Bonus Art - Year of the Dragon (Plus Short Story)

Hey, guys! Thank you for your patience~ Before the short story, I just wanted to add a little preamble at the start here to apologise for the delay. The start of the year was kind of hectic for me for a number of reasons, but things are settling down again now and I hope to get back into the swing of things.

I may have gotten a touch carried away with this short story, too, and it turned into more of a  battle shounen thing than I intended with a third of it not even involving Ruby--but I figured it was best to build up to it and the eventual clash. Whether or not it's just a huge rambling mess is anyone's guess, but that's the benefit of these short stories--they're just experimental one-off things that serve as writing exercises for me to test ideas, to see what works, and what doesn't work as I then move back to the main writing. I hope you enjoy it all the same and your year has been off to a great start! 

--- STORY START ---

As is customary in Anzara, an annual tournament is held in the capital city of Rhan to celebrate the beginning of a new year. Hopeful combatants from all across the continent--and some even beyond--make the grand pilgrimage over to the city in the hopes of finding fame and fortune on the blood-spattered tiles of the arena. I'm one such warrior--but a simple martial artist from humble beginnings, looking to make a name for both myself, and my tiny little village that raised me into the man I am today.

I can't claim to have any skill with a blade. I certainly don't know any magic. And if you gave me a bow, I'd be more likely take my eye out than hit any kind of target. But if there's one thing I have complete confidence in, it's my fists. Honed from years of training before I was even old enough to walk upright, I carry with me the combined knowledge of countless ancestors who followed the same path as me. And with each new generation that the arts were passed onto, they became just a little more refined. Weaknesses in stances solved. Techniques honed. Entirely new skills devised. Until finally, it was my turn to inherit everything they'd been striving to perfect over the last thousand years.

And I don't mean to brag--as it wouldn't fit my typically stoic, outward image--but I'm pretty darn proud of my village's secret martial arts techniques and how I've adapted them as my own. I would be confident enough to say that there's probably no man in this city that could match me in hand-to-hand combat. And this is the very thing I set out to prove in this tournament. No matter my opponent. No matter their weapon. No matter their techniques. I've developed a counter for every combat style imaginable. My hands can shatter steel with enough focus. I'll claim that grand prize through however much blood, sweat and tears it takes, and finally put my village on the map!

A simple-minded goal, I'll admit. And a very modest one--at least compared to some of the lofty ambitions I've heard floating around from the other fighters in the dingy underground of the arena that serves as both a locker room and a place to wait between bouts--but it's what's driven me this far. And what will continue to drive me. My resolve is unshakeable. Even as I brush up shoulder to shoulder with so called 'legendary' heroes and adventurers who talk amongst themselves animatedly as bout after bout rages up above. Every now and then the dull din of the crowd rises to an excited roar as something especially brutal or violent happens, punctuated by the ceiling shaking or a pained cry ringing out.

I'd love for nothing more than to be up there in the stalls, watching each battle as it unfolds--purely from an analytical perspective--but for the sake of fairness, we're kept away from the fights until it's our time to do battle. I don't necessarily disagree with the decision, as going into a fight knowing an opponent's tricks ahead of time does dampen some of the thrill involved in raw combat--but it still doesn't make it any less frustrating to know that some truly brutal battles are taking place right above me and I'm completely in the dark.

Instead, all I can do is sit on one of the wooden benches provided alongside the lockers and try to meditate in anticipation of the battles to come. Or at least that was the plan. Reluctantly opening one eye, I'm met with a considerably sized figure standing over me. Clad in obnoxiously bright, gleaming silver armour that seems to shine bright even in the gloom of the locker room, a broad shouldered man grins down at me. I guess calling it a 'grin' is a bit charitable, though. It's more like a condescending sneer. But I like to see the best in people.

"Hey, boy. You really going to go out there in your pajamas? You DO know that this is a tournament, right? It's not some kind of slumber party." he says with a chuckle, making no effort to hide his disdain for me. His comment earns some snickering from around the room, only fuelling his ego. I give the man the same dull, disinterested look I've given most people in this city, who all seem to be so wrapped up in themselves.

"I am. Yes," I reply matter-of-factly as I follow his gaze down to the simple, loose-fitting black gi I wear over my unassuming figure, tied together with a white belt. It provides very little in the way of protection, but then if I'm getting hit in a fight, I've already lost.

Clearly not the reaction the silver-plated warrior was hoping for, his sneer twists into something a little more aggressive as he towers over me even more. Against the mounted torch crackling away behind him, the shadow he casts is enough to eclipse me entirely. I don't even so much as flinch.

"Huh? You think you're funny? That you're tough enough to waltz out there practically naked?! This isn't a game you know. It's life or death out there. The people want blood--and you'll be lucky if they call the match before you lose an arm, or worse. Just look at me, and I'm WEARING armour." He gestures to the countless scars decorating him like medals of honour, no doubt the result of many a bout before.

A number of responses surface in my head--each more snarky than the last. But I know if I even so much as humour his transparent attempts to get a rise out of me, things will only get worse. So, instead, I simply reply with, "okay." Evidently, this was not what the man wanted to hear. He snorts and clenches his large hands tight enough that veins begin to prominently bulge against his weathered, scarred skin. For a moment, he's wound himself up so tightly that it looks like he might just decide to take a swing at me here and now, but releases that tension the moment a voice calls out from behind.

"Okay, Mr. Shiny--you're up next. Don't keep the crowd waiting; they're still on a bloody high from the last fight. Heard some newcomer shredded someone to pieces with their bare hands."

Clipboard in hand, a bored looking man makes his presence known in the locker room. Scrawny of frame with dark hair peppered grey and a pair of metal-rimmed spectacles taking up a large part of his face, it's clear from a single glance that he isn't a contestant in this bloodsport. But rather, one of the ones organising it. He raps the clipboard impatiently, foot tapping along in tandem.

The silver-plated warrior glances over his shoulder at the organiser before looking back at me, opens his mouth as if he still has something to say, but ultimately shakes his head with a chuckle. Then, hoisting up an equally silver axe resting to the side, he follows the bespectacled man towards the lengthy flight of stairs that lead out to the arena.

"Hmph. You got lucky, brat. Looks like it's my time to shine!" is the last I heard of him before he vanishes from sight completely. Given the polished state of his gear, I can't help but wonder if he means that literally...

And then...silence. If you don't count the constant roaring of the audience, fighters and commentators alike that reverberate right back down to the underground of the expansive locker room that is almost akin to a dungeon. Given I'm not allowed to watch the fights, I have no idea how the silver-plated man's own bout went. And the fact that he hasn't come back down yet means nothing, as I know there are several locker rooms dotted on each side of the arena's expansive, labyrinthine underground--and people are sorted into them according to the tournament bracket, shuffled around with each new win to avoid two contestants awkwardly coming up the same steps together.

All I can do now is wait. And thankfully none of the other competitors around me are as loud-mouthed or as opinionated as that man was. I'm free to meditate cross-legged on the bench for all the time I have left. To steel my body and soul alike for when my first match finally comes.

I don't have to wait too much longer. Perhaps almost right after the silver-plated man's fight, my eyes flutter open at a familiar, bored voice calling out to me from the steps leading up.

"You're up, pajama boy," he says bluntly. I don't miss the slightest hint of a smirk gracing his otherwise stone-faced expression. He must have heard everything going down before... Just perfect. I rise to my feet and offer the organiser a bow with hand to fist. It's finally time. I follow him up the stairs. Out of the dungeon. And into the light.

In spite of the outward, cool and composed front I put on, my heart is hammering away a mile a minute. I know I'll be fine once the battle begins, and I'm in my element...but everything leading up to that has my nerves threatening to consume me entirely. It's all I can do not to let the self-doubt set in. I have to retain the confidence that brought me here--or this entire journey will have been for naught!

By the time I make it up the lengthy flight of stairs and out into the heart of the arena, sheer awe replaces any anxiety that may have been gnawing away at my core. Nestled away in the heart of the city, close to the castle, I'd known the arena was large...but to finally be at the center of it all...is something else entirely.

The moment I step out, I'm almost blinded entirely by the mid-afternoon sun blazing so high in the sky. My eyes had grown so used to the oppressive darkness of the dungeon of a locker room I'd almost forgotten just how bright sunlight could be. The roaring of the crowd packed shoulder to shoulder in the stands to either side of me is deafening. I feel the ground rumble under my feet from the sheer force of their combined cries. Every sense I possess is assaulted at once, threatening to bring me to my knees, and the battle hasn't even started yet!

Bringing an arm up to shade my eyes, I scan the expanse of the arena stretching out before me. There must be hundreds, if not thousands of people crammed into this venue--all thirsty for blood. Of which you'd think they'd had enough of already, if the crimson spatters painting the tiled floor under my bare feet were anything to by. Red stains both old and new glisten under the blazing heat of the sun, adding colour to an otherwise uniform grey square area that has been marked out for fighting.

