Chapter 29: Coliseum
A young man – with short black hair wearing a gladiator armor and carries a curved, slender sword on his belt and peculiar fox ears and tail of the same color as his hair – is walking down the street when he notice a boy around his age with blond hair flies over from the training school and lies on the ground.
"Hey!" He calls as the young man rushes up to him. "Are you okay?" He then looks around before he picks the blond-haired boy.
Above them, an old man is looking out the balcony and watches this when he sees the blond-haired boy. "Hm? That youth…"
Later, Alibaba is seen lying in a bed as the young man watches him as three other people calls him.
"Alibaba… Boss… Boss… Boss Alibaba!"
Alibaba slowly opens his eyes and stares at them.
"Hey, he came to."
Wide awakened, Alibaba sits up and looks around.
"Huh?" He says and looks at the three men. "Wait a second, you guys are…"
"That's right, Boss! I'm S Nando."
"L Nando."
"I'm M Nando."
"What a blast from the past! What are all three of you doing here?" Alibaba asks.
"Actually, this happens to be a room in the business we're running." S Nando says.
"Business?"
"Um, you see, we three managed to strike it rich in Reim's gambling industry…"
"And today, we're known as the Three Casino King Brothers!" M Nando finishes and the three brothers laugh.
"G-Glad to see that you're living large, guys…" Alibaba trails off. "I can see that you took care of me… But I… I don't have time to sit around like this." He says and tries to get out of the bed.
"Boss?" S Nando calls.
"I've got to get into Shambal's training school! I know that I'll find that tribe of Magoi Manipulators, the Yambala, at that school!"
"Boss, do you mean…?"
"I don't think you should be moving around." The young man says catching the other four attentions.
"Who are you?" Alibaba asks.
"Boss, he's the one who found you and brought you here." S Nando informs.
"Really? Thanks, but I…" Alibaba trails off when his stomach growls and he collapse. "G-Get me some food…"
"Sure, coming right up!"
The young man sighs as he smiles at Alibaba and at the corner of his eye, he sees a letter on the bed.
Afterwards, Alibaba is brought to the gambling area and begins to eat the food quickly with the three brothers and the young man watch him. Then Alibaba looks at the young man.
"By the way, I didn't get your name. I'm Alibaba."
"Pleasure to meet you, I'm Nox."
"Nox? Where did I heard that name from?" Alibaba thought.
"So boss, are you serious? About becoming a gladiator?" S Nando asks.
"You bet. Is it that shocking?" Alibaba asks as he eats.
"Of course it is! After all, more than half of those gladiators are slaves! They're merely being forced to battle for their lives on their masters' orders."
"I've only heard that it's a combat sport. So it's actually pretty cruel, huh?"
"From the audience perspective it is." The young man says.
"Oh, but this country is very good to its citizens. The city has a well-kept road and water system, not to mention its safe… And the state guarantees its citizens a high standard of living. You'll never starve as long as you're here… There's no other country that has it as good as we do." S Nando informs. " Oh, by the way, that thing you mentioned earlier, Boss…"
They hear a glass shatter, causing the five to look the commotion to see a naked old man with two guards.
"Looks like he did it again…" Nox says in exasperation.
"Sir, you know you've lost your shirt! Just give up and go home… please…"
"No, I'm still not ready…" The old man trails off as a guard pushes the old man causing him to fall down the stairs with his face plant down.
Alibaba approaches the man to check up on him. "A-Are you all right?"
"Ah… yes. Thank you, lad!" He says as he stands up tall with Alibaba stares at him.
"Oh! I don't believe this!" The women scream at seeing the old man naked.
The old man offers his hand at Alibaba which he accepts but only for the man to shake it before going back to gamble.
"What's up with that guy, I wonder?" Alibaba thought.
Nox can only sigh at the old man's action as the said person sits back on his seat at the gamble table.
"Whoops-a-daisy! In the next round, I'm going to stake my very last piece of treasure!" He says and puts his hand into his mouth before pulling out a gold tooth, however…
"You lose." A player says after red dice rolled into a certain number showing the old man's lost.
Then a young woman approaches behind him putting a long cloth over his naked body.
The woman has black eyes, thin eyebrows, and long black hair, some of which she keeps tied in a bow on the left side, and one lock with a ring attached to the end. She also wears a thin headband. She wears an armored breast plate, a loose tunic and skirt, metal shin guards, and sandals.
"Master, you're flat broke." She tells him.
The old man looks at her for the moment then goes down to his knees as he holds the woman's arms.
