Blood Band Arena (01)

Alban opened his eyes and saw a roof above his head. Judging by the cold hard ground that was beneath him, it seemed like the assailants had achieved whatever they wanted to. He closed his eyes and focused on his body, taking stock of what should be wounds...and instead found that he was in an optimal state. No, his physique had actually improved considerably, his muscles hardened and yet his joints became even more flexible. As Alban regained his bearings and inspected his body, he heard Teta's mischievous voice for what felt like the first time in years.

"Hiya, boss! How've ya been, you look even wilder than before." Teta playfully stated while fiddling around with his hair. Alban looked at the imp that resembled the little kid he once knew, now all grown up in everywhere *but* the face.

To give Teta credit, his face was a little mature, but it was unnoticeable to anyone who didn't know what he looked like prior. Alban almost had trouble recognizing the guy as his black chitin and pair of wings was a completely new addition. Alban started wondering how monster evolution even worked, did it give the monster what it wanted or was it predetermined? Taking note of his Necessary quest and his body the became increasingly inhuman, he figured he would soon find out. For now, he decided to make sure that the imp before him was Teta, although he was pretty sure it was.

"Teta, is that you? You sound a lot different now...why is it that you talk like a delinquent?" Alban voiced his query with a befuddled countenance, his lips stretched into an awkward smile. Although Teta was astute he pretended as if he didn't notice the savage's peculiar behavior. Was it really that weird though? The imp soon found his question quite reasonable and answered accordingly.

"Hah? Oh, that's cause it's fun, boss." The imp positively beamed as his childish demeanor came out in full force. Although it appeared as if Teta had changed quite a bit, it was the same old petty and roguish imp. Alban found that thought kind of comforting, to be honest.

"Er, sir? I just wanted to apologize for pulling you into this." The voice belonged to Lat, the remaining inmate in the room. He sounded quite timid compared to the more boisterous Teta, his manner of speaking more sheepish than anything. Teta did not let the statement go unnoticed, cutting in before Alban could even think of how to reassure Lat.

"What. Boss is here because of YOU?" Teta's earnest smile deepened at that point, his lips slightly peeling back to show off the sharp white fangs he had. His face, although quite breezy and carefree became menacing to Lat, the creases upon Teta's nasal bridge telling of an obvious displeasure.

"It's fine, Teta. Don't worry about it. Anyways, are Nevus and Lady here too?" Alban stopped Teta's burgeoning interrogation in its infancy, redirecting his ire to a more fond topic. One that he was also quite curious about. It was pretty rare to see Teta separate from the others, after all. The imp had way too much fun bossing them around.

"Ah, nah. They don't have these handy wings so they couldn't get to that giant town quick enough. Too bad, they missed out on your fighting. I'll have to hold this over their head the next time I see them." Teta rubbed his nose in a bragging gesture, his smile becoming a lot more milder than it was a few moments ago.

"Heh. You're just as mischievous as ever, aren't you?" Although Alban had failed to notice it, his expressions became increasingly natural as the conversation progressed, the awkward smile disappearing entirely. It was replaced with an affable and familial mien, as his body language grew warm and inviting.

"You're just as violent as ever, aren't you boss?" As he heard this Alban's expression froze over. Teta wasn't wrong at all, in fact he had gotten even more violent and was progressing even further in his feral tendencies. Was he really *that* bloodthirsty? He didn't think he was so cruel though? Foreboding and pall inspiring, maybe, but he didn't consider himself any more violent than the average monster. He was so very wrong.

"Ah, did Alban threaten ya too when ya first met?" Lat chimed in, suddenly finding something he could relate to. It may have been a rather odd colligation between the two, but it was something they could bond over. He was kinda grasping for straws here, the notion stark and obvious to his whirling mind.

"Yeah, he's like that. He chased me down until I could no longer escape in our first interaction." Teta recounted the now fond memory and shivered a little in fear. It was something to laugh at now, but he seriously thought he was going to die that day. He even thought that if he revived Alban would track him down until his final death. Good times?

"He shot a water blade at my head." The two broke out into laughter at this, just picturing the baleful gaze he had probably scrutinized Lat with. The mental images weren't that far off, actually. As Teta wiped away the tears that his raucous laughter had brought, he instantly killed Lat's cackles.

"Puhahaha! I still don't like you." His visage still bore the titular smile that had never left his face during the conversation, though his eyes sharpened considerably. He stared at Lat for a good 5 seconds, his pupils reflecting the gheckla's gulping adam's apple.

"Ah, judging by those monsters that brought us here...ya got a long time to get used to me." Though Lat felt a bit threatened, he courageously retorted Teta's scornful remark. He felt as if the imp would grow on him, he kinda reminded him of his sister in a few ways. He then started wondering about how his sister currently was, and as his thoughts drifted Alban took the brief lull in the crossfire as an opportunity to ask the question that filled his mind.

"So, where are we?" Alban gazed all around the room, noting that they were all in separate corners. There were chains that affixed them to the walls, each of them having one bound on one of their hands. Alban thought about summoning fire and attempting to melt his shackles, but figured it wouldn't be worth it anyways. How would he escape this place if he was already breaking a bunch of rules?

"An arena. They'll fill us in a bit later, so you won't you won't have to be confused for too long boss." Teta whistled after stating his piece, playing with a gaseous black and red haze. Before Alban could ask what it was, a voice rang into the comparatively quiet cell.

"Welcome to Blood Band Arena. You may be wondering why you're here, but we won't tell you until you get out there and struggle. Just know that freedom awaits you the more you fight, as long as you will it. The fight only ends when either you or your opponents die, and most battles will be fought solo. The only consolation I can offer is that you won't have to face the people you share a cell with." Gethu's shrill and unpleasant voice drifted into each and every cell, reminding the old arena participants and informing the new ones. Before letting the information sink in, he spoke up not even a few seconds later.

"Would the imp known as Teta enter the arena. Your chains will be removed, although I suggest you don't try to leave. There's a barrier that entraps all of you inside."

"Leave? There's no reason to, I have to stretch anyways. Seeya boss." Teta got up and left the door that now hung ajar.