Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater.
Please read and review. This chapter focuses on Blackstar.
"Yahoo!" Blackstar shouted as he crested the hill. "Black Star has arrived!" He exclaimed. However, no one was around to hear his announcement. Only the wide open grassy plains greeted him. Tsubaki followed dutifully behind him. The pair had arrived in Greece only a few short hours ago. Using the coordinates that Kid had supplied them with they, or rather Tsubaki, had tracked down the location of the medallion.
Below them, lay the grand and ancient colosseum. Its aging marble contrasted starkly against the green grasses and fields surrounding it. Broken columns, pillars, and stone edifices littered the area around the colosseum, a testament to the passage of time. The arena's structure was tall and oval in appearance. Tall arches encircled the walls. Even from their distance, Blackstar and Tsubaki could appreciate the structure's magnificence.
"Come on Tsubaki, we're almost there!" Blackstar called and sprinted down the hill. "Black Star wait!" Tsubaki called after him. But the would-be ninja was already halfway down the hill. Tsubaki had no choice but to chase after him. Blackstar waited for her at the bottom of the hill.
"I don't think we should just rush in like this. Don't you remember what Shibusen told us?" Tsubaki reminded him. But Blackstar waved her off dismissively.
"Yeah, yeah, something about a trial or a test waiting for us." He repeated. "Not to worry Tsubaki. I've got this whole thing figured out." He said cockily.
"Oh you do, do you?" She said skeptically.
"Yeah! See the medallion we're going after is the one of power, right? Obviously, that means whatever test we have to be put through is gonna be a test of power and strength. And you know there isn't anybody more powerful than yours truly." He reasoned. Blackstar confidently pointed his thumb at his puffed-up chest. Tsubaki smiled innocently at him, nodding her head.
"I know, but it still wouldn't hurt to take things safe. Besides, we don't know which member of Pantheon might be waiting for us." She said as they proceeded to walk towards the enormous stadium.
"Hey, we both know that together we can handle anything that those Pantheon freaks can throw at us." He said, elbowing her reassuringly. "Besides, last time they caught us off guard. This time we're better prepared, we know more or less what to expect, and we've had time to research our enemies. They won't stand a chance." He continued putting an arm around her. Tsubaki smiled and blushed at his closeness. In the five years since the defeat of the Kishin Asura, Black Star had grown both physically and mentally. He now stood nearly as tall as Tsubaki, even without his enormous hair. Additionally, he was well-regarded as a top meister of the academy. A younger Blackstar would have simply dismissed her worries and confidently proclaimed their victory. This Blackstar, although no less confident, actually took her concerns seriously. It made her pleased to see his progress, and immensely proud to be his partner.
"I know you're right Blackstar. I just can't help but worry." She admitted. "It's ok Tsubaki." He said patting her on the back. The pair finally reached the entrance and paused to gaze at its splendor.
"There it is." Blackstar said. "The colosseum of Heracles." He said, reflecting on the name.
"According to Kid, Heracles was the name of the Great Old One of Power." Tsubaki explained. "Didn't you say that you've met him?" She asked. Blackstar frowned recalling the experience.
"Yeah, inside Eibon's book." He confirmed. "But in there he was just a big black mass." He explained, remembering the sight of the great presence. "He hardly even looked human." Indeed, most of what Blackstar could recall of the Old One was simply an overwhelming presence. It was all encompassing and reached into his very core. He could still recall the taste of the power he was granted by the presence. It was intoxicating, a kind of strength that he had never experienced before or since.
Shaking his head to rid himself of the unpleasant memory, Blackstar made his way inside. Tsubaki followed behind wordlessly. The pair passed through one of the many arches leading into the colosseum. The sun's light diminished immediately as they made their way into the shadowed halls. The grass gave way to dusty earth and stone beneath their feet. Passing the thoroughfare, they exited back out to the light of day. They found themselves in the interior of the stadium. The arena itself was dug into the ground, a large oval ring. Surrounding it, a multitude of stone benches and stairways gradually descending lower and lower. Despite being hundreds of years old the stone making up the interior of the stadium looked surprisingly smooth. Blackstar and Tsubaki began descending the stairs, heading towards the central arena.