"Aaaaand it looks like we have our next set of contestants, folks! Let's make these newcomers to Rhan feel nice and welcome, huh?"

I blink at the sound of a particularly husky, yet feminine voice sounding out from an elevated stand at the far end of the arena. Her rough, aged tone is seemingly amplified by some magical force or another, echoing out across every corner of the arena and driving the crowd into even more of a frenzy than before.

"Heehee, yup~ It looks like both our bold fighters in this match aren't native to Rhan at all. They're both a loooong way from home!"

A second voice far sweeter and younger--yet mischievous all the same--echoes out after the husky one. It's only after my vision finally adjusts to the bright sunlight beating down on the arena that I'm able to discern the figures behind these lively voices.

Who I can only assume to be the commentators assigned to this tournament, both a fiery haired older woman and an energetic girl with dark hair styled into a short bob cut--alongside a curiously shaped green hair clip--head a table atop the elevator stand they have to themselves between the two far more packed sets of seats reserved for the audience. Given how far away and how high up they are, I can't make out too much more detail between them beyond the broad strokes, but one thing that strikes me almost immediately is just how...well endowed the pair of them to be.

Something of a common theme I noticed since arriving at this city--to the point I wonder if there's just something in the water at Rhan that makes girls grow differently--both of the commentators, old and young boast impressively buxom chests that would make any man envious of the table their chests rest upon. And even from this far away, I can see the table is straining to keep both fantastic pairs of abundant softness held up. And here I thought it was down on this bloodied arena where the true struggle lay... Keep fighting, table--you're doing a noble job.

At long last, the excited roaring of the crowd--which doubled as a greeting for me and my opponent alike--dies down, allowing the commentators to continue their spiel.

"On this side, we've got a guy straight from the mountains! ...Huh. I figured he'd be a bit bigger if he was out trainin' against wolves and bears and stuff, but, ah well. Younger than I thought, too!"

I stiffen up as I realise the older woman--with the fiery red hair and what I believe to be freckles dotting her face--is talking about me. I can feel the physical presence of a thousand pairs of eyes or more bearing down on me. Sizing me up. Taking in every last little detail. The pressure is immense, but I stand tall, weathering the scrutiny as best I can. The crowd whoops and hollers for me, while a large part also snickers and jeers, having already made up their minds about my martial prowess apparently.

"But let's not forget, Anna--looks can be deceiving~ You never know what even the tiniest little guy is packing away!" the second voice chirps--belonging to the young girl dressed in a manner that certainly isn't native to Rhan.

"...True enough. Maybe I was bein' unfair to the little guy, 'nd already wrote him off, given who his opponent is 'nd all."

...At that, I finally register that the person I'm fighting is indeed on the other end of the arena. I'd gotten so swept up in the excitement of the live crowd, and the...ample...nature of the commentators that I'd failed to spot him at all. Which is quite a feat, given the sheer size of my opponent. It's no wonder people have their doubts about me.

A mountain of man stands just a short distance away. Tan, weathered skin and clad in little more than a studded leather harness that thankfully covers his modesty but leaves all else exposed, he cuts an imposing, nightmarish figure. A contradictory blend of muscle, yet fat at the same time, he comes across more as a grotesque patchwork of meaty slabs built up to form something remotely resembling a person, more than some of the more impressively disciplined physiques I've seen on display around here. The fact he has no hair--or neck--doesn't help with this image at all.

"'Nd on this side, we've got the biggest boy we've seen yet. He's gotta be at least seven feet tall, sheesh. The, uh...'The Butcher', I think they call him, right? 'Nd I don't think it's because he's carvin' up roast meat for his crew that he rolls around with. That I'm sure don't get up to any kinds of illegal activities at all."

"Well... He DOES have a cleaver! So maybe he works as a proper one on the side? It's good to have a side job when the whole murdering and pillaging thing isn't going so well!"

...The older woman, who I believe I heard mentioned as Anna simply sighs. "...Yeah. I don't think that hulkin' great thing he's swingin' around goes anywhere NEAR normal meat, Ren. But I like yer positive thinkin'."

Just as they say, clutched in one of his scarred, meaty paws that might slightly resemble a hand if you squinted enough, an almost comically large cleaver gleams in the light. Chipped and spattered with a number of reddish stains, it's abundantly clear his weapon is no stranger to a battle or hundred. Getting hit even once by that thing is probably going to spell the end of my fighting career. IF I'm lucky. But just as I'd decided before, if I allow myself to get hit, it means I've already failed as a warrior.

As I take in the butcher's form, he glares right back at me with burning red eyes. And then...after a very short appraisal of who he's up against, he snorts before letting loose an imposing roar. A roar so loud it momentarily stuns the crowd into silence. A battle cry that physically SPLITS the air as I feel the force of it rush past me, followed with the pungent odour of his breath. A lesser man might have fainted there and then from the stench. And I think a few people in the crowd actually do.

The giant figure coupled together with both the roar and the excessively large weapon is an imposing sight to be sure. One that might make even the most seasoned of warriors lose their nerve. But I'd already steeled myself on the way up here. I refuse to be shaken by his act. Muscle... Steel... Even sheer weight--they mean nothing to a disciplined martial artist. This meaty slab of a human being is just one obstacle of many in a tournament I intend to win no matter what's thrown my way.

"Alrighty, then... Introductions over with--and, er, that excessive machismo display--how 'bout we get to the fightin'?" Anna announces a little TOO happily. I think she has just as much bloodlust bubbling away in her as the audience roaring around us, having finally recovered from the man's own war cry. "Fighters--take yer stances 'nd don't start rippin' each other apart until I say 'fight'!"

Bare feet sliding across the tiled ground of the arena, I take up a stance that has been drilled into me since I was old enough to walk. Feet spread apart--one in front, one behind--and fists held in a similar manner--one held closer to my chest and the other extended out--I maintain a loose posture. Nothing too tense or tightly strung. It allows me to react at a moment's notice, and to throw my body into a flow, to counter anything thrown my way. You could say such a stance has no weakness--but I'm not THAT arrogant.

The Butcher snorts again and hoists his bloodied cleaver up lazily. His posture lacks any kind of discipline. It's clear to me he's a man who's gotten through every fight simply by throwing his absurd weight and strength about until his target yields. And...I suppose if it's gotten him this far, then I can see why he hasn't bothered to diverge from it. But...he's about to learn today that there are just some foes you can't hack away at.

...A heavy tension hangs in the air as we both assume our stances. Even the crowd goes still in anticipation of what's to come. The calm before the storm, if you will. This is it. Everything I've been working for comes to fruition today. I can do it. I just know I can.

I hear the husky woman's lips part with a wet smack as she hovers over the strange crystalline device that must amplify her voice across the arena. I even hear the intake of breath, before...finally...

"...Fight!"

With those magic words uttered by the freckled woman, time resumes again. The crowd explodes into life. The Butcher lumbers towards me with another LOUD roar, making short work of the tiles between in just several bounds. He's...surprisingly agile for one so big. I'll give him that.

I remain in place as the distance rapidly closes. I keep my stance as loose as I can. My heart rate accelerates--but even still, I try to desperately calm my breathing. All the while, I keep my narrowed eyes trained on the hulking mass barrelling straight for me.

Right before me now, the cleaver is brought up high in the air like a guillotine. The excessively tall and flabby man blocks everything else out of view as he readies what I'm sure he hopes to be his first and only attack against me.

But I don't let him finish. The moment he stopped before me and made a ridiculous display of winding his arm up to end me was the moment he'd lost his chance to finish that swing. So confident of the bulk he had over me--or just his defense in general--he left himself wide open. A grave mistake which I didn't let go by unpunished.

Sucking in a sharp breath, my fist lashes out like lightning, driving deep into the excessive, jiggling expanse of a flabby gut eclipsing my view. To the untrained eye, it might seem like my comparatively tiny hand simply rebounded off of the disgusting mound of flesh, his fat absorbed the bulk of my attack. But I know for sure that it went far deeper than that. An unassuming punch to anyone but me and the Butcher experiencing it with widened eyes, my fist released a concentrated wave of energy at the point of impact. Effectively ensuring the attack drove far deeper, reverberated right through the man and his internal organs, like a bell being struck.

...Something that's confirmed to me by the fact his cleaver never did come swinging down, and the soundless cry he let out as he staggers back, free hand to his gut.

"Whoa-hohhhh! Did you see that?!" the excited commentator--Ren, I believe--cries out in amazement alongside the crowd who had been stunned almost as much as the one who had just taken a fist to the gut. "So fast! So powerful! Turns out this little guy WAS full of surprises, heehee~"

"Huh...? He punched him, did he? I didn't catch it. It happened so fast."

