Chapter 50: Powerless

A steel door creaked opening. In the darkness beyond the cold door a single pink eye glowed.

"" The guard said.

A woman in a torn and ragged maids outfit stumbles out from the prison. She's escorted by several guards through the halls and corridors of the dungeon and into the prison. They are stopped short of going into the arena before them.

From behind Rakon appears before the group. Looking down at the succubus maid before him.

********

Within the mess hall, Donovan serves food to all the other inmates while watching Kalika from afar. He watched as she simply stared at her food, uninterested in touching it.

"She's been like this for almost a week… What happened?" He thought.

She was alone. Anyone that dared to approach was always met with a knife to their neck. He's never seen someone so closed off to the world in his life. Despite some doubts and his fear, he continued to feel a deepening concern for her.

Another cook noticed Donovan's lack of attention calling him out. "Hey Don! stop daydreaming!"

"Grrr… Don't call me that!"

"Then get back to servin!" The Cook retorted.

Donovan glanced back, seeing Rakon now in front of Kalika. She stared at the demon for a few seconds before finally taking a few bites of her meat porridge. He noticed a subtle change in her, as though she had found her emotions once again.

Kalika's disdain and annoyance had returned, along with her indignant demeanor. Not long after finishing her bowl she gets up to follow Rakon out of the mess hall.

Some prisoners seeing this start talking. "You reckon they closed the Arena, because of her again?"

"No doubt." another answered. "I've been hearing that she's supposed to leave this prison as of today."

"Bah~! I'll believe it when I see it." Another joked.

Donovan felt useless watching as she left. Memories of his stepmothers' brutally cold words resurfaced. The words of: "You're a useless boy with useless dreams. So quit trying to act useful when you're nothing but a wasted pile of meat!" 

These words that still haunt him, as do her and his stepsisters' other words that only recognized him as just wasted space.

********

Kalika, walking alongside Rakon soon entered the arena filled with demons seated, awaiting for the spectacle to start. Some of the face's she saw looked familiar but others very new to her including demons the size of Bjorn. Strangely enough she also found demons that look like humans with their only differences being their horns on their head, their tails and pink eyes.

The Demon's seeing her started to get riled up, pointing and conversing in their native language. She ignores all of them, instead keeping her attention to the lone black-haired maid in the center of the arena. Rhonda.

Kalika met Rhonda at the center of the arena where Rakon finally made his announcements. White noise soon drowned out Rakons words as he spoke as Kalika continued to stare at the guilt-ridden maid. Rhonda slowly brought out her blood blade, posing with it in both hands.

Kalika could clearly tell that she didn't want to fight, from her avoiding eye contact and her constant shaking. Her eyes had become more sunken and her body much dirtier than before. She could tell that Rhonda was devoid of hope.

"Imagine being tortured and ripped apart day after day," Kalika said. "Can you Imagine it? Of course not. Because you'll never understand the pain of dying over and over again."

Rhonda starts to tremble much more. "I…I-I…"

A dark Aura instantly flared up, cloaking Kalika's Dagger.

Everyone in the audience is taken aback by this including Rakon who smiles shortly after. Kalika looked at the Dagger confused, feeling herself being drained.

"The condition is simple. The winner is the first to kill the other. Of course if Kalika Dies once she will lose this match." Rakon turned his attention back to Kalika. "Did you hear? Die once, and you lose."

Kalika gave a quick glance at Rakon before turning back to Rhonda. "Yeah. I think those conditions are perfect."

"Good." Rakon Dissolves away, reappearing at the arena balcony. "Let the fight begin!"

In a split-second Rhonda already made the first move. Her attack is easily deflected.

"Is that all?" Kalika questioned.

Rhonda stumbles forward, quickly turning to Kalika with her dagger aimed at her again. She then charged forward, attacking at random. Despite Rhonda's apparent best effort Kalika, Dodges each strike one after another.

Kalika dodged and quickly grabbed Rhonda's hand from the side. She stared at Rhonda, much more irritated.

