Hm, Sunday, is it? Actually, this one wasn't just the standard "I forgot" but rather, I was doing a last once-over and saw a bunch of things that needed changing. So, after some editing, it's finally ready. Enjoy!
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Chapter 24: The First Day
Iris and Shockavimon awoke to the morning sun shining through the window...right into their faces.
"Gah! Would it kill them to invest in some curtains?" ranted Iris as she rubbed her eyes ferociously. "Rgh...stupid room. Figures we'd get the one room with a natural alarm clock..."
"Calm down, Iris," Shockavimon yawned. "Not like we didn't have to get up anyway. Did you sleep all right? How do you feel?"
"Mmf. Besides being annoyed, I'm fine. Not exactly the most comfortable bed in the universe, but I guess it wouldn't do much good to complain about it, huh?"
"I doubt it. Not like we'll be spending much time in here anyway, other than sleeping. You ready to go?"
"Yeah, I'm ready. No one's gonna hear us, right?"
"I don't think so. They didn't hear us split up, otherwise they would have come in and found us. We'd have been in a lot of trouble if that had happened, huh?"
"I'd rather not think about it. Let's do this."
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Ionavimon was ready and raring to go to battle bright and early as she arrived at the Coliseum...only to find that there wasn't a single match to be had. The tournament schedule started in mid-afternoon, meaning she had several hours before she'd see a fight of any kind. Lightly cursing the early start, she contented herself with wandering around the city, getting a feel for the place. It wasn't a very positive feel; the conditions she'd noted upon her arrival did indeed seem to extend throughout the entire city, much like Blackreptimon had suggested. The digimon seemed to have a sense of despair as well, though it was somewhat masked by the clear excitement of the Gam Rona tournament. That was the talk of the town - every conversation she overheard was centered around it.
It's probably the only thing they look forward to, she thought grimly. Their lives are stuck in a rut, they don't have much of anything due to having it all taken for that Coliseum. It's the only time they get to enjoy living here...that's no way to live. Something needs to change. I just wonder what that could be.
While out on her walk, she happened across Blackreptimon once again. This time he wasn't hanging off a building, but rather sitting in a plaza, his bag of tricks at his side, almost in eager anticipation. He grinned at her as she approached. "Hey, nice job getting in."
"Thanks. Now all I gotta do is win. Easier said than done, I suppose."
"Well, I'll be watching. So you can consider me a good-luck charm, hm?"
Ionavimon cracked a smile in spite of herself. "And how often do you say that to a lady?"
"More often than it works. Don't worry, I'm not trying to come on to you. Not that you're not a beaut, but my eyes are set on someone and I don't intend to let them wander."
"Let me guess. A certain Renamon?"
"Eh-heh...yeah. Don't let yesterday color your perceptions, we're closer than she likes to let on. She's involved with someone...won't say who, but he's apparently the jealous sort, and she doesn't like him one bit. Keeps saying she wants to leave him, but something's holding her back, possibly what Valkyrimon might do if he found out."
"That's sick. She should be the one making that decision, not Valkyrimon."
"Yeah, I know. I hate seeing her unhappy...but there's not much I can do about it. I wouldn't force her to make that decision. I'm not even sure she'd be interested in me as much as possibly another guy. It's just a dream of mine."
"Well, don't give up on it until you've heard one way or the other. So, am I to assume you're plying your wares here? Kind of dangerous to be this out in the open, don't you think?"
"Hey, as far as anyone knows, I'm just selling some sketches." He unrolled one of the papers in his bag, to reveal a passably good drawing. "Hiding in the alleyways is a good way to make people suspicious. I prefer the front of having some kind of honest work."
"Why don't you just make a living as an artist?"
"That's no fun. Besides, I'm not good enough to reel in any worthwhile cash anyway. Maybe with some work, but 'wait and see' isn't good enough to put food in my stomach. Meanwhile, if I sell even one other kind of sketchy work, it can keep me sated for several weeks. Not that that business is very good, either, but the opportunities are there."
