Sun's rays gently glossed over the glistened and polished stone tiles inside a circular battle arena surrounded by rustling blades of grass. The audience was so excited about this supermassive event that easily threatened to become the largest this arena has ever seen that they randomly blew up in cheers and sought to thrust their hyped fists clean through the sky. Trumpets blared up, directing everyone's attention to a line of muscular Sheikh's soldiers uniformed with baggy trousers, black leather vests, and inflated military hats.
With the raking sound settling down and it finally becoming safe once more to step through the tunnel of lined up soldiers, the Sheikh left with a methodical pacing step through the bridge connecting the Agbarmahal and the Sun Disc arena. The bridge had been built solely so that the Sheikh had easier access from his grand palace back to the arena. The Sheikh's round build made his calm strut last quite a while, which in term made the hyped-up audience tap their feet in impatience.
Finally, the Sheikh took his stand at the top of a platform where he would observe the matches and raised his arms in the air. The audience howled like a barn of animals after a gunshot has been fired inside. With the Sheikh's arms moving down, so did the bawling of the onlookers who slowly devolved into husky whispers about the curious sights of warriors from all around the world they've seen waiting at the registration.
"Welcome, my Sheikhate!" the Sheikh yelled out to reach as many of his people as he could. "Welcome to the greatest event this arena has ever hosted. For the longest time, my passion for martial arts competitions had spread the fame of our events far and wide. I've lost that for a time, but together we've come back better than ever, and now… Now I seek for the greatest thrill of a lifetime!"
Standing still and letting the audience's waving and cheering die down, as the spectators let it be known that they were looking forward to the same thing, the Sheikh scanned his excited people before addressing them again.
"You may have heard rumors. Rumors, the spread of which, I encouraged because I wanted those rumors out there and those rumors are true. The winner of this week's melee will be crowned the new ruler of the Agbarah Sheikhate. These are tumultuous times for the Wind Country and if the Agbarah is to fall to the hands of another, let it be the man the worthiest of the honor. A man that's overcome every other bidder for his position. The new Sheikh shall be the finest warrior from across the land, and the fate of the Sheikhate will be in their hands!"
This may have been the first declaration that didn't earn an overwhelming and deafening cascade of cheers. The audience began muttering and chatting with those around them in confusion. Everyone felt baffled and wondered if they'd heard what their Sheikh said right. News of the bloodied desert around them rarely reached the Agbarah, and the Sheikh barely lent any troops for the combined force of the Sheikhs and the Kazekage that was meant to eradicate Fennec and his forces. As someone in a strategically comfortable position close to Sunagakure, he had that luxury. But what would happen now that a new Sheikh takes the old one's place? Will they cancel these martial arts competitions and devote their time to war? Will they wage war on the Kazekage or the other Sheikhs instead? The excitement for the upcoming blast of an event became tainted with the uncertainty for the Sheikhate's future.
"Now, please help me welcome the brave warriors from all across the land that would compete in this grandest martial arts competition of them all! The bunch that may very well, with their own two hands, decide the future of our country and hand it to the control of the man or woman that will guide it along!" the Sheikh lifted his arms in the air. Having waited for this signal, the bare-chested arena staff began working their iron-tight bodies to work those cranks and open the gates from all four sides of the bridges leading toward the arena from the support facilities.
"Making their way from the Land of Iron, the brave party of samurai warriors sent by the Iron Shogun himself! No doubt the warlord seeks to spite the Kazekage for stealing his title as the man's nickname!" the Sheikh directed his arm to the eastern bridge, from which ten men walked out. Some were dressed in full samurai armor, helmed and masked, while others wore the simple garbs of a ronin and nothing else but their blade by their side. The first bunch sought to bring honor to their shogun, proving themselves the finest warriors across the world, while the others sought to regain their lost honor and their good graces at the Iron Shogun's service.
"From the Heart Village of Chigakure, the enigmatic Cursed Warriors seek to transform the Sheikhate into a monument to their glory. A bloody scar across the land that the future generations and entire new civilizations could witness and recount their ruthlessness and battle prowess!" the Sheikh turned to the west. The audience collectively gasped as a party of warriors that barely resembled men stepped out onto the bridge and slowly made their way to the arena. With charred, stone-texture skin and blood vessels carved like neon-glowing scars in mosaic shapes and complex networks across their entire bodies. These Cursed Warriors of Chigakure didn't look like they differed from the Statumen themselves, with some seeming to adopt vague shapes more resembling animals and insects rather than men.