"What are you doing?" Kalika started to squeeze at Rhonda's hand making her drop her Dagger. "Why aren't you taking this seriously??"

Kalika's dagger-like stare frightened Rhonda, she then threw her hands off Rhonda. "Pick it Up. Now!"

Rhonda slowly reached for her dagger on the ground. After a moment of catching her breath, Rhonda once again went on the attack. Slashing and swiping at Kalika with little regard of seeing where she was attacking.

Using her blade, Kalika deflected the last attack. She then placed her dagger at Rhonda's neck, surprising her. Rhonda's eyes watered up. Memories of Rhonda as a child flashed through Kalika's mind. Looking back at Rhonda of the present, Kalika cringed seeing close her eyes to accept her fate.

"You're not going to use your power?" After not hearing a response Kalika grabbed Rhonda by her collar, pulling her in.

With fire in her eyes, she spoke soft, but also fiercely. "What kind of cruel joke are you playing at? You're a demon! You're supposed to be stronger than me!"

"I told you to never look down on me didn't I!!" Kalika Yelled.

Rhonda could only look on, stupefied, Remembering the one and only other time she said those words.

"Damn it! At least pretend that you care about living!!!"

Even with Kalika's bangs blocking some of her face, she could tell the turmoil of emotions flowing through Kalika at this very moment. The vibrance of blue, red and even yellow flowing throughout Kalika's body. These colors she saw soon converged into pure deep black.

The demons watching started to become unrest seeing the pathetic display. Not long after Kalika threw Rhonda away from her.

Rhonda stumbles a little. "I.... I understand... I… I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize!" Kalika readied her cloaked dagger once more. Rhonda reluctantly readies Her's too.

Rhonda steadies her hands and breathing, calming herself. She see that Kalika's ready so goes on the attack for the third time. This time with much more ferocity. They clashed, deflected and parried each other's attack.

Interlocking their Daggers Rhonda winced from the sheer pressure from the dark aura cloaking Kalika's Dagger. "Stop Holding Back!"

 Kalika pushed back at her hard.

Rhonda steadied Herself, charging back in. "A... Alright!!" Rhonda squeaked.

Rhonda's eyes glowed brightly. Peering into them, Kalika suddenly found herself in the middle of a strange forest. "Huh?"

She heard the skittering and murmurs of strange beasts in the forest. The bushes rustled and leaves and branches crunched. Kalika felt a large presence coming from her right! She readied her blade only to find Rhonda appearing before like a spirit through the fog.

Kalika pulled her hand, dodging backwards from Rhonda. Looking back up Rhonda, disappeared again.

The same presence from the front approached. Kalika dodged a swipe to the face! She blocked another attack from above.

This time Rhonda attacked from behind, she meets her headed on with a parry! Jumping back, Rhonda slowly vanished like a mist.

"Is this what happened to those other men she fought?"

Kalika searched around, looking to anticipate Rhonda's next move.

A rapid crunching of leaves to her left. A crackle from a branch to her right. She cocks her head and from the corner of her eyes, Rhonda reappeared, launching herself at Kalika.

She blocked most of the attack, but she found herself still getting cut at the side of the face from it. Rhonda sliding on the ground vanished again.

"Again??"

Kalika started to become irritated by this game of cat and mouse being played. She then felt a strange gust of wind. Quickly posing herself, they clashed their blade once more. A like before Rhonda Retreated only this time she sent another slash, This time from an extended blade!

The blade retreated, vanishing only for it to reappear on the other side. She's not quick enough! And is met with its full weight of Rhonda blade across her chest.

The cut is shallow, realizing this, Kalika stepped hard on the blade, cutting her own feet. She ignored the pain however opting to follow its sharp edge to the user and kicking Rhonda in the face.

Kalika, landing behind Rhonda went on the offensive, swinging her cloaked Dagger.

Rhonda recovers and they clash once again.

 this time Rhonda defenseless on the ground. The pressure of the cloaked dagger started to become more and more oppressive from her.

