"The most anticipated battle since the battle Royale is upon us, dear audience!" The announcer shouted with a wild grin on his face. His yellow skin, combined with his pinstripe suit, made Alex extremely nervous. There was something about this announcer that just put him off, and he didn't like it at all. He almost, for a moment, asked Artemis to scan this guy, but of course, Artemis was gone.

And the pain of that still hit him hard in the heart.

He hadn't been alone on his journey, that felt like it had been years long. From around the time that he had begun this journey, Artemis had been by his side, but now, he felt utterly lost in a sea of a million things. It was as if the entire world around him was flying past him, and not even his power could help him fix that.

He looked over at the woman he was supposed to be fighting, the one he would have to fight, and another pang of guilt tripped up his heart. This was the face of a woman who had lost so much in such a short amount of time, and he was the one who had dealt her this fate. How horrible could he have been to so cruelly kill her husband without remorse.

No, he had to do it, if he hadn't he surely would have been killed himself. It was survival of the fittest after all, that was the ultimate rule of life.

"But who will win this ultimate battle? Who knows? Will Morya get her revenge? Or will Zinex finish what he started? Find out right now." The announcer cooed evilly, as his face turned towards Alex. He couldn't see the announcers eyes from beneath the shadows around his eyes, but somehow, he could feel the announcer looking directly into his soul, as if he could see right through him. The announcer then laughed loudly, and flew up into the air, moving back towards his seat, and landing softly. "Let's get this show on the road, shall we? FIGHT!"

"Time to pay retribution human!" Morya shouted as loudly as she possibly could, and with a shout and cheer from the audience, she was filled with extreme confidence. She knew she was stronger than this tiny human. She was more muscular, half a foot taller, and she felt she was way more well trained in combat. He had won before out of sheer luck and surprise in regards to his powers. There was no doubt he would lose here, and she would regain the honor her half Ogre, half Orc pride. She vaulted forward, brandishing her slightly glowing blue war axe, and slamming down as hard as she could on Zinex, who hadn't moved at all. She was less than an inch from hitting him, when he simply vanished.

"I really didn't think this trick would work again." A voice muttered from behind her. Before she could turn around however, she felt a strong in her back, throwing her forward. She stumbled for a bit but quickly spun around to see Zinex, completely unarmed, with his fists up.

"Won't you draw your weapon human!?" Morya shouted at the fighter, who stayed still. "Where is your honor?"

"Gone." Zinex smiled softly, then lightning began to coalesce around his hands, covering them completely in yellow electricity. He turned his gaze towards Morya's eyes, and she could see that his eyes were glowing slightly brighter.

"Annnnnnnd once again Fighter Zinex has revealed to use his wonderful use of lightning magic! Though it's a bit of a weird color, since when is lightning yellow?" The announcer cooed in a weird way, as if genuinely confused.

"Everytime." Zinex smiled, shaking his head. "So are we going to fight or are you just going to stand there and shout about honor?"

"If it's a battle of the fists you want…" Morya spoke, closing her eyes and throwing her war axe, then standing in a very aggressive fighting stance. Her muscles flexed as she moved, showing just how strong she was. "Then I promise to break every bone in your pathetic body."

"What's this folks, Morya's being surrounded by a blue energy? What could this be? Oh how this just gets more and more interesting." The announcer cooed once again, as if he could barely contain the excitement that was deep within him. Blue wisping light then began concentrating around Morya's arms, looking as if two ghosts were stationed at her arms, and thus Morya felt even more energized, and more powerful.

"Looks like I'm not the only one with tricks up their sleeves." Zinex laughed, then moved into a defensive position, watching Morya extremely carefully. Morya merely huffed at his weakness. Only a child would take such a position, she could easily see that his legs were off balance, that his hands were way too low to protect his face, and thus she saw her opportunity plain and clear.

She rushed forward, her armor clanging and banging together as she ran. She pulled one of her arms back as a decoy, as she had practiced many times before. The opponent would think to move their hand up to their face, as her fist was raised high, but what they didn't realize was that her other fist was headed straight for their stomach, which would immediately drop them to the ground, giving her the opening to destroy them.

However, this plan ended much like her previous plan had ended.

"One minute has passed." Zinex smiled, then disappeared right from where he was standing, and Morya's punch simply hit thin air. For a split second she was confused, but she knew she had no time for curiosity. She spun around and threw her strong, right arm out, slamming into the guard of Zinex, who had now ended up behind her. He grunted heavily, and slid back a few feet, but he didn't fall over. "Impressive."