"Aww, is your eyesight starting to fail you in your old age, Anna? It's okay--maybe it's time for glasses, hmmm?"

"...Watch it now. Just remember who supplies ya with booze, y'cheeky minx."

As the pair of commentators talk about...whatever they might be, I drown out all of the noise to focus on my reeling opponent. Credit where it's due--he's still standing, even after such a brutal punch caught him off-guard; a lot of opponents I've fought in the past would drop with that one blow alone. But then I would have been disappointed if a hulking mass of muscle and fat like him fell so easily.

"L-lucky hit..." the Butcher growls as he straightens back up and reinforces his grip on his cleaver. He shrugs off the damage as best he can, but I know for a fact he's pushing past unbelievable internal pain right now. "But it's not gonna work a second time!"

I maintain my poise as I pull back my fist and settle into a neutral stance again, exhaling for good measure. With careful eyes, I watch as his excessively large figure tenses up. Veins bulge against his muscles, and then--...there!

His body betrays him and his attack is obvious. This time, he comes in with a much faster horizontal swing of his cleaver. The chipped and bloodied steel sings as it carves through the air, intending to lop my head off entirely. I duck, of course, letting it sail harmlessly overhead with a rush of wind. But he anticipates this and is quick to follow up with an angled, downward slash, which I kick off to the side to avoid as the cleaver embeds itself into the ground with an explosion of stone.

"Ohhh! Did he get it stuck in there? Is this it, already?! Wait--no! A-amazing!"

...Both Ren and I express surprise in tandem at the Butcher uprooting his enormous weapon from out of the ground with but a single grunt of effort, bringing up the entire tile with it. So much strength...wasted on such unrefined technique. I'd almost want to give him pointers on how best to apply this brutish power, if not for the fact I know he'd throw it right back in my face.

But it's fine. I think I've gotten the gist of this man's power now--and the limits of his abilities. He isn't a tactical genius. He doesn't harbour any kind of latent spiritual power. He's just a giant with a cleaver. It's about time to end this.

With the tile still stuck to the cleaver, the Butcher grunts as he swings the blade my way and the tile comes launching off as a makeshift projectile, spinning with enough force to make it lethal.

...Okay. He might not be a tactical genius, but that's still pretty clever. Maybe being pushed to his limits is actually pumping some blood up to that big head of his? Still. It's not enough.

Realising it's about time I stop testing my opponent, I straighten up in the face of the spinning tile coming my way and simply...backhand it. Just a casual flick of the wrist and the tile shatters harmlessly to the side. Because no matter the velocity, this little chunk of rock is nothing compared to the mountain faces I've trained against.

Perhaps anticipating this now, and being far more wary of me, the Butcher is already following up on the projectile attack, charging in swinging with his cleaver through the veil of dust the shattered tile afforded him. I tense up in the face of this raging steel, knowing one way or another, the fight will end after this attack.

"Huh. The kid can punch stone. That's...somethin'. But can he punch steel? 'Cuz it looks like he's gonna take this cleaver head on!"

I answer Anna's question quite thoroughly as the back of my tightened fist meets the edge of the Butcher's cleaver with a resounding clang. And rather than lose my hand in the process...the absurdly large weapon is stopped right in its tracks, quaking against my steadfast digits. Sheer disbelief crosses over the Butcher's face when mere moments ago he'd been grinning with the satisfaction of certain victory. Fist still held against his cleaver, I angle my head up to meet his widened gaze. I don't speak--but the clear determination burning in my eyes is all the communication he needs to know that it's over.

The Butcher makes to pull back and try again, hoping to get lucky a second time, but before he can even think of that, a distinct sound catches his ear.

"Huh...? Whuzzat?" he muses uncertainly as he glances at the cleaver.

It's faint at first--and drowned out by the crowd--but it grows louder and louder as time passes by in our clash of fist and blade.

A cracking sound. The clear, identifiable sound of something buckling under an excessive amount of force. Bending. Breaking. And it's not my fist.

The Butcher can only watch on in horror as cracks begin to spider out across his beloved cleaver, starting from where my unharmed fist meets the point of his blade, and spreading from there. Until finally...the cleaver can take no more, and splinters into countless metal shards.

In the confusion of it all, I lash out with one last punch, aimed squarely at his unguarded, exposed gut. Gargling, the man drops to the ground with a mighty quake before even the last few pieces of his shattered blade can join him.

Stunned silence once more. I take this time to exhale a healthy helping of steam as I drive out the excessive amount of heat built up in my body before bowing to my downed opponent. Hand to fist, I give even the most grotesque of opponents the honor and respect they deserve for having given it their all in our bout.

And then the crowd goes wild once more in a mix of excitement and disbelief at what they'd just witnessed. I think I even hear a few cursing that their bets had gone up in smoke. My apologies.

Even the commentators struggle to finds their voices in the face of my apparently unexpected victory, but just like the crowd, they're quick to recover.

"...That answers that I s'pose. We have our winner of this round, folks!" Anna finally declares, prompting another wave of excitement to explode throughout the stands.

"Heehee--I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, though. Isn't it always the case in these kinda stories? Where the unassuming little guy bests the hulking brute against all odds? I'm expecting great things out of you, y'pajama wearing cutie, you!"

...Keeping my head bowed low, I try not to let the buxom girl's words get to me, hoping the faintest signs of heat across my cheeks aren't visible from this far away. Facing off against a large mountain of a man is one thing, but...girls--especially ones as beautiful as the ones I've seen parading around Rhan in such skimpy outfits... Well. They're another challenge altogether. Let's just say up in the mountains you don't really get women like her and her red-headed friend up there.

"Call me crazy, but I feel like this guy might just be the challenger we need for our OTHER martial artist who dominated their match," Anna says rather mysteriously. Ren is quick to chime in to agree, leaning over the table with her bust pushing in so tight I swear I can hear the wood crying out.

"Ooh, yeah! I hope both of them make it far enough to face off! That'd be a battle for the ages, heehee. Those rock-crushing, steel-blocking fists might be just what someone needs to stand a chance against that monster!"

...I straighten up, suddenly not so embarrassed anymore as the prospect of a worthy challenge catches my ear. Interesting. So there's another martial artist out here? It's not just all overly confident and cocky brutes swinging slabs of metal? Much like they say, I hope I get the chance to cross fists with them, then.

No. I tighten my hands into the solid blocks of steel that they truly are. I WILL get that far. And will take this momentum all the way to the end. With that goal in mind, I offer up one last bow to the audience before heading back down the stairs and into the dungeons until my next match.

After a decisive victory against the Butcher, the events that followed were all a blur to a certain point. It was a chaotic whirlwind of being called back up when it was my match, winning in but a few strikes--much to the excitement of both the crowd AND the commentators--and then being shuffled back down underground again. Rinse and repeat.

In the span of but a single day, I fought more foes than I can recall, from all walks of life, with all manner of combat styles. There were the more savage ones like the Butcher who met the same gut-wrenching fates, the more sneaky sorts that failed to get the drop on me, and even a few magic users, who failed to do much of anything once I closed the gap on them before they could cast anything worthwhile.

With each new foe that fell before me and my extended fist, my confidence swelled. Not that I had any shortage of it to begin with, but...that reality I'd dreamt of for so long was becoming increasingly real by the moment, and that fuelled me ever on.

Seemingly no-one could stop me. Not even that arrogant, silver-plated man who I eventually did clash against in the penultimate round. But sadly it was nowhere near as climatic as it should have been given the build-up beforehand. He fell just as easily as the Butcher did--if not more so--perhaps overconfident in his armour and not expecting it to crumble around him with a single, earth-shattering punch.

No... It seemed fate had a far greater, far more climatic battle waiting ahead of me--having perfectly aligned with the final round for the greatest effect.

This mysterious opponent that both Ren and Anna had talked about so much, gushing over their victories just as much as mine, and the potential for us to finally clash. If I had to guess, I would imagine the tournament organisers purposely kept us apart until this very moment, just to make the finals something truly spectacular.

Something of a gamble, if one of us failed to reach this point in the end...but I suppose they had that much faith in the pair of us, and that we demonstrated skills that were a clear cut above the rest.

The time finally came.

I make my up the stairs from the shadowy haven of the locker room one last time. At this point, it's but a simple routine. I don't even feel the post-match nerves anymore. In the place of those anxious, heart-pounding jitters is excitement. Raw, unbridled excitement at the fight that awaits me in this final match.

I'm not typically one to get swept up in the excitement of a battle, lest it distract me too much from what truly matters...but after the disappointing showings all through today, I think it's only natural to want at least some degree of a challenge. For someone to withstand more than a couple of punches--if I'm lucky, at that.

