Unfamiliar faces

With the upcoming fight between Ebubekir and Caleb Davis, I quickly prepared a sandwich and made my way to the arena, just 10 minutes before the match was set to begin.

As I neared the entrance, I spotted Anes, already there and ready to watch the fight.

"Hey, how are you?" I greeted him cheerfully.

"I'm doing well, thanks," he responded, his attention focused on the upcoming event.

"Have you seen Mehmet around?" I asked, curious about our mutual friend.

"No, I haven't," Anes admitted, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "But that's not surprising. Mehmet can be a bit unreliable when it comes to punctuality."

"Let's hope he makes it in time for the fight," I said, trying to stay positive.

"Indeed," Anes agreed, his eyes scanning the entrance for any sign of Mehmet.

"Well, maybe he's just caught up with something. I'm sure he'll show up soon," Anes suggested, trying to reassure me.

I nodded, hoping he was right, but I couldn't shake off a nagging feeling that something was off. As we found our seats, I scanned the crowd for Mehmet, but he was nowhere to be found.

As the fight began, I tried to focus on Ebubekir's performance, but my mind kept drifting to Mehmet's absence. Anes seemed to notice my distraction and reassured me, "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye out for him."

I smiled at Anes, grateful for his understanding. Despite the exciting fight unfolding before us, it felt like something was missing without Mehmet there to share it with us.

As the fight progressed and Ebubekir took some hits, Anes and I were on the edge of our seats.

Anes turned to me, concern etched on his face. "Do you think he can still win this?"

I shrugged, uncertain. "I'm not sure, but I know Ebubekir has some tricks up his sleeve."

Suddenly, Ebubekir unleashed his powers, levitating his opponent and delivering a powerful punch.

"That's insane" Anes exclaimed, his eyes wide with amazement.

As the fight reached its climax and Ebubekir sent his opponent flying into the air, we held our breath, watching as he crashed to the ground.

"Did he just...kill him?" Anes asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

I nodded, a wave of unease washing over me. "I think so..."

As the crowd erupted in cheers and Ebubekir collapsed to the ground, we rushed to his side.

Anes and I exchanged a worried glance, knowing that Ebubekir had pushed himself too far. As he lost consciousness, we accompanied him to the medical room.

"How bad is it?" I asked the doctor, my voice filled with concern.

The doctor looked up from his examination, shaking his head. "He's lucky to be alive. He pushed himself beyond his limits, and his body couldn't handle it. He needs to rest and recover."

Anes and I nodded in understanding, aware of the toll Ebubekir's powers had taken on him. As we sat by his side, I couldn't help but wonder if the price of victory was worth it.

As I left the medical room, still reeling from the intensity of the fight, I was suddenly blindfolded and carried off to an unknown location. When the bag was finally removed, I found myself in a dimly lit room, tied up and facing a man holding a small knife under the glow of a desk lamp.

The man before me was of average height, with a build that was neither lean nor bulky. His hair was a fiery red, and his eyes were a soft shade of brown.

"Ah, so you're one of Ebubekir's allies," he said, his voice carrying a hint of menace.

I stiffened at his tone. "What do you want?" I asked, my voice steady.

"He killed one of my crew," he said, his eyes flashing with anger. "And I don't let such actions go unanswered."

I realized he was referring to Caleb Davis, Ebubekir's recent opponent. "So, what's your next move?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.

The man ran his tongue over the blade of his knife and smirked. "I'm going to make Ebubekir suffer by taking out one of his friends. And you seem like the perfect candidate."

A shiver ran down my spine. "Why me?" I asked, trying to buy some time.

"I find you...interesting," he said, his gaze narrowing. "But don't worry, your time hasn't come yet. I want Ebubekir to experience the agony of losing his friends, one by one."

My mind was racing as I tried to figure out who this man could be. I knew I had to escape and warn Ebubekir before it was too late.

"What should I call you?" I asked, trying to buy some time.

He paused, eyeing me suspiciously. "You don't need to know my name," he finally said.

I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "Look, there's no need to involve me in your feud with Ebubekir. I'm just his friend, I had nothing to do with whatever happened between you two."

He chuckled, twirling the knife in his hand. "That may be true, but I need to send a message to Ebubekir. And what better way than to take out one of his closest friends?"

My mind was racing as I tried to come up with a plan. I couldn't let this man harm any of us, but I was tied up and outnumbered.

I scanned the room for anything that could help me escape or defend myself. But with my hands tied and no weapons in sight, it seemed like a hopeless situation.

"I understand that you want to send a message, but is this really the way to do it?" I asked, trying to reason with him. "If you hurt me, Ebubekir will only come after you even harder. It's not worth it."

He scoffed, clearly not convinced by my words. "I don't care about the consequences. All I care about is getting my revenge."

As I realized that reasoning with the man was futile, I frantically searched for a way to escape. Then an idea struck me, I would use my illusion powers to create a fake impression that I had broken free from the ropes tying me up. Once the man attacked me with his knife, I would replace the fake rope with the real one, causing the knife to slice through it instead. This was a risky plan, but it was the only chance I had. I braced myself, ready to put my plan into action.

