Chương 29: “Fight Back!”

Ch 29 "Fight Back!"

"Please, entrust your coins to me, and I will hand them to you after your match." One servant girl bowed towards Amber, holding out a small pouch.

"Make sure you take care of them for me," Amber said, emptying her pockets.

"Of course, you are my sisters' savior." The servant again bowed and left the arena. Amber tilted her head at the comment but gave a hesitant smile back in response. She felt like the girls getting tied up was kind of her fault in the first place. The arena was alit with noise and hype as the announcer reminded everyone to place their bets before the fight started.

"Hahaha not bad, little Cabbage girl!" Bone Eater howled from behind his metal mask as he jumped back onto the stage.

"But catching coins won't save you from being crushed! I'm going to break every bone in your body if you dare to step in the arena!" He clenched his fist in front of him hard as his muscles bulged.

"Don't think you're unbeatable because you beat up a couple of losers!" Amber yelled back, hopping into the arena. The crowd went wild at her acceptance. The Azure Dragon, judge Melina yelled down, "Take this! And let no one say Blue City's Sword & Wine Bar gives challengers a disadvantage!" She threw down a small glass vial to the Amber.

"This should make up for your energy!" Amber looked closely at it. It was the size of her pinky, and reminded her of the Qi Vitality Elixir Ember had given her! It seemed different, this color being far more yellowish, but the effect should be good. Amber threw her head back as she swallowed the juice from the tiny vial. A warm sensation flooded through Amber's body as the elixir took effect. She could feel any trace of fatigue melting away like frost under the morning sun.

The fatigue of no sleep and being almost assassinated all seemed to fade away. Even the flicker of Tiger Saint Qi within her body sparkled as if it were happy. Her breathing steadied, and a surge of energy coursed through her veins. The golden glow in her eyes even seemed to brighten.

"I like this!" Amber couldn't hide a smile as she rolled back her shoulders and rocked her body from side to side. While she had just been upset, the girl was pleased at the special treatment. Her skills had earned her some respect!

"Bets will close soon! Place yours NOW!" The announcer yelled into his dragon tube. Several attendants brought out racks of wooden weapons for the fighters to choose from. Amber's eyes swept across the rack of training weapons. There was only one weapon she was looking for. She walked down the racks until she came to a couple of spears, one being a slashing spear and the other being a purely thrusting spear.

The girl of course took the slashing spear, similar to the one she used with the Lucky Tiger Caravan and spun it around a few times. It had a decent balance and weight to it, for something made completely of wood. The training spears they had used in the caravan had a sandbag at the end, but this had a wooden spearhead. It seemed a bit dangerous before Amber remembered how Wood's sword had splintered against Bone Eater's chest.

"This event is another Critical Hit match!" The announcer yelled into the Dragon tube.

"The first to land a critical hit is the winner! When all three judges raise their flag, a critical hit is determined!" The judges themselves looked much more interested in this match than the last one. This round, even Mr. Tusk was taking a break from eating to observe the match. He snapped and a servant girl wiped his mouth clean of all grease. A second snap and the attendant that held his half smoked cigar placed it into his mouth and began to re-light it for him. He puffed it and leaned back with a coy smile.

Amber cringed in disgust. She knew from the last round that she couldn't count on any of the judges to save her, much less the rotund Mr. Tusk.

"The rules are as follows! Training weapons only, no killing, and no external Qi skills! In addition to a critical hit ending, a surrender, injury, or ring out may also end the match!" The announcer shouted into the dragon tube. GONG"Attention! The first gong has rung!" The announcer yelled into the dragon tube.

"When 5 gongs have rung, the match starts! Will Challenger Cabbage manage to blow up Bone Eater's impressive 11 win run?" GONG Amber stepped onto her side of the octagonal platform as she spun her new spear a bit, trying to calibrate the foreign weight with her body and movements. GONG"I don't like fighting little girls! I'll have you done and knocked out in 5 seconds!" The man in the metal mask bellowed. He has stepped on to the stone platform barehanded.

GONG"If you don't shut up I'm going to rip that mask off of you and show everyone how ugly you are!" Amber fired back, tired of hearing Bone Eater's trash talk. In her mind's eye she could only see the cold bastard who kicked another defeated warrior while he was down. Wood was a piece of shit, how would Bone Eater have known that? GONG"Try it, worm!" The iron masked man charged forward with a frightening speed. He was aiming to end the match in one blow!