"Right...well, I suppose I'll head off before I drive off any potential customers."
"Right-o. See you at the ring. And hey, if I hear anything...juicy, I'll try to find you. Wouldn't mind seeing you give that obnoxious idiot a stroke, you know?" The lizard gave her a cunning wink. "Later."
"Yeah, later." Ionavimon turned away and continued her walk elsewhere. Part of her didn't want to feel like she was getting an extra advantage from Blackreptimon's insider info, but another part of her wanted to get back at Valkyrimon bad enough that it was tempting. Maybe I'll just ask him not to give anything that would give me a necessarily unfair advantage...
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As the time of the battles started to draw near, Ionavimon landed back by the Coliseum to see the crowds swarming the gates. It seemed like complete chaos, with a few digimon trying desperately to keep order; she supposed they were probably staff, and judging by the looks of them, they were hired specifically to prevent riots from breaking out. She managed to slip in without too much trouble, back into the entryway where she'd been the night before. This time the massive doors leading to the arenas were open, and she decided to take a quick peek to see what kind of setting she'd have to adapt to.
She was not prepared for what she saw through the doors, and let out a soft gasp as she looked inside. The sheer size of the area was the first thing that struck her - several football fields could have fit inside with room to spare. It wasn't just one arena, but a cleanly-arranged array of battle areas with seating around each one; she could count 32, enough for all the first-round battles. The arenas looked like they could be rearranged and collected into larger ones if needed; she imagined that that might be the case for the later battles, just so more people could see what was going on.
There were all sorts of small gray digimon running around the arenas, checking this or that and generally making sure everything was running smoothly. She guessed that the Gazimon made up the majority of the staff; small wonder, as they were known for working cheap, didn't need a lot of supervision, and were generally capable of learning whatever they needed to. At one of the rings, a Gazimon was checking a hole in the ground, with what appeared to be a platform rising up to fill the gap. At another ring, another Gazimon was tossing some kind of ball attached to a length of rope at the sides of the battle area. Ionavimon's eyes widened as she saw a flash and heard a rather loud crackle, before the ball was tossed back at the Gazimon, who caught it like he'd been doing it all his life.
That looks dangerous. But I bet it's to keep the crowds safe...if a fighter got tossed errantly into the stands, it could do some damage. And it might keep them from going after hecklers or something. Still, looks really painful to run into...I should stay well aware of where I am in the ring during these battles, or I could find myself jolted as badly as my enemies.
There were two sets of stairs down towards fighter preparation areas. She had to check a roster sheet to find out which one she'd start at; it was the same one she'd gone down to sign up originally. Down in that area, it was slightly more crowded than the previous night, and the fighters were much more antsy than before. Many were trying to calm themselves down and focus, but the knowledge that their numbers would be whittled by three-fourths before nightfall was weighing heavily on their minds.
That may be my one psychological advantage...I sure as hell don't want to go out having lost, but I don't have a career to worry about here. Their performance here could really affect their status in this whole system, something I don't have to worry about. It could make them more desperate, but that could mean they'll be more reckless, too. Every little bit helps.
She could see a large board with the matches posted. Her first, and hopefully not only, foe was another avian creature, Strikeavimon. She looked around, but she couldn't see him; after a moment, it occurred to her that he was probably in the other prep area - most likely, they kept fighters who were facing each other away from each other until they actually had to get to the ring. Still, she could draw a mental image of him: standing around 7'3", nearly a foot taller than herself, and bulkier as well; covered in brown feathers, wearing a purple visor and gauntlets and brown leather bands encircling his upper arms and feet; a solid close-quarters battler, not as adept in the air as other Avimon relations, but that was moot here.
Getting up too close will probably be a bad idea. I think I'll be better off with liberal use of electricity.
A buzzer from nearby rang out over the clamor in the prep room. She saw the fighters making for the west end of the room, where there was a group of lift platforms; she presumed those were the same ones she saw the Gazimon examining before coming down here, and that they'd take her where she needed to go. There weren't enough to take all of them up at once, but they were rapidly returning to bring more participants to other rings. It's a pretty slick system they've got set up here...no wonder it cost several fortunes.
