I sat in the waiting chamber for a good 5 minutes before hearing the crowd in the Pits go crazy with cheers through the steel door. They were screaming for blood while an announcer summarized the conclusion of the battle, firing up the audience with excited commentary. His voice was booming and reverberating through the entirety of the Pits, “Ladies and gentlemen! People of all races! Prepare yourselves for a battle that will shake you to the core! Joining us again, we have the fierce Kavar who just reached rank E yesterday! His kill count already at a whopping 5! He’s lean, he’s mean, give it up for Raaze!!” The crowd erupted in cheers, some even calling out his name.

Standing up, I felt a calm overcome me, my concentration at its peak as my tail twitched in anticipation, “Annnd in the other corner, a new fighter! Never before has this unknown demonic species been seen ladies and gentlemen. How exciting! Will he prove a match for Raaze?! Let us find out! Atkozott!!” the crowd cheered, the steel door lifted. The cogs were rapidly screeching as the entirety of the door was lifted. I walked forward. As soon as I entered the Pits, the steel door came down with a violent crash. On the other side of the Pits stood the Kavar. While glaring daggers at each other, I managed to take in the sight of the Pits.

Our fighting area was wide and circular, maybe around 100 meters in diameter. The stone walls were high as a pitch black dome stretched above our heads, completely concealing the audience but not suppressing their sounds. The Pits must have been at least 10 meters deep, the ground was covered in dirt. I’ll admit, this was not what I was expecting. Seeing a shimmer in the black veil, I immediately understood it was magic, the only source of light being a shining orb at the very top of the dome. The Kavar was smiling mockingly, his eyes shining with silent confidence as we stood on opposite ends. He was armed with a long saber fastened to his hip and small throwing knives tucked into a leather belt that formed an X on his chest.

I grinned savagely, my claws twitching with the desire to cut into the offensive creature. Unlike him, I had no weapons, but I didn’t need them, “Ladies and gentlemen! Feel the tension between these two?! I say, are you ready!?” the crowd literally exploded with cheers. I figure this veil only worked one way. They could see everything that was going on inside, making me once more marvel and scowl at the things magic was capable of.

The Kavar unsheathed his saber, getting into a low pose. He was holding the saber in his right hand while his left settled on the dirt, reminding me of a runner’s stance. Putting back my left leg, I braced slightly, my tail habitually finding a good hold for balance. I fully expected him to come at me at top speed. A loud horn snapped us out of our staring contest. Then I heard the announcer shout, "Let the Death Match begin!"

Almost as quickly as the horn sounded, the Kavar moved his tail into view. Something was held in its grip but before I could figure out what it was, he tossed in into the center of the Pits. A large cloud of smoke spread out, obscuring my view of the damn cat. With a low growl, I sharpened my instincts, calmly observing every inch of the smoke cloud, the loud crowd prevented me from hearing any movement. Suddenly, my instincts screamed danger. I managed to deflect the saber with the back of my arm. He came out of nowhere, genuinely catching me off guard. Following up with crazy speed, the Kavar’s figure blurred as he kicked my side, making me fly through the air and crash into the walls.

I gasped as the air was knocked out of my lungs, hissing when I clearly felt my rib cage was slightly fractured from the impact, my shoulder dislocated. Staring at the swaggering Kavar who was currently waving his saber in the air, inciting the crowd in a show of arrogance. He turned in my direction again, his eyes squinting in ridicule. He had gone around the smoke to attack me in my blind spot, I realized my mistake and nodded. Okay, you want to play like that? Let’s play then.

I dropped to the ground with a grunt and proficiently got back on my feet. Glaring at him, I grabbed my shoulder and, with a snap, returned it into its socket. The Kavar grinned widely and disappeared into the smoke. Taking a deep breath, I wasn’t letting him get an upper hand again. I had no doubt that smoke could be a double edged sword. Let’s see whose senses are better. Raising dust, I charged into the cloud, the audience gasping before letting out a cheer.

I immediately spotted his silhouette moving in the smoke. Sharpening my senses, I felt him approach from my side again. I sneered at the one trick pony. The saber connected with my claws, the force of the blow actually managing to dilute the smoke. Standing there eye to eye in a stalemate, he tried to pull away with a kick aimed at my groin. Now that pissed me off. With a violent growl, I blocked his foot with my tail, wrapping it up and pulled. His eyes widened in shock as the ground was pulled from under him, disarming him in the process. What an utter idiot, he should have used his first attack to take me down immediately. He wasn’t getting another chance like that.