"Just one more round, please! I swear this will be the last round!" He begs.
"No!"
"Just one more round, I'm telling you! I'm begging you!"
"Not on your life!"
"Hey, that's the girl from this afternoon. What's she doing here, anyway?" Alibaba thought.
"Is there something wrong?" Nox asks when the woman looks back at the two, especially at Alibaba.
"Master, please remember your original objective for coming here. That's him!" She points at the blond-haired boy for the older man.
"Ah, right you are! Sorry about that…"
After fixing the cloth to cover up his body tighter, the elder man puts his hands together. "Hey, there! My name is Shambal Ramal. I hear that my apprentice, Toto, was rude to you earlier today?"
Alibaba looks at Ramal for the moment before he realizes it. "Are you from the training school?"
"It's actually my job to deal with applicants, see. So you want to become one of our gladiators, my boy?" He asks and offers his hand again.
Alibaba looks at it and smiles. "Yes!" The young man smiles at him at the offer that Ramal gave him.
"Great! I was turned away at the gate this afternoon but looks like he's gonna let me in…" Alibaba thought and about to take his hand when the woman points her sword at Alibaba's neck. When he notices it, Alibaba is startled causing him to fall to the ground.
"Hey!" Nox shouts at her.
"Hey, Toto! Take it easy!" Ramal tells her and Toto lifts her sword to her shoulder "All right then, if you don't mind, could you have a re-match with Toto right here? Since I can't very well send a hapless child unable to beat Toto into the colosseum…"
Alibaba touches his neck that was pointed by Toto's sword and Nox steps up.
"Are you out of your mind?" He asks at Ramal and he nods.
Seeing the battle is about to start, people starts to gather around in a circle surrounding the four.
"Show the master my skills in person, huh?" Alibaba stands back up as he smirks. "Bring it on!" He accepts and draws out his dagger.
The two gets on a platform as the crowd talks to each other.
"They're play for keeps! Anybody want to bet on this?"
"Come on! Come on!"
"My money's on Toto!"
"I'll put 50 on that boy."
"Hey, don't destroy our casino now!" S Nando pleads with his hands on his head.
"Now's your chance to surrender. You're weak. You can't beat me." Toto declares.
"You sure about that?" Alibaba questions and did some tricks around his other hand and back to the prior hand. "I'm well-fed now, you know!"
"You're…" Toto trails off and gets in a stance. "…a smartass!" She charges towards him as Alibaba sets his dagger ready.
Toto then swings her sword at him, but Alibaba dodges it and by using the weight of the sword, Toto drags her sword on the ground making sparks to attack him once more. However, Alibaba dodges once again and quickly deflects the sword upward, only for her to swing it downwards. Seeing this, Alibaba jumps backwards four times and begins to attack offensively.
"Not bad." Nox comments.
"Oh… That stance…" Ramal says.
Alibaba sets his dagger again and attacks once more only for Toto to be on a defensive side.
"H-He's not weak after all!" Toto thought and both of them separates from each other after making a clash between blades.
"Toto. Apparently, he's the real deal. We're outside the Colosseum now, but you may use your powers." Ramal tells her.
Toto looks at him and back at Alibaba.
"Very well, Master!" She replies.
"Powers?" Alibaba wonders as the young man knows what the old man is talking about.
Toto begins to glow as her magoi begins to appear from her chest to her arms to her sword. Toto then makes a stance with her holding her sword behind her as she leans on her left with her right leg out.
"Qigong Sword!"
"Hey, so we're getting the chance to see Toto's skill outside the Colosseum?"
The crowd begins to cheer her name at the sight of her using her said powers.
"I love it that the place is hopping… but don't bust it up too much, okay?"
"What the… Her sword is…" Alibaba thought seeing her sword.
Toto leaps towards him with a horizontal slash as Alibaba puts his dagger in front of him to block it, but he could feel something painful from the sword and Toto tosses him into the pillar.
"Damn her… how can she unleash that insane power with a build like that?" Alibaba questions and notices his nose is bleeding. "What… What the hell's going on?"
"Oh, so your sword didn't snap even after stopping Toto's Qi-infused strike? Quite a sword you've got there, eh?" Ramal comments.
"Qi?"
"The same thing that you people call 'magoi'."
"Meaning that… no way!" Alibaba looks at Toto who is walking closer to him with her Qi-infused sword as he stands up.
