Tales of Undeath: The Von Virtus Chronicles

On the other side of the curtain, they hear a man's voice.

Announcer: And now, ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the upcoming match... Rel versus the newcomer Virgo!

The crowd cheers, as Cabdan sticks his head through the curtain and says loudly:

Captain: It's Virno, not Virgo...!

Announcer: Rel versus Virno!

The announcer tries to correct himself, but his voice is barely audible with all the ruckus coming from the audience. Cabdan turns to the boys.

Cabdan: It's showtime, lads! Give it your best!

Rel and Virno go through the curtain and into the arena. The seats were probably a third as full as they were for Faya's fight.

Announcer: Alright, new guy, these are the rules: there are no rules! Except for no weapons from the outside... If you use anything that you brought from out there, you're immediately disqualified - that means we'll jump in the ring and beat the shit out of you. Got that?

Virno raises his brow.

Virno: Who the fuck do you take me for? I'm no coward, unlike some of the losers you probably have around here...

The announcer is caught by surprise with his answer.

Announcer: ... Give him an extra-special beating for me, would ya Rel?

Rel smiles.

Announcer: Alright, touch hands you two!

Rel extends his fists. Virno does the same, and they touch.

Announcer: LAST ONE STANDING WINS!

A man outside the arena rings a cowbell, signaling the official start of the match. Immediately, Virno lunges toward Rel. He swings at his head, and as Rel puts his left hand up to block, Virno fakes him out and moves in with a jab from his other hand instead. Rel is too fast, however, and dodges backward.

Virno: This fucker's fast for his size...

Rel approaches Virno once more. He throws a quick punch, which scrapes the side of Virno's torso and he dashes to evade. He takes a couple of steps back.

Man from the audience: Come on, stop dancing you two!

Virno's eyes dart around the arena. It was clear to him that Rel was not only stronger, but also faster than him. Moreover, he had more hand-to-hand experience than Virno. He was fighting a losing match if he didn't change tactics...

Rel: Don't get any ideas. I'll knock you out fast, I promise... So don't move.

Virno: Tch...

Virno had backed up against the wall of the arena. Rel was quickly closing in. As Virno gets within range, he charges a powerful punch. Virno uses the wall to his advantage, pushing himself away with his hands and foot and quickly escaping Rel's attack. He slides on the sandy ground, even crouching and having to use his hands to not lose balance. He elevates his fists up to his face, in combat position, then walks towards Rel. Rel is unafraid, and goes towards Virno with the intent of delivering a strong punch. As he winds up his right arm slightly, Virno extends one of his arms in a quick, wide motion and opens his hand, throwing sand and dust on Rel's face. Rel closes his eyes and slightly stumbles backward, covering his head with his arms.

Man from the crowd: YEAHHH!! DON'T BE AFRAID TO FIGHT DIRTY!!!

Virno could have used this opportunity to strike, but instead sprinted towards one of the sides of the arena. The arena was surrounded by a fence comprised of several small planks. One of the sides of the arena was particularly damaged, and some planks had already been slightly torn from the structure. Virno grabs one of the the planks confidently, trusting that his hand wraps will keep any chips from getting embedded in his skin, and uses his leg to push it away from the wall, ripping it out. It was almost long and thin enough to be wielded like a sword. As he turns around with his new weapon, Rel is already making his way towards him, angrily. Virno is caught by surprise, and Rel manages to sweep his legs and cause him to stumble. Still, he held onto the piece of wood. Rel attempts to grab him, but Virno is more slippery than he thought and manages to scurry away before he can get a good grip.

Rel: I'm really gonna have to hurt you if you keep this up...!

Virno: Get off your high fucking horse! I'm not pulling any punches, so don't you do it either...

Armed with the wooden stick, Virno gained a new sense of confidence. As Rel approached him, Virno swings the piece of wood faster than he could see, and manages to hit Rel in the arm. Rel pulls his arm away in pain.

Rel: Dammit...!

