Chapter 4: The Gelta Tournament

“And you made the appropriate adjustments to your arm?” Saburo asked Bransen.

“Yes,” Bransen replied.

A few days passed. By now, Bransen felt like his legs were made of steel. The gravity barely hindered him as the two humans marched through a set of open doors. Green and yellow alien silk lined the door frames. The hint of old carpet smell filled the air. In many ways, the enclosed dark coliseum reminded the man of the past arenas of the UWAF. However, there weren’t as much of cheering crowds. The T’rintar people were generally calmer than human beings. Even with a chance to see how they behaved, they were usually easy to anger, but it was different when it came to entertainment. In large crowds, the T’rintar were actually somewhat behaved. They simply stared and watched the performances. A few would say various words, but it was just quieter.

Even now, as Bransen walked into the enclosed arena stage, there were a few responses. There was no overhead spotlight, and it was almost as if Bransen and Saburo walked into a hollowed room. Bransen did feel the gaze of thousands of reptilian eyes upon him but little else. There were still a few whispers and clicking in various voices, but nothing else.

Bransen knew the fighting arena of the first Itrean Gelta Tournament. It was the newest of the five main “coliseums.” New Atrea, the planet, was one of the more recent additions to the T’rintar clan, acting as a makeshift capital world of the entire clan. However, New Atrea’s legacy had been somewhat jaded. While it served as an administrative hub, the fact remained that the Itreans had scores of habitable worlds.

Furthermore, each of the four T’rintar kingdoms already had its central hubs of administration. New Atrea might have been the capital, but it almost only served in that name only. What it made up for was its raw beauty, forests, and remote villages. Various groups of Yutilians had easily found remote places to be one with nature.

“Ok...,” Saburo said as they approached the center stage. “Remember ... one fight today. We’re making it easier for you. Just remember ... Gen’wi will go for your eyes. Here...”

“What is this ... oh,” Bransen replied. His coach handed him a pair of tinted glasses. Bransen already knew what this was for as he put them on. The simple piece of eyewear served as protection from what Gen’wi was most likely going to do. When they slipped on, they were actually quite snug, with large enough rims to seal over his nose and cheeks. It almost appeared to be like a mask for him.

“How good is her English?” Bransen asked.

“I don’t know,” Saburo replied. “There’s only one way to find out.”

Bransen’s adrenaline began to build up. He felt anxious, knowing that he was going into a battle he knew little about. He had to rely on his two-day training to get him ready, but even then, this would be a make-or-break fight. Each day would be a fight or perhaps two.

By now, Bransen understood that the reason for the little cheering was the fact that battles had been going on all day. The audience might have been fatigued from the constant fights. However, Bransen also knew that he had gathered their attention rather well.

The center arena floor was slightly circular in shape. There were a few metal rods that protruded from the edge. There appeared to be emitters that lined these rods. Dark gray hexagonal soft tiles lined the floor. A line of green grass rose up to the edges before coming to a stop at the elevated edge. There was already a physician, a female doctor by the name of Doctor Abril. She was in a red and blue garment with a red cross painted on her shoulder. She was sitting at a nearby table where Saburo would also sit.

“Where is that announcer?” Bransen asked as he looked at the area.

“Miss his voice?” Saburo asked.

“No, but ... the silence is getting to me.”

“Bransen,” Abril addressed him. “Good luck.”

“Thank you.” Branse gave a light wave to her. Hopefully, he wouldn’t need her expertise after this fight.

Ting ... Ting ... Ting ... a distant ringing sound could be heard. It sounded like a steel drum being beaten as Bransen approached the arena floor edge. There were no climbing apparatus. Yutilians and Aksren were required to hop onto the stage. Bransen took his right arm and pressed it to push himself up. The glow emitted from his ligament before he climbed up. He took a deep breath as he looked down at Saburo.

“You’ve had a chance to train here,” Saburo informed him. “You know the rules.”

“Yeah...,” Bransen replied in a mocking tone. “What rules?”

“Precisely. Be ready for whatever the ‘Kop’ak’ tell you. Most likely, she’ll be easy on you since this is your first match. Any weapons they toss, it’ll be right here at the edge where I’m at ... if they do it. And remember, Gen’wi won’t surrender unless you ask her to. She’s the type that might not give up so easily. Same goes with you. If you know that you’re not going to make it, say...”