"From the seas and oceans all across the world, here come the various members of the pirate crews that have come here to create a pirate haven that welcomes all scoundrels and buccaneers from across the oceans! Few pirates dared to break the pirate creed of owning no land and dared to come here, even fewer made it through the hunting parties, picking them off one by one. Ones that made it here are sure to be the feistiest, most dangerous, boisterous, drunken, and bawdy of them all!" the dozen of pirates that walked down from the southern bridge seemed to be less loved by the audience as it felt confused about their presence here. Being a little rowdy desert flower, Agbarah must've rarely encountered these ruffians, so they weren't sure what to think about these drunkards and brawlers.
"I don't think any of you expected to see this tournament be void of any ninja! Having comfortably seated themselves as the most feared agents of chaos with the Kage that are more involved with the political matters of the entire world than any other warriors across the land, pretty much all of them have sent their emissaries here to see if they could claim this patch of land for themselves. Even some Sannin, the legendary ninja that have accomplished so much they outlived their profession and live as walking monuments of their own glory, have made their way to our event!" the Sheikh gestured toward the northern bridge. At the sign of his gesture and into the mixed howl of the audience, the various ninja from across the entire world stepped out onto the arena. They vastly outnumbered the other warriors that have made it to the competition, comprising almost twenty ninja from all across the world. All of them seek to attribute this patch of land to their Kage to boost the influence of their own village.
"This is one of the few rare instances where these ninja shall be allowed to show to us their dirty and chaotic Ninja Arts. Indeed, the purpose of this tournament is to establish the greatest caste of warriors and so no technique or trick will be deemed too dirty!" the Sheikh set the rules and the frame for the attitude the audience would better adopt with this tournament.
"Now for a little flash and pizzazz! Before you, making their way to the arena, the heroic warriors from across the world that have banded together for the first time and shall make their debut as warriors on the grandest stage of them all. The brave and the bold men and women that have devoted their lives to fighting crime and rescuing people of their hometowns from calamities, now banded as warriors, looking to establish an entire city of heroes and the world's first Hero Village–the Heroes!" the Sheikh turned to the western bridge once more, gesturing for the ten of most flashy and colorful men and women to make their way down the bridge and take their place on the arena.
The audience clapped and cheered, standing up, but their expressions weren't smiling in excitement. It was all too evident that the audience thought incredibly little of this first-time band of warriors who have lived their life fighting mere bandits and pulling off daring rescues from fires and other natural calamities as opposed to living their life as warriors. This would indeed be the first time that the self-labeled and self-made exiles of society that lived their lives to serve their home towns would fight together and the first time that they would fight as a military force.
"And now, from the Land of Sky in the farthest reaches of the South-East, surrounded by boundless miles of rough ocean waves and storm clouds, here come the Sky Warriors of the Soragakure! Their goals for this little patch of land we call home remains a mystery, but they seem undoubtedly invested in proving their mettle as warriors," the Sheikh pointed to the north bridge but, curiously enough, nobody was there walking down the bridge toward the arena. That was until a shuffling myriad of shadows began shrouding the desert sun and the audience noted their scorching skies only to see a patrolling troupe of winged warriors that swooped down like birds of prey and landed gracefully in the very center of the arena, standing up and looking around while wearing little but their native clothes and forearm-sized feathers of unknown birds and reptiles that lived and hunted at their faraway corner of the world, the Sky Warriors scanned the stunned spectators with stern scowls.
"Now, the merciless warrior monks that have abandoned their difference in religion and banded together to study the art of the fist and pray to the god of violence to smite the demon of mercy. Will these ruthless bruiser monks make a new holy land of violence in the Agbarah Sheikhate? Witness the Salvari!" the Sheikh turned his entire body eastward while clapping erratically. Lined up in two queues, a band of round-bellied and thick men and a lone woman stepped out from the shadows and made their way to the round arena while mumbling their mantras in a praying position. This bunch seemed like they belonged the best in the environment of the deserts of the Wind Country. They dressed in light and bright silken tops, turbans, and fez-style hats. The men wore flashy and exuberant facial hair of thick and curved mustaches.
