Re: Incarnation Death Match 14 Reassure

Several days after the night incident, no one talked or even noticed the marred state of the formerly beautiful park, proof that the mysterious little witch and the woman kept her promise. Before she had the chance to ask and pry more information, they were gone, leaving the scent of citrus with their disappearance.

Even though they were able to get some rest, their tournament day does not get any easier, nor does Claire feel any less jittery due to antic.i.p.ation. If anything, witnessing and feeling the battle first-hand at the first round made her more aware than ever of the dangers the two of them will dance upon for the next few weeks, depending on their future performance.

In addition, there was also the warning from Ronan to worry about. His information stated that her opponent is a controversial one, possessing an array of powerful abilities in spite of the low rank stated on the contestant information. If the rumors are true, they might have to take more risks in order to win.

As much as she wanted to relax in the luxurious, yet simple room, she was unable to shake off her worry. Even the plush floor covered with soft blue carpet, the air conditioner making the room comfortable, and the sofas with small fluffy pillows are not enticing enough to help her relax.

The slight frays on the edges of the pillow and the few sunken parts of the carpet suggested that the room was well-used by the previous contestants who rested there, but she seemed to be the outlier, and the room did nothing to soothe her frayed nerves.

In contrast, Fiora seemed uncharacteristically bored.

While Claire was sprawled on the carpet, sighing every so often while staring at nothing and turning around once in a while, Fiora decided to spend the time stacking the pillows on the sofa into various forms of pillow fort, each one bigger and more elaborate than the last. In one instance, she even stacked the decorative paraphernalia on the table as part of the fort, causing the concerned Claire to ban her from touching those expensive goods in fear that the Incarnation broke something expensive and they have to pay it from their reward money.

"Claire?"

"Hm?"

"Please stop worrying. I will secure our victory, no matter what."

"You say that, but still, I can't relax. Really appreciate the gesture though." Claire chuckled and got up from the carpeted floor. "Thanks. For now, we need the win, and as much as I don't want to be here, I have to."

"Is there any specific reason why you really wish to win?"

"Is your reason not enough? I remember you saying that you have to keep fighting to figure out the truth." Claire asked back. "Who told you that, anyway?"

"The smell of blood told me that this arena is no stranger to the throes of life and death, and partaking in such a dance poses a threat to your own well-being. I may not be particularly observant, Claire, however, even a blind animal can see your quivering gaze, trembling palms, and worried frown in each battle we face, so… why?" Fiora stopped playing around with the pillows, and jumped up onto her handiwork to relax.

The sight of a robotic, mostly silent fighter, sitting and relaxing in a pillow fort was almost funny.

"Why do you insist of continuing on?" Fiora raised her right eyebrow.

"Mostly the money, to be honest." Claire shrugged. "It was a thanks to Ronan we got the info to find you, but there was also our stroke of luck that the rumor about you turned out correct... Or was our success guaranteed from the start?" Claire looked a bit lost in thought, her gaze indicating that she was thinking about something else.

"Perhaps." Fiora replied, dodging the question. "I will not question the whims of fate or the machinations of the observers above us, but perhaps we were linked in a way."

"Have you remember anything about yourself?"

Fiora shook her head. "Bits and pieces. I am afraid that I remember naught but smells and voices, along with colored lights. Nothing helpful in ascertaining my own origins."

Claire stared at her companion in worry, while opening her mouth and closing it as if she wanted to ask something else.

"Please do not fret, Claire. As of now, I have no intention of pursuing the matter further, and as a being bonded to you, your safety and wishes are my sole priority."

"Thanks, I guess." After gaping for some time, Claire settled on a simple answer.

With impeccable timing, the gates finally opened, saving the two of them from another session of awkward conversation. The hallway still looked dark as ever, and blazing heat radiating from high noon sun s.h.i.+ning atop the arena fed into Claire's apprehension once more.

