome display of blood and carnage that unfolded before her.
“You damn bitch! You killed one of my Bastians. I’ll get you for that.” Her opponent, a burly man named Torin, fought valiantly alongside his remaining Bastian. His was a hulking creature with razor-sharp tusks and a thick hide.
“Get him!” Torin's Bastian lunged at Maelstrom with its tusks aimed at its throat, ready to tear through it, however, the nimble dinosaur-like beast dodged the attack, responding with a swift, powerful swipe of its claws that left deep gashes in its opponent's side.
“I’m coming after you wench!” Torin, undeterred by the ferocity of his opponents, swung his double-bladed axe with a mighty roar, attempting to land a hit on Kiera as she rode atop Maelstrom.
“Is that the best you’ve got?” Kiera took this opportunity to display her exceptional skill and reflexes. She cracked her Serpent's Lash with precision, wrapping it around the shaft of the axe and yanking it from Torin's grip. “Gimme that! Now it’s my turn to play!”
Whoosh!
The crowd gasped in astonishment as Kiera launched herself off Maelstrom, she landed on Torin's wounded Bastian with the grace of a predatory cat. With a flick of her wrist, the Serpent's Lash flicked about and severed the tendons in the beast's legs which quickly brought it to its knees.
“No! Don’t falter! Get your ass up and fight! We can win this!” Tried all the shouting his mouth could musters, Torin's Bastian collapsed in pain among the sandy surface.
Meanwhile, Kiera leapt back onto Maelstrom, sporting a cruel smile playing on her lips. “Now that your beast has retired that only leaves you, Torin.”
“Grr!” Hearing his name being uttered by his most bitter enemy, Torin, now weaponless and with his Bastian severely injured, struggled to maintain his composure. “That slippery bitch. It’s that weapon of hers that is being a pain in my ass. I can’t get close enough to rip her heart out.”
Despite their best efforts, they were no match for Kiera and Maelstrom's brutal onslaught. Torin knew that the battle was all but lost, but he refused to go down without a fight. He charged at Kiera with a primal scream, fists clenched, desperate to land a blow.
“You foolish man, you’re wide open.” In response, Kiera merely raised an eyebrow and with a casual flick of her Serpent's Lash, sent Torin sprawling to the ground, bloodied and defeated.
“Torin the Beast Ravager is DOWN!” The announcer who was hovering around the arena on his flying sword bellowed the conclusion of the match, his resounding voice echoed through the Hallows as the crowd roared in approval. "And the winner is... Kiera and her unstoppable Bastian, MAELSTROM!"
“Wow, that man’s voice is extremely loud.” Commented Hao while covering his ear. “He’s not even using a voice enhancer.”
“That’s Dippo for you. He’s usually like that.” Yoad was used to the loudness present in that place so it didn’t really bother him like how it did Hao.
Mentos was also slightly affected by the noise, “With a voice that loud, he could kill someone just by shouting at them.”
Kiera's match drew to a close. With her Serpent's Lash coiling around her arm, she dismounted Maelstrom and approached her defeated opponents. She stared coldly at the battered and broken bodies that lay before her. With a casual snap of her fingers, she commanded her beast to collect her winnings - the Blade Tokens and her enemy's Bastian - before sauntering out of the arena.
“Wow.”
Hao felt goosebumps rise on his skin as he zoomed in on her fearless struts. The raw power and ferocity of Kiera and Maelstrom were crazy, they left no doubt in his mind that they were a force to be reckoned with. “That woman, she’s going to be a challenging opponent. But I want her anyway.”
“Hmm?” All of sudden, Kiera sensed a certain gaze stripping her bare, she felt violated and tried to find out who it was staring at her, but alas, her search was proven futile because far too many eyes were trained on her.
“Could she have noticed my vibrations…?” Thought Hao upon noticing the sudden change in the lady’s behaviour, “She’s one scary chick.” He commented.
“Huh?” Seeing the trepidation in his companions, Yoad leaned in and shared, "Kiera is a great fighter. I've seen her lay waste to more opponents than you could possibly imagine. She is by far the highest-rated fighter in the Hallows and might I add, she’s also the undefeated champion.
“You mean she has never lost a battle, not once?” Mentos, whose face was pale, clenched his fists and uttered, "With a Bastian like that, it’s no wonder she’s unbeatable.” He began to wonder if Hao could come out alive if he faced her in a duel of Crossblades.