I made sure to lacerate his leg, eliciting a scream of agony as I pressed the sharp razors through his armor and into his flesh before pulling down all the way from his thigh to his ankle. The smoke had cleared at this point, the crowd savagely shouting, “Kill him! Kill him!” Unfortunately, the Kavar shocked me once again by getting his bearings and I found a knife flying at my face with great force. I moved away but couldn’t dodge in time as the blade entered hilt-deep into my shoulder.

Pulling himself out of my grasp, the Kavar stood up and took out two more knives, putting all his weight on his good leg. He wasn’t smiling anymore. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead as he panted. Glaring at him in anger, I pulled the knife from my shoulder, noticing a sour scent on it. I frown at the blade in my hand. So, there was poison on his knives. Only feeling a small burning tingle, I realized my corrosive blood burned away the poison. I grin as I get a fun idea.

I casually tossed the saber slightly near him. We stood still as I waited to see if he’ll take the bait, “Go on, it’s right there.” I said in mockery, giving him a taste of his own medicine. The fear in his eyes was clear, he could sense it. His death. However, he remained still. I dropped my eyes slightly, grimacing as I swayed unsteadily. Just as I groaned, he charged.

Honestly, it worked better than I had hoped. Something flashed in his eyes as he beamed, thinking that victory was within his grasp. Instead of going for the saber, he threw caution to the wind with a roar. The Kavar tossed himself at me with the intention of taking me down, thinking I was under the effect of his poison. Smiling suddenly, I readied myself and lifted my arms to block just as his knives were about to connect with my chest. Sparks flew as we violently collided. Grinning at him, I easily pushed him back, “So slow...” swinging my claws skillfully, I cut his knives in half.

Terror and disbelief flashed on his face as he tried to escape again. Not giving him another opportunity, I grabbed him by the arms and swung him around before using the momentum to crash him into the wall with a bang. Connecting with it, the sound of bones breaking sounded. He couldn’t even scream as he slid down like a ragdoll. He began vomiting blood, choking on it while lying on his back and twitching. Did he bite his tongue off? I grinned, pleased that I returned the favor and walked over not wanting to let him die just yet.

Indulging my sadistic side, I grabbed him by the collar and kneed him in the crotch just to make a point. Toppling over, unable to even stand or scream the Kavar was only gasping as large amounts of bloody chunks escaped his lips. He was lying face down, unable to budge. I flicked my tongue out, a cold expression on my face while the crowd gasped in shock, he was actually still clinging to life.

I grin at getting my due. Thanks to my strong regeneration, my bones were already healing with amazing speed. It felt like I was cheating. Grabbing him by the back of his neck, he was on his knees, staring at me with eyes full of hatred and pain. He knew this was the end. I flash my fangs in a wide smile, “In your next life, try not to piss off the wrong guy, m’kay?”

Feeling like this was enough, I tighten my grip and snip his neck into two. The head rolled on the dirt. The crowd cheered. Keeping my promise, I wrap the corpse with my tail just as the announcer began speaking, “Ladies and Gen-“

I suddenly sharpen my tail and I pull it back with a swift tug. Blood squirted everywhere as the bits and pieces of his corpse fell to the ground, making the bloody pile of flesh and guts splatter with a nasty sound. The audience was deathly silent as I picked up his severed head. Nonchalantly whipping my tail once, the blood sprinkling on the dirt. Turning around, I feel the position where Patrick was sitting, easily finding him despite the veil. Grinning, I pull my arm back and toss the head in his direction. It was disappointing, but the head cracked and bounced off harmlessly. Well, I’m sure the message was received.

“Tha- That- WHAT A SHOW LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. WE HAVE OUR WINNER!!” The disturbed silence evaporated with crazed cheers. They were cheering my name with pure delight. They sounded like animals, making me grimace in disgust. They were seriously worthless. I wonder, how loud would they cheer if it was a human being slaughtered. Hearing the grinding of metal, I saw the door lifted. Turning on my heel, I left the Pits already mentally preparing for my next fight. This was going to be a long day...

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***

And so it was. After my fourth battle in the Pits, I felt like someone had run me over with a train. I had no idea how many were still in front of me. I was mentally exhausted.

The second battle was easy enough, my opponent an F rank Hobgoblin using a spiked club. Unlike the one I met at the Lodge, this one didn’t seem to be capable of thought beyond ‘Hit it hard.’ It was like fighting a rock. The thing had charged at me without a worry, his war cry making the audience burst with laughter. After the thing was showered with boos, I found out that, even though things from inside the veil couldn’t get out, the people outside were more than welcome to shower the fighters with rotten produce in certain situations. Despite being very disappointed, I made short work of him, simply catching his club and beating him to death with it. It was surprisingly satisfying to pummel someone into minced meat.