Once they are ready, Toto begins to attack again and Alibaba dodge rolls away behind her, but she stabs him behind as Alibaba immediately puts up his dagger to block only for him to feel the effects of her sword causing him to fling into the crowd hard. Alibaba sits up as even more blood comes out from his nose.
"If you absorb any more strikes from the Qigong Sword, neither your body nor your sword will hold up. Now then, how will you fight?" Ramal says.
Alibaba stands up and walks towards the platform before climbing on. "What should I do? Can I cross swords with her if I Djinn Equip?" Alibaba thought but crosses off as Ramal is observing him. "But I'm being tested right now. I'm gonna win this with just my sword skills!"
Toto swings her sword and leaps towards him as she about to cut him however, ducks for her to slice a pillar that was behind him. Quickly, Alibaba goes through under the pillar and then stabs upwards but only to meet with Toto's shield.
"Her shield too?!"
Toto pushes Alibaba away causing herself to land a few feet away from him and next, she jumps towards him with her sword held up high.
"You're finished!" Toto exclaims and swings down her sword before Alibaba blocks it, but this time, he slides down his dagger along the sword until his dagger is at the tip while Toto's sword is pointing on the ground. "What!?"
Toto leaps away from him and both of them charge at each other making a deadlock with Alibaba pushing her and then he swings his dagger with a fluid motion.
"Hooh, such a fluid parry. I thought he only had the royal fencing he learnt in his hometown… but he also knows moves of a totally different sword style…" Ramal says.
"Dammit!" Toto shouts as she stabs him despite that Alibaba blocks the sword and he trips her to the ground. Just as Toto about to stand up, Ramal speaks up.
"That's enough!"
"But why? I can still fight!" Toto shouts as she turns to her master.
"This match has been decided. Just look at yourself." Ramal tells her as Alibaba sheaths his dagger while Toto's armor falls off revealing her bared chest causing all the men in the building (except Nox who closes his eyes) to wide eyes, mouth wide open at seeing the sight and then cheers. Alibaba looks away with a small blush and soon Toto covers her chest with a blush of embarrassment.
Alibaba breathes out from the fight as Ramal approaches him.
"Looks like you've got a lot of training under your belt, eh?" He says.
"Thank you very much!"
"Just as I'd heard from Sinbad, it was like I could see your complex way of life oozing from your swordplay, young Alibaba."
"Then I was right, you're…! A member of that tribe of Magoi Manipulators, the Yambala gladiator, aren't you?" Alibaba asks with Toto glaring at him still having a blush on her face and arms covering her chest.
"Indeed I am. I've been waiting for you to arrive, young Alibaba Saluja…"
~Outside~
People exits the building after seeing the match between Alibaba and Toto. Alibaba, Nox, Ramal, and Toto who is holding a cloth to cover her body are standing in front of the Nando siblings.
"Hey, now that was a sight to see. The place was rocking, huh?"
"That was an incredible match!"
"We're glad for you, Boss Alibaba." S Nando says and Alibaba shakes his hands.
"Hey thanks. Looks like I'm gonna fulfill my goal for coming here, thanks to you!" Alibaba tells them and waves at the brothers for a goodbye before he follows the three to the training school.
Once they got there, the doors are open as Alibaba is awe at how many people are training there.
"These are all your fellow gladiators." Ramal tells him. "Former thieves, former mercenaries, and even knights form ruined countries." He leads Alibaba to a building with Toto and Nox following him. "Here at this school, these swordsmen are free status, of diverse background, are all welcome, you see."
After entering a room, Ramal sits on a chair in front of Alibaba and Nox with three men and Toto stands behind the elder man. "And… As for us Five swordsmen of Yambala, our goal is warrior training. In order to perfect our own sword skills, each day, we continue to fight in the Colosseum. But you've come to seek us out for a special reason. Or so Young Sinbad tells me…"
Both Alibaba and Nox sits in front of them with their weapons to their side.
"Yes. I've come to learn how to master my own magoi. So that I can achieve a full Djinn Equip." Alibaba tells him and Nox looks at him. "I've been told that the reason I can't do a Full Body Djinn Equip is because I've got bad magoi flow. That's what I'd like you to look into…"
"Then let me examine you right away." Ramal says and looks at Toto. "Toto, give a hand."
"Very well." She goes to the chest that is next to him and opens it to look for something in it before menacingly showing four needles each between her fingers.
"Eh?"
~Later~
"GYA―!" Alibaba's voice screams out throughout the building. In a different room, Ramal give Alibaba an acupuncture on his back as Alibaba screams out in pain. "Ow… Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!"