"Your tricks are nothing to me human." Morya growled then lunged forward, seeing that he was still recovering from her punch. She meant to pull off the very same trick she had tried before, and he seemed like he was falling for it, that is until one of his hands shot down and he caught her left arm with his left, and her right arm with his right, before either one hit their targets. Sparks blasted out around Morya's hand, and she was lucky that the blue light energy was protecting her. The lightly began spark up and slamming into the blue light, as if the very energies themselves were having a battle.

Morya was surprised at first, but her training as a ferocious warrior quickly fought those feelings back. She dug her toes into the ground and pushed against his grip, forcing him to start moving back. This was a test of true, outright strength, and Zinex was not a match for Morya in this category.

"You're...strong...I'll give you that." Zinex grunted while trying to push against Morya, but to her, he was but a teenager. Granted he was doing better than most humans would at this point, but it still was not enough.

"I'll break those puny arms boy." Morya growled as Zinex's back hit the wall and his arms were forced outward by Morya's strength. He tried to struggle out but she kneed him in the gut, causing him to cough up instantly. "You made it here with nothing but luck human, now this is for my husband."

"Not yet." Zinex grunted as lightning exploded around him, knocking Morya directly off her feet and sending her flying back. Everything from that point turned into a blur, even when she hit the ground. Partially due to the shock of the explosion, and partially because of the dust it had churned up. Morya groaned as she pulled herself from the ground, looking back up to where she assumed Zinex was.

"Amazing! As if Zeus himself had commanded it, a giant lightning bolt tore right from the clouds and saved Zinex's life, a truly remarkable display of power!" The announcer's voice boomed through the dust that was kicked up from the lightning bolt.

"Dishonorable fighter." Morya growled as she spit blood from her mouth into the dirt. All she could taste was iron, but as she looked down, she hadn't taken much damage, thanks to the magic she had produced. She quickly extended her arms, and the blue light began forming around her arms, she couldn't just waste this gift given to her directly by the gods, she only had one more use after this for the day. She had to save the last for killing Garr, the ugly dragon who had done more to destroy her life than the very human she was fighting had.

Then she felt a fist slam directly into her face, with no warning. This was her first direct view of whatever power he was using. It was as if he had simply always been standing in front of her, but yet she knew he hadn't. She also recognized that he had already had time to pull his fist back, but more importantly, she noticed he had made no disturbance to the dust behind.

This was truly something she had never dealt with before.

"Arggg." She yelled as he head cocked back from the punch, but she wasn't a warrior for no reason, she shot her hand and grabbed Zinex by the throat, hearing a satisfying gurgling sound as she pulled her head back, feeling her nose bleeding heavily. Zinex's hands immediately went to her hand however, and a jolt of electricity shot through her, making her instinctively let go.

She quickly recovered however and threw another punch at his face, which was blocked by his forearm, making him hiss in pain. This filled Morya's soul with pride, and she fired her fist towards him again, but this time he sidestepped and punched at Morya's face, only to have his wrist be grabbed midair, and twisted to the side. He quickly closed his fist until only two fingers pointed directly at Morya's chest, and then a small lightning bolt fired right into her chest plate, making her slide back and lose grip of Zinex.

"Stop that!" Morya yelled as she shot her fist forward, pooling all of the blue light into one fist, which collided directly with his chest.

And the sound that followed was truly earsplitting.

Zinex was instantaneously blow back, with a loud grunt, as he flew directly into one of the battlefields walls. A loud crack could be heard from around that area as he slumped onto the dirt groundz just as the dirt that was flying around settled.

Morya was breathing heavy, she hadn't concentrated that much magic together in a very long time, and she knew this was the reason why, it took a lot of Mana from her. She gathered herself, then began to walk towards the motionless body of Zinex, whose blood stained not only the wall but the ground as well.

"You are but a dishonorable fighter Zinex!" Morya yelled, feeling her anger return. "You use petty tricks and tactics to win, and that is why you lost."

"Aaaaaaaaand Zinex is down, it seemed in the cloud of dust and debris, fighter Morya delivered a strong magical blow to Zinex, causing him to be nearly incapacitated!" The announcer boomed as he leaned against the rail, watching Morya approach Zinex as closely as he could.

That is, until Zinex disappeared one more time.

"How dare y-" Morya started to say but a fist slammed into the back of her head, sending her stumbling forward. As she glanced back she saw a look of pure seriousness on Zinex's face, as she hadn't seen before. "Those cheap tricks a-"

"This is a tournament of power." Zinex spoke coldly as he put his hands down, lightning then sparking around his body. "The whole point is to use your powers."

