The quarter finals have begun. We were all called to the arena for the first fight. I could feel my sister's gaze on me from the family stands above us.
"It is time," William announced, shuffling a small deck of 8 cards. "The first fight of the quarter finals shall begin!"
He drew two cards from the deck, and looked at them.
"Ah," he said. "The fighters shall be Sera Philips versus Benjamin Malkator!"
Malkator exhaled slowly, and pulled his hood up.
"Enter the arena," William said.
Sera umped out of the stands and landed gracefully below us. Malkator followed, stepping over the edge and floating down slowly. They took their places across from each other.
"I guess we'll get to see her fighting style now," Anthony said. "I feel like I kind of cheated you all out of the spectacle when I threw my fight."
"However she fights, I don't know if she'll be able to hold up against him," I said. "I've never really seen him fight before, but if the stories are true..."
Sera was already in a fighting stance. Malkator, remaining stoic, simply stood still as his sheathed sword appeared in his hand.
"I won't go easy on you," Sera said.
"This fight will only end one way," Malkator said.
"Before we begin," William said, "Let's change things up a little."
He clapped his hands, and the arena split into multiple pieces, moving up and down randomly, constantly changing the elevation of each part. Malkator and Sera were both standing on the same rising chunk, and while Sera nearly lost her footing, Malkator just kept standing there, calmly.
"Begin!" William announced.
Sera, straightening herself up, darted with shocking speed toward Malkator. She began striking at him rapidly, with graceful, fluid motions. Malkator used his sheathed weapon to casually deflect her attacks. Malkator suddenly vanished, reappearing behind her and gripping the hilt of his blade. In one swift motion, he drew it from its sheath and swung horizontally at her. She noticed him just in time, and managed to step back enough to evade the length of the blade. She then darted forward again, maneuvering to avoid his sword, and hit him in the chest with a strong jab, knocking him off the edge of the platform.
While falling, Malkator stabbed his blade into the side of the platform, grinding his decent to a halt. He kicked off from the wall, landing on a separate portion of the arena. Sera glared down at him.
"That the best you can do?" Malkator asked.
"Just wait 'til I get down there!" She replied.
"Might wanna make that fast," Malkator said, returning his sword to its sheath. "That platform you're on doesn't have much time left."
As if on cue, giant cracks began forming all over the chunk of arena they'd started on, and a harsh red glow burned from beneath them. She realized what was happening and jumped down from the platform as it was consumed in flame and began falling apart.
"It's just like his last fight," Anthony said. "That sword of his can burn anything he stabs it into."
"Looks that way," I said.
"If he gets a hit in with that sword, even a nonfatal one, it'll be over for her," he said.
The platform had now been completely destroyed, leaving several of the surrounding platforms covered in smoldering rock. Sera growled angrily and charged again. She engaged him in close quarters again, unleashing rapid attacks that he continued blocking. He managed to shove her back a couple feet, and reached for the hilt of his sword again.
But she was ready this time. As he drew it from its sheath she quickly lunged toward his hand and sunk her teeth into it. Malkator, gasping in pain, dropped both the sword and sheath and teleported a short distance away, clutching his bleeding hand.
"Um, that girl is a Lilim, right?" I asked.
"Yes," Anthony replied.
"And aren't Lilim's, uh, poisonous?" I continued.
"No, of course not," Anthony answered. "That would be ridiculous."
"Oh," I said.
"They're venomous," he went on.
"Fuck," I muttered.
Sera rushed toward him, kicking him in the face with a powerful, whip-like motion, sending him flying several yards away. Malkator pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, panting heavily.
"This isn't looking good for him," Anthony said.
Malkator looked up at her, glaring, and raised a hand. Several of the burning rock chunks trembled a bit, before rising into the air.
"What the-?" I muttered.
Malkator thrusted his hand forward, and the chunks of rock went flying directly at Sera, who barely managed to dodge. She angrily rush at him, kicking him again, sending him flying away even further. He rolled onto his pant, coughing up blood.
"It's over," she hissed. "Just lay there and let the venom take you."
Malkator wiped the blood from his mouth and chuckled a bit.
"What?" she asked, taking a worried step backwards.
Malkator calmly sat up, and rose to his feet, looking no worse for wear.
"Did you really think that little dose you gave me would be enough to keep me down?" he asked.
He turned to face her, as his sword reappeared in his hand. I was instantly engulfed in a cyclone of scorching flames. I could feel their intense heat all the way from where I was seated. The flames then soaked into the blade, leaving it with a crimson glow. He swung the sword, and it unleashed a massive blast of superheated wind, that sent Sera flying, slamming into a nearby platform. A lot of her clothes had been burnt away in the blast, exposing the scaled flesh beneath.
Malkator switched the still glowing sword into a reverse grip, and plunged it into the ground. Sera snarled at him, and charged at him yet again. Before she had even made it halfway to him, Malkator looked up and uttered a single word.
"Erupt."
The ground beneath Sera's feet cracked open as intense heat erupted from beneath her. She stopped in her tracks and cried out in agony as blisters began covering her body, and her hair and clothes smoldered. Malkator pulled the blade from the ground and darted toward her with blinding speed.
He now stood behind her, as the glow faded from the blood coated word in his hand. Sera collapsed to the ground, clutching the gash he had left in her gut. Malkator wiped the blood off on his jacket.
"Like I said," he muttered. "It would only end one way."
He sheathed his sword. Flames quickly spread out from her wound, consuming her body and leaving nothing behind. Her parents up in the stands were left speechless.
"Benjamin Malkator is the winner!" William announced. "He will be moving on to the semifinals."
"Sod off, you prick," Malkator muttered, as he made his way to the nearest exit.
"The next fight will begin once we have-," William began, before giving an exasperated pause and continuing. "Once we have, yet again, repaired the damage to the arena."
So yeah. Malkator burnt another hot chick to a crisp. Yikes.