Eventually, she was able to get on a platform of her own. There was a small console in front of her where she input her name; after just a few moments, the platform came to life, taking her away from the prep room and rapidly through a dark corridor. She felt an odd sensation partway through the trip, like she'd traveled through some kind of not-quite-corporeal field. It went away almost as soon as it had come, and she wondered if that wasn't part of the safety measures that kept anyone from actually dying during the matches.
As she rose up to the ring, she found her opponent already there, looking much as she had envisioned. There were quite a few cheers from the crowd, and no shortage of whistles and catcalls. She wondered how many of the guys were watching her solely because it was the only chance they'd had to see a female in combat for a long time. The novelty of her being a rookie probably didn't hurt, either.
She wasn't exactly familiar with standard practice with these matches, but she'd taken a quick glance over some of the standard rules and procedures before leaving the prep room, so she had some idea of what to expect. A buzzer sounded, calling for the participants to approach and express sportsmanship before the match. She and Strikeavimon approached the center of the ring, and exchanged a quick handshake; his eyes were practically boring into hers, as if trying to get inside her head and test her will.
"Scared, girly?"
"Not a chance."
"Hm...so be it."
They retreated back to their own corners of the arena. All that was left to do was wait for the bell to ring and start the match. Ionavimon felt more nervous than she'd showed, but she wasn't about to back down. Not when there was so much at stake.
Then the bell rang.
Almost before she could react, Strikeavimon was dashing at her, his arm pulled back and ready to deliver a blow. She barely got out of the way, ducking to her right just as he lunged forward, his arm getting only air and his balance thrown off. Ionavimon wasted no time, unleashing a Dervish Bolt at him while his guard was down. Strikeavimon yelled loudly in pain and fell to his knees, the crowd giving an accompanying gasp.
Ionavimon thought she had already won for a split second, and then Strikeavimon was up again, rage in his eyes. "Right, you're gonna get it now! Hyper Talon!" He did a bicycle kick that launched two crescent-shaped energy blasts at high speed right at Ionavimon. She could only dodge one of them; the other slammed into her, driving her back and knocking her to the ground.
She didn't get up instantly, taking a moment to shake off the blow as the crowd hooted and hollered, not entirely settled on who they were cheering for. Strikeavimon was almost on top of her before she realized it. She mentally berated herself for being slow on the uptake as she blocked his punch and countered with a hook to his beak. He wasn't fazed, and returned with a body blow that glanced just off her side. She saw her chance as his body was turned; she put her hand on his back and with a sudden motion turned and pushed. He squawked as he hit the ground, and grabbed the wrist that had almost caught his fall.
"Hurts, doesn't it?" Ionavimon taunted.
"Not as much as you're going to!" Strikeavimon countered acidly as he got back to his feet. He was still holding the wrist, and to her it looked like he might have sprained it. Nonetheless, he was right back in the action, rushing her and trying to deliver several kicks in quick succession. She blocked six of them before the seventh caught her side, the eighth her stomach. She backed off, somewhat winded from the stomach blow.
He took the opportunity, trying another duet of Hyper Talon blasts, but Ionavimon wouldn't fall for that twice. She swept down and laid close to the ground, letting the blasts fly over her harmlessly. He was running at her again before she could get up. Taking a grave chance, she charged electricity in her legs, then lifted her body with her arms, rolled her legs up under her, and kicked upwards. "Lightning Talon!"
It was a direct blow, right between Strikeavimon's legs. He let out a pained and startled cry as electricity coursed through him, adding to the pain of the blow to a sensitive area. The crowd let out a loud OOH, as if they themselves felt the pain of the blow. Strikeavimon staggered backwards and collapsed, holding his groin and wheezing. Ionavimon got her footing and stepped back; she hadn't even been going for that kind of blow, but if it got her the victory she was hardly going to complain.
