The two combatants kept a close eye on each other as the aura limiters around the ring began to glow. A soft hum radiating off each object as they both felt their auras disappearing. Despite the uproar of the crowd watching them, their world fell silent. Kagami slowly slid a foot back, keeping her arms raised slightly as she softly exhaled.
Narrowing her eyes, Mitarashi flashed a playful smile. She ran her hand back across her hair before holding up both her fist. After sliding a foot back, she immediately pushed off. Even without her aura, she shot forward at near inhuman speeds.
With wide eyes, the jadette barely had any time to respond as she moved backwards. Bracing herself, she let out a very heavy grunt as the woman's hands grabbed her shoulders and hauled herself over her. Her knee striking her chin.
Landing on the ground and rolling over, the woman pushed herself up to her knees with a sharp glare. Her eyes darting towards her opponent as she pushed herself off the mat and shot towards her again. Her hands balling up into tight fist.
Stumbling, Kagami fell to one knee as the world around her spun. Just that one hit was enough to disorient her with no aura to protect her. She glanced up, breathing heavily as she saw the brunette bolting towards her. Groaning, she pushed herself off the ground, dodging a punch only for her opponent to swing her torso around and bring her leg up. Her foot colliding with the side of her head and sending her down onto all fours.
Scoffing, she slowly stepped over towards her with a smile. In an instant, she was straddling her from behind while holding her in a firm headlock. "Come on, I know you can do better. Don't make this boring for me." She tightened her grasp. The motion earning a groan from the girl. "I can see it in the way you hold yourself. You're a fighter." She brought up her free hand, pressing it against her forehead while pulling her head back. "I see those scars on your back. You can't tell me you're not one."
She paused for a moment, feeling her begin to struggle before pulling back her free hand. Her fist colliding with her face as blood slowly began to drip onto the floor. "What is it you like so much about it? Why do you fight? Why do you struggle? Is it the adrenaline? Or maybe the feeling of power when you win? Is it the fame? The lien? Or is it the rush the hunt gives you?" She brought her fist back, punching her in the face once again.
Breathing heavily with one eye closed, the jadette slowly squirmed around as she tried to find a breaking point to pull herself free. Blood dripping from her nose as the bruise on her face grew larger. "I fight for none of those reasons..." She painted with a quick jerk before grunting from a blow to her side. "I fight... because I know there are people out there too afraid or too weak to fight for themselves... I fight for them..."
She scoffed, leaning down closer as her voice lowered. "That's rather childish. Are you sure you're old enough to even be in here? How old are you even, Monomane?"
"Does it matter...?" She tilted her head slightly to glance back only to move her head away from another strike.
"Well not anyone can make it to the top two down here." Mitarashi let out a quiet chuckle. "It took me five years of fighting down here after I turned twenty-one before I started having my lucky little winning streak. I've seen all sorts of fighters. But none like you..." She trailed off.
"Maybe... that's because I'm eighteen, not twenty-one..." She quietly huffed.
Blinking, her grasp loosened ever so slightly as confusion washed over her. "What?"
Taking her chance, Kagami twisted her body with all her strength as she brought her elbow up and around. Hitting her in the face, she brought her knees close before kicking her in the chest. Quickly standing up, her shoulders rapidly rose and fell as she wiped the blood from her face.
Spitting up blood, the brunette coughed slightly as she pushed herself back up to her feet. "You should have attacked while I was down..." She snarled, her eyes glazing over.
"Not my style." She half smiled in response, balling her hands into fist once again as she raised her arm back up in front of her. Her opponent flashing her teeth with a growl as she did the same.
"You're as good as dead." Mitarashi snarled back while flashing her teeth. Once again, she shot forward at an immense speed. She stepped forward with her left foot. As she moved her right leg forward, she brought it up and around to strike.
Grunting as she blocked the blow with her left forearm, the jadette grimaced as she felt a bruise burning through her arm. She took a step to the side, throwing her right arm forward into her chest. She then moved closer, keeping the distance between the two of them short.