Sucking in a determined breath, I reach the top of the stairs and emerge out into the arena to raucous cheers of 'Pajama Boy' over and over--most in reverence. I...really hate that at some point that name became my official title, I think thanks to both Ren and Anna's meddling...but I guess it's better than some of the nicknames I've heard floating around here. So I take it in stride and bow the same as I always do, even if some repressed part of me wants to put on a far flashier entrance.

At this point the sunlight is beginning to dwindle, with the fighting having raged long into the beginnings of night. But a little darkness isn't enough to stop the bloodlust in the air, and an abundance of torches have been lit to keep the show going on. It makes for a fitting last match, I suppose, with the sun setting on everything here and now in this final bout.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's been a hell of a ride today!" Anna loudly declares from the commentator's stand as she scoops up her voice-amplifying device and animatedly gestures over the table that has somehow endured the heft of two massive busts this whole day. "I never thought we'd get matches THIS excitin' leadin' up to it all--but here we are! The final battle! The winner of this round will take home the cup, the money, and of course, that prestigious title of 'Champion' that I'm sure you've all been so hungry for!"

"Don't forget all the ladies~" Ren chirps in mischievously from the side. "I hear the ladies just LOVE a champion. I know I'd wanna get a piece of that myself, mrow~" She swishes her hand like a paw for good measure.

...My cheeks somehow manage to flush over at that thought in spite of the adrenaline coursing through my veins in preparation of what's to come. You'd think after an entire day of her teasing I'd be a little more resistant to it...but no. Of course not. Mastering the steel fist is one thing, but...women? I think it'd take me several lifetimes over to even begin to comprehend them and the strange feelings they incite deep inside.

"Oh, yeah, huh... I guess whoever wins tonight is in for a hell of an afterparty, heh-heh..." Anna agrees quite readily, a sleazy quality to her husky voice. Then, after a particularly shifty-eyed glance around, she continues. "'Nd speakin' of parties, I guess while I have the chance, I might as well tell ya all that after this is all done, why don't ya head on over to the Fox and Hare inn for a nice, cold pint? I'll even offer a pretty nice--er...I guess an acceptable discount for anyone that took part in the fightin' today!"

"Oohhh, Anna... I don't think your unsanctioned endorsement of your own business is going down too well with the tournament officials," Ren snickers, "Grumpyboobs is staring DAGGERS at you from over there! Or maybe it's at me for pulling her chestplate strap undone earlier on. Maybe it's both of us!"

"Heh-heh... I figured I'd taken my chance. It's not every day y'get to advertise in front of thousands of people! This is half of the reason why I agreed to do this, y'know!"

"Anyways~ Putting aside the fact we might have an impromptu exhibit match between Cynthia and us two after this is done--how about we get to what everyone has come for?"

Anna clears her throat before setting the voice amplifier back down and assuming something almost resembling a professional posture. "Right, right. The fightin'. I didn't forget, honest! How could I with the two titans we've got lined up for this final match?!"

She says that...and yet...blinking ahead at the space where the other opponent usually is...I'm met with nothing. Which is strange. Usually both of us exit out from the steps at the same time. Did they get lost on the way up somehow? Or...fall? What an ending that would be...

"Aww, look how cute Pajama Boy is when he's confused!" Ren chirps in an overly sweet tone. Again, I feel my face heating when she uses that voice right at me. "Don't worry--your opponent will be revealed in a second! They just insisted on making this last entrance really special!"

"Heh, yeah. This is gonna be a hell of a show. Might wanna brace yerself, kid!"

I tense up per Anna's warning, gaze fixed on the opening to the stairs on the other side of the arena. The erratic beating of my heart that had been soothed for so long suddenly returns. They're making it sound like an absolute monster is about to burst out of there... But...whoever it is...whatever it is...it's not going to be enough to stop me. I clench my hands into fists for good measure and watch on both the crowd and commentors alike fall silent.

"On this side, we have our baby-faced crowd favourite... Pajama Boy!" Anna finally announces, building the tension. I barely register her words or react to that absurd nickname, still too focused on the stairway. "And on this side... You've seen them absolutely SHRED through opponent after opponent without so much as breaking a sweat… Will they be able to do the same to Pajama Boy? I'm sure this is the fight you've all been waitin' for this entire day! 'Nd sorry to have kept ya!"

Ren leans in over her own voice amplifying device, almost knocking it off the table with the sway of her enormous chest--just barely catching it before it can topple as the excitement bubbles up inside her.

"Enter... Rrrrrradical Ruby!"

Then, from the deepest depths of the dark stairway leading up to the arena...something ignites. At first, it's just the faintest glimmer of amber shining from out of those pitch black depths, like a match being struck, before it erupts into a full on pillar of fire that explodes out into the open in an excessive display.

I stand my ground as the crowd loses their collective mind all around me. I'm blasted by an intense wave of heat as that burst of flames rushes out into the open air harmlessly. And at the tail end of that flashy explosion, my opponent leaps through the lingering embers and into the arena at long last.

"Roarrrr!"

Landing on two clawed feet--just as bare as mine--they waste no time announcing their presence with a booming cry. The crowd roars right at them in an affectionate imitation.

It's then, as the fire finally dies down and the smoke completely clears, that I discover the identity of my mystery opponent who has been hyped up throughout the whole day.

Messy, wild red hair that falls to their broad shoulders. An imposing, muscular frame that stands tall--far taller than myself. Bright blue eyes brimming with confidence at the fight to come.

And...red scales?

I blink, attempting to discern the reality of the person standing before me. The more I take in their impressive physique--clearly hardened by countless battles over the years--the more abundantly clear it becomes that my opponent isn't human at all.

Red scales blend together with tan skin. A large, bulky tail sways behind them as if to reflect just how excited they are. There's fins in place of traditional, more human-like ears... And, most unsettling, they have pointed, razor-sharp teeth bared in a bright--yet malicious--grin, complimenting the equally sharp claws adorning their hands and feet. All decidedly monstrous traits to be sure. And yet, I feel I can't consider them a monster entirely, given how human other parts of them are.

Especially with the striking red dress they wear--which...in the heat of the moment, I hadn't realised just how much the tight-fitting attire emphasised their more...feminine features. Which...wait--...makes them...female...?

Confronted with two things I hadn't expected to face in the finals at once--both a woman AND a monster--my mind is thrown for a loop. I struggle to process the muscular, yet curvaceous opponent posing before me.

I find myself in awe at both the sheer power her body exudes, combined together with how perfectly the more feminine aspects compliment her frame--a jaw-dropping mixture of muscle, with softness in all the right places. The dress of eastern origin only further enhances her figure, its elaborate golden embroidery of a dragon drawing attention to her toned midsection and bust alike. An incredible ample bust at that, which is barely contained within the confines of the dress, the softness quaking with the slightest of movements and beckoning my eyes to enjoy the show. It takes all the willpower I can muster to pull my gaze up beyond her chest and meet those bright blue eyes staring back at me.

I... I might be in trouble here.

"Yo," the scaled woman finally says, casually waving a claw my way. So wrapped up in my mind and trying to calm my thumping heart, I just about jump at the sound of her rough voice. "Pajama Boy, right? We meet at last! I've been lookin' forward to this all day!"

"Y-yo..." I croak back with a far more awkward wave. Any of the confidence I gained over the countless amount of bodies that fell before my fist today drains away entirely in the face of this buxom creature. Both the audience and commentators pick up on the shift in my demeanour almost immediately, laughing amongst themselves at the clear fluster I find myself in.

"Oh-hoh... Now this is interesting~ Could it be we've found this little guy's weakness? I've never seen him so shy! And I've been teasing him all day!" A teasing giggle that could belong to none other than Ren drifts through the arena, amplified by her commentating device. As much as I want to refute her words...I fear she's absolutely right.

My opponent--known as...Radical Ruby...was it--rakes a claw through her hair idly as the crowd teases and taunts around us. Thankfully, she doesn't join in. But her grin definitely widens.

"Hmm? What's up, kid? Strugglin' to keep yer eyes up here?" She points to her own burning blue eyes with a chuckle. "I don't blame ya. This thing IS pretty tight...but they didn't have anythin' in dragon size, so I gotta make do." Digging a claw into the rather revealing opening of her dress, she attempts to adjust her chest with a grunt, making those curvaceous, tan orbs of hers jiggle around so much I feel like they might just pop out completely. The mere idea is enough to make me gawk even harder as I struggle to keep myself from fainting. G-Goddess preserve my innocence...!

Content her dress is all in order, Ruby nods to herself and then focuses her attention back on me--that violent smirk gracing her scaly face at odds with the enticing body she flaunts so readily.

"I ain't usually one to wear somethin' so girly, I gotta admit... But it was part of the deal for me even takin' part in this whole tournament. 'Cuz, well...I dunno if you've noticed, but my kind aren't exactly welcome 'round these parts."