After several seconds, Strikeavimon pounded the ground three times, the signal for a concession. The bell rang, and the crowd's cheers crescendoed as Ionavimon felt a rush of joy. I won! Yes! Take that, doubters!
A group of Gazimon attendants rushed into the ring around her. Several were attending to Strikeavimon, who was very gingerly getting to his feet with their help. One of them started getting a little pushy, in every sense of the word. "Nicely done. Sorry, I have to rush you out so we can set up the rings for the next set of matches. The platform is ready for you."
"Right, thanks." Ionavimon took the hint and strode over to the platform, taking in the cheers of her victory around her.
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Sitting on the bench half an hour after the fight, she still felt herself shaking. The intensity of the match still hadn't worn off, nor had the excitement of the victory. Now I get why this is so popular...damn, what a rush! I've never felt like this after a fight before! Competition really does make a difference!
She looked up at the board. For the first time, she noticed some numbers near the line-up for each match; apparently, people could also bet on the outcomes of each fight. She was somewhat surprised when she saw the odds for her match; she'd expected to be a major underdog, but apparently the line had only been slightly in favor of Strikeavimon. There were some people who were betting on her; she wondered, though, how much of it was serious confidence in her and how much was just because of the novelty factor.
Then she smacked herself both literally and figuratively. Wow, talk about your self-confidence drainers. I shouldn't be getting down on myself over this. I just beat that guy! I'm one-sixth of the way to my goal! I can do this, and they're not gonna stop me! But she also knew she couldn't get too excited; after all, it wasn't likely that this was going to get easier, and she didn't want to let cockiness be her downfall.
Slowly, other fighters began to trickle back into the room. Some of them looked at her with awe, as if they hadn't expected to see her after the first fight had ended. She just gave a smarmy smirk back to them. The match board showed which ones emerged victorious and which were defeated, and she reveled in a private chuckle of derision as she saw one by one a number of the fighters that had berated her at the sign-ups fell into elimination. Take that, you bozos.
It was roughly an hour before all the fights were finished. It surprised her how long some of them took; her match with Strikeavimon had been no more than a couple minutes. It was possible that they just had different fighting styles that prolonged the matches, or that some of the digimon were more durable. And of course, the element of luck, like her kick at Strikeavimon; that had probably finished the match before anyone expected. She wished she could see one of the matches to understand a little better, but that was against the rules; fighters had to remain in the prep area until all matches were finished.
After all the fights had ended, there was a shuffling of participants, with some fighters having to move to the other side of the coliseum in preparation for the matches. She didn't have to move, so she just contented herself with watching the fighters moving back and forth, wondering if she'd have to come up against them later on. Some seemed a lot more daunting than others, but she didn't get ahead of herself.
The match-ups weren't posted until all the fighters were accounted for. She eyed her match and saw it was against a Dinohumon. She thought she recalled seeing him when trying to sign up, but couldn't recall him taunting her like some of the others. Either way, she was going to get some idea of what he thought of her now.
The buzzer went off again, and this time she was at the front of the line. The trip took a few different turns from the first one, but other than that it was the same in all respects. She arrived first, but not by much; Dinohumon rose up just seconds after she left the platform. He regarded her with a completely even expression, not letting even a trace of emotion past. Hm, a stoic one, huh? Reminds me of Skylar. Except a lot bigger and probably not such a brainiac.
The buzzer reminded her that they needed to meet at the center before the match before. She approached as she saw him stride up, his gait almost as stiff as his expression. They shook hands, and Shockavimon noted his grip was even firmer than Strikeavimon's.
"You put on quite a show last night." It almost startled her to hear him actually talk. His voice was deep and even, flat as his expression but she could sense the deliberateness behind it. "Think you can keep it up?"
"Hell yeah."
"Good. I'm looking forward to the best you have to offer, then. I hope you're ready for mine."
"Of course I am. Don't hold back, now."
He nodded, and they retreated back to their corners. She felt a lot less nervous than before the first match; now that she had a feel for how things went, it was already getting more comfortable. Making it to the second day would be a huge stride, and all that stood between her and that was the reptile in front of her.