"Is this all you have?" Kalika questioned.

"N…No…"

Rhonda started to gulp something down. One gulp, two gulps, three gulps. And like magic, Rhonda's strength seemingly returned.

Rhonda Pushed Kalika's dagger off her, quickly retreating, disappearing from Kalika's sight. Kalika began to hear heavy and faint breathing. but unlike last time the sound came from everywhere.

This left Kalika in a tizzy as she searched around for any signs of Rhonda. Suddenly a slash to the arm. Another to the leg and a third and forth to her back and chest.

"She's gotten much faster!"

Kalika is attack another three, now four, Six more times. She's unable to keep up. Kalika was finding herself getting cut and scratched all over her body.

Something slimy worked its way up one of her cuts, looking behind she found a flush Rhonda licking her back! Kalika swung her dagger on, leaving Rhonda to retreat back into the darkness.

Kalka continued to look around before remembering the effects of the saliva and Succubus's.

"C-crap!!"

An immense heat started to work its way into Kalika. Making Kalika become much flusher. She trembles trying to keep her composure.

Rhonda seeing the effects once again strikes back at Kalika again and again leaving deeper slashes and cuts on her body. Kalika found her body starting to become weaker with each strike.

Despite this predicament however… She could only smile.

CLANG

Rhonda stood shocked and Kalika blocked her attack. Kalika stood, sweating and flushed, and with eyes looking more crazed. 

Rhonda attempts a retreat but is met with a dagger to the leg! Rhonda stumbles onto her back

Kalika conjured her blade back in hand, pouncing onto Rhonda, cornering her onto the ground, dagger pressing hard against her neck. Rhonda quickly closed her eyes knowing her position. 

Kalika's breathing became a lot heavier. She watched as blood started running down Rhonda's neck. Slowly the illusion conjured by Rhonda disappeared leaving them in the middle of the arena once more.

The crowd of demons watched in anticipation but became shocked upon closer look. Even Rakon's face contorted upon seeing the results.

"Congratulations Rhonda… You won," Kalika said.

Rhonda slowly opened her eyes, finding her dagger stabbing Kaliaka's chest. Upon seeing this even Rhonda became shocked by the results.

"I-I-I-I-I… I-I didn't mean to-"

Kalika suddenly patted Rhonda on the head. "That's fine."

Kalika pulled herself from Rhonda's blade, stumbling to her feet before turning to look at Rakon. She has never seen him so furious.

"It looks like I lost."

Kalika fell to her back shortly after. She revived herself a few moments later, finding Rhonda over her even more concerned. Not long after, Rakon threw Rhonda off Kalika. And into the caged wall.

"You were supposed to kill her!"

"Yeah? Well, it looks like I lost. Those were the conditions, right? I win, I'm freed. I lose, Then I become your slave…"

Rakon getting even more frustrated pinned her further in the ground. "But you were supposed to win." He hissed.

"Why does it matter to you whether I win or lose? Any way you cut it I'll continue to be your own little pawn. I'm not stupid Rakon."

Kalika looked away, a little more somber. "I know You want something from me, something that only I could give because of my immortality… otherwise you wouldn't have gone through all this trouble with me."

Rakon began to laugh. "You think that I need you. You're just our entertainment."

"If that's the case, why did you go out of your way to help me? All this time you could've left me worse off. You have no reason to care about me."

"Those were just whims." he snickered.

Rakon forced Kalika up. "Don't get full of yourself. Now that you lost, you belong to me now!"

Kalika hears Rakon look more deeply into his eyes. "Lost? No, I lost the moment I signed that contract we made… And you know it."

Guards started to arrive within the arena to escort both Rhonda and Kalika away. Rhonda starts to get dragged away as Kalika starts to follow the guards behind.

"Oh." Kalika stops glancing back at Rakon. "And Rakon… I'm glad I was able to make things inconvenient for you. Losing isn't so bad when the person you hate most is writhing."

With those words she leaves Rakon with a bawled fist.

"That woman…"