"Blackstar, look." Tsubaki pointed out as they neared the arena. Looking down onto the field they saw a man sitting cross legged and appearing to be meditating. He was bald on top but had a long black braided ponytail hanging off the back of his head. A thin black mustache framed his face. He wore a bright red Gi with gold trim. As if sensing them approach, the man slowly stood and rose to greet them, folding his hands behind his back. "Red Fist." Blackstar called, and the pair of them jumped down into the arena. They landed several meters from where he stood.
"Are you the one they call Black Star?" Red Fist asked calmly. Blackstar smirked and put his hands on his hips.
"Look at that Tsubaki, I'm so famous even Pantheon knows about me." Blackstar gloated.
"I will admit, your reputation does precede you." Fang said. "I am glad I waited for your arrival." He spoke.
"Why's that?" Blackstar asked.
"Ever since I had heard of your exploits, I wanted to know for myself the true strength of your abilities. I wish to test my might against yours. In this way, we can both discover which of us is most fit to wield the medallion of Power." Fang explained. Blackstar clenched his fists and adopted a fighting stance.
"If it's a fight you want then bring it on! I'll kick your ass from here to next week." He taunted cockily. But Red Fist held up a single hand in a placating gesture.
"No, there is no need for that just yet." He explained. The weapon and meister looked at him confused. Red Fist turned and gestured around them with his arm. "This arena will serve as our testing ground." He explained and faced them. "We will fight whatever the challenge presents us with. The strongest of us will be the winner." He said seriously.
"No problem, Tsubaki and I will beat you easy." Blackstar boasted arrogantly.
"No!" Red Fist shouted with a hint of venom to his voice. His face screwed up in disgust as he turned to look at Tsubaki. "She is your weapon is she not?" He asked, and Tsubaki steeled her gaze against his. "An abomination. Mankind has relied too much on these demons and we have become weak. I can sense your soul's power and you are strong. But using a weapon, especially one such as her," He pointed accusingly. "-is a disgrace and affront to the art of combat and competition. No, if we are to face each other, our only weapons will be our fists." He said clenching his hand in front of him. "These are my terms. Do you accept?" He asked.
"Blackstar…" Tsubaki whispered to her partner. Blackstar turned to her and saw her worried expression. But Blackstar smiled and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Don't worry Tsubaki. I've got this." He said before turning back towards Fang.
"You're on! I could easily kick your ass with or without Tsubaki." He said cockily.
Fang smiled sinisterly. "Excellent. Then let us take our places on the field of battle." He gestured and began walking towards the middle of the arena. The duo followed behind him at a distance watching as he gracefully took his place on the dirt covered field.
"I don't like this Black Star." Tsubaki whispered to him. Blackstar nodded but his face was determined. He and his partner had been insulted and he wouldn't stand for such treatment. Red Fist stopped and turned to face him. Black Star stood opposite him, several meters away.
"Are you ready to begin?" He asked with his hands concealed within his sleeves.
"I was born ready!" Blackstar shouted. "And when I win, I'm going to make you get on your knees and beg Tsubaki for forgiveness!" He added. Red Fist chuckled in amusement.
"You're certainly energetic, I'll give you that much." He said mirthfully. "Now then," he continued in a more serious tone. "Will your partner please ring the ceremonial bell? So that we may begin this challenge." He gestured to the side of the arena. Hanging from a wooden pole jutting out from the wall was an ancient looking bell. Its metal was weathered in appearance. Despite the signs of wear a clear symbol was visible on its front. Etched into the metal was a simple image of a clenched fist. Tsubaki walked over to the bell, looking warily at Red Fist as she passed. Red Fist, followed her movement with his eyes, appearing uninterested. As she neared, she picked up the mallet that sat underneath the bell on a marble pedestal. She gave one last glance to Blackstar who flashed her a thumbs up.
"Are both contestants ready?" She asked. Both Blackstar and Red Fist nodded affirmatively.
"On your marks!" She shouted.
"Get set!"
"Begin!" She called as she rang the bell. The sound of the bell echoed around them. But strangely instead of lowering in volume, the sound seemed to get louder and louder. The metallic ringing repeated over and over until the very air between them seemed to shake. But just as strangely as it came, the noise ceased, only to be replaced by a strange hissing noise. Around them, black tendrils of smoke began to seep out from edges and cracks in the surrounding stone and earth. Slowly at first, but then the smoke began to billow out in fast jets. The smoke coalesced in the air, swirling and moving with a mind of its own. Finally, the inky black smoke gathered into two distinct clouds which swiftly descended onto the field. The fumes morphed and shifted, forming a distinct shape. Four legs, a head, wings, and a tail. Suddenly the clouds took solid form, revealing two monstrous beasts in their place.
