Feral Paw Tournament: Part 1
The crowd was eager to get things started and the announcer was on the same wavelength, tossing the microphone into the air before catching it.
"Looks like it's about time to get the show on the road folks! I think you've all waited long enough; so allow me to inform you that the first series of matches has been decided~! Let's welcome our first contestants to the ring~."
The gongs were sounded as a display bulletin dropped down, revealing to the audience who was going to face who. There were quite a few contestants from some of the prominent houses out there, most notably being the Champion herself, who hailed from the Otogi Clan. As the sound of the gongs subsided, two combatants stepped onto the stage.
Both women looked pretty young, possibly being slightly older than Gale and Rumin, who were around the age of sixteen. What set the two contestants apart were their species, that being of a horse and a monkey respectively. This should pose to be an interesting matchup.
"We're kicking things off with an interesting match folks. Mai from the Nakamura Clan will be facing off against Kazumi from the Yamazaki Clan~! As per the rules in case anyone has forgotten over the past five years are as follows~":
- First to fall out of the ring is eliminated.
- If a combatant is unable to continue, the match is considered over and the one left standing will move on to the next round.
- More importantly, injuries are practically unavoidable but by no means should a participant aim for lethal blows or kill their opponent. The match will be considered voided and the offenders will be disqualified.
- Flying beyond the designated the boundary results in instant disqualification.
- Last but not least, by no means should the audience be targeted on purpose. Doing so results not only in a disqualification, but a two-year ban from the tournament~.
With all the rules out of way, the announcer was about to step away to begin the match before reminding herself of one last thing.
"I know it wasn't mentioned but the use of deadly substances such as toxins are prohibited. If a pillar calls a match off, it's best you adhere to it. Hopefully we don't have to get to that point. Now let's give the people what they came for~!"
She finally stepped off of the ring, allowing the two fighters to get into position, only starting when the gong has sounded once again. The battle started with both participants thrusting into a lunge, clashing blows with one another as indication that the fight was on.
Things were off to a great start with neither fighter giving the other an edge. It wasn't until Kazumi utilized some of her aura to gain the upper hand, getting a few solid blows in that resulted in Mai staggering closer to the edge of the ring.
The battle seemed to be in Kazumi's favor, but that's when Mai suddenly turned the tides by using her aura's specialty in speed and reflexes, toying with the rather brute-focused equine. Both were using up more and more of their power to gain advantage but as you'd expect, it was Mai who ended up using too much resources, resulting in Kazumi hitting her hard out the ring with a powerful kick.
While not being the best of fights so far, it still goes to show a reminder that training is one of the key factors in making it to the top.
Meanwhile, the Pillars were observing the match and decided to talk amongst themselves.
The King yawned, unamused by the results of the first match which caught the attention of her cohort.
"Come on Tamura. At least pretend that you're enjoying the event. There are already some interesting contestants this year. Even the current Champion is participating just like anyone else instead of just waiting around at the top. Got to give the tournament credit for that. Though that was mostly your idea from the start when they were putting this thing together." She giggled and nudged the goat on the head with a finger.
She groaned with a pout on her face. "Yeah yeah… I know that already Hatsue. I just found the idea stupid at the time when whoever becomes Champion get to fiddle their toes waiting for someone to eventually fight them for the title. Just would've defeated the purpose you know~."
"Hehe. Well you certainly did have a point there. It just wouldn't suit one of the primary purposes of a Champion. Getting lazy would do no good if danger were to rear its ugly. Though I'm sure you're just hoping to see a match that'll remind you of 'that man' aren't you~?"
She would sigh. "Can't say you're lying if I'm to be honest. The guy has only participated in one tourney before never applying again. He was a real fighter; that's for sure." She grinned, remembering the good fights she's had with the man in the past before Hatsue patted her on the head.
"I can agree that he was someone special. He banded us all together through his very fists when most of us had already made it a point that we were done with this world. It was a shame he had to take the blame for all the havoc we were responsible for. It's one thing if he was the one that did those things but putting yourself in exile for the actions of others is not something one would normally do." The dragon seemed disheartened at the result, but was doing her best to hide it.
"If it weren't for him, this part of the Hemisphere would've likely fell to ruin. We gave him some nasty scars but boy did he literally beat the sense into us. Like what kind of normal man is going to stand up to a deity for what they believe in?" The goat grinned.
"You could say we abused our roles when everyone was treating us as if we were gods among men. If anything, I'd have to bet that he wasn't no ordinary man. You'd mostly hear such things in legends and stories. Rare exceptions among mortals to be exact. Something tells me we may not get to see him again. We weren't 'keeping in touch' so to speak. Though I think there's a possible clue. Remember the two girls from the coronation after we were introduced?"
"Now that you mention it, the kangaroo and crocodile were wearing a similar gi. They haven't started participating until two years ago. Think that they have some kind of connection to the man?" She looked at the dragon with curiosity on her face.
"It's possible." She thought the notion over in her head for a moment. "Just a theory though. We wouldn't really know until we find out. May have to wait until either one is eliminated or wait for the tournament to come to an end. Speaking of, you're aware of the current events of the world?"
"Yeah... Things are getting pretty lately with that disease still running about. We soon will have to start working on that eventually. The issue is that there's no solid leads and the West wanted to be the ones to work on a solution in the first place. So much for that idea huh? They were insistent on letting them handle things for the time being as well. Whatever the case is, it doesn't spell good for the long run." She sighed, seemingly fed up with the predicament. Mostly for how much concern it's weighing in on her head.
"I believe that it's soon going to be our turn to do our part but making sure this side of the spectrum doesn't fall into ruin and discord as our top priority at this time. This is our home after all." She smiled earnestly.
Tamura could only sigh in agreement with her friend on this given scenario and went back to observing the remainder of the tournament. It looks like the announcer is about to announce the next fight.
"Seems that matchup was a little to quick and dry for our liking. I know you've all came here for a show and trust me, we plan to deliver~! For the next round, we have an interesting matchup for you to enjoy. I say this because we have a very familiar participant from the last two tournaments.
Her determination remains firm as she continues to strive for the gold~! Let's give a round of applause for our returning competitor... Rumin Hhitoryu~!! Let's not forget about her opponent, hailing from the Wei Clan... Tang the Serpent~!"
The crowd cheered as the two competitors stepped onto the ring after the previous combatants left for the lobby. It wasn't going to be an easy battle for Rumin, as she doesn't know just what kind of snake she was up against. Her opponent had no legs, their body consisting of an upper body, but the entire lower portion was a long, thick tail.
It's a step up from what she's used to but she readied herself, signaling to the opponent that it was almost time to start. Once both fighters were ready, the announcer stepped off the stage and spoke.
"Let the second round of the Feral Paw Tournament begin~!!!"