World of Taroo

by Jimmy Eriksson

  They continued, and the strikes from the weapons were enough to either break or weaken them. The weapons were of little use then which got picked up by those in charge. Soon, the judges finally rang the bell to say that no more weapons were to be used. The man next to Senji told her the rules were decided by the judges, and they were able to change them as they wished during the fight as long as it didn’t become unfair. Senji thought it was already unfair and was a strange system, but understood that they tried to make it as interesting as possible for those watching. A brief moment of rest, and the girls looked towards Senji who cheered on them. They let the last standing of the man from the other team join them, and they talked about how they should fight. The man said he was not good at hand-to-hand combat but if he could grab one of them, he knew he could take him out. The girls had trained a lot and said to each other they would go all out. The judges called for the teams to stand ready, and for a few seconds, it became silent from those watching.

  When the bell rang again, all the fighters left to run and meet at the middle. The temperature in the audience had reached boiling point, and everyone was watching the greatest fight of their lives. Alivia took a hold of one of the men after he tried to hit her, and she kicked him towards the man from the other team. He quickly grabbed him to then hug him hard while using him as a shield against another one of the men. The intense fight took a toll on them all, and Luan got a punch straight over the cheek that made her fall down then she received a kick from another man. She was out by the same man that struck her over the face with a hard punch. Thura brought one of the men down after a punch in the throat and a hard kick on the ribs that she could hear crack. Then three against three, they had one person each to fight. But after Alivia managed to take down her opponent, she herself got hit in the head by a kick that took her out as well. The remaining sister, together with the man from the same group, then stood away from each other more since they knew that if they were to beat the other two men, they had to fight each other.

  It was clear that it was all about the win because after the man that briefly helped her and her sister take down his opponent, he tried to get the upper-hand by instead of waiting for Thura to win, decided to attack her so he could finish off the last of the men. Thura did have this in mind and knew what was coming. She ducked from his punch but did receive a kick to her leg by the other opponent. She began to feel tired and all 3 looked at each other just waiting for any one of them to attack first. The last standing man from the first group asked her if she would like to aid him in fighting the man who turned on her from her group. She said yes, and they walked towards the man that got ready to defend against both of them. But before he got attacked, Thura surprised her newly found ally. She slammed her elbow in the head of the man who offered to fight with her. He was out cold and she turned her head towards her last opponent who smiled to her. He said he was impressed but she would soon lose as well since she was tired.

  Thura brought up her package she was given by Senji and ate it. He didn’t know what it was but felt it would be a mistake to wait to find out. He attacked her but she moved away and kept a distance from him. Within only a few seconds, she felt the rush and told him to come towards her. He advanced and they exchanged strikes as well as blocks in a fight that would be placed well in the main fight at the arena. Alivia and Luan cheered her on together with Senji who was reluctant to see so much fighting. However, she shouted louder than anyone else close to her from her seat. The muscles on Thura went warm as she tried to keep him off her. He truly was not a hand-to-hand fighter but she knew that if he got a hold on her, she would lose for sure. He was tired and did his best to catch her, but the speed of her was great and every time he tried to get close, he missed completely.

  She got a chance when he stepped wrong and lost his balance. Thura used her power in her legs to generate a fast kick straight for the head and hit just over the ear. The man moved back and held the ear that hurt badly. She didn’t wait and said she would finish this fight then. She then ran towards him to jump and kick him in the chest. The kick was hard and took the wind out of him. He fell down and she quickly sat on top on him to unleash a heavy beating. He could only block a few and most of the strikes hit where they were supposed to. She pounded him with her fists and felt she was about to lose control.

  The bell rang and the guards had to pull her off for her to stop. The adrenaline was making her heart pump fast, and she had trouble hearing what everyone was saying. The sisters came to her and calmed her down with happy faces. She was settling down and feeling the joy when the judge called out that they had won the fight. Senji rushed down and was allowed in to the arena floor where the girls hugged her. When the ceremony began, the three sisters stood as winners and got congratulated by the judges for the incredible win. They were awarded the 50,000 credits and also a trophy made of gold. It was not the first time a woman had been part of a winning team, but the first time a whole team of women had won.

  When they left, many wished to talk to them, but they said they had to rest. The mixologist in the shop that refused to let Senji work for him told her she was welcome to start the next day in his shop. Luan interrupted and told him he had the chance and she now worked for them. Senji declined his offer by telling him she was not interested. They left with the guards escorting them out and all the way to their home where they were met by some of their family who were waiting for them. Only a few of their family knew what they were up to, but before they left, they had sent a letter to their parents. They had a big celebration, and Senji had a lot of fun that night. Their uncle introduced himself and thanked Senji for her help to the daughters. He promised to handle his brother when he came home but told the girls their father would probably only be happy for them. He turned to Senji and offered her more money but she told him no and said she already got paid for her work. He then said he would like to have a painting made for her so she could remember the girls by. She happily accepted and he told her to come back the next day dressed in her finest clothes. She left late and got a ride home with one of the carriages in front of the sister’s home.