"You are making such a big deal about it." Toto says looking at Alibaba. "You should be grateful to receive my master's acupuncture." She takes out a larger version of the acupuncture needle.
"That's too big, Toto." Ramal tells her.
"Hey! I can sense your evil intent you know!" Alibaba shouts at her.
"Your condition is considerable dangerous. So I need to start treatment as possible." Ramal says and pushes Alibaba's head down to the table. "Just bear with me, all right?"
"D-Dangerous condition?"
"Yes… you see, there are actually two types of magoi dwelling inside your body."
Alibaba looks at him. "I-Is that a bad thing?"
"One life – one type of magoi. Otherwise, it goes against nature as we know it." Ramal says as he removes the needles carefully. "If I were to make an analogy, the current condition of your body is that of one on the brink of being quartered!"
"What?"
"If two different types of magoi are allowed to rampage freely as they each choose, eventually they'll end up tearing apart every crucial organ in your body."
Alibaba is horrified at the thought as he sits up on the table. "N-No way! How could that have happened?"
Ramal looks at Alibaba and then at the red earrings on his ears before wiping off the sweat. "Your only hope is to master Magoi Manipulation, I suppose. If you can learn to control your magoi flow, surely you'll be able to master the two different flows. Come now, not to worry. I promise you I'll find a way, all right?"
"R-Right… I'm counting on you."
"Master, it's time." A Yambala warrior tells him and passes a mask to him.
"Ah, so it is!" Ramal receive the mask and about to put it on before looking at Alibaba. "All right, Alibaba. Let's put you to work like the others!"
"Eh, work?" Alibaba asks as he puts his clothes back on.
"Work?"
That's right… After all, you've been robbed of all you own, meaning you don't have a single buck to your name, do you? Oh, come now, not to worry! Rack up a win or two and you'll have enough to pay for your treatment!"
~Later~
By the time he realizes, Alibaba is already in the colosseum full of people who wants to watch the fight.
"Eh?"
"Good luck to you!" Ramal cheers as he and three of his men wave at the blond-haired boy and Alibaba looks at him in shock and anger.
"E–H!?" Alibaba shouts at him.
While Nox is watching him in the crowd with his arms crossed.
"Anyway, why does that lad have two kinds of magoi inside him?" Ramal questions after lifting his mask.
"Eh?" Toto replies.
"Not only that, but the magoi that he acquired hater is more powerful than the one had had originally…" Ramal thought. "If he does find a way to master it, that boy will… Well, if he manages to survive this battle, that is…"
Alibaba then hears the gates in front of him are moving and looks to see the metal gate is being lifted, releasing his opponent.
"It's okay… I'm gonna be okay. With my sword skills, I can hold my own against anybody! No matter what kind of gladiator you are… bring it on!" Alibaba thought.
Once the gate is fully risen, Alibaba and the audience see a gorilla-like monster. It roars out as Alibaba is dumbfound that his opponent is a beast.
"He's not human?!" Alibaba shouts.
"Oh, and I forgot to mention this." Alibaba looks at Ramal who lifts his mask. "Inside the Colosseum, you're only allowed to use ordinary swords. You can't use Amon's Swords or perform a Weapon Equip."
"Huh? Wai–" Two soldiers walk up to him and one confiscates Amon's Swords from him as the other passes a regular sword. After that, the two soldiers leave the area.
"The match will now begin. First, the ferocious great ape, who before this match has hilled over one hundred gladiators, Garda!" The announcer says, and Garda roars out. "His opponent, an up-and-comer with the Yambala Gladiators of the Unexplored Region, Alibaba!"
"Are you spooked? We can still stop the match now." Alibaba looks at Ramal who suggested but looks back at the giant ape.
"No, I'll do it! I'm prepared to battle this out with my life on the line!"
"Hoo, prepared huh. I wonder though, if you truly understand how prepared you need to be in the Colosseum?"
Alibaba looks at him in wonder.
"Start the match!"
At first, Alibaba thought that he has the advantage by slicing some parts of the giant ape, however it didn't have much of the effect since Garda's muscles are thick. Then he changes his sword style and strikes on the chest, but Garda uses his pec muscles to block it and releases Alibaba which it punches straight towards his gut and catches him before swinging down to the ground left and right.
"This is bad… At this rate, that guy…" Nox thought when Garda let go of Alibaba, leaving him lying on the ground.