And then the bell rang.
Instantly she noticed a difference between Dinohumon and Strikeavimon; where the latter had charged her at t0, the former took a much more measured approach to his initial approach. He drew his great sword immediately and stepped forward with more caution, holding his weapon out in front of him defensively. Ionavimon pulled out her spear and held it ready as well, keeping her eye on Dinohumon and keeping a decent distance. The two squared off without approaching too closely, as the crowd hollered for them to start the bloodshed.
Ionavimon was the one who decided to get it going. "Dervish Bolt!" She unleashed a torrent of electricity, too unpredictable for Dinohumon to dodge, as the crowd rose in clamor. He was jolted, but shook it off easily, then decided to make things happen. He took a couple steps forward, then gave a sudden charge, closing in with wide strides. Ionavimon quickly reacted, strafing to the side and watching him skid to a halt. With a turn, he swung his great sword, and found himself just too far away. He quickly got his balance again and once again backed off, now more wary of her ranged attack.
She drew him again with another bolt; this one he forewent evasion and just blocked the brunt of the blow with his great sword. With a frown, she noticed that it wasn't conductive. He closed in again, but didn't charge this time, backing off after a couple steps; she realized that now he was trying to draw her, hoping that she'd come within range of his sword.
"That thing is awfully dangerous," she said to him, just loudly enough so that he could hear. "Isn't slaying opponents illegal in this thing?"
"This sword has been...altered, somewhat, specially for this kind of combat," he replied calmly. "So that it cannot draw blood or do any true physical harm. It only feels like it does when it hits, so as to realistically act as if it deals a true blow. Useless in real combat, but effective here."
"Nifty. Isn't that illegal, though? I thought only stuff that came standard with you was allowed."
"There are regulations that allow for minor alterations as long as they go through extensive approval protocols. It's not significantly different from my natural weapon in form or function, and it is designed for simulated combat. Essentially, it was what comes with me standard, just made to match effectiveness."
"If you say so." Shockavimon tested him again with a Dervish Bolt, which he predictably blocked. This time, though, she was off while he was guarding against her attack, and before he knew what had happened, she slashed with her spear, only to find it didn't leave a mark on his body. "What the?"
Dinohumon kicked at her catching her on the side. She spun around and backed off, breath a bit labored after the blow. Dinohumon smirked at her. "I would have thought, after what I told you, that you would have realized that your weapons work differently here."
"My spear wasn't altered!"
"Actually, it was. As you made your way up to the ring, you passed through a field that changed your weapon." Ionavimon cursed in her head; of course that field would probably do more to her than just protect her body. How many digimon came with weapons standard? "It denies your weapon its capacity for physical harm, only letting it simulate damage. The alterations to my sword were made to deal more damage specifically for simulated combat..."
"And thus you can end battles quickly by getting in one or two good blows," finished Ionavimon. "Whereas most weapons aren't much more effective than a good physical blow. You're a veteran here, aren't you?"
"Fourteen years of tournament combat before joining this Coliseum exclusively at its-inception!" Suddenly Dinohumon charged, sword ready for a wide swing. Ionavimon ducked and rolled under the slash, then gave a rising slash with her spear at Dinohumon's back, before dealing a kick to the back of his head. The crowd roared in approval as he stumbled forward a bit before turning back to face Ionavimon. "No wonder you wanted to prove yourself..."
"You didn't think I'd make it easy, did you?"
"I know better than to underestimate anyone, regardless of physical appearance or experience." He approached her slowly, but determinedly, sword always out in front of him. Then he rushed again, swinging hard. This time Ionavimon didn't get out of the way fast enough, and the tip grazed her chest. She felt a near-explosion of pain, much more than she would have expected even from that significant blow, and she barely registered that he was swinging again, this time from above. She quickly brought her spear up to block the sword, a loud clang ringing out over the cheers of the crowd. With only a moment to spare, Ionavimon kicked her legs out to the side and around at Dinohumon as the sword came down, swinging her sideways. "Lightning Talon!"