  When she came home to the house, she told Gon about the fight and everything that happened. He was a little jealous that he didn’t get to see such a fight but was happy she had fun. Senji only spoke for a brief time and went to bed very fast. When she arrived at the girls’ house the next day, she got to see them all dressed up in nice clothes. She thought they looked pretty and were looking like they were supposed to be. She picked the best dress she had but felt she was not up to their class. None of them seemed to care, and they all treated her as if she was part of their family. Senji sat in the middle in front of the sisters while three different painters drew them. It took a few hours and during the time, she was drinking tea and eating biscuits. When the painters were finally done, she got to pick one of them. And once again got a group hug by the girls who told her they would see her at Gon’s fight. She left thinking coming to Shetana had helped her learn a lot, and she was happy she had a chance to come here.

  Champion

  The day had finally come, and Gon had surprisingly slept very well but with Senji last night giving him a special drink made by her. He felt very relaxed and had been able to sleep the whole night. The big match started on this night with the arena completely full. He knew this because when he, the previous day, came to pick up his entry papers for the fight, there were people outside yelling about how they could not get in due to it being full.

  Jay walked in and told him he would have much to look forward to and was not sure he would be able to sleep. He said he had quit his job and had just come back from his last shift there. He told him how he was given a big goodbye, and Gon knew Jay had made many friends during his time in the city. With him winning the weapons part of the tournament, he had become a celebrity and was then recognised by many who had seen the match or been told about it. Dorin and Yanburu had become his friends and had said he would be welcome back anyti
me to come work for them. Yanburu even suggested Jay to open another bar in the city so they could become business partners, and Jay said he would think about it. He did like it but wasn’t sure about what he wanted to do for his future yet. Senji walked in and gave Gon a kiss and had cooked for him that morning. It was nothing she often did but she wanted him to be as rested as possible.

  Jay said hi and went to bed to be able to see the match later in the evening. Gon ate and then went to the more open part of the house and trained for an hour with furniture pushed aside. While he trained, he thought about the last days and the closing of the restaurant. It was a fun last evening with all his friends from the work. As a surprise, Mr Pan had given him a licence to open his own restaurant in the great city of Shetana or in the kingdom of Grasoll if he ever wanted to. Since Mr Pan was friends with the judge in the kingdom of Grasoll, he had no problem getting the licence approved. The judge that was in Shetana for the tournament signed it off right away without questions. He had also hinted that in Grasoll there were many opportunities for those willing to work hard. This was where he hoped he would go next if they were successful.

  He wondered if Senji would come with him, he thought to himself as he delivered high kicks and heavy punches in the air. He would open the biggest restaurant in the kingdom if he could and everyone would come to have his food. After an hour, he stopped so as not to get exhausted and risk anything before the matches later that night. The night would be long with many fights that needed his full attention. He didn’t know how good everyone was or if his skills would be enough but intended of going out full.

  He knew the setup of the fights, and if he could beat his three opponents, he would get in to the 2nd round and be guaranteed a sum of 10,000 credits which would help to get a start in the kingdom. Senji and Gon did not leave the house until it was time and woke Jay when they had to sign in Gon. Jay, who was still a little sleepy, reached into his bag and gave Gon a pair of professional gloves made by one of the owners of the biggest brands of battle gear in the city. He had him as a client in the gambling room and had asked if he could buy some from him. The man had brought the newest and best model, and Jay only had to pay him a quarter of the price since the man liked him.

  Gon saw the gloves and they looked and felt great on him. ‘Jay is a great friend,’ said Gon to Senji and told him he appreciated him being with them. The three friends then walked outside to head off to the arena. On the way, they ran into Kuun from the restaurant that was heading home. He wished Gon good luck and said he had put a bet that Gon would advance to the 2nd group. They arrived and had to be escorted in by the security to be able to get in. There were still people trying to get in but without tickets and it was hard. The guards were big and strong and some had fought inside the arena themselves. Anyone trying to get past them was quickly handled and thrown out.

  Well inside the small gates, Senji noticed the sisters who had come and went up to them while Gon signed himself in. They were not alone and beside them stood a man and a woman that looked out of place. The girls were excited to finally see Gon fight in combat and gave Senji a group hug. Luan then introduced her father and mother who had just come back from Darcolia. Their father thanked Senji for her help but their mother was not so happy about what her daughters had been doing while they had been gone. Thura said their mother was proud of them but was still angry.

  They were about to be let in so Senji waved to them as they entered the hallway that lead to the stairs going up. After their win, they had received much admiration and hired their own box to watch the fight. They could hardly walk past people without them congratulating them. Their father had to then keep men away from his daughters even more but at least knew no one would dare hurting them. There were so many people everywhere and everyone wanted to see the fighters that had come to compete in the arena. Gon was not really famous for anything other than making food. The brief fight on the opening day at the market might had gotten people’s attention but not many people even more knew it was him since he worked in the kitchen. Either way, he liked being the underdog as his opponents would most likely not pay him any attention.

