Third Person POV

The sky was as grey and dismal as charcoal. Very little light penetrated the clouds. It swerved past the thick and plentiful leaf blades, shining on a little camp site. It was amongst all the foliage, small in size. Flimsy, clumsily built wooden fences surrounded the site, a small campfire in the middle of it all. There were old and worn tents around the campfire with barrels of food and water.

A girl with hair as white as snow, lay there, bloodied and unconscious. Her breaths were unstable, her limbs limp.

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Reiko POV

What is a good life?

"Is he serious?"¹for suspense I will remove the () when referring to non characters speaking, i.e. mobs

"this can't be real!?"

Is a good life one where you get to choose what you do? To be free?

"isn't she a little young for this?"

"Fight! Fight! Fight! BRING THE MASSACRE!"

Or is it where you're safe and get to live through it, take it slow?

"...commencing... tatakai...!"(Moume)

Those questions can wait, there are more important things to do.

I looked into the distance, eye to eye with my opponent. Chills sent throughout my body. He more than doubled me in size, a hulking monster. His hair was long and wavy, looking like it belonged to a sea witch more than anything. Although he may seem feeble, weak, that couldn't be further from the case.

His face was an old towel, all wrinkled and almost haggard. However, his scarred stone hard body contrasted his face completely. I knew my chances were low, but now, it seems impossible. It felt like climbing Mt. Fuji without any tools or warm attire.

A nasty aura around him, his eyes cold and unempathetic. I can only rely on my plan to win.

I huffed in air and

"HAH!"(Reiko)

I lunged at him, closing the distance between us.

My best possible chance is to score a couple points and stall the remaining time. I need to land at least one clean hit to the body or head as Moume said. That doesn't seem so bad, but then the problem of time arises. Ten minutes... three rounds...

We were face to face, his left arm retreated, and like a bullet shot at my head. Barely grazing it, I side-stepped, swerving away.

My blood rushed all throughout my body. Feeling like a rabbit in a lion's den, the only word in my head was danger.

Moushi was still like a statue and in a blink of an eye, his legs swept under. No matter how observant I was or how much I focused, I couldn't react to it at all. 

I lost my balance, flailing like a ragdoll. In the corner of my eye, I saw his fist drawing closer.

d- damn...

I winced, awaiting the punch... there was nothing.

?

Landing on my back, I saw his arm extended from above.

h- he missed.

...

HE MISSED!

I jumped up, landing on my feet. Readying into a stance, rushing in to Moushi once again.

Going on the offence, I balled my fist, jumping as high as I can and drilled my fist into his chest. Twisting my body, putting all my weight into this one, precise hit. Adrenaline filled me to the brim, ecstasy and exhilaration. As if the future was laid right in front of me, only visible to my eyes and mine only.

I just have to land... this... one... PUNCH!

"HYAH!"(Reiko)

boom

There was a wave of relief. A clean hit, properly landed. 

The universe fell quiet, not a peep. The wide grin on my face soon changed.

crack

I stumbled back, holding tightly onto my hand. Looking at it, I was left in horror. Like being stuck in an earthquake, I shook, unsteady. My knuckles, imploded, burst, ripped. Crimson liquid oozed out, patches of pink sticking out.

Wh- what?

Clenching my teeth, I desperately tried to keep my tears in. I turned my head just slightly, to see Moushi amongst my bangs. Barely a mark left on his chest, his face unwavering. I thought that I was strong enough, what a fool I was. 

Of course a week's worth of training won't be enough to take down a damn soldier. 

!!!

"AH!"(Reiko)

Not even a second passed, at least, it didn't feel like a second. He threw a bored kick in my direction. Avoiding it by the skin of my teeth, I tried to recuperate. 

All the alarms went off at once, I saw the impending doom, the grim reaper himself, right in front of me.

He threw a barrage of kicks, punches. My head and body, twisted clumsily to avoid it all. It was like I was in a spy movie avoiding bullets from enemies. 

I was slowly being driven back to a corner. My brain yelled that I should move, run away from this situation, but my body didn't respond, ignoring it completely.

I grit my teeth, pushing my feet onto the ground pouring as much power as I could. I jumped, bolted, not at the enemy, but away from him. All I have is speed, if I-!?

Before I could think, he teleported right in front of me. The motion was so fast I could see his afterimages. My brain was left in clutters, scattered and disorganized. I couldn't believe my eyes. I pleaded this was all hallucinations from lack of blood, but, no, it wasn't.

As quickly as he moved, his fist drove right into my stomach.