Standing in front of both the combatants were a pair of chimeras. They were larger than any natural animal. Each had the body and head of a lion. A pair of goat-like horns protruded from their heads, ending in menacing points. Two bat-like wings unfurled from the beast's back and spread outward for several meters. Lastly, the tail of the creature transitioned from fur to scales, leading to a snake's hissing head. The beasts snarled and circled around the fighters.
Red Fist adopted a defensive posture, his hands open in front of him and his weight shifted onto his back leg. Blackstar on the other hand, leapt immediately at the beast that was twice his size.
"Yahooo!" He cried out as he launched himself at the chimera. The creature loped forward to meet him and extended a massive paw to swipe the blue blur out of the air with a mighty roar. But Blackstar reached it faster and delivered a thunderous kick to the monster's jaw. The chimera reeled back, shaken from the impact, but it regained its footing and leapt back towards Blackstar.
It charged headfirst at him, attempting to gore him with its horns. Blackstar dodged and rolled to the side. From his new position he launched a counterattack, striking the beast's exposed neck with his fist. The blow caused it to gasp and rear up, exposing its unprotected underbelly. Blackstar jumped and delivered several flying punches and kicks to the animal's chest and abdomen. The beast growled angrily and stomped down with its massive claws. It chased after the ninja as he backed away. Each step it delivered a powerful swipe that tore the earth. But it could find no purchase in Blackstar's flesh. The spry young man danced around the beast's strikes. With each dodge he managed to land a punch or a kick on the creature. But the chimera was just as swift to retaliate, and after a few close calls he had to put some distance between him and the beast.
"Try this on for size!" He shouted, leaping back at the chimera. The creature roared and rushed back in kind, the two fighters running headlong at each other. "Black Star Big Wave!" He yelled. Blackstar landed a devastating jab square on the beast's nose. A shockwave like an explosion rang out from the impact. The chimera was sent tumbling backwards from the punch. It rolled to a stop some several yards away. But with a shake of it's head the Chimera snarled again, bearing itself in the most menacing pose imaginable. But unexpectedly the beast leapt straight into the air and with a mighty downward stroke of its wings it was airborne. Blackstar's shoulders sagged. "Oh come on! That's not fair." He complained as the beast circled above him.
On the other end of the field, Red Fist's opponent finally made the first move. It lunged toward the man with its jaws wide open. But Red Fist easily side stepped the massive beast and used the opportunity to deliver several swift, precise strikes to the beast's abdomen. Despite their speed, the blows were no less powerful. Ripples in the monster's flesh were visible with every impact. It roared in pain and its tail whipped around lunging at Red Fist's throat. The viper's head struck swiftly, its venomous fangs bared. But the snake caught nothing but air as the man disengaged from his attack and took several steps back.
The hybrid monster turned on the martial artist whose face remained calm and determined in spite of the snarling, hissing, creature before him. The chimera lunged at Red Fist, its claws bearing down on the man. Red Fist dodged the attacks gracefully, ducking and weaving in between the monster's limbs. Seeing an opening he delivered a rapid barrage of closed fist punches to the gullet. The beast back peddled to avoid the flurry of strikes and Red Fist closed in on it relentlessly. He jumped in the air and sent a round house kick to the beast's skull. The monster collapsed onto its shoulder and stood back up shakily. But its snake head tail warded off any further attacks by Red Fist who stood looking for an opening.
