The invigilators pulled open the grand double oak doors as everyone filed in. The room they entered was a black cube with only another exit on the opposite side. Dr. Scale quickly went to said door, exchanging words with some invigilators and pulling out some papers.

“They are completely ready,” an invigilator spoke. “All stakeholders are accounted for and present.”

“Perfect,” the administrator gruffed, clearing his throat. “Everyone, organize yourselves into a line next to your pair. We will now enter the stadium.”  

The examinees did exactly as they were told, and the door began to open.

 

---

 

Ozo sat in the VIP booth with two beauties on either side of him. His hands played with their breasts as a third poured rum directly into his mouth. He giggled and choked on the drink as they all broke out into flirtatious laughter.

“Darling~! You better watch yourself!” He chuckled. “It’s far too early to be getting dirty!”

“It sure is,” said a fourth party. “You need to perform your announcer duties.”

Ozo jerked his head backwards, coming face to face with Isaac Lawt, Warden of Lawt Law Enforcement (LLE). A towering figure, Lawt stood just shy of six feet five inches, possessing a substantial yet lean physique that was accentuated by his tuxedo. His complexion was a deep, dark brown, and he boasted a mane of locks as thick as sheep's wool. Completing his look, he wore a pair of black spectacles that emphasized his golden eyes.

“You do that for me!” the head of the association yelled, throwing his hands into the air. “I’ll be enjoying myself *hiccup* over here~!”

Lawt just let out a chuckle as he shook his head slightly. “It would be better if you did it, but I don’t think you’re physically capable now. So, I’ll act out in your stead.”

He then turned with a wave and exited the room, entering the general hall where two bodyguards stood. They greeted him promptly, executing a swift heel click and bow. Then, the one on the right stood forward and handed the warden a document.

Lawt’s eyes quickly drifted about, scanning the papers before placing them back into the guard's hands. “The Head of the Association is currently incapable,” he began. “So, I will be the announcer instead. Dr. Scale’s invigilator already informed me that the first exam is done as well. So, we move now.”

He walked past both guards, who maintained a prostrated position till he turned the corner. Then, they quickly followed out behind him. Their pace was brisk and urgent as they took long strides toward an elevator down the hall. The elevator man greeted them with a bow as the machine chimed open. The four entered, and he clicked ‘base floor.’

 

---

 

The lights of the stadium flickered on as the crowd erupted into cheers. Isaac Lawt took centre stage at the spectacle, standing on a podium that overlooked a sizeable fighting ring in the middle. He then adjusted his glasses as he flipped open a script.

“Good evening, everyone!” He started earnestly, welcomed by a chorus of applause. “I am the Warden of Lawt Law Enforcement, Isaac Lawt. It is an honour to stand before you all as we welcome the finalists of this year's examination!”

On cue, the lights dimmed and only shone on the entrance. The door then burst open with Dr. Scale and the contestants pouring in. Cheers once again echoed throughout the whole stadium as they walked toward an empty bleacher on the opposite side of the room.

“Just before we begin,” the warden continued. “I’d like to announce this year’s layout. It will be a two-man tournament with thirty-two pairs in total.”

“Pairs will each be assigned a number that will randomly be drawn from my magic box. The two numbers chosen will fight in the arena, with the winning team moving on. The Healer’s Guild will be on standby in case of injuries, and the Incantations Guild is here to put up barriers to prevent our lovely audience from getting hit by any stray attacks.”

“To conclude, all forms of combat are allowed. Also, contestants are eliminated if they fall off the ring, forfeit, or are knocked unconscious. We ask that any bets made be placed through our verified brokers, so your earnings are guaranteed,” He then cleared his throat as a mini black box materialized in his hand. “Now then, please welcome in our first two teams!”

His fingers rummaged through the box for a bit. Then, he pulled out two numbers. “Contestants thirteen and contestants twenty-one, you are up first!”

 

---

 

The lights shone onto the centre stage with the crowd rumbling, deafening all other sounds. Hitto made his way over with Nally, clutching a sheet with the number ‘thirteen’ on it. His face was rosy red, and his stomach bubbled with butterflies and anticipation – he was finally here.

