Anthony hadn’t known at the time because he’d been too busy helping Sasha, but apparently, their match had been publicized to all of Russia. It shocked him to arrive at the arena to the fanfare of a crowd so massive that their vehicle was stalled. Trinity watched the people outside in fascination. They were cheering and screaming, many of them holding signs. Anthony snorted when he saw a sign that said “Beat the snot out of that incubus Sasha!”
“I didn’t realize this was going to such a public spectacle,” Anthony said.
Ivan grunted, but Svetlana smiled as she explained. “Sasha is not only the daughter of this nation’s monarch but also very popular in her own right. She’s something of a national celebrity to the people.”
“Sasha even has her own dedicated social media and fanpage,” Marianne said.
He glanced over at Sasha and raised an eyebrow when he found her hiding her blush behind a gruff exterior. The woman crossed her arms as though she was unbothered. However, the redness of her cheeks gave her away.
“I don’t care about being popular or famous,” Sasha said.
“She says that, but you should have seen how happy she was when she first learned that she had fans,” Marianne said with a giggle. “She squealed so loud that her father came running up the stairs thinking we’d been attacked because he had never heard a sound like that from her before.”
“Mary! You do not need to tell them that!” Sasha snapped. There was no heat behind her words. It was clear to him and everyone else that she was just hiding her embarrassment behind some bluster.
Sasha struck him as the kind of woman who wanted to present a strong front. People often mistook strength for being stoic and unfeeling, and Sasha had the most perfect example of that kind of person in her father. Ivan had what Anthony would have politely called a resting bitch face. The man’s expression never changed even in the most extreme of circumstances.
“I was not that happy,” Sasha said to Anthony.
Svetlana smiled as she got in on the teasing. “You spent two whole weeks scrolling through your fanpages and thanking every single person who joined.”
“Mama!” Sasha shouted again.
“We have arrived. If you look out window, you can see arena,” Ivan said, interrupting the byplay.
Anthony was curious to know what this arena looked like, and what he found was a building that seemed like an odd blend of modern and classic. It had some of the classic architecture he expected from Russia’s palaces, but it was still a very modern structure with all the cybertronic themes.
Their driver parked the vehicle in a private parking garage that took far too long for them to reach because of all the fans. They were soon ushered through a hallway that was attached to the arena. According to Sasha, this place hadn’t been used in at least three years, which was the last time someone had challenged her to a match for her hand. Despite this, it was clearly well-maintained. They kept the place spotless for the day someone would come along and challenge her once again.
“Waiting room is through here,” Ivan said as a sliding door opened before him. It was a double-sliding door, yet he barely managed to fit his massive frame through it. This man was monstrously huge.
The waiting room was large and located close to the arena floor. They had a clear view of the arena, which looked similar to a boxing ring, but it was clearly different. Anthony spotted the nodes in the floor, which meant this likely had configurable terrain.
The crowd was flowing into the seats. Anthony did not know how large this place was, but it was massive, easily one of the largest arenas he had ever seen. It had to be able to seat at least two hundred thousand. However, he suspected that it could seat far more.
Everyone was lounging around the waiting room. It was large and had cushy seats. Ivan sat in something that looked like a throne, which he thought pompous until he heard the creak of metal and realized he simply needed a seat that big in order to fit his frame. Even then, it sounded like the feet were on the verge of snapping.
Anthony soon wandered over to Sasha, who leaned against the glass, staring at the arena with an almost blank gaze.
“Does being here bring back memories?” he asked.
Sasha blinked, looked at him, and smiled. “Yes. I have many memories of this place. Even before I was old enough to take part in competitions myself, I would come with Mama to watch Papa compete. He used to be very active at the arena. Many wanted to fight him. He’d battle against other beastmen and even a few humans for hours every day. I was always enthralled.”
“You really like fighting then?” asked Anthony curiously.
Sasha nodded. “Combat is something I have always excelled in, but it also something that I can constantly improve. And I relish overcoming powerful challenges.”
“Nothing feels better than overcoming an obstacle many think is insurmountable,” Anthony said with a nod.
“Exactly! You understand,” Sasha said with an enthusiastic nod. “When I was younger, I started competing, and many underestimated me because of my age. They said I was too young and that I should go back to drinking my mother’s breastmilk.” She snorted. “Can you picture it? Adult men and women told me to drink breastmilk.”
“How old were you when you started competing?” asked Anthony.
“Nine.”