Garda then grabs Alibaba's right arm when the audience except Nox and the Yambala begins to chant for the ape to eat Alibaba. In response for them, Garda grabs Alibaba's other arm and bites into it causing the audience to change their chant to kill him. Nox bit his lip to resist on helping Alibaba in the battle and notice him fainting as Garda let go of his right arm and slowly breaking Alibaba's left arm and finally let go of him.
Once Alibaba is on the ground, he regains consciousness and notices that his left arm is broken before looking back at the ape. Nox grimace at the fact that Alibaba is about the loose his life but it change when he notices Alibaba smirks at the ape as his eyes changed to determination.
"He still intend to keep fighting?" Nox mutters.
Alibaba slowly gets up holding his broken arm and runs away as Garda chases him when the audience remarks him for doing that. But for Nox, he notices where Alibaba is leading the ape towards one of the statues holding a spear and he hides behind it causing Garda to crash into it. Nox widens his eyes knowing what Alibaba is up to.
When Alibaba about to run again, Garda grabs him and flings him back towards the coliseum wall where the broken spear is. While Garda approaches him, Alibaba lifts his broken arm and begs for his life but the ape bites into the arm again. Just as Garda about to bite him again blood spurts upwards as the ape moves back with Alibaba holding out his right hand out. The audience sees that Alibaba is still intact causing them to be confused.
"How do you like it, monkey? The taste of steel?" Alibaba questions.
"By using the statue for Garda to crash into in order to get the spear, he uses to chance for him to counter attack." Nox says as Alibaba grabs his sword.
"Hey, monkey! Quit howling and bring it on!" Alibaba shouts.
"But with his arm like that, can he win?" Nox thought.
"Hey, bring it on! I'm right here!" Alibaba taunts causing Garda to charge towards him, but Alibaba runs to the wall and sets his sword against the wall with the blade towards the ape as it punches at him, when Alibaba moves away leaving his sword to pierce through the fist.
Alibaba then moves away from Garda when the ape attacks him in pure rage giving him a change to cut the ape several times as they are shallow. When Alibaba gives the last cut, Garda stops moving as blood spurts out from the wounds and collapses backwards on the ground. Alibaba gets back up and stare into space when he drops his sword as the audience cheers for him.
When Alibaba about to collapse, Ramal catches him with a few soldiers checking up on Garda.
"Are you all right?" He asks.
"Yes. Thank you very much." Alibaba replies.
"Hey!" The two look up to see Nox rushing up to them. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"Doesn't looks like it. We need to treat those wounds immediately."
"Don't worry. I'll take him to the infirmary." Ramal tells him.
~Five days later~
Nox walks down the hallway to the room where Alibaba is resting and when he about to enter, he overhear Alibaba's voice.
"And to do that, I'm going to need even more power! Please continue to train me."
Nox smiles before entering the room.
"Pardon for interruption." He says getting the attention.
"Oh, Nox. You came?" Ramal asks.
"Yes."
Ramal turns to Alibaba. "Alibaba, Nox here will be your partner for time to time if I'm not with you."
"It's a pleasure." Nox offers his hand towards him.
"Me too." Alibaba grabs the hand and both of them let go.
"By the way…" Nox pulls out a letter in his hand. "You drop this at your friends' place."
Alibaba looks at the letter before widens his eyes and then pats himself all over his body. "A–H! I FORGOT ABOUT IT!" He shouts.
"What's with the letter?" Toto asks.
"I promise a friend to give it to someone who lives here." Alibaba explains.
"Who's that?"
"That's No…" Alibaba trails off remembering what Vulpi told him the name and looks at Nox. "You're name is Nox, right?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"So he's the one…" Alibaba thought and points the letter.
"That letter is for you." He says.
"Huh?" He asks.
"One of my friends asked me to deliver it to you."
Nox then looks closer at the letter and widens his eyes recognizing the handwriting. "This is…" He says and opens the letter before reading it. After reading it, Nox stares at it as his hands trembles and crumples a part of it and turns his back around at them. "Your name is Alibaba, right?"
"Yeah." He replies.
"Thanks." Nox says before leaving the room with the letter in his hand.
"Could it be that he's…" Alibaba trails off.
"Yeah. One of the Vulpe clansmen from Kazekiri Village." Ramal confirms. "Nox been staying here over ten years and then some years later, the village has burnt to the ground."
Outside of the coliseum, Nox leans on the wall before sliding down to the ground and a tear rolls down from his face.
"You're still alive…" He mutters and remembers the time he stayed at the village with a girl smiling at him. "Vulpi…"