Bone Eater charged forward like a battering ram, his fist raised high. The crowd roared with excitement, as many had seen challengers crumble under the masked man's first strike. But Amber didn't flinch. In one fluid motion, she pivoted on her back foot and swept the spear's shaft low, smacking the man's butt, redirecting Bone Eater's momentum just enough to throw him off balance and force him to stumble past her.

"What the-" Bone Eater barely caught himself at the edge of the platform, swinging his arms as he stumbled backwards to stay on the stage. The crowd erupted as gasps and excited murmurs rippled through the arena like a wave. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"Did you see that?"

"She actually won the first exchange!"

"Cab-bage! Cab-bage! Cab-bage!" the cheers of the Lucky Tiger guards cut through the noise as they swelled with pride at their youngest guard. Even the Azure Dragon Melina leaned forward in her seat, her eyes narrowing with interest. The rotund Mr. Tusk's eyes narrowed as he puffed his cigar. He mouthed some words unheard to anybody but himself. Amber spun the spear once, adjusting her grip. The weight felt natural now, an extension of her arms. She'd spent months drilling with the Lucky Tiger guards.

Bone Eater turned back to face the girl.

"You aren't as bad as I thought!" The man forced a grin from under his mask as his butt stung. He lunged again, this time with a vicious overhead strike meant to crush her guard. She spun her spear tip in a tight circle, using the motion to deflect the blow and letting his own force slide past her while she sidestepped. She smiled internally, wondering if that parry was enough for Captain Dante's approval. Amber's spear flashed forward in a quick thrust aimed directly at his exposed ribs.

Bone Eater barely twisted away in time, but the wooden blade grazed his side with a sharp crack, sending him reeling before catching his footing. The old judge, Mr. Bloodwind, raised his black flag up. The crowd roared.

"Close! We have one flag!" the announcer screamed into his dragon tube.

"The young warrior Cabbage is actually putting up a fight!" Amber pressed her advantage, flowing into a series of quick strikes that mixed highs, lows, and feints. Her spear swung fiercely but intentionally, probing the man for weaknesses. The girl felt like she was reaching new levels with her spearmanship after all of her spars with the caravan guards, and her life or death night with the demonic assassins. Amber yelled out and thrust her spear mightily as she saw an opening, right at Bone Eater's throat!

Bone Eater returned her yell as he brought his head forward, intentionally meeting her spear tip with a headbutt. The man's neck veins popped and bulged as red Qi lit up his body, and his boots pushed into the ground with immense force. SNAP Amber's spear shattered against the large man's iron mask. Wood splinters flew everywhere as the man rushed forward, his freakishly large grin visible under his the gaps in his mask. The crowd roared as Bone Eater rushed the girl down.

"Bone Eater has shattered every weapon and every person in his way! Can he really be stopped?" The announcer yelled into his dragon tube.

"You can leave your bones behind!" The masked man shouted dementedly. A large fist came crashing down as Amber jumped back, shaking off a flashback she had to Wild Hog. The memory made the flame of Tiger Saint Qi crackle within her, but she was determined to beat the man in front of her with only her own Qi! That would make her feel like she was stronger than when she fought Wild Hog, she had decided. Her brow furrowed and her golden eyes narrowed. Without her weapon, she could only use her Blazing Tiger stances.

Pouncing Shadow! The girl's Qi flared as she charged the man, pummeling him with several fists and foot strikes, none of which landed true enough or did significant damage before the girl was forced to retreat from his furious counter swings.

"Our young challenger Cabbage remains unfazed after losing her weapon! Could an upset really happen in this match? Her attacks seem to be ineffective!" The Announcer furiously rushed his words into the tube as the audience cheered the action.

"Cabbage girl!" The man in the iron masked rushed her as he shouted, "Let me have some more fun!" He laughed wildly throwing fist after fist at the girl, who slid and maneuvered through each of the man's hits with a concentrated face as she pushed her ability with Predator to the maximum.

"Was what you did to Wood fun? Hitting someone who's defeated?" Amber shouted as she dodged backwards from a fierce kick that threatened to knock her head off.