With that Zinex lunged forward.

Morya simply couldn't understand how he had recovered so quickly. She was sure that his injuries were serious, bringing him extremely close to death, but here he was lunging at her with serious intent. She quickly put her guard up and prepared herself. She had no magic left, but she still had her extreme combat training, and she wasn't going to let it go to waste.

She quickly backed up as Zinex threw a punch, then delivered one back. Zinex grabbed her hand midair, pulled her close, then kicked her directly in the chest, sending a shock through her body as she slid back.

"Is that warrior enough?" Zinex questioned as he stalked towards her, none of his guards up.

"You fight like a child, which is why I will put you in your place." Morya growled as she regained her balance then looked up at Zinex with murderous intent. This was the man who had killed her husband, and although her and her husband had never been the best, this man had taken away any hope for things to change.

This was her duty as a wife, and as a warrior.

But for Alex, this wasn't his duty at all. He knew that he had to give his all if he didn't want to be killed at the hands of Morya. He knew she had every right to want to kill him, but he also knew he had to defend himself if he were to get his answers. He knew, however, he didn't have much time.

"Let's end this then." Alex spoke loudly, stopping his walk, and putting his hands up, just as his old friend had taught him. He felt the lightning barrier around him spark and start fading, he was running out of power very quickly.()

"Both fighters! Tired and nearly running out of energy, look at each other with sheer determination, the sheer knowledge that the other might win just burns at their souls! Who will prevail? The human no one knows of, or the great fighter Morya?" The announcer questioned for the ground, and himself. Alex however, was not focused on the announcer at all, but rather was focusing on blocked a punch thrown his way by Morya.

He knocked her fist to the side, trying to punch her face once again, but she quickly grabbed his fist then went for a knee at his gut. He focused all the lightning that was left around him into the space where she was going to hit. Her leg connected with the electricity and she let out a loud yell of pain, and she quickly dropped to the ground, letting Alex back up.

"Bastard." Morya growled as she picked herself up from off of the ground, her knee burned beneath her clothing and armor. She then jumped forward, this time taking care to watch where the lightning was on his body. She threw a punch at his neck, but he slid back faster than she could land her punch, then moved to the side, slamming his fist into her shoulder. "Puny human."

"Fuck." He muttered as she back handed him with the very arm he had just punched. He stumbled back and Morya saw her chance. She threw a fist forward, but Alex already knew that it was coming. "Stop!"

Then once again, just as it had many times before, time had come to a grinding halt. The silence as Alex regained his balance was nice to hear, one didn't truly understand how loud the world was until it all stopped. With that, one second had passed.

Alex then glanced up at Morya, seeing her fist extended out, and her mouth open in a yell. It seemed every muscle in her body was flexed in pure anger. Thus two seconds had passed.

Alex then took two steps to the right as he took a few deep breathes, trying to gain a bit of energy back. He knew without a doubt that he couldn't use any more lightning without endangering his own life, so he had to think if a different way of approaching this. Thus, four seconds had passed since time had stopped.

He entertained the idea of using his sword, to at least knock her out, but he felt a pang of guilt in his heart. She was unarmed, with only her fists. She had respected his wish to use fists only, the least he could do was fufill that promise. Thus 5 seconds had passed.

He then moved to her right side, knowing well enough that an attack from the back was exactly what she would expect the moment she saw him disappear. This would be the action he would have to take. Thus 8 seconds had passed.

He then moved his stance into an aggressive one, pulling his arm back and readying himself for his attack. He had to make this count as he knew that without his lightning barrier, she would without a doubt destroy him. Thus 10 seconds had passed, and the world came back to life with all it's normal sounds and movements. ()

Alex threw his fist out, with all of his strength, and for the first time in the battle it seemed to work out perfectly for him. His fist connected hard with Morya's head, throwing her clean to the ground, but also putting some serious pain in Alex's hand. He seethed in pain as he brought his hand back to his chest, feeling blood running down his knuckles as he glanced over towards Morya.

Morya was in a pure daze. The hit she had endured from Alex had truly been one to rival her own, and with that her world was but a blur. She felt the solid ground moving and twisting, as she held onto her consciousness with every shred of her being. She couldn't fail now, she refused to lose to this pitiful human. She tried to pick herself up off of the ground, but her muscles simply wouldn't respond, her exhaustion had finally caught up with her.

However, suddenly, the world began to focus ever so slightly. To her utter dismay, this seemed to be brought upon by the very person she was fighting. He had grabbed her arm and was trying to pick her up, but it seemed he was just as tired as she was.

