The arena hummed with a palpable tension as the demonic gladiators took their positions. Geto, a wide, unsettling grin plastered across his face, stepped forward, his voice a low, theatrical rumble. “Behold, you lowly demons,” he announced, gesturing dramatically towards his side of the stage. "These are the warriors I have selected to test the mettle of our brave contestants – Ragna, Cali, and Cabi!"
A hush fell over the crowd as three figures emerged, their presence strangely underwhelming at first glance. They were all roughly human-sized, a stark contrast to the towering demons that populated the arena. However, the air crackled with an intense aura of menace. Ragna, the central figure, had short, spiky black hair, and piercing red eyes that seemed to bore into the very souls of those who met his gaze. His features were sharp and angular, and a network of dark veins snaked across his exposed arms and neck. Cali, to his left, possessed long, silver hair that fell in sharp, almost metallic strands around her pale face. Her eyes glowed with an unsettling violet light, and her lips were stretched into a cruel, knowing smile. Cabi, on the right, was the most unassuming. He was bald with a calm face, but his eyes were always moving around with a wild spark, as if looking for something to destroy. His posture was deceptively relaxed, but a subtle tremor ran through his body, like a coiled spring waiting to unleash.
"Let the games begin!" Geto boomed, his laughter echoing through the arena as the ground beneath the competitors shifted to reveal a vast, circular battlefield of burning embers. The air shimmered with heat, the flames casting dancing shadows that seemed to writhe and coil like living things, Demonic whispers followed Cali’s every move.
Alex braced himself, his heart pounding a heavy rhythm against his ribs. Ru and Bu, on either side of him, visibly trembled, their eyes wide with a mixture of fear and determination. The three gladiators lunged forward, their movements blurring as they attacked.
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Ru and Bu, despite their earlier bravado, were immediately overwhelmed. Cali moved with blinding speed, her silver hair trailing behind her like a shimmering whip. She unleashed a flurry of attacks, each precise and deadly. Ru tried to counter with his brute force, but Cali’s strikes were too fast and too sharp, finding the gaps in his armor. He grunted as one blow sent him flying towards the burning edges of the arena, his muscles screaming in protest. The crowd chuckled as he fell flat on his face.
Bu, meanwhile, found himself battling against Cabi's unsettling, unorthodox fighting style. Cabi's movements were erratic, almost unpredictable, a confusing blend of feints and bursts of raw power. He dodged Bu's every attack with a calm and wild grin before landing a devastating blow that sent Bu crashing to the ground, spitting blood. The two demons looked up, bruised, battered and utterly defeated, their earlier arrogance replaced with fear.
"Having fun yet?" Cali's voice dripped with amusement as she toyed with Ru, her violet eyes glinting maliciously.
"Such a disappointment, and I was so looking forward to seeing a decent fight," Cabi yawned, effortlessly sidestepping another of Bu's desperate attacks.
Ragna, however, was solely focused on Alex. The moment their eyes met, a wave of raw pressure crashed down on Alex like a physical blow. Alex who thought he was sure to win and losing was an option couldn’t help but clear his thoughts as he decided to give it his all, Ragna moved like a predator, his strikes precise and merciless, forcing Alex to evade to stay in the fight. The two engaged in a furious exchange of blows, the sounds of their clash reverberating throughout the arena. Alex used his spectral piece to analyze the flow of Ragna’s Attacks, while attempting to land strikes of his own, but Ragna seemed to anticipate his every move, countering with a brutal efficiency.
"Is that all you got?" Ragna sneered, his voice a low, menacing growl. He sent a powerful punch that ripped through Alex's guard, sending him reeling backwards.
"He's not even trying!" Moloch giggled, clapping his hands with delight. "Look at the pitiful things struggling!" His eyes gleamed as he watched the battle unfold.