"We know little about this band of mysterious warriors. They claim to make their way here from the mysterious Ryuchi Caverns, the holy land of the ninja snakes. As such, these enigmatic warriors claim to have mastered the art of immortality–the Immortals!" the Sheikh looked down to the southern bridge from which a band wrapped in black cloth and dressed in black leather for light armor, wearing hefty black turbans that partly wrapped over their faces leaving just the eyes exposed to the elements. All of them had an identical build and were of identical height, which only added to the mystery. "These brave warriors seek only their deaths, no more, no less. If the Sheikhate falls to their hands, what fate awaits it and what master will they deliver it to? Will the sadistic Yamata no Orochi make Agbarah the feeding grounds for his horde of children?"
"Always seeking new land to discover and conquer, world's greatest explorers and entrepreneurs that can't settle with any country or village and seek to make their own empire! Sadly, given their boundless ambition, only one of these will conquer the Agbarah Sheikhate as their own, and only if they win this scuffle against the finest warriors in the world! Please welcome, conquerors and explorers of the world!" the Sheikh turned to the west, gesturing toward the western bridge as one by one mounted men of different complexions and builds rode their way onto the arena, confusing the other warriors. These explorers and conquerors were used to traveling far and wide and discovering new islands and hidden locations only to claim them as their own but they didn't need to travel far and wide from one end of the arena to the next and so them choosing to enter the battlefield mounted baffled most other warriors.
"Here come they, your beloved champions of the arena and crowd favorites! Please show these temples of hardened bodies and men making statements and claiming their property and beliefs with their fists and kicks alone–the martial artists!" the Sheikh appeared excited himself about this proclamation as he gestured to the eastern bridge, hopping and clapping as a bunch of rough-faced, tall and bulky individuals looking ready for a good hand-to-hand brawl made their way onto the arena that was feeling crowded. "Undoubtedly, these warriors would continue the legacy of our Sun Disc arena and honor martial arts every day with each even grander than the last! Those that love these little melees, pray for their hard-earned victory!"
"And now, all of us have heard legends of monsters. Be it the living forces of wrathful nature that are the Tailed Beasts or the countless Lesser Demons and ninja animals, mutated monsters, and fiends of all shapes and sizes. Your hearts may shiver thinking you will see a collection of abominations seeking to inherit the Sheikhate as their land of the monsters but no, ladies and gentlemen, today you will witness the struggle of none other than the men and women that have devoted their life at exterminating these fiends. Welcome to this arena the Exterminators and their quest to build an entire town of monster-slayers one can always rely on. A base to reclaim our world from terror and uncertainty!" the Sheikh pointed to the northern bridge from which a raggedy and leather-clad bunch of all shapes and sizes walked out. Some of them wore militaristic uniforms and appeared to be armed with rolling cannons and kunai dispensers, while others looked no different from rough vagabonds.
"And if I disappointed you that you won't get to see monsters, I hurry to relieve you of your anguish. Here, ladies and gentlemen, are your monsters! The worst of the worst, I am surprised to tell you the tale of. It is said that there are dozens of serial killers roaming the land, eluding capture because of their bloodthirsty nature and affinity for carnage. Usually, they hunt their unfortunate victims alone, but on this momentous occasion, they've all gathered here to butcher, slash and devour together and create a hunting ground where they are free to terrorize as they please and their carnivorous ways are the law of the land!" the Sheikh turned to the west bridge again as a couple of handfuls of horror movie escapees made their way to the ring. Some of them seemed eager to rev up their engines of butchery and get the carnage started, while for others it was impossible to tell as their masks didn't let one see into their soul at all, provided they had one, to begin with.
"Looking to establish the first ever Spy Village and snag the bread right out of the ninjas' mouths, the sneaky and elusive spies!" the Sheikh turned to wave and cheer for the eastern bridge as a handful of the lean and slick-looking bunch made their way onto the arena. These guys would fight way outside of their element, out in the open, plus, they had a brewing rivalry with the ninja as the spies saw themselves as an evolution of the former, while the ninja considered the spies toothless half-measures. If those two parties ever came face-to-face and couldn't overcome their petty rivalries for the sake of victory in the tournament, things might have gotten heated and even more bloody than the butchering grounds of the serial killers' side.
