"What the hell are you doing here?"
Wise had spoken calmly, without letting any hostility seep into his voice, but Taryn still seemed taken aback.
It looked like she too was surprised to have met him here of all places. "I, umm—"
"For today's matches, there will be one bonus rule!" The announcer said, cutting her off. "If your partner dies, you will automatically be disqualified."
'So that's the angle…'
"Team 19, your march begins now. The rest you may return to the waiting area."
Deciding to save their conversation for later, Wise and Taryn left the stage and walked through the doors that led to the waiting area.
Once they arrived, Wise wasted no time before repeating his question.
Taryn avoided looking him in the eyes, strangely her face was turning pink but she did not speak at first, up until she suddenly half-yelled, "Debt!"
She a deep breath. "I'm here to settle my debt."
'Debt? How is the arena going to help her style her debt?'
Wise stared at her, his eyebrows furrowed. "I don't think I follow…"
Taryn took a deep breath before speaking. "When I arrived in this city, I burrowed a large sum of money from the city bank to open my tavern."
"Business hasn't been exactly bad, but the interest here, especially for foreigners, is very high and I'm at risk of losing my business."
She was staring at the ground while speaking and occasionally rubbing her shoulders nervously.
"Yesterday, one of the tournament organizers came by my tavern and made me an offer. He said they needed more diversity and that if I participated in the games, my debt would be cleared."
"I was going to outright refuse at first, but he said the organizers will do their best to prevent any deaths. All I had to do was show up… isn't that a great deal?"
Wise slowly shook his head.
'The queen huh?' He couldn't shake the feeling that he was partly to blame for this.
Their plan was so obvious that it wasn't even hidden. Get her to pair with him, kill her and as a result, execute him as well.
After his last match, they must have realized that he was not going to be stopped so easily, hence this roundabout plan.
"What is the matter?" Taryn asked, looking slightly concerned.
"I'm afraid you have been tricked."
Taryn shifted her weight to the staff. "What?"
"Just yesterday… there were five deaths."
"What??" Taryn stumbled back and plumped down on a stool.
The girl paled and her grip on the staff vibrated slightly. "It was an accident, right? The games are safe right???"
Wise simply stared at her, his stare was more than enough to answer all her questions.
Taryn let out a tired breath. "Can I withdraw from the match?"
Wise took a moment to consider it.
"Do you have your volunteer card with you?" It was a card given to those who agreed to come to the arena of their own free will.
But the way she looked at him in the next moment made Wise feel sorry for the woman.
"Volunteer card? What is that?"
Wise tapped his forehead with his palm in annoyance.
"Without it you can't leave, you can't even forfeit a match as long as it is against a monster."
Taryn curled up into a ball, staring blankly ahead. "I-I'm going to die… I-I don't want to die…"
Wise squatted next to her. "You have nothing to worry about. The monsters here aren't even that tough if you ask me."
He had to make sure she remained confident and hopeful if he wanted her to survive.
Wise offered her his hand, he was hoping that seeing the other warriors defeat the monsters would help her chase away her fear.
Team 19 was fighting what the announcer had called a terror piglet. There was nothing to fear about a mere pig-like beast so Wise felt rather fortunate.
She took his hand and Wise helped her rise to her feet and then they both stood in front of the window.
The terror piglet turned out to be just like its name described. Although more boar like in nature, the terror piglet was large, about the side of an suv.
Its fur was thick and dark brown in colour, with a few patterns that seemed to have no structure whatsoever.
But the terrifying part of the beast had to be its head. It had about eight sharp tusks protruding from its maw, and its mouth was a labyrinth of serrated teeth.
Team nine was slowly circling the best with their swords at the ready. It seemed they had already managed to injure the monster in many areas and had pushed it back.
But they were just as injured and even more exhausted than it.
'Come on, finish it,' Wise cheered internally.
As the two men approached the beast, the beast let out an audible grunt, and yet they proceeded.
It huffed, releasing steam from its nose but the men were not moved, they snuck closer and closer until something different happened—
Opening its mouth as wide as possible, the monster suddenly unleashed a high pitched wail.
And then the stupidest thing happened…
Distracted by the sound, the first warrior tripped, landing on his face.
Instead of quickly rising up to face the beast, he allowed fear creep into his heart and suddenly turned around and ran.
But he was not faster than the piglet.
Now that their formation was destroyed, the monster dashed towards the fleeing man, murder motivating its every step.
Just as it came close enough, the monster used its tusk to hook his armour and then the man was flung into the air—right into the mouth of the beast.
Crunch!
There was an audible sound of crushing bones. Blood leaked out of its mouth, painting its lips red and making it appear even more ominous.
'What the hell?' Wise thought as he glanced at Taryn who was watching the match with wide eyes.
'What the hell are you guys doing?!'
The piglet dragged its right foot across the ground, ready to charge.
Petrified by fear after watching his partner eaten whole, the second warrior threw his weapon and screamed at the top of his voice:
"I forfeit, I forfeit!"
But before the organisers could step in, the terror piglet suddenly bolted towards him.
Boom!
The monster rammed into him with more force than a speeding carriage.
Like a toy, the man's body was flung forward with so much force that he crashed into the opposite wall, causing a thrum to spread across it.
The man's lifeless body fell limp, his skull no doubt cracked from the impact, and his heart pierced by countless broken ribs.
'Well damn.'
"Don't take this match seriously…" Wise tried to say, but Taryn smiled, tears dripping from her eyes.
"I see… today is the day I die."