I nod along, grateful for the opportunity to try and calm my mind again before the fight to come. Makes sense. From what I understand--especially in more populated cities--monsterkind isn't exactly living in harmony with their human neighbours. Most eke out far more meagre livings in impoverished settlements out of sight. It's only in the farthest reaches of the land, away from any sense of law or royal order that humans and monsters dare to try and live in harmony.

So the fact that one is here today, competing in a tournament--in the royal capital, no less--has been enough to leave me reeling before the battle's even begun. I can't even begin to imagine the circumstances that have led to Ruby being so readily accepted amongst the people here. And a fan favourite, if the 'Ra-di-cal Ru-by' chanting is anything to go by. Of which the dragon only encourages further, waving her claws to conduct the frenzied orchestra bursting all around her.

"For the sake of Pajama Boy, and those of ya just joinin' us..." Anna cuts in, having to speak especially loud to be heard over the din of the audience, "Ruby--..."

"Ahem--RADICAL Ruby~" Ruby insists, craning her neck to glare up at the commentators. Anna deflates and takes a moment to collect herself before starting over.

"...Fine. RADICAL Ruby, okay. For those wonderin' why a dragon, of all things, is fightin' in the heart of a city that is apparently so opposed to monsterkind...it's kind of a complicated story, but..."

"In some regions of the world, it's considered the year of the dragon. So we decided to make the tournament super ultra special this year by seeking out an actual, real life fire-breathing dragon and throwing her into the mix!" Ren helpfully interjects just when Anna looked like she was about to run out of steam.

Ruby puffs up with pride at this, hands to her shapely hips as her chest is thrust out for good measure. At this point I feel like I might as well not even make the polite attempt not to leer with how in my face they are. "'Bout damn time my kind get some recognition around here. 'Nd again...I coulda done without this girly dress...but they insisted it'd draw in the crowds."

"And were we wrong~?" Ren chirps in from her commentating stand above, her voice unnaturally sweet. "I'd like to think it helped people accept you a lot more than if you'd traipsed in here with that ratty leather stuff you love so much. People can't take their eyes off of you, Ms. Radical Ruby~"

"...Okay. Y'got a point there. I still think the makeup was overkill..." The dragon makes a point of rubbing at her eyes, of which I'm only just realising have some kind of red eyeshadow that helps to highlight her bright blue irises. I guess my attention was drawn elsewhere before, ah...

"But that's enough yammerin' from us, huh?" Anna says with a clearing of her throat. "We've got the backstories out of the way, how 'bout we get to the fightin'?!" The crowd roars in agreement with that. As does Ruby.

"Heh-heh--hell yeah! I didn't come out here to have a nice chat over some tea, after all! I came out here to WIN!" Balanced gracefully on one leg, and bulky claws held apart in a loose, yet confident manner, the dragon assumes a practiced stance before shooting a grin my way. "Y'ready over there, Mr. Pajamas? After everythin' I've been hearin' about you, y'better not disappoint!"

"...Likewise," I say, finally finding my voice again as I assume my own, unique stance in turn. My tone is level. Calm. In control. The reminder that this is indeed a fight--perhaps one of the most ferocious of my life--is quick to push away the more juvenile feelings that had been bubbling up in the face of an attractive woman confronting me. None of that matters right now. Only the battle ahead.

Man. Woman. Human. Dragon. It's all irrelevant on the battlefield. The only thing that stands before me is my opponent. Nothing more. Nothing less. I block out all of the useless, superfluous information threatening to throw me into a fluster and clear my head. I'd never forgive myself if I lost a fight for something as silly as being distracted by a large chest. Win or lose, I want to go into this final bout knowing I'd given it my all, or I can't call myself a martial artist. I'd have to renounce my title and hide away in shame for the rest of my life.

"Ahh... That's more like it." Ruby's grin widens in the face of my stance. "I ain't never seen a style like that before...but I can feel the power radiatin' from yer tiny little body! It's no wonder y'got this far!"

...She really is a clear cut above the rest, who had all charged at me with the assumption I was nothing more than a runt in over his head. Right from the get go, she can sense the threat, and the need to go all out. I just about suppress a smirk. This is going to be something special, isn't it?

"And combatants...get ready, if ya'd please... 'Nd..."

Just like every match prior to this, the crowd falls silent as tension grows between Ruby and I. Anna takes in a sharp breath as she hovers over the voice amplifying device, one word away from all hell breaking loose on the tiled arena ground. I narrow my eyes at Ruby. She narrows hers right back at me. I can practically feel the sparks flying between us as the air grows heavy and charged.

…

"FIGHT!"

Everything explodes at once the moment Anna cries out that magical world. The crowd erupts into cheers. Ruby takes off with a crack of the ground under her clawed feet. And even I blast forward with fists primed, refusing to go on the defensive in a match so crucial.

The resulting clash in the middle of the arena as fist meets claw is enough to bring forth an incredible shockwave that erupts between us and takes half the crowd off their feet in an excessive display of power from both sides.

"Not bad, Pajama Boy~" Ruby is somehow able to say with relative ease as we remain locked in the middle of the arena, the brunt of my fist straining against her equally shaky claw, both of us refusing to back down from the clash. "Yer the first person who hasn't been torn to mincemeat! Never met a guy who can handle my claw. Bare-handed, at that!"

Likewise, Ruby is one of the first opponents I've fought today who hasn't immediately found themselves on the back-pedal the moment I've went on the offensive. The fact that I've found somebody who might take more than a single blow to bring down excitements. Fuels me. Enough for me to even begin to gain leverage over the dragon as I push back against her claw, earning a brief flit of surprise across her bright blue eyes before her expression hardens back into a smirk.

"Heh-heh... Think y'can overpower a dragon, do ya? Y'ain't seen nothin' yet! Hrrar!" Roaring in my face--her breath vaguely stinking of ashes--and far more alcoholic beverages--Ruby pushes right back. Her bulky, tan arm bulges the more she pushes, and the true extent of her monstrous strength is put on clear display. Any advantage I thought I had over the dragon in this clash is forced right back in my face, to the point I'M forced to back-pedal and reluctantly break out of the clash to put some ground between us.

But Ruby doesn't let up. She's a relentless beast, kicking right back off the ground with another shattered tile in her wake as she comes for me, claws swiping. Realising I'll have no chance of dodging them, I'm forced to meet her attacks head on, parrying each heavy-handed swipe with a resounding 'clang' that echoes out every time our attacks come into contact--reinforced claw meeting with my steel-infused fists.

"Wh-whoa...! The fight has barely even started and they're at each other's throats! This is the first time I've seen someone take Ruby's claws head-on! AND come out without a scratch, at that!" Ren exclaims, the shock in her voice evident at the sheer brutality of our brawl.

Anna weighs in with a contemplative, throaty hum. "Hrrmm... Yeah, it sure is somethin', isn't it? I never thought I'd see SPARKS flyin' in a hand-to-hand battle! Looks like they both found their matches at long last! We really were right to save this one for last!"

"Uhm, Anna--I think Grumpyboobs is staring at you again, heehee~"

"Huh? Oh. Whoops. Was I not s'posed to let slip that we purposely kept these two apart until now? My bad."

...Pushing out the external noise of commentators and crowd alike, I still find myself in a lightning-fast exchange of blows against Ruby. Her whirling claws come at me from every angle, and it's all I can do just to block them, meeting each strike in turn with a powerful fist. It's keeping me from harm...but it's put me on the defensive completely. Every few strikes, I even feel my feet slipping back as she pushes me closer and closer to the edge of the arena. If this keeps up, I'll be kicked right out of the ring before I can even get another punch in!

"Heh-heh-heh! What's wrong, kid? Is this the best y'can do?! I'm impressed y'can match me claw-for-claw, sure--but if that's all yer capable of, then this isn't gonna end well for ya!" The dragon's boisterous laugh booms out around me as she continues her onslaught. There's almost a hint of disappointment in her voice, laced ever so slightly with the faintest hint of exertion.

I grit my teeth in the face of her taunts, feet sliding back yet another few inches as I bat away a claw aiming for my throat. Ruby's right. I'm being too careful here. Too defensive. I can't treat this fight like a normal one and expect my usual teachings to lead the way. If I want to fight against a DRAGON of all things, I need to start thinking outside the box. Start plotting recklessly--to the detriment of my own well-being. Not a suicidal rush, though...it can still be calculated... I just need to find the right opportunity, and...there!

The moment I sense her aiming for a less vital spot, I pivot and launch forward. The claw still hits me, and I wince as it carves right into my side--blood and fabric alike trailing in my wake--but with her arm extended as it is, it gives me the perfect opening to finally get in an attack of my own. One of which I make count, as a steel-infused fist drives right into her toned gut.

"A-acckk...?!"