She grunted back, stumbling slightly before bringing her knee upward while baring her teeth. Her elbows being thrown backwards at the force of her attack.
Pushing both her hands downward, Kagami stumbled and struggled as she stopped the woman's knee from striking her stomach. She pushed her leg back down, exhaling with a small sigh before grunting and stumbling back as she was headbutted.
Smirking as she saw the younger girl spit out blood, she darted towards her for the last time. She raised her left arm, pushing off with her right foot as she twisted her body. Using all her strength, she brought her leg up and around in a roundhouse kick.
With wide eyes, the jadette gritted her teeth. Taking a moment to think, she steadied herself with a small exhale. Preparing herself, she let her opponent's foot slam into her side. Struggling to hold in a scream as she heard the sound of bones cracking, she clenched her jaw tight. Shakily inhaling, she wrapped her arms around her ankle. Turning around on her heels, she twisted her leg around. Exhaling, she let out a heavy grunt while closing her eyes and flipping her over her and slamming her down onto her back.
With her body bouncing slightly against the mat, Mitarashi coughed multiple times as the wind was knocked from her lungs. She went to sit up, only to bring her legs up to kick at the girl trying to get closer towards her.
Gritting her teeth, she slid a foot back while missing the several kicks being aimed at her. She glanced around before jumping to the side. Latching onto the cage, she pulled herself up slightly before pushing off as she jumped on the other side of the woman.
Pushing herself onto one knee, the brunette went to stand up straight. Her head turned as she followed the girl that shot around her with her eyes. Her arms going to her sides as she stood. Her eyes then widened as she went to raise them back up.
Keeping with the momentum she gained from jumping off the cage of the arena, she kept her left arm in front of her body as she brought her right arm back. She then began to turn her body, letting out a small warrior's cry as her right arm shot forward. Her forearm colliding with her opponent's face. Once again the sound of bone cracking echoed in her ears.
Stumbling back with a disfigured nose with blood dripping down, the woman groaned and swayed for a moment before falling back. Her body hit the arena's mat with a loud thud. Her twitching eyes closing as she went still.
With her body arched forward, Kagami took several deep breaths. She stood still for a moment as the crowd went silent. Slowly, she straightened her spine while rolling her shoulders back. She slowly let out a heavy exhale, leaning her head back as she closed her eyes and sighed. The roar of the crowd soon filled her ears once again.
Never again was she going to let Baren convince her to fight in an underground fight club. Never again. Even if she did have fun with it. This was never going to happen again.
"I can't believe you won!" Elise jumped up and down with her hands held together. "I never doubted you for a single second!"
"Weren't you paranoid she was going to get her ass kicked like two seconds ago." Kris asked with a raised hand before being shoved away by the brunet.
"Shut up." She narrowed her eyes before crossing her arms with a huff.
"Can't you two ever stop arguing?" Cheyenne quietly sighed while wiping the blood off her friend with a damp cloth. "This still seemed like a really dangerous idea... but I'm happy you're okay." She smiled very faintly.
"Plus I won." Kagami added, raising her hand with a finger extended. She chuckled, wincing slightly. She sighed, exhaling slowly.
"How... did you win?" The Faunus asked while dabbing the gash on her lip. "I mean, it just seemed really one-sided in the beginning."
"It took a bit, but I realized she focused more on leg attacks and boosting her force by using her momentum. Then it just took a bit of thinking to how I was going to work around that and use her own tactics against her." She flashed a smile before groaning at the pain in her side. "I... might need a day or two. I don't think even my aura has the ability to recharge from this overnight." She then turned to glare at her mentor. "I hope you're satisfied with yourself."
"For now, I suppose." Baren quietly chuckled back while messing with the bag of lien in her lap. "This should be more than enough to get the five of us all the way to Mantle." She exhaled, closing the bag with the drawstrings. She then blinked, tilting her head while narrowing her eyes towards Mitarashi.
The woman now held her nose with a thick piece of white fabric. She seemed irritated. More than usual. With her free hand, she waved her arm around. She was talking to Rose and Mary and pointing in their direction. Slowly, the two fight club owners turned to face them.