Afterwards, I moved onto the third fight. I’ll admit, that one was problematic. The Harpy had toyed with me for the first 10 minutes of the fight. I couldn’t reach her, no matter how high I jumped, 10 meters was beyond me. Needless to say, the audience wasn’t very pleased with her boring tactics. The little bitch flew around, shooting me with poisoned arrows. It was extremely lucky that the corrosive factor in my blood ate away at the poison faster than it could act.

I spent the fight mostly dodging and catching some cheap shots into non vital areas. My armor was surprisingly sturdy, the arrow would lodge itself into it but couldn’t pierce through. The little war of attrition came to an end when she exhausted herself with constant flying. I had noticed immediately when her wings begun having difficulty carrying her weight, using the chance to jump off a wall and tackle her to the ground. Using the arrow that had hit me in the thigh, I stabbed her in the eye and tore her wings off in frustration. So, fucking unfair, no wonder she was an E rank already.

Now, my last battle was challenging in a whole new way. The human warrior wore heavy plates, looking like a huge metal man. Even though he was an E rank, the announcer made sure to tell everyone he had gotten it only after one fight, which meant he took down a D rank. Someone had seriously invested into this dude. The large claymore had a fierce, intimidating appearance, the glistening blade made out of seemingly high-quality materials. The same applied to his armor. That man was a damn beast.

After our first exchange, I learned that there were materials my claws couldn’t cut though, just leaving deep scratches. Attempting to pierce only left a dent. I counted my lucky stars the man was slower than me. Dodging the claymore was a chore in and of itself, the ground slightly vibrated from his blows. He was like a damn tank waving around a huge sword. I knew my only chance to end this was to find a hole in his armor, and luckily, he had two on his helmet. Getting to them was the tricky part because I knew I wasn’t getting out of it unscathed.

The man wasn’t brainless though. He figured out what I wanted as soon as I began my plan. He faked an opening. Unfortunately, my experience was limited. I fell for it. After getting past his defense, the man viciously and quickly changed the trajectory of his claymore and aimed for my midsection. I only managed to get out alive thanks to my ridiculous flexibility. I had curved my body unnaturally to the side, but the claymore sliced a gaping hole in my flank, easily shattering some of my lower ribs. Once I felt blood pool in my mouth, I had spit it in his eyes and made some distance. While my flesh was slowly fixing itself, I saw the man scream and drop his weapon, he grabbed for his face and stupidly removed the helmet. At that point, I ended the fight by removing his head.

So, here I was, waiting again for the next battle. Feeling like shit. The Pits lost their novelty, I wanted to lie down and sleep for hours. Although I could go on physically, my head was a mess. Save for the fighters I killed, I hadn’t seen a single person since this morning. I couldn’t even tell the time. Some fights were short, others taking forever. The healers left a few minutes ago. Leaning on my knees, I groaned in exasperation. Though I would heal on my own, the healing magic sure speeded things up a lot. Thankfully, I had some downtime before my next battle. Taking out my card, I saw the rank changed from F to E. the label now saying ‘Very unstable’ in capital letters. Snorting at the change in status, I put it away.

Good thing Patrick didn’t order me to win in specific ways just so he could place high-return bets. It was definitely a thing. The contract holders would be stupid not to know of a trick like that. I suppose they’d risk losing a fighter that way. Frowning, I wondered if that was the reason he didn’t specify his order. Was it because he didn’t want to lose his investment or because he still didn’t know the extent of my ability? Mentally preparing for getting an order like that, I seethed. Hearing the announcer shout with glee behind the shut door, I grimaced and stood up.

“Ladies and gentlemen! You’ve seen his brutality and wit, you’ve witnessed the blood flow from his fingertips! Let us welcome, once again, The Ripper to the stage!!” the audience was screaming my name in anticipation. Cringing at the shitty tag, I walked through the door and stood ready, unsure of who I might be facing.

“Thanks to his continuous winning streak, Atkozott has already reached E rank and is at the edge of passing through the next rank! By the demand of his owner, he will now be facing a C rank enemy for the very first time, attempting to break through the ranks at record speed!” the announcer shouted with clear excitement, riling up the crowd with ease.