THE Warrior Examination.

A chance to show his expertise and fight like-minded individuals.

An invigilator phased into view right in front of the arena. He walked over toward the pair, checking them for their belongings and taking their bags. “I hope there is nothing in here you’ll need,” he said. “If so, I’ll give it back so you can take it out quickly.” The duo shook their head and proceeded onto the stage, taking the opposite corner as they waited for their opponents, who arrived right after.

It was a pair of men who looked to be in their late twenties. The bigger of the two was a dark-skinned man with ample facial hair who wore brace knuckles on his fists. While the lean yet tall one sported a lighter complexion and had two daggers wrapped firmly around his legs. After getting checked, they entered the arena.

…

Seeing them all positioned, Isaac Lawt once again turned on his voice amplifier. “Alright then everyone! Contestants thirteen: Hitto and Nally will be versing contestants twenty-one: Jude and Boris! Please… Give them a round of applause!”

The crowd cheered once more as a big incantation diagram hummed and buzzed above the arena. It displayed a bold number ‘five,’ that instantly began to go down.

FIVE.

FOUR.

THREE.

TWO.

ONE.

BEGIN!

Surprisingly, no action was taken; instead, a standoff developed between the two groups, with the older men snickering at each other. Hitto was caught off and slightly irritated by their actions. He was finally here, yet it appeared his opponents were not taking this seriously.

“What’s up with you guys?” he shot. “I want a good fight, so why are you guys standing there?”

The bigger of the two – Jude, directed his laughter toward him. “A good fight?” he bellowed. “You can’t be serious! You have a WOMAN on your team!”

“So what?”

“What?” he shouted while eyeing Nally. “Women aren’t meant to battle! They are meant to be captured and fucked! There is no way we can have a fair fight!”

Nally instantly frowned. “You’re underestimating me, but honestly, I don’t care. If you guys don’t want to fight, then simply step off the arena so we can move on.” 

The large man shook his head. “No can do,” he grinned. “Instead, I’ll make this a fair fight with the winner getting you in their bed later tonight.”

He then looked at Hitto with that smirk still plastered on his face. “You and I will decide this fight, one punch each.”

“What?” yelled Boris. “I’m not agreeing to that! Let’s just fight a conventional two-verse two!”

“AND INJURE THE BABE?” raged Jude. “Fuck no. It’ll be me and this punk who decide this fight, so shut the fuck up.”

Boris gave up the encounter quickly with a shrug and waltzed over toward the other side of the arena. Hitto then looked over toward Nally. “Are you fine with me fighting him like this?”

“Yeah, I don’t mind,” she smiled. “Good luck.”

She waved goodbye and took a seat directly behind him near the edge of the arena.

“Alright,” Jude smiled. “I hope your girl is ready for tonight.”

“You get first hit,” the boy replied discreetly while taking off his shirt. “Make it quick.”

The large man shook his head and grinned. “Cocky, eh? You won’t be soon.” 

Hitto gritted his teeth and held his hands behind his back tightly. He then assumed a sumo position as he squeezed his core to condense his stomach. His opponent, on the other hand, cocked his right arm back with a slight crouch in his knees.

He then clamped his eyes shut and exhaled, “Muscle Enhancement.”

His fist grew to twice its size, becoming as thick as a boulder. Root-like veins grew and popped as he forced the arm back even further. Then, without warning, the fist barreled forward with lightning pace into the boy's chest. The sound cracked throughout the stadium as the crowd fell quiet.

Hitto felt his stomach collapse into itself as the deformed fist mark brandished his skin. He gagged, eyes popping and reddened as blood choked up from his mouth. The blow then drove deeper in, forcing him off his feet and into its stride as the power throttled him back.

He struggled to recollect his footing as he skidded toward the edge of the arena at an unstoppable force. He tumbled and turned, unable to keep any balance as he winced in pain and cursed under his breath. At this rate, he would be disqualified before even getting to throw a punch.

