Rezero: The Mastermind and His Mistress

Chapter 8: The Demise of the Underworld Tournament

Cheers upon cheers vibrated across the stadium until I could no longer hear them when I entered the waiting room. 

Echidna: (That was a splendid fight. However, if that man had a penis, you could've ended it right then and there.)

Me: Stop talking about that. 

I pressed my fingers on torso to imbue healing mana into my injuries. I didn't want to overextend myself in the finals. I'll finish it quickly and get what I came here for: information. 

My injuries healed quickly and since the majority of them were internal rather than external, there wouldn't be much commotion for potential cheating. 

*THUD*

Entering the waiting room was Sonya, who gave me a thumbs up in anticipation for our match. 

Sonya: May the best fighter win!

Me: Same here. 

Sonya: Well, I'll see ya out there. Good luck!

Just as quickly as she entered, she left to go to her side of the arena. I lied down on the bench and pressed a cold towel on my forehead, relaxing myself. 

Echidna: (Do you feel bad about killing the only friend you made here?)

Me: Friend? I stopped caring about everyone else the day I left the mansion. I have no friends. 

...

...

...

The crowd was riled up to the point of snacks and other items being thrown around, and fights breaking out across the crowd. The climax of every fight, of every battle begins now. In what might be one of Sonya's greatest days in her existence, I... could care less. It was all a means to an end. What entertainment can be taken from fighting for no reason. Glory? Foolishly throwing your lives away...

Then again, is there really a reason I should even be dwelling on this?

I looked over at the other side of the arena to see my foe, Sonya. Her injury was still exposed with only a small layer of bandages to stop the bleeding. If she doesn't receive proper medical treatment, she'll die in less than a week due to disease. 

Echidna: (So I guess you can look at this as more of a mercy killing?)

Ignoring her, I waited for the imminent ring of the bell. The Announcer set the stage with some traditional banter, and when the crowd was finally riled up enough, the sound of the bell rung and the fight finally began. 

Sonya: Good luck!

She swung her right leg around in an attempt to decapitate me. My legs split close to the ground and I used the chance to land a clean, low kick right to her abdomen, where her injury was. 

She coughed up blood, and the wound reopened. 

Sonya: Can't blame you for that... I'd do it too. 

In close quarters we exchanged a barrage of kicks and punches, with each graze cutting off small pieces of flesh across our bodies. 

Eventually, I baited her by swinging my right arm to her face. She put her guard up, and my punch was comfortably stopped. But that was merely a distraction. 

*SWING*

My right leg moved at the same time as my punch and I capitalized once again, on her open wound. This time, the bandages tore off, and exposed some guts inside.