My eyes widened at the words. Snapping my head in a seemingly random direction, I glared. I knew he could see me, I could feel it. Snarling in rage, I lifted up my hand and gave him the finger. The collar tightened fiercely around my neck, almost making me turn purple from the lack of air. Loud laughter boomed from the audience as they watched me choke. Enraged, I clench my teeth hard enough to draw blood. I will fucking butcher you Patrick!

“Oh my, it would seem Atkozott is feeling defiant, haha. Well then, without further ado, I give you Chelsea! Don’t let her looks fool you! This little pyromaniac is responsible for burning down 3 villages in Terra Humanum before being caught! The she-devil’s achievement list goes on, killing a total of 500 people in her short lifetime.” the audience gasped in horror before erupting with demands for murder. Shit. Shit. Shit. I knew it was unavoidable, but facing a mage so early on?

I groan as the collar completely loosens, watching as a girl no older than 18 walked out of the other end with a disinterested expression. The side of her head was shaved and tattooed, depicting images of a viper. The rest of her dark blue hair fell messily on the right side, a few braids visible. She was gorgeous. A very feminine face, plump lips and a knock-em-dead figure. She wore simple leather armor, scorched in multiple places. Her hips were wide with a plump bottom. The ‘bad girl’ vibe was clear as day, her dark eyes dull and without emotion. Her brows were scrunched up in displeasure. If I’d seen this woman on Earth, I’d have thought she was a biker no questions asked.

“Let’s get this over with.” she mumbled and stretched, sizing me up with some surprise. It was then that I noticed a metal collar around her neck, intricate runes ominously glowing. As she cracked her fingers, I saw they were pitch black and totally charred. The horn sounded, her collar losing its glow. Not wasting any time, I knew I needed to finish this before she could chant her spells. I moved with great speed, my figure almost a blur as I shortened the distance within a second. Knowing she couldn’t possibly finish a chant in that short time, I felt some reprieve. Just as I was about to mow the girl down with my charge, she grinned with some insanity in her eyes and moved her hand in a swing.

I felt the heat before I could see it. Tossing myself back, I barely avoided the sizzling inferno that appeared out of nowhere. Blisters appeared on my skin within seconds, the headgear painfully burning my face as it heated up. With a growl, I ripped it from my head and tossed it aside, gaping in disbelief as a huge wall of flames surrounded the girl like a vortex. She didn’t seem bothered by the heat as she moved her arms enchantingly, “Burn...” she mouthed with a crazy glint in her eyes. The vortex converted into a single spot. Puckering her lips, she blew. The inferno wildly flew at me. Cursing, tossed myself down on the ground, feeling the searing heat pass over my back like molten lava. Screaming in agony, I punched the dirt repeatedly and endured until it passed. I could feel smoke rising off my back, the pain impossibly acute. How was I supposed to win against this?

My flesh was melted, the spikes on my back still firmly standing but so hot they continuously burned me. The metal links had melted on my tail, luckily not merging too much with the skin. My hair was totally gone, leaving me looking like a charred corpse. The smell of my own cooking flesh made me gag. My regeneration was working overtime, forcefully healing the still burning skin. Coughing, I stood up on shaking legs and glared at the crazy witch.

Her eyes were wide in astonishment, “Wooow, you actually survived that? What a freak.” she muttered and actually began chanting this time, her gaze narrowing in concentration. Barely moving my legs, I took a step, then another, slowly increasing my pace as I grunted. Sweat dripped from her brow, her breath becoming heavy as she chanted the final words of her spell and swayed in exhaustion. The damage was done though, I couldn’t reach her in time.

The air became unstable around me, heating up faster than I could react as she pointed a finger at me. Mustering all of my strength, I broke into a run. Her eyes glazed over. An earsplitting explosion sounded behind me, the force off it actually tossing me right into her. My back was even more seared, the power of it breaking my bones. We rolled to the ground in an unrecognizable jumble of limbs, hitting the walls hard enough to crack them.

No more bones broke, well, not mine at least. She softened my crash, her smaller body breaking like a twig from the force I collided with her. Her blood and guts were everywhere as she died instantly, her bones peeking out of her skin, her neck broken. Falling to the ground with thud, my ears were ringing. The eardrums were definitely ruptured. I felt vertigo as the world spun without control, everything hurting. I couldn’t even twitch. After a few minutes of lying there, I was still deaf. There was simply too much damage to heal at once. Some people walked over and dragged me away, making me groan in agony. Their mouths opened and closed while they looked down at me, as if asking questions. Is it just me or are they triplets? That’s pretty neat.

‘My head hurts’ I thought as my eyes rolled into the back of my head.