Zwei stood up slowly to the amusement of her opponent. She groaned, “My body is so sore.”

He laughed, “I know! And I’m impressed. One’s as rigid as you tend not to get back up. Do you wish to begin in earnest?”

She glared at him, not appreciating his implication that all of this exertion was just a warm up to him. But he was unfazed by her gaze. She tried to raise her arms to fight but they were pure rubber. She felt her body wanting to just pass out. Give up. She saw this tower of muscle twice her size and entirely naked and she knew she should be afraid. That she should walk away. But there was something else there. A defiance somewhere in her heart. She knew she couldn’t win. Her hands were shaking from both the strain and her fear, but there was something else. She tried to turn her head to look at her mentor, but her vision began to blur.

She didn’t see as much as she heard what happened next. Hepta spoke right next to her, “I’ll take over in her place.” She would find the results when she awoke. For now there was only sleep and the warmth of that sensation.

——————

Hepta rolled her shoulders a little after tossing Zwei’s sleeping form to Sai. “I appreciate you treating my sister with respect. I’m sorry that she wasn’t much of a fighter.”

He laughed a big laugh and prepared himself, “The look in your eye is different than the other foes here. Would you like me to grease your body before we begin?”

She sighed in dismay and explained, “I was told what that means, but I just can’t agree to that. And I was already warmed up by that battle bot over there during your session. So if you can save me the half hour of coddling and get right into the bout, I would appreciate it.”

He flexed his trapezius muscles a few times before he nodded. “You shall see me spar for real.”

As the two warriors began to circle and Sai finished his inspection, confident that Zwei was fine. Turning to the group who still dared not look at the fight, he sighed. “Her mentor really baffles me. Teaching her as a striker in a cosmos like this. Still, might be useful in a situation like this.”

Gavin sighed, “She is going to lose. He is massive and in peak fitness. She isn’t going to stand a chance. He could literally toss her around like a rag doll without worry.”

Sai nodded, “But he won’t. Greasians are devout grapplers. That means he will have to lock her movement. With the stretches we did, she should be able to take those split seconds of wiggle room to escape or use his power against him.”

Katsi laughed, “You really think that blows from someone that much smaller will break through his wall of muscle?”

Sai spoke firmly, “If you want to find out how a striker beats a grappler with this kind of utterly insane size difference, then you will need to watch and I’ll need to hope she has the determination to see it done.” No one seemed eager to join him in observing.

Hepta chuckled as it became nothing but him, her, and the ring. “You aren’t charging me.”

He smirked, “You haven’t dropped your guard.” The two smiled at each other before he sighed, “But I doubt you are likely to do so. Fine. I will grapple with the fire of your spirit.” He began his charge and as he did, she charged him as well. They both knew what she was about to do, but her determination and outrage caused him to flinch for just a moment. That moment was just enough for her to slide through his legs, his hands barely missing a grip on her wrists. Not missing a beat, he allowed himself to drop into a push-up position and arched his back so his legs would rise like a scorpion tail trying to lock her with his legs. The moment, she slipped through his legs, she back flipped to avoid his inevitable leg lock, landing on the back of his head with one of her hands. She quickly twisted her hand into his hair just as his legs entrapped her other hand.

“Not fast enough, little warrior.” He pulled hard with his legs, hoping to slam her into the ground, but hadn’t realized how she had been caught in his hair. Hepta felt tension in both her shoulders as the pull happened, using the pull like the release of a bow, propelling her knees into his upper spine as the pull dislocated both her shoulders. He collapsed, her hand being freed from his leg lock. He didn’t move for a moment, Hepta trying to stand on shattered knees as she tried to tug her dislocated arm free from his hair.

The Greasian’s teammate entered, patting his leg. “Don’t worry champ. I can finish this.”

“No don’t d-“.

It was too late. The tag had happened, and as soon as he got close, he heard a disgusting pop. Hepta let out a scream as she swung full force with her free hand, clocking the man right in the jaw in a way that rattled his brain inside his skull. As her new foe fell to the dust, she winced in pain, flexing her fingers a few times before freeing her hands from the oily tangle of the Greasian.

She knelt on the back of the Greasian panting as the final combatant looked into the pit with fear. Heais had leaned forward in his chair and said with a voice full of gravel, “Well, go on. Finish the match.”

When the contestant didn’t seem willing and the crowd began to boo, Shi pushed him in and jumped after him. “Hepta, go rest with Zwei. You shouldn’t fight on broken legs. She nodded and Sai jumped in to pick her up and check on her health.

It took five men to carry the unconscious men from the arena. Four for the Greasian and one for the unfortunate fool who got in Hepta’s reach. The man looked into Shi’s cold eyes, his face an open book to her. “You came here for an easy paycheck. The desk jockey while your friend and the bruiser did the heavy lifting. You did all the analysis of winners to win the day. Now you have seen your friends devastated.” He lashed out quickly with a hidden steel cord but with a quick backside spin kick, she knocked it away. Springing forward upon landing, Shi closed into range to be elbowed in the head on his return swing.

He took the bait without hesitation, swinging the cord back to try and land his elbow on the back of her neck. Weaving under it, she swept his leg, pulling it inward as she got within his guard and pulling his stance off completely. As the steel cord whipped back around, the weight pulled him sideways and tore his shoulder muscles some. She brought both her hands down onto his now open Stance. She aimed her leading hand into a chop on his throat and her following hand she drove deep into his gut. Deprived of air, he blacked out in seconds.

She finally released her breath and shuddered, not fully comfortable with how dangerous that was. A single solid strike with a weapon like that could have killed her. Seeing Hepta get bound together and Zwei passed out completely, she wasn’t sure what to think or feel.

Heais began to clap, clearly interested in the ladies. He spoke clearly, “Next fighter is gonna go solo. So it’s only fair that his opponents kick his ass so we can move on. Bet accordingly. The Audacious Alabaster and Team Satisfaction.” He growled to his personal waitress, “Arrogant pricks.”