She steeled herself, gripped her knuckles, and looked at Fiora. Her burned hand, even though still bandaged, has completely dried, leaving her with a sufficiently tough scab.

Fiora nodded and jumped up from her pillow fort, leaving a messy pile behind her.

Both of them walked out, and upon stepping outside, Claire wiped the beads of sweat quickly forming on her forehead. In contrast, Fiora seemed really comfortable, and she sighed in relief while stretching her muscles.

"From the left side, we have the bold newcomer, Claire Saphira and her partner, the Divine-rank Fiora!"

Cheers erupted from the audience seats, almost loud enough to drown out the jeers coming from some groups. It was no secret that gambling on Death Matches is a highly established entertainment, with many lucky bookmarkers raking in a profit thanks to the enthusiasm of the betting community. To save face, the law enforcement made several arrests, but it was clear as day that some has partaken in the business.

A staggering sum of money rides on the result of this game of life and death.

"The pair's bravery and ingenuity earned them victory in the first round! Now, will they win again this time? Or will they fail, even as the odds are stacked in their favor? Give a round of applause to our contestants on the right, the fan-favorite Vio Lunette, better known as Luna, and the little witch, Venefica!"

What the h.e.l.l?!

The roaring applause of the audience became muted, and Claire's gaze snapped towards the other side of the arena, right where the dark hallway for the second team stands. Her mind was screaming, she had no desire to fight those who helped her before in a game of life and death.

Sensing her apprehension, Fiora held Claire's left shoulder and gave a rea.s.suring squeeze.

As expected, the bespectacled woman and the small child walked out of the other hallway, their expression calm without a hint of fear or apprehension.

"In the previous match, the little witch has beaten overwhelming odds, and she won even though her opponent was strong enough to overwhelm her! Now, will the pair win again in the face of Fiora's overwhelming statistical power?"

"We meet again, Claire." Luna said, and gave her a small smile.

"In the end, even after what you did on that incident a few days ago, we still have to fight, huh…"

During the conversation, Venefica has taken off her binding chain once again, and she flew around the arena, leaving a trail of citrus scent mixed with cocoa for the audience.

Luna shook her head. "Don't worry about it, we made a promise to your partner over there." She gestured at Fiora, who nodded in response. "But, we still have to give them a good show, don't we?"

"Now, the event you are waiting for has come! Ten!"

"Nine!"

"Eight!"
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"How... Exactly do you plan to do that?" Claire asked.

Luna laughed, a hyenlike laugh that sounds ill fitting for a woman with such an elegant appearance and mannerism. "Consider it target practice... With a small twist. Are you ready, Fiora?"

Fiora nodded, removed her glowing chain, and gave it to the still bewildered Claire. The ashen girl's face still looked as flat as ever

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

Right after the countdown ends, Venefica swirled around in the air and landed, before jabbing the pointed end of her spear into the ground. A rumbling earthquake spread throughout the arena, past the protective barriers, and shook the seats, before a colossal golem made of blue-white metal rose up from the cracked ground.

The golem possessed a pair of blades in place of hands, decorated with what could be described as X-shaped wing-like projections on the back. The decoration looked even more intimidating with the glint of wicked spikes lining the edges. Meanwhile, the face of the golem was featureless, the blue top half and white bottom half and edges giving the impression of a robot wearing an oddly-shaped visor.

Fiora gripped her knuckles, and four metallic chains appeared, ready to strike.

"Calm down, I'm called many things, but certainly not 'liar'." Luna smiled at Venefica. "Venny, if you please? You remember, right?"

"Of course, big sis!"

Several sets of red rings appeared on the colossi, invisible to the audience but clear to Fiora and Claire.

"These are the weak spots. You only need several good hits to take them all down, think you can manage?" Luna smiled.

Claire nodded.

"Shall we, then?" Luna jumped and sat next to Venefica, flying with the aid of the magical spear.