The chimera backed off, growling in warning and keeping its body guarded. Fang inched forward, following the beast. The beast bellowed once more before taking a deep breath. A second later it spat out a gout of fire. Fang's eyes widened as he quickly rolled to the side to dodge the stream of flames. But the Chimera followed his movements and the fire trailed after him forcing the martial artist to sprint away. The chimera turned on him again shooting another barrage of white-hot hellfire. Red Fist was forced to keep his distance, lest he be singed to a crisp by the intense flames. But he became so focused on avoiding them that he nearly missed as the chimera had crept up on him and pounced. The beast threw itself through the air at him. Red Fist looked up at the creature, assumed a stance, and drew his knee up to his chest, before kicking straight out and upwards. The kick jackknifed the creature's chest and repulsed it backwards, landing flat on it's back. The monster burst into a cloud of black smoke.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, Blackstar dodged the attacks of his own opponent. The chimera was swooping down on him from the air. It circled and turned back, roaring with each pass. Finally, Blackstar was able to leap above it as it passed and grabbed hold of the flying menace. "Gotcha!" He shouted triumphantly as he grasped the beast's fur for anchorage. The chimera thrashed and rolled in the air trying to shake the boy off but Blackstar held firm. Seeing how it was unsuccessful in trying to shake him off the chimera's snake head whipped around trying to bite at Blackstar. He had no choice but to let go of the beast's fur and dodge. Grabbing hold of the horns, Blackstar kicked at the monster's eyes whilst steering it upward into the air. The creature climbed higher into the air in a blind fury. Blackstar leapt off of it, the momentum sending him up high into the air. "Take this!" He shouted flipping forward. As the monster flew up to meet him, Blackstar delivered a staggering axe kick right down on its head. The impact rocketed the chimera back down to the ground head first. It crashed into the earth with deadening bang and burst into a cloud of smoke.
Blackstar landed back on the ground in a crouch. His eyes raised to meet Red Fist's who looked at him unimpressed. But before either of them could comment on each other, the residual smoke coalesced into new forms. Moments later, out of the inky cloud of blackness, emerged 2 hydras. The serpents each had nine heads, all of them hissing and teeth dripping venom. Their scales were a dark brown and green color and their bodies tensed and undulated in a sickening display of muscles. The multi-headed snakes each slithered closer to their opponent. Their slit eyes stared hungrily at their prey and they struck quickly.
Blackstar deftly weaved in between the lunging heads of the hydra. His limbs were a blur as he struck each head in rapid succession, simultaneously deflecting their gaping maws. A punch to one head, followed by a knee strike on another, and then switching into an elbow jab. The scales of the creature shattered with each impact. Beads of sweat began running down Blackstar's forehead. It seemed that no matter how hard he struck there was no end to the serpent's heads. With a final kick, he flipped backwards, putting some distance between him and the conglomeration of heads. But the creature persisted after him. Using its tail and extra heads as makeshift limbs, the viper lunged towards Blackstar hissing madly. Blackstar met the beast head on, springing into the air. With a vicious upwards knee strike he sent one of the heads sailing backwards. His momentum carried him forward along with the head and he seized its neck in an arm hold. His muscled arms squeezed the creature's neck, crushing it's windpipe. His forward momentum carried him up and over the creature's back, causing the entire snake to be flipped as he landed.
Blackstar sprang away quickly, taking a second to catch his breath as the body righted itself. The dead head hung uselessly amidst the coiling multitude of snakes. Like a single, dead, wilting flower in a bouquet. The limb swung lifelessly as the snakes approached. But the dead head didn't seem to bother the hydra as it continued advancing on Blackstar. The ninja once again hit the hydra with a barrage of blows. The attacks thudded against the creatures tentacle like necks, sounding like a machine gun's fire with how rapid he was striking. But a sudden searing pain enveloped his abdomen. One of the heads had managed to slip past his guard and chomp down on his midsection. He let out a grunt of pain as the snake applied more and more pressure into its bite. Thinking quickly, Blackstar brought down a swift elbow strike to the neck. The blow, reinforced by his soul wavelength, instantly broke the creature's spine. The jaws went slack, and Blackstar just managed to pry the head off and jump away before another head could go for his throat. But the damage was done. Even now Blackstar could feel the venom coursing through his veins. His vision began to blur, and he steeled himself to face the monster ahead of him.
On the other side of the arena, Red Fist was battling with equal desperation. He had already killed four of the nine heads, but he too was showing signs of damage. The wounds he had received from the chimera stung at him with every movement. His arm also twinged after one of the heads caught it in a coil, constricting down on him. The angry serpent bared down on him with a blood thirsty ferocity. But Fang fought back with equal ferociousness. He, like Blackstar, employed a one-man assault against the striking heads. Open palm strikes, closed fist punches, tiger claw attacks, his years of martial arts training allowed him to keep the snake heads at bay. A head lunged at him from the side and Fang batted it away with a powerful kick. A shockwave rattled the air as the force of his soul connected with the side of the creature's head, causing it to recoil to the side.