"It was like savoring a whore!" The man bellowed with a crazed grin as he pressed in to resume his flurry of attacks. Amber darted through his assault with Predator, pushing down her feelings of uncertainty as one or two blows came far too close. Finally, the opening Amber had been waiting for arrived! He had overthrown his fist far too wide, and the girl darted inside his guard, planting a firm shoe on his knee and jumping up to deliver her own crushing knee to his face. Tiger Ascends the Mountain!

The man's whole body shook as his neck tore back and his stance flew wide; Amber was high in the air clutching her knee.

"Fuck!" She yelled out in pain. That iron mask was really tough! She knew there was no way the man inside that mask wasn't hurting even worse though. She could feel her own improvement since the Wild Hog fight. Two Black flags flew into the air as the Blood Dragon and the Azure Dragon raised their flags, while the round Gold Dragon puffed black smoke from his cigar. His face was contorted as if somebody had just insulted him.

"What a stunning upset!" The announcer yelled, "Challenger Cabbage lands a huge blow, and the judges almost call the match!" The crowd couldn't get enough of the action as they emptied their lungs into the air.

"Ahahahahaha!" The man's posture snapped back as streaks of red Qi and dripping blood oozed out from the holes in his mask.

"You'll have to do better than that!" Amber yelled out in shock as a meaty hand stretched out and grabbed her roughly by the throat, snatching the girl out of the air. A monstrous roar bellowed out from the man as he brought the girls face close to his own and delivered a punishing head butt with his iron mask that left both contestants' faces splattering blood! The entire crowd let out a painful oooooh! as all cheers ceased for a moment.

She had moved all the Qi she could to her face just in time, but it still hurt like hell. The blow left her lip eyebrow and nose bleeding, her vision swimming, and her mind in disarray. Two gold flags were instantly thrust into the air by two of the judges. The third was still watching the action as he shook his cigar's ash onto the ground where a servant girl hurriedly swept it up. His wry smile had returned.

"It looks like I'm making cabbage stew today!" The man in the iron mask laughed as Amber's world flashed white. The girl struggled to come to her senses as he threw her onto the hard stone of the platform, knocking all the air out of her system. He stepped forward and stood over her. The man surged with red Qi as he raised his foot to stomp down upon the girl. He was a gruesome sight, laughing his head off as blood leaked from every opening of his mask over her body. This crazy bastard!

she thought, trying to recover. He seemed to be losing his mind. Maybe her knee to the man's head had taken its toll.

"Folks! We could be witnessing the end of the match!" The announcer yelled into his Dragon tube. Amber forced a breath through Burning Sun and spun her lying body out of the way just as a devastating boot came crashing down, cracking the stone where her head laid just a mere moment ago. The girl twisted her body and planted her palm on the ground, her leg rocketing skyward like a lit firework. Tiger Hunting Dragon Eggs!

Pained groans and woeful cries from every man in the arena invaded the air as the man in the iron mask fell to his knees, clutching his groin. He let out a roar that every spectator could feel in their chest as he fell over, his iron mask crashing onto the stone so hard it cracked. The arena filled with silence, with the exception of two black flags whoosing quickly into the air.

"What the hell are you doing? Fight back!" The Golden Dragon Mr. Tusk shouted from the side, still not reaching for his flag. His face went red and his forehead vein throbbed as he threw his cigar towards the stage. Another attendant quickly placed a new cigar in his mouth and lit it for him.

"Come… on!" Amber gasped out as she was still on her knees, desperately trying to catch her breath with Burning Sun and stop her world from spinning. Why the fuck was this smoking pig judge so hard to please? He was complicit in letting Bone Eater torture Wood as well! Bone Eater laid groaning his pain, clutching his injury.

"Ohhhhh! The match continues! I thought we had seen the match just end! I know I would have been finished!" The announcer bellowed over the crowd. Slowly, Amber stood up as her breath steadied. A bit of blood dripped from various splits on her face. The man in the iron masked wailed deeply as he struggled to take a step up before crashing down on one knee, groaning like a madman in the aftermath of Amber's critical hit.

As she continued to catch her breath, she thought about how the match should have ended, just like Wood's. Yet this man had continued to take joy at the suffering of his opponent.

"Stand up!" Amber spat a mouthful of blood onto the stone platform floor as her eyes shone with a furious golden hue.

"Your mother isn't done teaching you a lesson!"