My attack connects. There's a solid impact. A rush of wind from behind the dragon as she seizes up on the spot. And even though it was like punching a solid wall--the impact of the attack ringing all the way up my trembling arm--I know for certain my attack reached her. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't even have a head right now. Just like countless other opponents, this single, precise punch will have reverberated all through her being with a burst of spiritual energy.

"Ahhh! There it is! Pajama Boy's infamous 'One Punch' that has brought almost every other opponent of his to their knees! At the cost of his own well-being, he managed to land it! But will it be enough?!" Far beyond the edge of seat--and in fact on top of the table now on her hands and knees--Ren watches on in awe as Ruby stumbles back from my still extended fist.

A shaky claw clutched to the clear dent left in her gut and one eye shut in a wince, Ruby trembles as I finally retract my hand with an exhale of steam. "D-damn... Didn't expect ya to be quite so...crazy...heh..." She coughs up a spattering of blood that runs down her buxom front. "'Nd here I thought I was the one at an advantage with my claws 'nd all... J-just what the hell are yer tiny fists made of?!"

Even with the painful claw-marks raked into my side, I settle back into my favoured stance as I watch the dragon with careful eyes. I made sure to charge in when I knew her attack would be its least lethal to me... So I can handle this kind of damage. But the question is, can Ruby handle what I've dealt to HER?

She's already beginning to waver...and I'll be disappointed if in the end, she's just like all the others, but...

"Heh-heh... Heh..." The pained wheezing of before gives way to a breathy chuckle as the dragon straightens up, tall and proud. She lets her claw fall to her side as the dent in her stomach remains. "Ahaha... Hahahaha!" And finally, her chuckling erupts into full on laughter as she throws her head back, more blood dribbling down her mouth in sickly rivulets. "Now THIS is what I'm talkin' about! Finally someone that knows how to throw a punch around here! Goddamn, I thought all you humans had gotten soft!"

I fail to hide my smirk this time around. I can't tell if she's just pushing through the pain right now, or if she'd overreacted from that last hit...but this is exactly the kind of thing I wanted to see from my final opponent tonight.

"I guess she's not out yet! Incredible! Dragons truly are made of tougher stuff, huh?!" Ren cries out from above, prompting another excited cheer from the stalls.

"Whew... Tell me about it. I was worried there for a second. I have a lot of money ridin' on Ruby comin' out on top, y'know!"

"Uhh, Anna~?"

"Heh. What? Lemme guess--that guard captain's glarin' at me, again? C'mon--y'knew what y'were up for when y'hired me!"

"Mmhmm~ Why don't you wave to her? Hi, Grumpyboobs!"

Having recovered almost completely from the punch, Ruby cracks her neck and rolls her shoulders before hopping into another, far more aggressive stance than before--this one emphasising her claws in a far more monstrous nature with her upper half bent forward, ready to pounce. Bloodlust gleams in her eyes as she eyes up the spattering of crimson pooling at my feet.

"Heh-heh... Yer fists might be made of steel, but the rest of ya sure isn't, huh? Maybe if I wait long enough, ya'd just bleed out?"

I tighten my stance with a sharp exhale, pushing away the pain throbbing at my midsection. I guess even if the damage isn't too deep...I still am only human, and have blood loss to contend with, huh? But I think I can manage, as long as I don't sustain too many more cuts like this. I just need to keep on the offensive, and not let her get back into the same rhythm as before.

"Alright--let's go! This one's for real, now!" Ruby roars as she bursts forward. I match her with a blur of speed too, momentarily clashing against her claw before mixing it up and dancing around her side with a twirl.

"Whuh--..." Before she can react, I lash out with a punch to her side. And then another. And another. Each of them lacking the same power as the blow I'd landed to her stomach, but far quicker to launch as I unleash a flurry of attacks in an attempt to wear her down.

"Ooh! The little guy is on the offensive! Look at those cute fists of fury go! Watatatata!" Ren's animated commentary serves to punctuate just how fast and brutal my blows really are as each one rebounds off of the dragon's toughened hide in sequence and she struggles to gather herself enough for a counter.

"G-gh--uh--y-yer really startin' to tick me OFF!"

I'm thrown off-balance by an aggressive roar, one of my feet lashed at by an unseen appendage, leaving me utterly baffled as I'm forced to flip back in a retreat before her follow-up can gouge my eyes.

I don't get it--I'd been keeping a close eye on both her arms and legs, looking for any sign of retaliation, so what--...

And then it dawns on me. And I've never felt so stupid. I'm not fighting a human, am I? I'm fighting something far more monstrous, which means...

"Heh... Y'didn't see THAT comin', did ya, kid?" Ruby grins my way, her teeth dyed an unsettling red from all the blood she coughed up prior. Something long and bulky, adorned with all manner of red scales, sways before her. Her tail. Tch--I'd even taken notice of it before. How could I forget?!

"Ooh--that's a pretty underhanded move, I've gotta say..." Anna muses. "I never imagined a tail could be used in a fight!"

"Tails... Claws... An absurdly buff body--is there anything our Radical Ruby DOESN'T have? Just how much are the odds stacked against our brave little guy?!"

I find myself unconsciously nodding along with Ren's words as they boom out through the arena. She isn't wrong. As a monster--a dragon, no less--Ruby really does have every advantage in this fight, doesn't she? Not that I don't think she didn't earn her strength, of course, because even those kinds of benefits are useless if you don't know how to apply them in a fight. But then it just means when she finds herself evenly matched, she still has the tools needed to give herself the edge.

...All of that doesn't matter, though. It just means she's an even taller mountain of an obstacle than I expected. I just have to keep pushing, until it all crumbles before me!

"That lit a fire under ya, did it?" Ruby takes note of the renewed determination buzzing both through my system, AND blazing in my eyes. "Y'finally realisin' what yer up against? Alllll of this?!" She flexes her muscles for good measure before settling back into her aggressive, draconic stance. "Come at me. Let's end this, shrimp!"

At that, we both surge forward like warriors possessed in spite of the wounds we've accrued. Exhaustion doesn't exist here in the arena. Fatigue is just a state of mind.

We've both gotten a good feel for each other's abilities and overall strengths now, and so as we clash once more, it ends up resulting in a strange...almost sort of dance between us as we bob, weave and exchange blows to a certain kind of rhythm that only the pair of us can feel.

And things only escalate from here the faster our mad, frenzied dance becomes. Careful parrying of blows gives way to more reckless exchanges. She gets a slash to my shoulder whilst I get another punch to her vitals. She gets a knee to my own gut as I bring my foot around in a kick to her head. And the damage only piles up from there, each attack bringing with it an earth-shattering impact that is enough to leave bones shaking and heads ringing.

Sparks fly. Blood and sweat alike rain between us as our disciplined bodies clash like two titans that refuse to back down. Without realising it, even the arena around us slowly begins to crumble as the shockwaves emanating from our blows pulverises the rock more and more.

I've lost more blood than I can recall. I've lost sight of the crowd around me--only Ruby's bloodied, buxom form in view against a blackened void. Even the animated commentary of Ren and Anna has faded to a dull ringing in my ears as I continue to fight against the ruthless dragon with all of my might.

Any pain I may have once felt has numbed. But I know despite that, my body has its limitations, and I can't keep going like this forever. It's just my hope that my frail, human body holds out even just a second longer than the bulky monster I'm trading blows with.

And do you want to know the strangest thing at all? In spite of what should have been the most ruthless, violent battle of our lives--knowing that one of us might not come out of this alive--we're both smiling.

Broad grins from ear to ear--Ruby's far sharper than mine--teeth painted red from a number of internal wounds forcing up blood at the most inconvenient of times, we smile, as if we're two kids having the time of our lives. Even as our fists rebound off of one another's heads with another force to leave us seeing stars momentarily, our smiles never once fade.

In all my life, outside of a sardonic smirk now and then, I can't recall a time where I've smiled this much. Or this broadly. Is this what I've been missing this whole time? The thrill of a good fight? Has this dragon finally been able to offer me the one thing I felt I might never find in my life?

Punch after punch. Kick after kick. We pummel one another to a special beat shared between us. Our bodies move in sync. There's no malice to be found here--simply the desire to give one another a good fight. Covered from head to toe in blood and sweat, her buxom form heaving amid ragged breaths as she flows from one attack to the other, never in all my life have I seen someone so beautiful.

I don't want to say I'm falling in love in the middle of a fight...especially one this brutal...but...there's a very real possibility I'm feeling SOMETHING for this dragon, only compounded by the fact our brutal dance comes to its near conclusion as we lock hands together in one final struggle.

"H-heh... Still standin', huh? Y'sure y'ain't some kinda monster, too, kid?" Ruby continues to grin as our linked hands tremble against one another, each seeking to overpower the other for what we both know will be the final attack. She's right about against me now, too. Incredibly close--to the point I can feel the softness of her blood-slicked chest pressing up right against me.