Spinning with the momentum of his kick, he recovered into an upwards punch that sent the head next to it flying upwards. While the creature was stunned, he delivered a double handed strike to the main body. The hydra was sent careening backwards as the soul force strike connected. "Haaaah!" He shouted out as he sent out a powerful punch into the air. An intense bolt of his soul wavelength shot forth from his fist, easily covering several feet in mere seconds. The invisible bullet of energy struck the still dazed hydra, causing it to tumble backwards yet again. Without letting up the assault, Red Fist jumped headlong into the air and delivered a powerful scissor kick to two of the heads simultaneously. Their skulls caved with the impact and the remaining heads swung low to try and coil around Red Fist's limbs. But the master fighter dodged the heads and jumped upward. His legs caught around another neck and by twisting his body he snapped it in two. The head instantly went limp and plummeted to the ground. In one fluid motion, Red Fist rolled off the head and rebounded into a ready stance.
The weight of the dead limbs immobilized the hydra. The remaining heads could only hover ominously and snap whenever their opponent tried to close in. Red Fist inched his way forward carefully. He threw a few faints to antagonize the creature. One of the heads took the bait and lashed out to bite the man. But Red Fist swiftly grappled its neck in his arms. He quickly broke the creature's spine by applying a knee strike and chop, below and above the neck. The last head struck down at him in a desperate final attempt to subdue him. Red Fist sent a powerful upwards punch, shattering the jaw of the serpent. Grabbing the dazed head, he pried open the broken jaw, forcing it agape until finally a snap was heard and the creature dropped dead. Stepping away from the foul beast, Red Fist turned to observe his opponent.
Blackstar was still struggling with his fight. He dodged and weaved between the jabs of the vipers. Suddenly, he rolled out to the side to avoid an attack and sprang to his feet. He managed to get behind the hydra and away from its many heads. He grabbed the hydra by its singular tail, his arms barely encircling its massive girth. With a heave of exertion, he lifted the hydra into the air above his head. The hydra's living heads flailed wildly as it was suddenly uplifted from the ground but had no time to react as Blackstar violently slammed it into the ground. The impact shook the earth and caused the beast's body to bounce back off the floor. Blackstar took advantage of this and began slamming the hydra back and forth over his head into the ground. The hydra was helpless as he toyed with it like a ragdoll. Finally, he began spinning the beast around in a circle. With his arms outstretched the hydra began to pick up momentum until it blurred. With a mighty heave, Blackstar released the hydra and sent it crashing into the arena wall headfirst.
Still dazed, the serpent couldn't react as Blackstar came soaring in sideways, his legs crushing one of its skulls and pulverizing the stone wall. He jumped off the head just in time to avoid another strike. Rebounding off the ground, Blackstar sent a soul powered punch into the beast's throat, causing it to flop over dead. The final head saw an opportunity to catch the ninja off guard. It lunged at his back attempting to deliver a fatal blow. But Blackstar spun around and sent a powerful kick into the side of the head, collapsing its skull and finally killing the venomous beast.
With both of the monsters killed they erupted into a familiar plume of smoke. Once again the clouds shifted and morphed. This time though, the form they took looked much more like a human. With a sudden pop, the smoke disappeared and, in its place, stood two muscular gladiators. Each came equipped with a sword and shield. They wore classical gladiator helmets and had a leather pauldron extending the length of their sword arm. Aside from this, they wore only simple loin cloths, and most of their body was bare.
The phantom warriors said no words. They immediately went on the offensive, swinging their swords at their respective opponents. They let out inhuman grunts as they tried to cut and pierce their foes. Red Fist immediately counter attacked the gladiator. After swiftly dodging a sword strike, he retaliated by disarming the warrior, flinging the sword several feet away. But to his surprise the sword reappeared in the fighter's hand with a puff of smoke. The gladiator stabbed at him and Fang narrowly dodged the blade. He attempted to send a fierce punch to the gladiator's chest, but the warrior brought his shield up just in time to deflect it. Fang glanced at his bruised hand, the shield was as strong as any metal, despite apparently being made of smoke.
Red Fist disengaged from the fight, flipping back several feet. The gladiator charged after him with his sword raised. Bringing his hands together, Red Fist sent out another wave of Soul Force with a double handed strike. The gladiator raised his shield but the pulse of energy still managed to halt his advance. Relentlessly, Red Fist began firing off several more bursts of soul force. They hit the gladiator's shield causing the metal to ring and the warrior finally was forced to stumble back. With his opponent's footing disturbed, Red Fist charged and sent a straight jab to his stomach. Before he could land another strike though, the warrior swung down with his sword. Red Fist dropped low and swept his legs out with a kick causing the gladiator to fall to the ground. Reacting quickly, Red Fist put the phantom's sword arm into an arm lock, twisting and pushing his joints in unnatural positions.