Person in the audience: YEAH!!! KICK HIS ASS!

Disgruntled spectator: Rel, what are you doing?! Knock some sense into that kid already!

Rel: Fine then...

Rel changes his stance: he brings his arms down, and bends his legs slightly. Virno ignores this change in his stance, confident in his sword fighting ability. As he goes in for another swing, Rel moves even faster than before, easily dodging the plank and quick-stepping towards Virno, getting low enough to sweep at his feet with one of his arms. Virno falls to the ground. This time, Rel mercilessly kicks him in the side, causing Virno to roll away in agony. Rel chases him down like a predator chasing down his prey. Virno quickly tries to stand up, but another of Rel's kicks sends him flying back again. Fighting with his legs seemed to be his specialty... He manages to kick Virno into the wall of the arena, with nowhere else for him to go. The sound of ribs cracking as he crashes hard into the fence echoes throughout the arena. The crowd goes wild.

Excited man: YEAHHHH!!! FUCK HIM UP!!!

Rel approached for the final blow. As Virno sat down on the ground, clutching his own torso with one hand and firmly gripping the plank with the other, Rel ran towards him. When he is close enough, he jumps toward Virno, with both of his legs extended towards him. Rel was like a torpedo homing in on his target: Virno's stomach. But, Virno still had it in him to muster enough strength to use the plank to his advantage, and he leverages it to give him additional speed in moving his torso away. He was in horrible pain, but managed to evade Rel's attack at the last moment, causing him to break the fence with his feet, getting stuck with them on the other side. As Rel struggles to release his legs, Virno stands up with much difficulty, and heads towards him. Rel tries to protect his head, but it is of little use. Virno uses all the momentum and strength he can muster to strike Rel on the side of the head with tremendous force. The sound of his skull cracking riles the audience up once more, and they roar. Blood spurts out of the side of Rel's head. Virno's plank had broken in two. Still, he was ready for more. He adopts a combat position with his fists up. Rel was moving much slower than before, but had finally managed to free his legs. A pool of blood was starting to form at his feet. It seemed like he, too, could keep going. He stands up, smiling.

Rel: You know... They really aren't paying me enough for this...

Virno looks him dead in the eye. For a second, all was silent.

Rel: So... I'll accept a draw.

Virno smiles too, revealing his blood-painted teeth.

Virno: Heh... A draw? Yeah, I'll take that... A draw it is.

The crowd boos and starts throwing objects into the arena. The announcer quickly steps in.

Announcer: Alright, alright you heard the boys! It's a draw!

Person in the audience: Oh come on!!

Disgruntled man: You fucking pussies, finish it already!

Rel looks straight into the eyes of the man who had spoken, blood still dripping from the side of his head.

Rel: Do you want to step in and finish this yourself...? Come on. We won't bite.

Both he and Virno were looking at the man with a wide grin and bloodshot, violence-thirsty eyes. The man doesn't reply, sitting back down instead. A chill in the air could be felt, as the audience quieted down.

Announcer: Ring the bell, this match is over!

The cowbell rings.

Announcer: A final handshake, you two...

Rel extends his hand toward Virno, and gives him a fair handshake. They looked at each other's bruised, bleeding faces and smiled earnestly.

Virno: Good fight.

Rel: Good fight indeed.

When Virno pulls his hand away, his vision starts to fade as he loses his balance...

Virno: A draw's a draw...

Completely exhausted, he falls backward, unconscious. It was then clear he was bluffing - there is no way he could have kept fighting in his state...

Announcer: Ah shit... Cabdan! Cabdan! Call the doctor over!

Rel: I'll get him...

Rel rushes over to the area's exit, as the announcer tries to keep Virno conscious.

Announcer: Stay with me, kid. The doc's gonna be here any minute now...

As he fades into unconsciousness, he hears the faint sound of the audience.

Audience: Holy shit... Is he... Dead?!

Audience: Boy am I glad I came here today...

Audience: Tell me about it...!

Their voices fade, as does everything else. All was black.