The first thing Janus noticed once he stepped into the main training area of the gym was sweat. The sour smell filled the air so densely that he could almost taste it as he inhaled. His face winced. He quickly knotted up the bag that the soup came in to make sure that the aroma wouldn't taint the food inside. After placing the bag on nearby table, he took in the surrounding area.
The lighting of the room was dim; not so dark that Janus couldn't make out some the various elements contained within the room, but not bright enough that he could make heads or tail of the finer features. Contrary to how Tonko described his gym, people were few and far between. There was one man in the corner in a loose white tank top and short, tight red shorts that was busy hoisting a dumbbell with both hands. Another man in sleek and shiny work out gear rested on one of the benches in another corner of the room, staring at a Broadcast that was on his projection.
A large boxing-like ring stood in the center of the room; its mat was a dark blue with the name "Tonko" plastered along the side of it using the same font as the sign outside. Jutting out from each corner was a metal post. Connecting each one was a series of red beams of light that mimicked the spacing of ropes in a traditional boxing ring.
Among the unused exercise equipment were an assortment of melee-based weapons that caught Janus' attention. He gravitated towards the metal bin by the entrance that contained them, peering down to get a closer examination.
"Those are for people who aren't lucky enough to have a Natural Affinity," Tonko said when he noticed that Janus was gazing into his weapon stash.
"Do you have one?" Janus asked.
Tonko's smug smile returned. "Of course I do!"
"What?" Gurk asked.
"Perhaps I could show you in a bit. Would you be willing to show off your skills in a Ranked Challenge?"
"Oh!” Janus’ attention snapped from the collection of weapons to the owner of the gym. “So that's what this was all about? Trying to get some of Gurk's Rumble Circuit points and maybe get Siergi's attention in the progress?"
Tonko shook his head fervently. "No, no. You've got it all wrong. Demonstrating moves on a punching bag or training dummy is one thing. But applying those skills in a real time Challenge is what separates the wannabes from those with talent."
"But why Ranked? Isn't there a practice option as well?"
"Everyone fights better when there are points on the line. I'm sure an experienced fighter like Gurk would be more than willing to show a few up-and-coming Rumble Circuit competitors the ins and outs of fighting. Isn't that right?" Tonko said, giving the crocodile a friendly jab in the arm. He then pointed towards the two men on the other side of the gym. They both left the shadows of the far side of the room to join in on the conversation.
"Sure," Gurk replied.
"Excellent! And seeing as how your friend here is so eager to deliver these… delicacies, we can get started now if you'd like."
"Alright."
“And how much would you want to wager? I’m fine with putting nothing on the line, but I also understand that Ranked Challenges don’t mean much to some fighters if there’s no Tokens to be gained.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Alright,” Tonko said as he typed a number on his screen. “The standard ten grand then.”
“Cool.”
Janus opened his mouth, but his words froze on his lips. He watched Tonko bring up his Challenge screen. Gurk skimmed through the terms and conditions, pressing the "Accept" option once his eyes reached the bottom, accompanied by a small chime.
Tonko grinned as he deactivated the projection. He placed two of his fingers in his mouth and let out a loud whistle, drawing the attention of the two other gym-goers. Tonko coughed a couple of times to clear his throat before turning to address the others.
"Attention everyone," he said loudly and clearly, "This is Gurk! Everyone say 'hi' to him!"
"Hi Gurk," the pair said synchronously.
"He has received an invitation from Siergi's team to challenge the man himself on his very own broadcast!" As Tonko finished his words, there was a unified gasp that came out of his two patrons. One whispered something to other before both turned to stare at the crocodile. "I'm sure there is a lot that we can learn from him. He has been kind enough to demonstrate in person what he did, so watch closely! I'll be taking him on in the ring in just a few moments, so if you want to watch a real bout, I'd suggest you keep your eyes on our challenge!"
Tonko made his way to the ring first, looking back towards his soon-to-be opponent while stepping in between the red beams of the posts. "Feel free to discuss any potential strategies with your coach there, but don't take too long. You only have a couple of minutes to start the fight or else you'll forfeit by default." He then his back up against the metal post. The other two men then ran to his side and began wrapping a bandage around his fists.
"Just be careful, Gurk," Janus whispered. "Something seems off about this guy."
"Really?" Gurk asked.
"I'm not one hundred percent certain, but it couldn't hurt to keep your wits about you. That guy seems a bit too concerned with your invitation to meet Siergi and the others. I don't know what he has up his sleeve, but you should definitely be careful."
"Right," Gurk said, giving Janus a singular nod. He then walked towards the ring, his tail slithering along the ground as it dragged behind him. He hopped into the arena and took to a post on the opposite side of the arena. Tonko's pupils approached him, grabbing hold of his wrists and wrapping the sports tape around them. Gurk lifted his arms and stared at the bandages.
"Don't worry about that. Just a little tradition that we do here at Tonko KO. Keeps sweat from dripping all over the mat."
Janus squinted at the statement. Talk about odd.
The two competitors made their way to the center of the arena, standing over the big and bold letters that spelled "Tonko" plastered in the middle. Tonko’s eyes beamed towards his only two patrons. "One of you going to be Broadcasting this?" he asked.
"Yes sir!" the man in the loose tank top replied.
"Good! Make sure that you're able to get some good angles. You know… so you guys can study this later." The same man responded by making an "OK' sign with his thumb and pointer finger.
"How about you Gurk? Are you ready for the challenge?"
The crocodile nodded. "Yeah."
"Then there’s no point in delaying this any further!” Tonko activated his projection once more, pressing the giant floating "Begin" button. The screen turned into a large timer, starting from the number "Three."
"Two..."
"One..."
The ding of a bell echoed throughout the empty gym. Janus activated his own projection and tuned into Tonko’s Broadcast. All of the same information that was present during Itzel and Enidri's Ranked Challenge filled up the area surrounding the footage of the fight; Stamina Meter. EV bars. Timer.
The perspective was the same as well, showing off the two combatants from a sideways angle so that they both always visible on the screen. Tonko and Gurk took defensive stances; their hands protected their upper bodies as they slowly sidestepped around the center of the ring, waiting for their opponent to make the first move.