The gladiator cried out in pain, desperately trying to free himself from the tight hold. Red Fist twisted at the arm ferociously, trying to break or dislocate it. But the gladiator's muscles held firm and he could not accomplish his goal. They were stuck in a stalemate, neither gaining any progress over the other. Until the gladiator swung his shield up and across his chest, battering Red Fist's back. The sharp metal edge of the shield dug into his backside but Red Fist held fast, still trying to put the soldier's weapon arm out of commission. At last the beating became too much and Red Fist was forced to untangle himself from the limb, lest he take even more damage. He sprang apart from the gladiator, his legs crouched and his hands in mantis posture. The Gladiator slowly got to his knees, his right arm clearly hurting but still functional. He picked his weapon off the ground and charged once more.
Over with Blackstar, he was having a slightly better time dealing with his opponent than Red Fist. He had already landed several punches and kicks onto the muscle bound brute and already scrapes and bruises were beginning to form on the phantom's thick skin. The warrior swung his sword wildly. However, Blackstar countered by keeping close to his opponent's body, limiting the effectiveness of his blade. With each missed swing, Blackstar managed to deliver a solid punch to the wraith's chest. Suddenly, the gladiator angled his sword at Blackstar and stabbed downwards. The edge of the blade cut across his chest and shoulder before he could react. Ignoring the pain he grabbed the enemy by the wrist and planted a fist into the man's upper arm. With the limb deflected Blackstar kicked at his opponent's knee, causing the gladiator to drop and lose his footing. He followed with a sweeping roundhouse kick to the man's head. The metal clanged loudly at the impact and the helmet came flying off the gladiator who fell to the side.
For a moment, Blackstar celebrated his small victory, before a feeling of shock and disgust came over him. "Ewww." He said simply as the gladiator recovered. The phantom warrior turned back towards Blackstar, revealing a faceless bald head. He stood up, planting his sword in the ground to help lift him. But Blackstar didn't have much time to examine the lack of features, for a soon as he was standing the helmet popped back on his head in a plume of smoke. His helmet returned, the gladiator charged at Blackstar once again.
The combatants fought valiantly. Their bodies became bloodied and bruised. Their clothes ripped and torn. Their fights were evenly matched. Both Blackstar and Red Fist held their ground against their opponents. The sounds of combat filled the arena air. The phantom fighters mirrored the movements of both competitors, taking and inflicting damage in equal measure. But alas one would have to emerge victorious.
Just as Blackstar was about to land another Soul Force attack, his opponent burst into a cloud of smoke. Confused, he turned around to see Fang, heavily panting over a defeated opponent. The Gladiator was on its knees. Its arm broken in several places and its head twisted back at an unnatural angle. The body fell to the ground, disintegrating to a pile of ash.
"Hey what gives?" He shouted annoyed. Red Fist glanced up at him, his eyes filled with a momentary fury before it disappeared. Regaining his composure and brushing off his shirt, he turned to reply.
"It appears I have won." He announced confidently. Blackstar, despite his bleeding wounds, was not ready to give up just yet though.
"Hah! Fat chance!" He scoffed. But the both of them were interrupted by a tremble in the earth. In the center of the arena, the ground opened up. A platform began to rise up from the underground, holding a white marble column. At the top of the column resided a marble bust of an unknown man with curly hair, a clean-shaven face, and a chiseled jawline. But it was not the features of the bust that was most intriguing but what hung around its neck. Attached by a red silk ribbon, hung the Medallion of Power. Its bronze metal shone in the light. A symbol of a closed fist emblazoned on the metal.
"It would appear someone disagrees with you." Red Fist joked, before leaping towards the bust. He disappeared in a red blur, moving so fast that Tsubaki failed to keep track of him. He was mere feet away from the statue, his hands outstretched to snatch the medallion. But suddenly, he felt the force of something slam into his side. He was propelled sideways by the impact and rolled once on the ground before righting himself to his feet. He looked up and saw Blackstar standing between him and the bust.