The answer surprised him, but only for a moment. This woman was clearly something of a battle maniac, though not in the sense that others were. She relished the competition, not the bloodshed. What had surprised him was that Ivan would allow his daughter to compete in exhibition matches against adults, but upon further introspection, he believed this was something Ivan would do. The man likely thought of it as a great way to toughen his child up.
What a hardcore family of battle maniacs. It was a good thing they had Svetlana to soften…
“And then I bashed his skull in for daring to poke fun of my daughter.”
Anthony caught the tail end of a conversation, where Svetlana was gleefully detailing this time she crushed a man’s skull with her bare hands for making fun of Sasha when she was younger.
He took back his previous thoughts. Svetlana might actually be the most terrifying one of them all.
***
The time soon came, and Anthony was ushered out of the room with Sasha and toward a tunnel that he was supposed to exit from when called.
An announcer stood on the stage. He was a tall man, gangly, but with corded muscles that seemed more decorative than functional. That said, he was a classically handsome man with chiseled features and a winning smile.
“Ladies and gentleman! It’s your favorite announcer, Viktor Volcav, and I don’t think I need to tell you all why we are here, do I?”
His booming voice echoed to every end of the arena, and his words were met with cheers and shouts. He flashed another smile.
“But I have to tell you anyway. Today, someone has finally challenged our darling star, Sasha Sil’yazhelyy, for her hand in marriage! As you know, it has been a long time since anyone has had the guts to issue such a challenge. Three whole years. The last man to challenge her nearly lost his life, and none have had the nerve to do so again. But now! One brave young man has thrown down the gauntlet! And who is this man? Who would be so audacious to challenge our Sasha for her hand in marriage?!”
By this point, the crowd was going wild. Their cheers were so loud that they echoed all the way to the hallway Anthony stood in.
Viktor threw his hand toward his tunnel. “I give you! Anthoooooony! Amaaaaasius!!!”
Anthony took a deep breath and stepped into the light amidst the roars from the crowd. Some seemed to simply be excited, but most appeared to be booing him. It seemed they did not like the idea of someone challenging their darling. He ignored them and walked onto the arena.
Viktor grinned at him. “It seems you are not well liked.”
Anthony shrugged, ignoring the goading. “I’m challenging their beloved Sasha for her hand in marriage. I imagine some aren’t pleased by that.”
“Hmmmm. You are self-aware at least. Tell me, do you think you can win?” Viktor goaded.
“I will win,” Anthony said.
His words were heard by everyone, and they caused the crowd to go crazy, but once again, they were booing him like he was a villain.
“Well, you’re not lacking in confidence. Let’s just hope your pride doesn’t come before you fall.”
SOmething told Anthony this man would very much like it if he failed. He wasn’t given time to say anything, however, as the man swept his hand out again.
“And now! My wonderful audience! It’s the one you have been waiting for! After three long years, she is stepping into the arena again! I give you the one, the only, Sasha Sil’yazhelyy!!!!”
If Anthony had thought the crowd was going wild when he stepped out, that was nothing compared to the response Sasha got when she appeared from a tunnel on the opposite end. The cheering was so loud that he thought he might go def. He wanted to hold his hands to his ears to block out the noise. Everyone was going insane.
Sasha didn’t seem bothered save for the way her ears vibrated as she waved to the crowd. She stepped onto the arena and grinned at him.
“Sasha! How does it feel to step into this arena once more,” Viktor asked.
“It feels nostalgic,” she said.
“And how do you feel about your opponent?”
“He will put up good fight. I am looking forward to our battle.”
“Excellent! All of us are also looking forward to seeing your fight! In that case, why don’t we get started!”
The man was walking around them as Anthony and Sasha stepped closer together. He left the arena, and the moment he stepped down, a massive cage dropped from the ceiling. Anthony glanced at the cage, which he could tell at a glance was made from some pretty sturdy stuff. He could probably cut through it with his space manipulation though.
“The cage is just for aesthetics,” Sasha informed him.
Anthony nodded. “I figured. There’s no way something like this could hold you.”
Sasha flashed him a grin as Viktor continued talking. “Now, allow me to explain how this will work. The rules are that there are no rules! Anything goes! You can use whatever skills you have, magic is perfectly viable. The only thing we ask is that you don’t kill your opponent. Now, are both fighters ready?”
“I am ready,” Anthony said.
Sasha smashed her knuckles together and grinned. “Let us do this.”
Viktor laughed. “It looks like you are both excited for this! Theeeeen let’s get started! On my mark of three, two, one… fight!”