The kick connected with Dinohumon's side, sending a sizable jolt through him. With a cry he stumbled, holding his side and breathing heavily. Ionavimon got away from him, thinking it might be done, but Dinohumon still wasn't ready to go down.
They faced off again, much like before, and also like before, the crowd was getting anxious for action. This time Dinohumon made the move, charging with this sword raised, Ionavimon instantly sweeping backward. Then, without warning, Dinohumon cried out as electricity surged through him again; he staggered backwards, tripping and landing on his rear. He shook his head and looked bewilderedly at Ionavimon as the crowd belatedly cheered. "Wha-"
"Charge Field," Ionavimon said with a triumphant grin. "Get too close to one I've laid down, and you get a shock. I've set a few around the ring...think you can avoid them?"
There was a subdued sense of elation as she witnessed his expression; despite all his experience, he clearly hadn't been ready for that kind of move, and it had gotten him jittery. The best way to get an advantage is to throw your opponent off his game, and I think I did that. She prepared herself as he stood up and took his usual stance, but he wasn't entirely focused on her.
She feinted forward, trying to draw him. He resisted. She gave another, and this time he bit, running forward to get at her. Now she let loose a Dervish Bolt, and with him not prepared to guard, he got another nasty shock. She saw her chance and hurled her spear at his chest. It pounded right through him, sticking out of his chest, a very strange sight with no blood coming from the wound.
This was enough. Dinohumon fell backwards and hit the ground, completely unconscious. A bell rang, and the crowd erupted in cheers. Ionavimon pumped her fist in triumph. Victory number two!
As before, the Gazimon came into the ring. There were more of them this time, and she quickly saw why; it took a full eight of them to carry the Dinohumon to his platform. One of the remaining attendants handed her spear back to her and ushered her to her own platform. As she descended, she could still hear the loud cheers for her display.
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She was surprised to find that she was one of the last ones out. The battle had taken far longer than it had seemed; it felt like only a few minutes, yet she'd been out there almost a half hour. However, there were still a few matches running even longer than hers, so she sat on a bench and again waited.
Over an hour later, a couple were still going. She was getting a bit antsy, wondering what could be taking those others so long. She almost didn't noticed a presence near her. "Congratulations."
She looked up. It was the Dinohumon, up and about, though clearly still fatigued. "Oh. Thanks."
"I just wanted to ask you something...there were no other Charge Fields out there, were there?"
She grinned. "Nope. Total bluff. Not that I didn't get the idea, though."
Dinohumon nodded. "I see...I don't think I've ever come across anyone who's used that particular tactic before. You've given me another thing to train for...I suppose I've gotten too confident in my experience lately. Good luck to you...I have a feeling that you are going to go very far in this tournament."
He walked away without waiting for a response. Ionavimon watched him go, feeling that elation creep up again. The tide that had been against her very participation seemed to be turning; instead of the derision, she was getting respect. It was a great feeling, being taken seriously.
Still, that means I'm not gonna be flying under the radar. They're gonna want to watch out for me, and the night will give them time to prepare. I'd better be ready, too.
It wasn't too much longer after that before the final match finished up. The once-crowded prep room seemed strangely empty now; A few fighters had trickled over from the other room, but there were still less than a dozen to be found. She almost preferred the crowd, but at the same time, it was a warming feeling knowing that she was still there, still in the tournament, and still on line for the Catalyst.
A loud buzzer sounded, telling the fighters that they could leave for their rooms. Ionavimon expected to just head out and relax, but she was not prepared for what met her at the top of the stairs. Without warning, she was mobbed by a crowd of digimon, all clamoring for her attention. It became impossible to move forward as they crammed into every inch of free space, yelling and shouting things that she couldn't make out because it was all coming at once.
After several minutes of this torment, she felt a strong creature grab her bodily and drag her free from the mass. Before she knew what was happening, she had been pulled through the crowds and out the doors, drawn away from the chaos before she was finally set down and could get a look at her rescuer. It was a large, imposing cyborg dragon digimon, a Sealsdramon.
