The Reason We Fight

Chapter 1. The Match

The high-pitched bell resonated in the stadium, and along with it, a wave of cheers from the excited audience. Kakume - or Wraith, as she is known in here - steadied her breath. She pressed the tip of her razor-sharp finger claw against the skin of her arm. Opposing her, stood Koruchachi, a lumbering giant of a man. He towered over her by at least two feet, and outweighed her by twenty stones. His aura filled the space around him and he roared heartily. As he did so, his beady eyes met in the center of his face. His own fists, already the size of hams, clenched into steel.

An Enhancer, then? With a dash of Transmutation? she thought. She smiled under her smooth black varnished mask. This should be a piece of cake.

The man lunged at her with an agility that belied his size. His massive tree trunk arms flayed about, trying to get a hit. She weaved through the attacks like a phantom. He may be faster than I expected, but he's slow nevertheless, mused Kakume. She fell back and sliced a deep line into her arm. The blood fell fluidly into her hand, and shaped itself into a sword.

Koruchachi guffawed. "You mean to prick me with this toothpick, girl?"

Kakume, quick on her feet, danced around Koruchachi, teasing him with a flurry of shallow slashes. She laughed aloud.

A dark figure watched the scene from the back of the ring's entrance aisle and shook his head in disbelief. The poor fool. She's toying with him, he thought to himself.

"You would do well not to anger me" Koruchachi bellowed. He threw his fist in an uppercut, followed by a hook. Kakume parried and dodged, each movement a response to Koruchachi's unrelenting aggression. The air crackled with tension as the combatants continued their dance of opposition, and the arena resounded with the thunderous impact of their clashes.

With a flick of her wrist, Kakume conjured with her blood a cascade of dirks that hung in the air like a sparkling curtain. In a swift motion, she propelled them toward Koruchachi, each one razor-edged. The blades whirled around him. The man was undeterred.

"Is your hide so thick that even Nen won't penetrate it?", she taunted. "Thicker still than that ugly thing you've got hiding under your helm?"

He growled. "Worry not, little bird. You'll be ugly too when I'm done with you"

The crowd buzzed with excitement.

Kakume frowned and landed a high kick between his brows. His helm went flying, tumbling on the ground. The top of his bald head glistened like a polished rock. Droplets of sweat were sliding off of it. She snapped a blood whip around Koruchachi's big torso, momentarily retaining him.

That sure is a man who does not enjoy being forced on the defensive, thought Kakume, watching him struggle against his restraints, a deadly glint in his eye.

The giant thundered and broke free, charging towards the girl with relentless determination. He closed the distance and swung his mighty fists. Stunned, she morphed her blood into a shield, deflecting Koruchachi's onslaught. The shockwave sent her rolling back.

Koruchachi threw his colossal hand down at her in a hammerfist. The impact reverberated, forcing her to stumble and retreat, narrowly avoiding the brunt of the attack. Kakume found herself off-balance as the arena floor fractured beneath her. She teetered on the edge, struggling to regain her footing. Her opponent pressed forward, his colossal form casting a looming shadow over her.

Koruchachi grabbed the girl by the throat, lifting her off the ground. The crowd held its breath.

He spit out a glob of phlegm. "I hope your god is a sweet one, lass. You're going to meet him shortly".

Under her mask, Kakume's eyes shone scarlet, savoring the moment. She trembled, fear taking over her. How absolutely thrilling... to dip a toe in the waters of death. Just as she felt her consciousness melt away, she bit her lip, drawing blood. She pushed it forward and drove a spike of it into his left eye, blinding him. He roared in pain, releasing his grip.

Kakume slipped beneath Koruchachi's towering form, leaving him disoriented. She molded her blood into a club and delivered a swift strike to the back of his head. The giant stumbled, then collapsed, unconscious.

The arena erupted in cheers and applause as Kakume emerged victorious. A pity. Heaven's Arena is no place for novices. He should have known better. Kakume removed her mask and smiled as she exited the arena.

-

"What are you grinning for, Kakume?"

The mysterious man came out of the dark, surrounded by shadows. He was tall and lanky, with a dour face and rheumy grey eyes. The black suit he was wearing was all points and angles.

"Nothing like a fight to the death to get the blood pumping", she said, stretching her arms.

"Hardly", he responded, with all the warmth of an iceberg. He scratched the small scar on his hooked nose. "Lest you forget, we are not here to fight, nor to have a good time of it. That was a close call".

Kakume rolled her eyes and shrugged. "The crowd loves close calls".

"You do, more like", he grumbled.

The two of them took the elevator in silence. The attendant looked at them with notable discomfort. Especially Willat. He is not easy on the eyes, that one. He took no notice of it.

They got off the elevator and started walking the busy corridor of the ground floor. Kakume lowered her voice. "So, what's the intel on Koruchachi? When should I make a move?"

"The man is not exactly what you'd call the predictable sort. He doesn't keep a rigid schedule, and seems rather fickle with his outside activities. My crows have been monitoring him day and night."

"What about his license? Anything you can tell me about that?"

"It appears he mostly keeps it on himself."

Kakume groaned. "Don't you have anything useful to tell me?

Willat looked at her coolly. The hair on his temple shone silver in the passing light of the window, and contrasted with the inky black strands on top.

"As a matter of fact, there is one thing".

Kakume was losing patience. Of all the people she could have been paired with in this assignment, he was certainly not the most amicable nor indeed the most pleasant at all. "Well...?"

"I think it would be better if you saw".