"Go, Fiora! Focus on attack!" Claire shouted, and without further ado, Fiora launched herself towards the top of the golem. The giant was huge, its height more nine meters tall and almost enough to reach the top of the protective barrier. Claire shouted some random, taunting words, and Venefica, realizing what Claire wanted, made the giant turn towards the girl.

Fiora, while descending from the jump, extended all four of her chains, attempting to restrain the giant with two while trying to stab the armor with the other two. The giant only became enraged, however, one chain hit right in the center of the indicated red rings near the shoulder, creating a smoldering wound penetrating the thick, metallic armor of the illusionary golem.

Without knowledge of the planned deception shared between the contestants, the audience cheered at the scene presented before them. Some whistling in adoration and some cheering for Venefica to step up her game.

Dust and sand spread throughout the place with every movement of the golem, but the scent of citrus mixed with cocoa kept on lingering, refres.h.i.+ng yet persistent.

With the left shoulder wounded, the giant's left arm movement slowed down, still a bit fast but noticeably lagging compared to the right arm.

Claire kept on running in spite of the hot weather, stopping for scant few seconds every so often to wipe the sweat on her forehead and face. Her breaths sounded short and labored, but she showed no other signs of fatigue, and she kept weaving her way around the strikes of the giant.

In short order, Fiora struck the smoldering shoulder several times in succession, all her chains focused on the hole she created with the first strike. Soon after, blazing heat and fire tore clean through the hole, and one arm, blackened at one end, fell down with a loud thump, before disappearing into small motes of scattered white light.

Too focused on the small victory, Claire slowed down, and paid for it with a stinging wound to the left arm. The wound looked clean and shallow, a contrast to the ma.s.sive blade that created it.

"Focus, Claire." Luna chided from above the flying spear, while Venefica gave a small, apologetic smile while scratching the back of her head. "We have a deal, but we do have to keep them off our back, don't we? I'd hate it if I get accused of rigging the match." Luna glanced at the audience seats. "They can be a vicious bunch."

Claire nodded, bit her bottom lip, and started running again while wincing from the pain of sweat wetting the fresh wound. Meanwhile, Fiora used her chains to try burning a hole through the indicated area around the giant's feet, attempting to topple and limit its movements.

"They certainly are an odd pair." Claire muttered, trying to distract herself from the pain on her arm. "After that incident, now they made a deal with Fiora? What exactly are they playing here?"

Claire was unable to think of a scenario where the team flying next to the colossi were able to convince the ashen girl to do something for them. Fiora was far too silent, and even Claire found the girl intimidating and odd at times.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

The sound of metal colliding on metal rang throughout the place.

Fiora's flurry of heated chains kept attacking without relent, and finally, the right leg of the metallic giant broke off, torn with a blackened edge much like the broken arm. Without adequate support to keep it standing, the golem had to take an odd position. Now, it looked like a human with 'taking a knee' position.

The restricted movement gave Claire some relief, and she leaned near the edge of the arena to catch her breath. The golem's fall, along with the broken leg, stirred up a storm of dust, and visibility were ma.s.sively reduced in accordance.

"Fiora!" Claire screamed as loud as she could. "End this now!"

Fiora nodded upon hearing the command, and she ran closer to both Venefica and Luna. The two opponents were descending, no doubt preparing for another attack. Close to the ground, the two jumped, and Venefica lifted her spear up.

"Somniferum G"

Before the little witch finished her words, a red, heated blur whished past, and a shallow wound opened on the side of Luna's neck. The string holding the necklace with the Death Match symbol were cut off, right before disappearing along with the blur.

"Very well. Then, I will keep my words, just as you both did."

Luna touched her collarbone, feeling the symbol necklace disappear, and both turned towards the direction of the blur. Fiora stood several meters away from them, her back towards the two, and the necklace held by the string on the edge of the claws on her gauntlet.

"We have a deal, Luna. As long as you do not intend to betray Claire, I shall be your ally."

Fiora lifted up the necklace just as the dust clears away, showing off the mark symbolizing their victory.