"And how about this? The self-proclaimed magicians, mystics, illusionists, and necromancers from all around the world! All seeking to build the world's most marvelous nexus for wizardry and sorcery here. You may call them charlatans or you may respect their flashy perchance for the arcane arts, but one thing you have to do is acknowledge their presence in this event. Welcome your fabled sorcerers of the world!" the Sheikh turned to the western bridge with a lightly muzzled and raspy voice. It may have been that he had exhausted himself from introducing so many warriors' creeds and clans gathered together, or it may have been that he just didn't think as highly of this bunch as he did of the others. Though he took the time to wait until these cloaked masters of smokes and mirrors and flair for the theatrics made their way down to the arena.
"Something I was shocked to find out myself–from all around the world to our arena have come the world's greatest sports people, seeking sportsmanlike competition to use our arena for the world's most foremost yearly sports competition events and the Sheikhate as a village hosting the audience that would gather to witness them but also the athletes performing in them. It is bold to step into the arena against the world's deadliest warriors being just a sportsman, but this is the decision these fine athletes have made for their passion to create this Land of the Sports Games here in our desert," the Sheikh stayed on the western bridge as a handful of fit-looking athletes rushed to the arena with a light jogging step. The appearance of this bunch, who didn't even claim to be warriors, made more than a few scratch their heads and made the serial killers more excited for easy prey.
"And now for the Chaos Factor of our competition. I'm not sure where from, I'm not sure why and or who these warriors are. Frankly, they don't appear to be capable of speaking, from what I've been informed, but all that matters here is that they can fight for their dream! Please welcome, making their way to the arena from parts unknown, the Statumen!" the Sheikh thrust his fist to the northern bridge before a turbulent gale made him clutch and cover himself up with his cloak. Galdva descended from up above, riding a visible hurricane underneath that supported the tall and proud head of a statue. One by one, careful so as not to break the bridge or push anyone out of the arena, the living monoliths known as the Statumen made their way to the arena.
With their appearance, the space in the arena became incredibly stuffed with there always being a warrior within one's hand reach. The towering, speechless monolithic statues made an easy landmark target, though most saw the sportsmen as the easiest target.
"And last but not least, you better believe it that our own famed bane of the desert Fennec has sent his own party to compete here. No matter how many Sheikhs and the Kazekage tried to hunt these men and women down, these mercenaries, brigands, and marauders have come here to claim this Sheikhate as part of Fennec's domain as the only way their master can claim it without exposing himself to the Sunagakure. If they fail here, this might send the bane of the desert spiraling down an abyss he won't be able to climb out of for years so all you chaos agents and Fennec supporters better wish them luck!" the Sheikh turned to the eastern bridge while a messy yet numerous band of mercenaries and bandits made their way to the arena, finding somewhere to squeeze into while a handful of giants immediately got into a shoving competition with the statues that rivaled them in size.
"Given how I've introduced them as teams, you may believe that this will be a team exhibition, but you'd be wrong! For there can only be one winner of this tournament and one god or goddess of the arena to become the champion and the new Sheikh of Agbarah! What you will witness, ladies and gentlemen is an elimination-style tournament, however, the current numbers of warriors are far too great for such an exhibition. And so, I ask of you, those who have come here seeking glory and victory, fight it out amongst yourselves. Make it so only sixteen competitors remain standing in this arena and form the brackets of the tournament that will decide the fate of the whole of Agbarah!" the Sheikh addressed the warriors now that they have all gathered at once in the arena.
And so, the Battle Royale between the finest and deadliest warriors all across the world began with the Sheikh turning to the side and one of the bare-chested arena staff ringing the gong.
Author's Note: Sorry for no chapter on Wednesday. I got too involved with the drafting of character sheets for the tournament and ended up making ~170 character sheets for various characters and I just had no time to actually work on the chapter. It's embarrassing, I know, but it's what you should expect of me at this point. If it makes it any better, there shouldn't be any missed chapters from this point on as I've done and drafted all the characters and I'll have plenty of time this coming month to work on the story :D