Drawing a deep breath, I summoned my illusion powers. I focused all my energy on crafting the most convincing illusion of breaking free from my bonds. The man fell for it, surprise flickering in his eyes as he lunged forward with the knife.

The knife sliced through the illusionary rope effortlessly, but halted abruptly when it met the real one. The man stumbled forward, thrown off balance by the unexpected resistance.

Seizing the moment of confusion, I delivered a powerful kick to his chest. He toppled backwards, gasping for air as he hit the ground with a thud. I hastily untied myself.

"You should have listened to reason," I said, my voice echoing with frustration and anger.

As the man struggled for breath, I swiftly shoved a nearby table on top of him to prevent him from rising. I heard the footsteps of his men approaching, but I knew I had to escape. I sprinted towards the door, casting one last glance at the man pinned beneath the table before slamming the door shut behind me.

I noticed a sign that read "B-145," and realized I was likely in the man's private quarters. I mentally noted the room number before continuing down the corridor.

Panting, I finally reached the main conference room. As I caught my breath, I glanced at the tournament brackets and saw that the next 19 fights were between unknown contestants. After those fights, Anes would be up against Alexander Kowalski, followed by another 27 fights between unfamiliar names. The final battle of round 1 would be between Mehmet and Maya Patel.

Given that there was a fight every 30 minutes from noon to midnight, amounting to 24 fights per day, it would take approximately three days for round one to conclude. My fight would be scheduled for the following week, marking the commencement of round two.

With time to spare and nothing else to do, I meandered into the arena to watch the ongoing battle. It was a fierce contest between Jack, with the power of therianthropy, and Aurora, a master manipulator of ice and snow.

As Jack and Aurora squared off in the arena, the crowd erupted with excitement. Aurora conjured a massive blizzard, sending snow and ice swirling in all directions. Jack swiftly morphed into a small bird, nimbly darting through the storm.

But Aurora was relentless. With a wave of her hand, she erected a towering ice wall, trapping Jack within the blizzard. As the bird fluttered its wings in a frantic attempt to escape, Aurora unleashed a barrage of icicles, each one aimed with deadly precision.

Jack swiftly transformed into a sleek panther, launching himself at Aurora with raw ferocity. But Aurora was prepared, creating an ice shield to protect herself from the panther's claws. As they circled each other warily, Aurora released a blast of freezing cold, encasing the panther in a block of ice. The crowd watched in awe as the intense battle unfolded.

Just as Aurora was about to bask in her victory, the ice exploded into a myriad of shards, revealing Jack transformed into a colossal elephant. With a thunderous roar, the elephant charged at Aurora, effortlessly shattering her ice wall.

Aurora reacted swiftly, conjuring a blinding snowstorm to disorient the elephant. But Jack morphed into a chameleon, seamlessly blending with the swirling snow and vanishing from sight. Aurora searched frantically for her elusive opponent, launching icy blasts in all directions, but Jack remained hidden.

Suddenly, Aurora winced in pain. Looking down, she saw the chameleon's sharp claws embedded in her side. With a pained cry, Aurora unleashed a wave of freezing cold, encasing the chameleon in a block of ice.

The crowd held its breath as the ice shattered once more, revealing Jack in his human form. He grinned at Aurora triumphantly, while she lay on the ground, panting and exhausted.

But just when Jack thought he had won, Aurora let out a primal scream and rose to her feet. With a fierce determination in her eyes, she summoned her remaining strength and created a towering snow golem, dwarfing Jack.

The golem lumbered towards Jack, its massive fists shaking the ground with each step. Jack morphed into a falcon and flew around the golem, seeking a weakness in its icy armor. But the golem seemed impervious to his attacks.

In a final desperate move, Jack transformed into a tiny insect and flew into the golem's ear, navigating towards its icy core. He felt a surge of satisfaction as he landed on the core, ready to deliver the final blow.

But just as he was about to strike, he felt a crushing pressure around his body. He looked down to see the golem's hand gripping him tightly, easily crushing his fragile form. With a final gasp, Jack fell to the ground, lifeless.

Aurora collapsed to the ground, her body wracked with pain and exhaustion. But she managed a weak smile, knowing that she had emerged victorious. As the crowd cheered her name, she closed her eyes and sighed deeply, relieved that she had given her all in the fight.

In the end, it was a battle hard-fought, with both sides showcasing incredible power and skill. But ultimately, it was Aurora who emerged as the victor, her icy powers proving too formidable for even the mighty shapeshifter, Jack.

Leaving the arena with a sense of satisfaction, a smile found its way onto my face as I headed towards my quarters. The energy and excitement of the battle still lingered within me, and I found myself replaying the thrilling moments in my mind.

As I strolled down the hallway, I could hear the distant sounds of celebration and merriment from the other rooms. But I was content to enjoy the tranquility of my own space, reliving the exhilarating moments of the battle in my mind.

Finally, I arrived at my room and opened the door. As I stepped inside, I took a deep breath and sighed contentedly. The room was peaceful and quiet, a welcome sanctuary from the noise and chaos of the arena.

Feeling drained, I collapsed onto my bed and drifted off to sleep. The sounds of the cheering crowd and clashing weapons gradually faded away as I slipped into a deep, restful slumber.