Drer looked at Qualt... and his head went down as he sighed. Ironhorns saw it because, when Bourgoistic pronounced his sentence, he turned his head towards his direction: he was going to fight his cousin, after all.

"Oh! Just in case you'll try to run away", added the crocodile, caressing his moustache, "I put some of my men to block the exit. And their order is to kill every fighters who try to fly away from their fate."

They now touched the point of No Return.

He then saw tears appearing in Drer's eyes. Qualt approached but the look that the grey dragon gave told him to not make a single more step.

Words can have such a great power on people. They can build... just as they can destroy. And Bourgoistic knew it and proved it at this moment: just by telling the correct words, he had everybody under his claws. But acts were made before for the crocodile to add weight into his arguments and his past actions made him a terrifying creature, worshipped and even feared like if he was a God by some people into the District. Even the Ghort Gang wasn't playing foul with him. Troth was maybe spiting shit on him but, messing with him? Hell no! One of the rival Gangs, the Yaulth, tried to mess with him, to make him understand that trying to take the entire District for schmucks wasn't the good thing to do for his health... and the entire Gang ended up exterminated, one by one... And all with a cruel manner. Do you remember, reader, the difference, explained by Troth, between a mafia and a gang? Well, here, Bourgoistic was seen as a Mafia's Godfather. He was a pro for keeping his public image updated. But maybe that monster had some hidden side and was way more ambiguous that you would think. He helped for charity and saved so many lives as a true humanist (even if the term is wrong because, here, there is no human but I think you get the point) and all that shit, after all... even if all of that was also a clever strategy to gain popularity.

Now that this small portrait of Mister Bourgoistic is painted, let's focus on what happens next.

So Drer began to step backward.

"I'm sorry", he sadly said, "I know you'll have no choice but... but I don't want to talk with the killer of my cousin, for the moment..."

And he left and disappeared within the crowd, something that Qualt could easily understand. But, unfortunately, it was going to be kill or be killed when the fights were going to start.

Then, Gloria went right next to him and really stuck to him. He could feel her heat when she said:

"You'll better win! I don't want to loose another one..."

"And I don't want to loose my life neither, don't worry about that."

"I know you don't. But, still, be careful."

"Yeah", joined Troth, "be careful because the croc is the organizer."

And Qualt, then, after, trained himself like he did when he was doing his soldier's job, just as repeating some element moves that the Ice Guardian taught. He did that during one entire day before the no-holds-barred fights began. And he did that alone, doesn't caring for what the others were doing, if they were crying because of that small surprise, if they "took it like a male" and they prepared themselves, if the announcement did nothing to them because they had nothing to lose...

And came the D day, the day of the first fights.

Orka, a strong wolf, used to fight with daggers, who was in this tournament to help his daughter to get out of the District, versus Humaeorus, an Earth dragon, proud like the warrior he was, always strategizing the next move of his adversary, fighting because he had nothing left to lose, because this Tournament was his last chance.

The fight began. Orka was fast and turned around the dragon multiple time. Suddenly, he jumped on Humaeorus! This last didn't see it coming and took a dagger into his left side! He groaned and, then, the wolf turned around him again, even faster. But the dragon learned the lesson and, with his eyes, without even moving, he tried to follow the Orka's moves.

Then the wolf jumped when he was behind the dragon! But Humaeorus saw that sudden move and turned around, a smile on his face.

And Orka saw an Earth stalagmite growing from the ground. It was the last thing he saw before the pic touched him right between his two eyes.

"And the winner is Humaeorus!" exclaimed Bourgoistic from his place, a frown on his face and a drink in his left hand.

A pause came, letting the next fighters prepare themselves.

And Qualt heard yells. It was the Orka's daughter, now orphan. She wasn't accepting that. She wasn't accepting the fact that her future was now forever sealed (even if an event fortunate could happen in the future). The Bourgoistic's men took her and threw her out of the place where this tournament took place, they threw her outside, now all alone.

Then the second fight began. Utor versus Uogh, a fire dragon versus a mole, the two fighting just because they wanted to fight and to gain some money with it.

And, thanks to his agility, one easily won. Utor spat his fire on Uogh, who dodged and jumped on the dragon, his sword high. Utor turned his head and his skull broke in two because of the blade of his enemy.

As blood flowed on the dirty ground, the crocodile announced the winner.

Another pause.

And another fight began under the Qualt's watchful eyes. After all, the winner of this one would be the one he would fight right after, if he wins against Dreodit.

So entered a young cheetah, almost fifteen years old. Œl. His mother was watching right next to Ironhorns.

"If only I could have took his place..." she mumbled.

But she couldn't. No female was allowed in this tournament. I let you imagine how her heart broke when she heard the terrifying words, the ones which meant that she was going to watch her son die right in front of her eyes.

The cheetah in the arena looked confident, he stood straight, a bastard sword forged by his dead father in his hands. Then entered a crocodile with iron claws. This one was fighting because he wanted to fight a darker, he wanted to feel the adrenaline of it and, for that, he was ready to do anything. Doley.

The fight began. Œl attacked first! He tried to slay his adversary with a horizontal hit with his sword but the skin of this last was resistant and the strike made nothing. Doley, then, smiled and attacked with his iron claws. The tip entered the flesh of the young cheetah, in the chest. But, fortunately, Œl dodged by jumping back. And this was what Doley waited. He jumped and open his fangs. The cheetah, surprise fell on his back while the crocodile went on him to put the final hit.

And the fight ended brutally.

Doley was on Œl and blood was on the ground. And the crocodile fell on the side. Everyone, then, saw the planted sword into his chest. And everyone saw the cheetah on the ground, alive.

"And the winner is... Œl! What a wonderful fight!"

This one's breath was jerky. He saw death into the Doley's fangs and he thanked his quick reactions on that.

And the pause went.

A Bourgoistic's man came next to Ironhorns and told him to prepare himself for the next fight, which would also be the final one of the day...