Then a large SLAM hit his back as his charge backwards suddenly stopped. He instantly cocked his head back to see Nally rubbing her head on the ground with a grin. “You should be more careful,” she laughed. “Imagine if I wasn’t in a position to stop you!”

“B-But you’re out,” he stuttered. “B-Becau-”

“Just win,” she beamed. “If you win, we move on together,” she then stuck a thumbs up. “I believe and trust in you!”

“T-Thank you,” he huffed.

But the task was still easier said than done. Hitto had completely underestimated his opponent and paid the price. He was completely winded and unable to focus as his vision was hazed and his breath stifled. Surprisingly, he was able to stagger back onto his feet as he swayed his way over toward Jude.

The crowd roared in response to his endurance as his opponent broke out into laughter. “You got saved by the bitch?” he wailed. “Gosh, how embarrassing! I hope you didn’t injure her when you got sent flying back!”

“S-Shut it,” the boy wheezed while wiping the blood from the corners of his mouth. “G-Get ready for my punch.”

“Can you even punch??” Jude hollered while clutching his stomach. “THIS IS RICH! HIT ME WITH IT BOY!”

For some reason, the hairs on his skin tingled when he heard those words. A feeling equivalent to a spider running up his back then etched its way into him. Then, his body began to pump blood through his veins rapidly as his hand twitched into a fist. All sound became mute, and his vision was overtaken by red that engulfed everything he could see.

Through his peripheral, Jude saw a frightening sight. The boy from earlier was twitching rapidly with reddened eyes that leaked blood. His face was also void of all emotions as he slowly walked forward. “You ready?” he asked, slightly scared.

There was no response from the boy, who simply continued his stride, seemingly unaffected by the punch that had shaken him earlier. Finally, he arrived mere inches away from Jude, who was frozen in place. The large man trembled as the boy raised his fist into the air…

…But why?

Why was he so frightened of some greenhorn kid? Just because he had taken a few punches? Or maybe it was because he remained emotionless despite the earlier jeers? Jude couldn’t pinpoint his fear. So, instead, he braced himself for the inevitable.

It’s just a kid, he reassured himself. Just a kid.

Little particles of dust or, better yet, smoke began to accumulate in the air. Soon, it became so dense that breathing became difficult, with Jude coughing and losing his composure. It did not take long for him to realize that it was that ‘kid’ who was emitting it.

“What?” he gagged. “Wha -”

A burning sensation slammed into his chest as sparks flared, erupting into red-hot flames. His skin charred as he instantly lost consciousness from the excessive amount of smoke emitted from the impact. Despite this, the blow drove deeper in, picking him off his feet and throttling him back. It was the same treatment he had given earlier but repaid tenfold.

Jude's body flung with excessive pace off the stage and into the base of the stadium. Instantly, invigilators phased to the impact zone. After confirming that he was alive, the crowd once again exploded into cheers.

But Hitto knew the battle wasn’t over. He quickly accelerated toward Boris, who instantly reacted by throwing his dagger. Unfazed, the charging bull easily shifted out of its way and continued his attack. The two then locked into a close-range brawl of fists. Boris was quick on his feet, dodging each explosive fist thrown his way by a hair.

That was close, he thought to himself with sweat trickling down his cheek. If I get hit by one of those fists, the same chain reaction that knocked out Jude may occur.

His eyes focused on each punch with intense effort as he got into a stride. Though he was unable to return a blow now, it wouldn’t be long until –

A 'snap' resonated through the arena, cutting through the loudness of the crowd. Boris coughed as his eyes fell to his hips. The boy's toe was slammed right into his flesh, breaking through his armour and maybe even more.

No way, he winced. I Didn’t think he’d use his legs…

The impact flared with smoke as flames once again burst from the wound. Boris was sent flying off the ring and into the ground. Invigilators once again ran over to the area. They quickly checked his pulse and confirmed that he was, in fact, alive. The crowd then gave another round of applause as the first fight concluded.