And given how the entire top half of my 'pajamas' have been torn away in the ensuing fight, leaving only bare skin in its place...I can feel her breasts far more intimately than I probably should have. I can't tell if she's trying to leverage her chest against me just like she did her tail, or if this is just how things ended up, but I push back against her softness regardless. We've been fighting in this arena and become far too familiar with one another for me to get flustered over something as mild as this.

I'm sure both the crowd, and Anna and Ren must be screaming in excitement now with the end in sight...but I tuned them out a long time ago. I have eyes and ears for only the beautiful, ferocious dragon in my grasp.

Standing in a crater of our own making--where an arena once stood--our locked hands continue to push--both sides refusing to yield. Ruby's bloodied and battered face is right up in mine as she snorts steam in exertion. We're so close our wide grins are mere inches apart. The two manic expressions of battle-drunk fools who don't know when to call it quits.

"Y'know yer not gonna...nnn...win this...right?" Ruby grunts as she gains a slight advantage over me, my feet skittering back slightly. "B-but I admire the...nnn...tenacity!"

With a reserve of strength I never even knew I had, I force myself back right up against her, squishing against that wonderfully plush chest as I work things back to a more even standing. Those things really are a weapon in their own right, providing so much added weight for me to push back against...!

"Just...give up...shrimp!" Ruby growls through her teeth, muscular arms wavering more than I've ever seen. "Maybe I'll...spare ya...if y-ya...do! 'Cuz killin' someone like you'd be a huge...nn...waste!"

Her eyes begin to droop the harder she fights back--the exhaustion she's been battling to keep at bay for so long finally collecting its dues. And for a moment, hope soars through me at the realisation that I might out last...but just as quickly as that hope arrives do I feel my own eyes begin to grow heavier...and heavier still of their own volition.

If I could just...keep this up...a few seconds longer...I know that I can--...

The world blacks out and the last thing I'm able to recall is plunging face-first into that sheer abundance of softness the dragon had on full display.

…

When I wake up--after Goddess knows how long--I find myself nestled in an unfamiliar bed, head cradled in a large, soft set of pillows that unfortunately AREN'T Ruby's chest. A gloomy stone ceiling greets me overhead, reminiscent of the locker rooms the arena uses, suggesting I must be in some other underground facility deep below.

My first obvious instinct after this is to sit myself up, but despite my best attempts to will my body into a sitting position, I find my commands go unheard, shooting pain answering back instead. Glancing down at myself, I find my body is practically covered from the neck down in tight bandaging.

Right... I guess I did get a little carried away in my bout with Ruby... More than I responsibly should have. If my ancestors had been watching that battle...I hope they aren't TOO displeased.

"Ooh, goodness! You're awake?!"

An unfamiliar voice sounds from the side--of who I can't immediately discern thanks to not even being able to turn my head right now. Sweet and delicate, it sounds like it belongs to a fairly young woman, though. Not the gruff or mischievous tones I've grown accustomed to.

Once the mystery woman hurries herself on over, though, it's then that I feel I might very well have died and gone to heaven in that last fight against Ruby.

Short blonde hair and large blue eyes that radiate innocence, a very concerned woman looms over me. And from the dark, holy garb she wears, I feel it's safe to assume she's a nun. Or at least some kind of practicing sister of the faith.

Only...said habit she wears is absurdly tight-fitting, emphasising every outrageous curve of her body. It feels sacrilegious to even lay eyes on her with how little that near sheer fabric leaves to the imagination, fitting around her INCREDIBLY blessed chest so snugly it bounces and jiggles with every minute movement she makes. Honestly, she may as well be naked--it'd make very little difference with how much I can see of her holy form!

Blinking back the indecent, unholy thoughts as best I can, I wrench my gaze away from her huge chest and meet her concerned eyes. She leans over me in a way that only further emphasises her bust as it sways and brushes against my bandaged form. Which...I feel is very bad, given the state I'm in. If I were to get too aroused...it'd be painful, wouldn't it? Is she doing this on purpose? Is this a test from the Goddess herself?!

"So you really are awake! I'm so very glad to hear it!" She straightens up with a sigh of relief, hand clutched...AGAIN...to emphasise those mounds of hers. Relief gives way to a gentle smile as she clutches her hands together in a saintly manner, bows, and--oh...I give up.

"We were very worried about the damage you sustained out there in your battle, Sir Pajamas, to the point we feared you might not wake up for days--if not weeks! But it seems you truly are a fighter."

With most of my face wrapped up as tightly in gauze as my body, I lack any real ability to communicate with her beyond a few confused blinks. Which...thankfully this 'blessed' nun is able to pick up on.

"Oh! Right! Yes! Where are my manners?" She bows once more, almost making me pass out again with how much is bouncing before my eyes. "I am Sister June. Typically I run the church you'll find in the city, but I volunteered here today to tend to those in the tournament. Usually that means I apply healing potions as necessary and then people are off again... However..."

Her pure, pretty face scrunches up with concern as her eyes run over my mangled form. "I am afraid with the damage you have sustained, mere potions alone will not fix the damage. You shall have to remain in a state of rest for many weeks before you even think about raising a fist again. Is that acceptable?"

I nod my head again with what little movement I have and Sister June's face blooms into a saintly smile that could melt even the coldest of hearts.

"Wonderful~ So long as you understand. Still...to think you would wake up so soon...almost right after Ms. Ruby did. A dragon, I understand...but my... What a man you are, Sir Pajamas!"

...Ignoring this bizarre name that seems like it's going to stick forever...even when I retreat back to the mountains...her comment can't help but catch my ear as I finally manage to turn my head a tiny bit of the way to the neighbouring bed beside me.

Lounging almost casually is a familiar dragon. She greets me with a bandaged claw, waving it with some degree of effort and a wince before immediately letting the claw flop back down. "...Yo. Ah--goddammit--that smarts...!"

...The nun standing by can't help but sigh at Ruby's blatant blasphemy, but doesn't press on the issue. I would wave right back at the dragon if I could, but right now, I guess I'm far worse off than her, to the point I can't even talk.

"We really made a hell of a mess of each other, huh?" Ruby grins as June clicks her tongue and goes back to her medical duties elsewhere. I wonder if she's doing it on purpose? I nod back at the dragon, glad to see she's in such high spirits after everything we threw at each other. And...while a lot of her body is patched up with various bandages here and there, she isn't remotely as mummified as me. Just goes to show the difference between human and dragon after all, huh?

After a moment's silence between us--save for Sister June's angelic humming filling the air as she goes about folding sheets--Ruby continues, her voice a little more reserved than before.

"I guess you probably wanna know who won, huh?"

I perk up at that, wincing as I sit up just a little TOO far. I'd been so relieved just to wake up--and absolutely baffled by the busty nun in my face seconds after I'd come to--that I'd somehow forgotten entirely about the results of our grand battle! Or...had I already resigned myself to a loss, knowing full well I wouldn't have the stamina to match her?

Ruby slowly brings a claw up before raking at her hair, far messier than it was previously. "I wish I could tell ya, but the truth is, I conked out almost right as you did. Which kinda sucks after all that effort we put in, huh?"

...I exhale a shaky breath through my bandages that thankfully allow air in. So that's what happened, is it? Both our bodies gave out at the decisive moment? Just as Ruby laments, it's not the outcome I would have liked...but...maybe a result like that is for the best, or we might have both seriously killed ourselves out there.

"The question is...who fell first, right?"

"Oh! Right! That reminds me!" June cuts in from the side, hurrying over with an animated bounce of her chest. I most certainly don't miss the way Ruby's gaze also gravitates to that special sight along with mine. "Ms. Anna and Ms. Ren will be here shortly--and I believe they said they'd give you the results if you were both awake by then!"

Ruby flops back into her bed with a huff--though her gaze is still trained firmly on June's bust. "Ahhh... They just love their suspense, don't? Buncha clowns. Still...I guess it ain't so bad bein' tended to down here by our own personal nun, eh?" She waggles her eyebrows at me, and poor June--seemingly oblivious as she is--can't help but glance between us in confusion.

"Well, uhm... I suppose I shall tend to things elsewhere in the meantime. Do let me know if you need anything, though, and I'll be happy to help!"

...We both watch her bounce on off again and let out almost simultaneous sighs of bliss.

…

It doesn't take long before Anna and Ren finally do arrive, greeting us both in just as animated a nature as their commentating personas.

"There's my favourite little guy--sans the pajamas, heehee~" Ren leaps out as if to hug me, but stops short as she finally realises just how bandaged up I am. She settles for a pat of my head instead. "Nice work out there! I think that's the best final we've had in a while!"