"What the hell are you doing human?" Morya questioned angrily. "You have won this battle, finish me off so that I may not have to live with the shame of being beaten by someone so weak."

"I regret killing your husband, I refuse to kill you as well. You got a long life ahead of you, I'll ensure it." Zinex spoke in a matter of fact tone, as she felt energy flow into her body. Whatever he was doing, it was healing her wounds and bringing the world back into clarity.

"That foolish thought will be your demise human." She spat, twisting her arm into a death grip around his neck.

"And it looks like Zinex has made a grave human error in trusting in his opponent not to kill him, what a great opportunity for Morya to seize!" The announcer yelled as the crowd bellowed in happiness. This was the very moment that Morya had been waiting for. The whole crowd cheering. The announcer yelling in happiness. And the man that had killed her husband in her grip, ready to die. Yet, as she glanced down at the fighter, she noticed he didn't seemed to be struggling at all. In fact, it was as if he was allowing it to happen.

For a moment the entire world went quiet to Morya, in fact the entire world stopped entirely. The cheers, the screams, and all of the movements. Time itself had stopped completely.

"What the hell is-" Morya started to question.

"I stopped time." Zinex spoke, slightly choking, Morya, in surprise, loosened her grip. Zinex wiggled out of her grasp, but kept a hand on her forearm.

"Why have you-" Morya started to ask.

"I owe a debt to you that I can never repay back. I took away which was most important to you, and for that I owe you so much." Zinex said with conviction. "However, I need to move further in this tournament, so I ask, in exchange for whatever prize I gain, I shall deliver all the spoils to you."

"You understand nothing, human." Morya growled, but Zinex opened his mouth before she could say anymore.

"We haven't much time left. Something seriously wrong is going on here, I feel it in my gut. Something dark, evil, and destructive is here, waiting for the moment to strike. I told you, I will ensure that you live to a ripe old age, so don't make me force you to give up. Trust me." Zinex urged. How dare he tell her what to do? She was a great fighter, known throughout the lands of the orc and ogres for her great victories. He was but a pitiful human.

"Why should I trust you, human?" She spat angrily. For a moment, it seemed Zinex was searching for a reason, for some way to prove his words.

"A magical pact. I cannot prove to you in words my theories, nor can I prove it to you with physical evidence. The only way I can give you peace of mind, is by soul pact, I'm certain you have it here right?" Zinex questioned, and Morya nodded slowly. This human seemed oddly knowledgeable about magic, which raised more questions in Morya's mind. Morya however, nodded slowly in agreement. She still held extreme anger for this person, but if the spoils of this battle were to go to him, as well as Garr's head on a pike, in addition to his servitude...this was an offer she would be stupid to turn down.

"If you fail, you know the consequences? Correct?" Morya questioned and Zinex nodded gravely. Then suddenly, the world started again, with the sounds blasting into Morya's mind.

"My soul is yours, should I fail. A life of servitude is also yours should I fail, and I will spend the rest of my life ensuring you are safe, should you call. Along with the prize of becoming the champion, directly to you." Zinex spoke, his eyes locked in hers as blue energy surrounded them.

"I accept your conditions, Zinex." Morya spoke, and the blue energy exploded around them, signaling the deal had been struck. He let Morya go and immediately she took a knee. "I yield, O' great announcer!"

"You...yield?" The announcer questioned, a bit confused. "Well as boring as that is, and very very very anticlimactic, and kind of an asshole move...Its not strictly against the rules."

The crowd then began booing.

"Well nonetheless, I pronounce Zinex the winner of this battle. Regrettably." The announcer said, sitting back in his seat, looking extremely annoyed. Suddenly a yellow light surrounded the two fighters, and they were zoomed back into the locker room area.

"He did something, did you see that, they moved positions instantly." Monica pointed out, sitting up in her seat.

"What do you mean? I didn't see anything. That fight looked pretty normal to me, except for the end, that was a little weird." Max said shrugging his shoulders, but he hadn't felt what Monica had felt.

"She was choking him, then suddenly he was holding her arm, escaping from the chokehold way faster than he should have, something happened, I felt it." Monica insisted, and Max put his hand to his chin, thinking deeply.

"This is really weird, I didn't see any malice in Zinex though, he just didn't seem evil at all." Max said shaking his head, and Monica couldn't help but agree. In fact, it seemed as if Zinex was holding back if anything. He hadn't even drawn his sword once. Monica knew this situation was getting weirder and weirder as it went along. One moment Morya is trying to kill Zinex, the next she yields instantly.

Something was seriously off.

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Next chapter: Duel of Fates.