"Kagami..." The pinkette trailed off while standing and putting the bag of lien behind her. "What did you do?" She quickly glared over.
"I um..." The jadette blinked while slowly standing up with a grimace. "I actually don't know this time. I usually know what I do to anger people." She gave a small shrug.
She sighed, reaching up to rub her face. "Whatever. It's time to leave. Move. Now. It's time to go." She ushered the four away just as Rose and Mary motioned for other brutes in the fight club forward as they began to step towards them.
"Oh my Oum we're going to die in a fight club!" Kris shouted in an exhale as she slid between the slim entrance to the Predators Arena. Her face brushing up against the stone from her quick movements. "I knew this was a terrible idea! But nooo! Let's listen to the crazy old woman!"
"Don't call me old." Baren growled, pausing for a moment before kicking one of the brutes back. His body falling into the others as they tumbled. Quickly stepping out into the open, she stumbled for a moment before pushing off as she began to run.
"This is why we shouldn't do illegal things!" Elise shouted while running. "We get in enough trouble while doing good things! Trying to do something bad was a terrible idea!"
"Just save your breath and keep running!" Cheyenne panted, glancing back. "They're catching up!"
Shaking her head, the pinkette looked behind before slowing to a stop. She blinked once, seeing Kagami struggling to run with a pained grimace. She softly sighed, seeing those from the arena catching up with them. She shifted her body, holding out her left hand. "Come on."
Breathing sharply, the jadette stumbled to a stop beside her. "Huh...?" She exhaled as her shoulders rose and fell rapidly.
"You can't run like this." She raised an eyebrow. "Now hurry before they catch up."
Kagami blinked, reaching out to grab her hand. A moment later, she softly grunted as she was pulled onto her mentor's back. Still breathing heavily, she slowly let her body ease up while resting her head against her shoulder. She glanced back to watch those chasing them, listening to the sound of footsteps sprinting across the ground. Sighing, she slowly began to close her eyes while tightening her grasp. Her breath softening as her mind began to fog and fade.
Elsewhere years earlier, a thirteen year old Kagami clutched to the back of the old warrior. Her body softly trembling as they passed through the eerie and dark woods.
Calmly walking up towards a small campsite, Baren exhaled while sliding the small girl off her back and setting her down on a bench. "You're lucky I showed up on that beach when I did. Otherwise you'd be that Ursa's breakfast." She stepped towards a dying fire, kicking at it before throwing another log onto it.
Stretching out her left arm, she yawned a bit before blinking as she heard a soft whimper. She glanced back, eyeing the jadette with a sigh. "I can't believe this... again." She groaned before stepping back over towards her. "You're a Monomane, right? What's your name?" Not hearing a response, she reached up to pinch her nose.
"Okay." She reached behind her, pulling off the sword strapped to her back. "This is yours. Do you know how to use this?" She paused, waiting for an answer that didn't come. "Can you speak or what?!" She snapped.
Whimpering, the young Kagami brought her knees to her chest. Her arms wrapping around them as she buried her head in her knees.
Blinking, Baren took a step back as she noticed bandages on the girl's back. She went silent for a moment, glancing around before tossing the sword to the side. "Cherry said you would be hurt. You would be scared..." She trailed off a bit before slowly stepping closer. She exhaled softly while kneeling down in front of her. "I honestly thought she was bluffing when she told me I'd find you." She reached up, her fingers brushing through her green hair. "My name is Baren." She took a deep breath before smiling. "I'm here to help." She mumbled softly, moving to sit beside her as she pulled her to rest on her right shoulder. "I won't let anything harm you..." She trailed off, quietly thinking to herself about something she was told over a decade ago.
"Baren... someday, after I'm gone and our adventure is done, there's going to be a girl. Midori's daughter. You can't tell her now. Save her from the Grimm. Don't be too harsh. She will be very frightened and injured. You need to train her, teach her. She's going to need you. Her story, it depends on you. Please, don't forget about the jade haired girl."