Anna nods, arms folded together against the squishy heft of her freckled bust--more marvellous to behold up close than miles away in the stand, that's for sure. "Heh--too right. I know the guard captain is still grousin' 'bout all the damage to the arena itself, though."

"Oh, who cares about a few broken rocks! It was TOTALLY worth it--and no epic battle is complete without the ground getting cratered~" Ren hops onto the end of my bed and strikes a dramatic pose. Her...her bedside manners could really do with some fine-tuning.

"Yeah, yeah... Just don't ignore me, okay?!" Ruby grumbles, prompting Ren to leap onto her bed instead. Maybe not what she intended...

"Of course~ How could we forget THE Radical Ruby? Who barely looks worse for wear after that, I might add!"

"Heh. Damn right. Just give me a night and I'll have slept most of this off!" The boastful dragon flexes a bandaged arm as if to prove this, but regrets it seconds later. "Nn... Anyway. Enough with all the smallchat. How 'bout y'tell us what we really wanna know?"

Ren--still standing on the end of Ruby's bed--draws a finger to her lips and tilts her head in a display of ignorance. "Hummm? Like what? How the weather is out there? How much a room at Anna's is? Cynthia's three sizes?"

"Th-the damn outcome of the match, jeez!" Ruby explodes with a flail of her arms, instantly regretting it again. She throws an exasperated look over to Anna as the mischievous girl giggles. "I-is she like this all the time?"

Anna heaves out a long-suffering sigh before grinning. "Unfortunately so. But y'get used to it. To a point." She claps a hand onto Ren's shoulder and forces her off of the dragon's bed. "Anyway, c'mon, let's quit screwin' around and tell 'em what they wanna know."

"Okay, okay! Fiiiiine. You're no fun, Anna!" With that, Ren straightens up and clears her throat to put on an almost official air. "So you wanna know who won, do you? Ahem...drumroll, please!"

…

"I said DRUMROLL, please!" Ren shoots a sharp glare over at a bewildered Sister June off to the side who jumps at the sudden attention thrown her way.

"E-eh?! Uhm--o-okay! Like this?!" For whatever reason, Sister June gets swept up in the moment and provides the drums Ren desires by patting the side of a cabinet. Which...is good enough apparently.

"The winner of your hardfought battle--and perhaps the best final Rhan's arena has ever seen iiiiiisssss..."

…

…

...She lets the pause linger for dramatic effect. Just a little too long, though, for anyone's tastes--especially poor June who is forced to keep tapping away at the cabinet whilst Ren has her fun.

Ren brings a finger down. Slowly. Very slowly. And hovers it between both Ruby and I who are following it with everything we have.

It flicks to me. And then Ruby. Me. Ruby. Like a metronome it keeps swapping...and I hear June letting out an exasperated moan as she continues to drum away...until...finally...

Finally...

Ren pulls her hand back and then thrusts both of them out at each of us. June just about collapses over to the side, finally freed of her duty.

"It was a draw--so you both won!"

I let out a sputter. After all that build-up...! Even Ruby can't help but grumble from her bed.

"What? Hell no! We ain't lettin' a copout like that slide! I know both of us passed out, but one of us must have hit the ground first, right? How 'bout we judge on that?!"

...I thought what Ruby is saying was reasonable enough, and even throw in a nod of my head in agreement, but for some reason, this earns us a smirk from both Ren and Anna. Off to the side poor Sister June crawls away, her entire body rife with sweat.

"...What's with those creepy grins?!" Ruby finally says after enduring their stares for long enough, the pair of us growing more unnerved by the moment. "C'mon, out with it!"

"Yeahhhh... About that... Are you really sure you want to know?" Ren's grin only gets wider, her tone more mischievous as she leans in.

"Of course I am!"

"Are you...really, really, really, really--..."

"Bedridden or not, if y'stall for a second longer, I swear I'm gonna shred those enormous funbags of yers to pieces!" Ruby growls, having boiled over completely to the point steam hisses off of her form and curls some of her bandages. Despite her aggressive outburst though, it lacks some of its impact when she can barely inch herself forward.

"Wahhh, scary!" Ren giggles as she bounces back, clinging to Anna for good measure. The older lady sighs. "Okay, okay! Why don't you tell them, Anna? They'll just think I'm messing with them if it comes from my mouth!"

"Gee, I wonder why... But, fine--alright." Prying Ren from off of her, Anna gives us both a slightly more serious expression than the smirk she was carrying a second ago. "Y'both went down together. So even if we judge it like that--it'd still be a draw."

Both Ruby and I blink.

"Together? What? Like we hit the floor at the exact same time?"

"Basically... Yeah, but..." Anna scratches at her fluffy red hair. What? What is it?! What aren't they telling us?!

"Heehee, yup! It was SO romantic! You went down together, arm in arm--with Pajama Boy's face cradled alllll snugly in your chest!"

...At Ren's outburst, both Ruby and I fall silent as we try to digest that. This is just another prank of hers, right...? Sensing we doubt her, Ren pouts dramatically.

"...See... I knew you wouldn't believe me! But it's the truth, right, Anna?"

"...Yup. It was kinda cute, actually, if you overlooked all the blood. I don't think y'coulda had a better finish if y'tried!"

"For real! Half the crowd was like 'awwww' at it. While I think the other half wondered if you'd both died. Even I was getting a little concerned, heehee..."

…

It's...still too much to take in. Even Ruby looks like she's not processing it right as her scaly red cheeks burn just a bit brighter than I've seen them before.

We're...two hardened martial artists. Who have been honing our bodies for years leading up to this moment--and gave it our all in that fight, prepared to die for everything!

Did it really end in such a...sappy way? Almost...romantic, in a sense?! Every time I glance back to Ruby for her thoughts on the matter, she's only grown more red.

"Anyway. That makes y'both our grand winners this year--so you'll split the prize money. 'Nd the fame."

"AND all the girls~ Have fun with that, huh?" Ren chimes in sleazily, blowing a kiss my way. "...When you can walk again, of course, heehee... But maybe in the meantime we can get our very dedicated nurse to give you a special spongebath!" She punctuates this with a wink.

...I hear Sister June let out another exasperated noise. And given how readily she seems to follow Ren's orders, I feel like she's already mentally preparing herself for it, too.

"I got an inn to run now--so we'll leave ya to take all that news in! 'Nd once yer better, we can sort out the prizes. Stop by for a drink once yer all fixed up after, too! I bet you two crazy warriors have got a TON of fun stories to share!"

"Later~"

Both Ren and Anna leave as quick as they had arrived, with just myself and Ruby alone at last. If you don't count Sister June flitting about the beds and fussing to a couple of other patients at the far end of the arena clinic--a couple of which I recognise as my own, previous opponents.

They... They gave us a lot to think about, didn't they? With how that match finished and all...

"Heh-heh..." Ruby begins to chuckle from out of nowhere. A low, almost evil sounding laugh that both unnerves me, and makes June hurry on out of the clinic. The laugh attempts to escalate into something further, but given how bashed up she is, the dragon breaks into a coughing fit instead. "Ahaha... Hkk... Guh... Man... Of all the ways to end... I ain't never gonna live somethin' like this down..."

I let out the faintest of wheezing chuckles in response, still just barely able to form words as I glance back at her. She meets my gaze in turn, and her expression...much to my surprise...softens.

"Still... I guess if it's someone like you--I don't mind that it ended up that way. If it'd been anyone else, y'can bet I'd be looking to tear 'em apart for even thinkin' they could get that up close and personal with the twins, but..." She flops backwards in her bed with an almost dreamy sigh and the smile she flashes me--neither malicious, nor cruel--gets my bruised and battered heart pumping far quicker than is safe in my current condition. "'Cuz I really had fun today. More fun that I've had in a long time. I think I forgot fightin' could even BE this fun."

...I feel the same way exactly, even if I can't put it into words like her. I mean, physically, I can't speak because of the bandage around my mouth. But I try to express my feelings all the same with a smile through my eyes. Ruby beams right back at me.

"Who woulda thought there's someone as crazy as I am? Or someone who can take as many hits as me, heh-heh... We'll still need to settle this properly one day, 'course. Don't think this was a one time thing! 'Nd...I guess...if ya want...maybe we could train together, too? Seein' as how we're on the same wavelength 'nd all. Maybe we can push ourselves even further? 'Nd I'm not just usin' this an excuse to keep around ya or anythin', so don't even think that...or I'll...I'll...!"

...Before the overly bashful dragon can finish her adorable threat as she continues to overheat in her bed, we're both interrupted by Sister June who arrives...bucket...and sponge in hand. Covering her face, she gestures my way.

"U-uhm... Sir Pajamas, as requested, I'm here to give you that, ah...spongebath..."

...Ruby breaks out into an outright diabolical cackle as I melt into my bed in embarrassment. I barely even know that Ren girl and I can tell she's just the worst!