"Hahahaha, Now, this is when we fight." He said with a sinister smile. The two fighters launched themselves at each other, faster than the blink of an eye. Their fists met each other a split second later, generating a powerful shockwave that resonated throughout the stadium. From there the fighters clashed in a fierce barrage of punches and kicks. Their limbs were blurs of movement as they struck, blocked, and countered. Their attacks landed with ferocious intensity, each impact resonating with a loud thwack. The opponents seemed equally matched. Each one gave and took in equal portions.
The fighters broke off from each other, jumping back several paces. But their bout was far from over. With renewed vigor, the match continued as they pounced at each other again. They began to trade blows all over the arena. Their movements were a blur as they traversed the ground in their fight. They moved so swiftly that Tsubaki couldn't keep track of them, much less tell who was winning. But to each of the fighters, their moves were crystal clear. Such was their fighting prowess that the both of them could react with equal speed to the other's strikes.
Blackstar sent out a heel palm strike into Red Fist's left shoulder, knocking the man off balance. He flipped over his head to position himself at Red Fist's back. But Fang swept out with a kick the moment he landed, knocking the assassin's feet out from under him. Blackstar caught himself with his hands and spun around like a top, kicking his legs out at Fang while righting himself to his feet. Fang backed up momentarily, only to close back in with a series of swift strikes to Blackstar's pressure points. Blackstar took three or four strikes to the chest before his arms countered, almost by reflex. Their battle continued on like this for several minutes. Neither opponent gaining an edge on the other.
Suddenly, Fang slipped in his defense. It was only for a moment but it was enough time for Blackstar to see it and capitalize on it. And he exploited the opening ruthlessly. A kick to the older man's knee knocked Red Fist's stance off. Closing the distance between them, Blackstar jammed an elbow strike into his ribs, his soul force amplifying the damage. The wind knocked out of him, Red Fist's torso crumpled forward. With a quick spin, Blackstar backhanded him across the head with his wrist, another pulse of soul force slamming into his skull. Red Fist was sent barreling away and could do nothing as Blackstar followed after him for another attack. Blackstar shot a right hook at Red Fist, still in mid air, and sent the man crashing into the stone wall of the arena. An explosion of dust and debris rocked the stadium. When the dust settled, Red Fist was crumpled under a pile of rubble.
Certain his victory was secure; Blackstar made his way over to the bust to grab his prize. His body and muscles ached with pain. He had not had a fight like that in some time. But he had managed to come out on top, as he knew he would. Having grabbed the medallion off the statue, he grinned wide and stupidly. Despite having just limped his way over to the statue, he jumped into the air in a celebration of victory.
"Hell yeah! Once again, the invincible Black Star has defeated his opponent. None can stand the mighty fists of the warrior who surpasses gods!" He gloated energetically. "I'm awesome, I'm awesome, I'm awesome." He chanted musically to himself. Pointing a finger straight up to the sky, Blackstar held the medallion and spoke into it like a microphone. "That's right, you saw it here first ladies and gents," He announced to an imaginary crowd. "The great Black Star has single handedly defeated Pantheon and saved the world!" He cheered for himself. So wrapped up in his own self congratulating, he failed to notice the presence approach from behind him, until it was too late.
"Black Star!" Tsubaki shrieked in warning.
Finally registering the scream, Blackstar had but a moment to realize something was wrong before a sharp intense pain slammed into his skull. Behind him, Red Fist stood shirtless, his hand roughly grabbing Blackstar's head. Sparks of energy flowed off the man's hand and a red aura surrounded his hand and Blackstar's head. Blackstar screamed as pain assaulted every neuron in his brain at once. Tsubaki had leaped over the barrier, running desperately to her partner. But it was too late, he had dropped to the ground in a heap, his eyes rolled back into his skull. Red Fist stood above him looking down in anger and disdain before picking up the medallion still gripped in his hand.
"Maybe next time," He spoke. "You should make sure your opponent is properly incapacitated before you begin your self-aggrandizing." He chastised. Red Fist then walked away, medallion in hand and his red Gi thrown over his shoulder.
Tsubaki reached Blackstar a moment later, still crying out his name in distress. She cradled his unconscious body with tears running down her face. It would be several hours before he regained consciousness. When he did, it is said that the entire nation shook from his rage.
In case it wasn't obvious, I made Heracles the same as the Black Mass of Power from Eibon's book in the manga. I've tried to base the Eight Old Ones as canon as possible. I forget which chapter it is but in the Manga there is a shot of 3 of the old ones. I made Heracles the one with the curly hair. As always fav, read, and review.