  There was a big sign hanging from the arena and it had the latest winner’s pictures on them. In the middle of it was the greatest undefeated champion who had ever fought in the arena. Master Tiger who had also been the youngest yet to win and on the side, there were the names of the other fighters who had won over the years. This was the 12th year the tournament was held and the sum of money became higher each year. On the papers, they had been given as participants, it mentioned the details of the fight and what to expect. Gon, Jay and Senji took time to read the information. It said that there were 32 fighters who would be picked by their names from random selecting. To win the highest prize, the fighter would have to beat five opponents over the course of two days. When the first three fights were done, the day would have concluded and the fighters would be free to go home to return the following day. The final day would have the remaining fighters come back and be once again, randomly selected for the next fights. The match would end if a person was knocked unconscious or the person chose to stop the match if they were not able to continue. The prizes for advancing were as follows:

  Out first round: Name on wooden shield showing of participation in the tournament.

  Out second round: Small gold chain with name on gold tag showing participation in the tournament and 10,000 credits.

  Out third round: Big gold bowl with name showing participation in the tournament and 20,000 in credits.

  Out fourth round: Gold board with name showing participation and 30,000 in credits and an invitation to next year’s competition.

  Second place reward: Gold board with name showing participation and 50,000 credits and invitation to next year’s competition as well as the name put on the runner up board seated under the winner board.

  The winner would get the gold trophy presented by the tournament organisers with the name showing participation in the tournament and 80,000 credits as well as an invitation to the next year’s tournament. The winner would also get their name on the winner’s board to be immortalised forever.

  Gon looked around and saw a few of the contestants who showed themselves for publicity for themselves and for the arena. The most popular fighters were able to get money for showing up which helped those who owned the arena. One of Mr Pan’s employees was there to oversee everything. The people around were allowed to ask questions to the fighters and thus get a feel of who to bet money on. Gon had not been asked to go up and he understood since he was not really someone they knew. A lot of the fighters were fitter then Gon who was a little fat, and one woman in particular made fun of Gon for being bigger from crowd on his side. Some of the other fighters also had a few comments but Gon didn’t mind. ‘They had no idea who they were messing with,’ said Jay and put his hand on the shoulder of Gon.

  There was only one woman fighting in this hand-to-hand combat competition and was receiving flowers from her fans. Senji told Gon her friends had told her about the female fighter named Keniss. She was pretty skilled and was daughter to one of the richest men in Shetana. Her father was a big developer of buildings apparently. Keniss got into an argument with another fighter who told her when he won, she could console with him by becoming one of his girlfriends. Gon smiled as he looked towards his left to suddenly see the bald man from before they entered the city and he was staring at Gon. Jay, who also recognised him, asked what his name was. Gon was not sure but Senji remembered he was Thano the Great which made Gon laugh.

  Thano made a rude gesture towards them and walked up to Gon. When close, Gon said he hoped he would create more resistance tonight if he would be seeded against him. Thano was angry, and one of the men tried to calm him down. He said he would make Gon beg for a stop to the beating he would give him this night, then walked off. ‘Good luck,’ said Gon and wished him to do his best so it didn’t become too easy for him to lose. Thano turned around and t
ried to come at him again but was being held by his friends once again. They had to do everything they could to stop him since they knew he might get a penalty for fighting on the grounds and not in the arena. Some of the people had seen what had happened and cheered. Thano got led into the preparation room but was fuming with anger. Jay said it was good the fighter was angry. It would make him commit mistakes in the ring and Gon nodded.

  Senji took Gon to his room in the preparation room and gave him a good luck kiss and then left him to get ready. She met Jay outside the private room hired by Mr Pan and Bianca welcomed them in. Mr Pan was busy with his guests from the kingdom but waved to them as they came in. Senji and Jay walked around the room and talked to some of the guests. The fight did not start for another two hours but people had already started to fill the arena which held 2,000 people and eight private boxes. One of Jay’s regular clients had another private room and he was initially invited to it but chose to go with Senji.

  There was a lot of food and drinks in the room and the people inside were chewing down on it. Senji and Jay took place at the window and talked about the plans for after the tournament. Senji said Gon wanted to go to the kingdom to open a restaurant if he got enough money. Jay thought it was a great idea and might enrol in the king’s private guards at the castle. He said he had not decided yet but it was what he was drawn to as of then. He was hoping the proof of his win at the stadium would be enough to get him a place there. Senji looked down to look at a bug that sat on the wall next to her feet. She then turned towards the room and said she didn’t know what she would do in the kingdom. She didn’t know that much about it and didn’t know if they would have any need for her knowledge there since they probably had many people with the skills of mixology. But she added that she would follow her friends anywhere they would go.