"puhaaa..."(Reiko)

Organs swished and swashed. Eyes popped out, spit and drool emptied from my mouth. My insides had been mangled to a disorganized mess. Falling on my knees, I grabbed onto my stomach. Desperately gasping for air, as much as I could, I felt like I was on top of a mountain. No matter how much I inhaled there was not enough, not enough oxygen for me to breathe. 

The world shook side to side, all the sounds became muffled.

I wanted to cry, scream but no words, not even a sound could leave my mouth. I deflated like a balloon, as pain surged. 

There was a sharp, unexplainable pain in my abdomen. No matter how much I tried to get up, I only failed, falling again and again. Muscles tensed; they cramped.

Tears gushed like a waterfall. I wanted to die. 

My mind was jumbled up like a five hundred piece puzzle. Before I could catch my breath, I saw something drawing near. Time came to a complete stop. Staring into the near distance, I saw no people, only a callous fist. 

"Hrah!"(Reiko)

Ears rang like bells. Moushi multiplied into three, each one standing next to each other. My vision swayed like a rocking boat as my face rearranged. 

It all happened too fast. 

I had only recently noticed that a moist, sticky substance coating my face. My hands were drunk, wobbly touching my face. It was red. Painted in a deep dark vermillion. It was not just a drop, or even a little drizzle, no, it completely covered my palm. 

Before I could think, there it came, another punch. 

"Stop the match!"

"She's just a kid!"

"this is a little too much..."

Hmm? What were they? Those muffled noises that blended into a messy squabble. Time seemed like it had slowed, at the same time, it felt like it got faster. Distorted and contorted into a chaotic clutter. Thoughts ran rampant, I was able to see, hear and smell everything, although a bit warped.

From the blurred, vague figure of a man, to the animalistic screams and yells. From the pungent smell of rust, to the taste of copper in my mouth. All too vivid, yet so different and new. I was stuck in a place where I could perceive but not react to it.

"!?"(Reiko)

"!!!?"

"!!?!?"(Moushi)

"Kek..."(Cheryl)

In a split of a second, a woman appeared... no she was not just a woman, she was Cheryl. 

Wha- what?

I could only see her brown hair as my consciousness faded. The noise amplified, I was surrounded by white clouds. My view lessened as I was eaten up by the cloud. Drifting to sleep, everything faded. 

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Third Person POV

It was supposed to be a day like any other, but it wasn't. A shadowy presence from a distance, silently viewing the events. In an arena meant for only the fiercest warriors, stood a little girl frantically trying to stay alive. Her one attempt of an attack was futile. Although all of her power and strength was put into this strike, it all fell in vane. 

Since the very beginning the dictation of this fight was set, she is not a fighter, not yet, she was a mage, an amateur but nonetheless her magical prowess surpassed her physical abilities. Those who came to watch, stepped back in utter disbelief. A complete one-eighty for most. 

They expected an exciting fight between two equal fighters, but were left in shock when they saw Reiko. Disgusted, fear, worry? It didn't matter, in instances like these, the average person had no say in it.

A tradition set in stone since the birth of this community, something no one can change except, of course, the chief. Sitting high, angry but remorseful. His heart was stabbed in both ends. Hoping that she was going to come out alright, but she was not the person he could root for. Her wants and desires could destroy the peace of the village, something he wished would not happen again.

The rules were strict and unwavering, and no matter how much his heart yearned to cancel the match, he cold-heartedly ignored it.

The match went on, blood splattered, dazed and confused she was a knock away from death.

The finishing blow, the final bullet. But before anything could happen, an angel appeared... well not quite an angel. Air was forced out of her lungs, as the fist dug into her stomach. Her emerald eyes were popping out of her head, yet she stood steadily in the face of danger.

Shock erupted from the crowds and Moushi himself, jumping away at the unwelcomed presence. There was nothing but disarray and mayhem. Amidst all this, a couple small smoke grenades were thrown into the arena.

This was not planned, nothing was planned, it all just happened.

White smoke covered the arena as unfamiliar entities appeared and disappeared. 

The smoke dissipated, the only thing left was nothing. 

------

-

She laid there bleeding and still, except for the slow expansion of her chest. Cheryl stood next to her, tending to her wounds, doing all she could.

She was tinged in guilt, she could've stopped it, but she didn't.

She should have thought things through, she believed she wouldn't make the same mistake again. But look where she is now, wallowing. 

A sorry look at the girl while she got a bandage and bind her wounds.

She was not alone, but she felt alone, in this cold, gloomy night.

Sayu

For the sake of convenience, whenever a mob or unimportant character is talking, I will just put a "", no ()'s. While at that, whenever a character is talking in their minds, I will use []'s instead of ""s.