She was not prepared for what met her at the top of the stairs. A crowd of digimon mobbed her, all clamoring for her attention. She found it almost impossible to move forward as they swarmed around her, yelling and shouting things that she couldn't entirely make out. She made a few feeble gestures of recognition in an attempt to sate them; it helped, but not enough. "You okay?" it asked, with a slightly distorted voice.
Ionavimon sighed and looked back at the madness behind her. "Yeah, I'm okay."
"Good. I swear, every friggin' time...I keep telling them we need more people and more control measures, but no, that costs money and we can make do. After all they spent on this place, you'd think a few more credits would be trivial..." He shook his head in frustration. "Drives me crazy sometimes. Anyway, I'll take you back to your lodgings."
"I...thanks, but I think I'll be all right-"
"Spare me. I'm going there anyway - my job is keeping the fans out of fighters' quarters. Trust me, they will try to get in."
"Oh...okay, thanks."
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It was not until they were safely in their room, the door locked tight, that Ionavimon was comfortable splitting back into Iris and Shockavimon. The moment they were separated, they both collapsed on the bed, breathing hard and relishing in their ability to finally relax.
"Well, I think we did pretty good for our first day," Shockavimon said after a long time, sitting up and looking over at Iris. "Two wins...not easy wins, but wins nonetheless. Think we can keep it up?"
"I sure hope so," Iris sighed tiredly. "It takes a lot out of you, doesn't it?"
"No kidding. It's not at all like any kind of combat I've been through before. Worse than any big battle I've fought for Libertius, even that marathon a few days ago in your world. They must train for hours at a time to be prepared for something like this."
"I hope it ends up being worth it. If we go all that way just to find out the prize is not the Catalyst we're looking for, that could be three days wasted."
"Not entirely. I mean, we'll be close to heroes just for taking it out of Valkyrimon's hands."
"I guess so. Blackreptimon was right, though...we haven't really encountered a lot of flak for being girls. A fair bit for being rookies, but I kind of doubt that's unusual. The other fighters don't really seem to care all that much."
Shockavimon nodded. "You're right. It's not too surprising, given that really, Valkyrimon is way far from the norm, but I thought maybe some of the crowds would be nervous about rooting us on because of that. Doesn't seem to have stopped them any. I'm kind of worried about what might happen if Valkyrimon shows up, though. He'll put a stop to anything we want to do in a heartbeat, and if that happens the Catalyst is as good as gone."
"I'm kind of surprised he hasn't shown up already. You'd think he'd be busting a blood vessel, trying to stop us from keeping on at all costs."
"Maybe he doesn't know, though that would be kind of weird. I doubt he'd be stepping out during tournament time...but why would he let us compete if he knew?"
"I dunno...maybe he's trying to set us up for a fall?"
"Ugh, I don't even like the thought of that. But it's possible...we'll really have to be on guard, Iris. If you notice anything strange at all when we're on our own, let me know as soon as possible. We may have to keep our merged mind extra-aware when we're together, too."
"Yeah, you're right. Man, so many things to think about, I don't know if I can keep them all in my head. Still, I guess we shouldn't get too down...we're one-third of the way to our goal, and if we keep up this pace, we could actually pull out a win here."
"And I hope we do. Whether he's trying to set us up or not, Valkyrimon will be driven mad if we overcome. I only wish I could see the look on his face..."
"Yeah, I like the sound of that. All right, we should probably hit the sack now. I want to be completely ready for tomorrow...we'll need all the sleep we can get."
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Since the previous three chapters were pretty much devoid of any combat, I figured I'd start making up for that here. As you might be starting to expect, the next couple chapters featuring this pair will be heavy on this kind of stuff. These battles are somehow more challenging to write than others, I'm trying to figure out why that is. Maybe because of all the rules.
Anyway, this chapter still isn't quite as long as some of the previous ones. Still, I feel more satisfied with it, and I think further chapter's along this line will be somewhat improved due to getting a better grasp on what I'm working with.