YESTERDAY
"What, are you insane? I'm not fighting that thing!" she screamed, standing in the small, dingy office of the Rooster's manager.
"Come on, Zara. The man needs an opponent by tomorrow. Where's that step-up kid we all love?"
He smiled as he nudged her on from behind his desk, gesturing to stacks of money.
"Oh, you must think I'm stupid. I said no. Find someone else." She crossed her arms as she stared at him.
"Are you sure you want to lose this chance, Zara?"
"You know, maybe you wouldn't have such a problem finding him an opponent if his last ten opponents weren't either dead or paralyzed because of him. Sorry, but my answer isn't changing," she said as she got up to leave the office.
"Ten thousand rubies," he yelled. Zara stopped with her hands on the door frame.
"That's the betting pool we are looking at if you agree to the match."
The chair screeched as he got up and walked toward her. "With a two-thousand-ruby cut... you won't need to fight for a looong time, Zara. You won't even have to see my ugly face for a long time, and I know how badly you'd want that."
Zara tried to hide her smile but still chuckled.
"Come on, what do you say?"
Zara shook her head and turned to the manager. "He KILLS people."
"Don't worry about that. I talked with him, and I swear I will get him under control."
Zara looked at him doubtfully.
He raised his hand to his chest and smiled. "Scout's honor."
Zara stayed quiet, standing at that door.
"Think what this money could do for you, for your brother... your mother. Just say yes," he cocked his head to the side while looking at her sympathetically. "You would finally be able to get your brother into that art school."
Zara looked at his desk and the batches of cash that lay on it.
Two thousand rubies? She thought.
"Fine."
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TODAY
"What! We have an intruder in the ring. That's against the rules!" the commentator shrieked.
The crowd burst into a symphony of boos and jeering. People cussed out the man while others threw empty cans at him.
"You won. Let the girl go," Gazi spoke as he stopped Brux's fist with his hand.
"Leave. Before I make you chauffeur her to the afterlife," Brux screamed as he tried to press past Gazi's defense.
"You WON. Now leave her be," Gazi repeated, his voice calm though a bit strained from his muscle exertion.
Brux dropped the unconscious girl to the ground and relaxed his fist. He glanced at Gazi, who was still glaring at him, and smirked.
He turned to the crowd, raising his hands in victory.
"BRUX! BRUX! BRUX!" The crowd sang.
Tanaka waited outside the Rooster with Zipher as he tried to calm him down. Gazi bent over and placed two fingers on Zara's neck and stayed still. While celebrating, Brux callously turned his head to face Gazi, who was kneeling and checking on Zara with his back turned. His eyes gleamed as they started to glow in their grey hue. He slowly approached him, striking one of his signature sinister smiles. Brux drew his arm back, gathering all the strength and chipo he had, ready to strike. Brux sent his fist flying toward Gazi. Gazi was able to carry Zara and evade the punch all in one swift move. The air ripples from the punch itself were so intense they burst a hole into the cage. Some people who were unfortunate enough to be in the direction were blown away.
"You just couldn't accept your victory, could you?" Gazi uttered whilst wiping some dust off his clothes. His lips curved up a bit, eyes glowing orange as he lifted his head to face Brux with those seemingly void eyes.
"Honestly." He paused. "I'd be lying if I said I did not hope you wouldn't." Gazi's patterns glowed, and within a blink, he had closed the distance between them.
Gazi surgically struck Brux's inner thigh, on the upper portion of his leg, causing his leg to collapse and lose balance. While Brux stumbled, Gazi then went on to use a palm strike aimed at his solar plexus at the center of his chest, causing Brux to gasp for air as he limped backward, grabbing onto his chest. Gazi strutted back and forth, staring daggers into Brux's eyes, which were practically bulging out of his skull as he tried to regain his breath.
"You seem to be having trouble, friend." He dropped the words low but full to the brim with unfriendly motive.
"Sorry... sorry," Brux mouthed out through his raspy voice. The crowd was silent all the while as they saw the predator turn prey.
"Hmm." Gazi smiled softly as he walked toward Brux. He had his hands behind his back as he did so, a force of habit from his military training.
"What? Say it again," Gazi asked.
"Please. You win, okay? I'll leave," Brux's raspy voice let out as he limped away from Gazi, unintentionally trapping himself between the cage and Gazi.
"I'll leave," Brux repeated.
Gazi's clouds of thick air formed in the ring.
Brux lifted his hands to a cross to cover his head as Gazi appeared in front of him. He struck the other leg, causing Brux to fall to his knees after both legs had lost power.
"You give up?" Gazi stood above Brux, kneeling in the ring. The wide-eyed people held their hands to their mouths.
Gazi tapped his black pants and crouched down slowly until his eyes were the same height as Brux's. He chuckled lightly as Brux stared into those dark, emotionless eyes. His lips curved into a grin as sparks of orange started forming in his eyes.
"And you think I will let you?"