“I know... ‘Kep Click’”

“Just make sure to say it correctly too. The Itrean language likes to have Kep Click and Keupo Click as two similar words. Know the difference between ‘Do you surrender?’ and ‘I give up.’”

Bransen nodded his head. He looked at his augmented arm. Once again, he would have leaned on his instrument of strength. It was the only hope he had in a fight with alien beings that had been long accustomed to combat. He had already seen a few shares of Yutilian hand-to-hand combat. They were fast ... incredibly fast. They and the Aksren made up in their small stature in raw agility. However, they could still falter with a well-placed hit from his augmented arm. Even Olsson had no hope against it, nor did any past fighter, but these were human fighters, not Itreans. This could be one of the shortest fights ever, or it could turn out to be an unexpected victory. Maybe, the Itreans didn’t know how Bransen would fight. Perhaps they had their own pattern that they weren’t accustomed to. There was only one way to truly find out.

There was a new sound that erupted. The drum sound picked up. A snapping of fingers could be heard. It was a sound that Bransen had been all too used to hearing by now. It was the sound of the last fighter to enter the colosseum.

“Hello, everyone,” a familiar announcer said. Bransen turned his head to see a singular ruling table in the crowd. There, Hudson, the announcer, sat with a tablet and microphone. It was patched into whatever speaker network had been established in the colosseum. When Bransen looked at him, he could see that he was smiling at him. Sitting next to Hudson was the Kop’ak. There was no direct translation for the word other than “Judge.” The Itreans were odd in how they precisely operated the fights. From what he observed, the referee or judge also acted as the fight announcer. It would almost be like handing the referee position to Hudson. It wasn’t exactly the job of the Kop’ak to rally the crowd’s excitement but to provide simple verdicts when needed. Most likely, Hudson wouldn’t have this position, but to only act as a simple sports announcer. He would have to keep a lot of his words more precise so the Kop’ak wouldn’t have interfered with too much. However, even then, there was little that the ruling master had to worry about when it came to rules.

The Kop’ak was dressed in a white shawl. Her large red, green, and purple feathers protracted from her head, neck, and arms. Bransen already knew that Yutilian feathers were a sign of power and extravagance. The bigger they were, the higher position of power that one may hold. A golden head crown of leaves was positioned near her forehead and eyes. Her protruding snout had a gold ring that hung from one side of her nostrils. She had a bronze two-fingered glove on her clawed right hand. Her tail also carried a feathery silver tip to it. In some ways, she almost took the persona of that of a bishop of Christianity. However, from his earlier observations, she was usually quiet and spoke little unless she had to. It was her job to start the fight and see it reach its conclusion. This time, however, the Kop’ak would be observing the human battle in her arena. It was best for Bransen not to anger her by accident.

“I come from you live from the ‘Keio Arena’ on New Atrea,” Hudson exclaimed. “Here we will watch the current grand champion of the USAF, former chef Bransen Hart, take on the champions of the Gelta Tournament. Special permission has been granted by the T’rintar clan to allow the UWA to participate in this long-honored tradition in hand-to-hand combat. The rules of this fight are quite simple, fight till you can’t fight anymore. There might be violence. There might be blood. Heck, there might even be death. Standing beside me is the Kop’ak, who’s been the referee and judge of the tournament before I was ever born.” Hudson turned his attention to the Itrean next to him. “Kop’ak, what do you expect the fight’s outcome to be?”

The announcer was trying to act as he usually did in an environment that was clearly alien. He was well aware that he was speaking in a foreign language that only a few understood. However, the Kop’ak did seem to understand a little bit of English. The gesture of the jovial man was enough to peak her hairless brow at him.

“I ... expect ... victory,” the Kop’ak replied to the best of her words.

Hudson gave a hesitant nod. “As we all are.” He turned to look back at the center arena. “Today’s first fight for the current grand champion is Gen’wi, born from the planet of Bog’Ko’Lif. Very little is known about her, but she looks like she’s seen her share of fights. I can tell you with that sort of demeanor. I wouldn’t want to get on her bad side.”

Bransen turned his head to see the lone Yutilian woman approach the center stage. There was no applause but that of clicking. The steel drums continued to gong into the open. The lone human felt his nerves gather. Gen’wi was small in her stature but looked bloodthirsty. Her Shish origins could be clearly observed. In the darkness, her dark scaly skin almost made her appear invisible. It almost appeared as if the scale colors were infused onto her body. There was no need to climb up. She approached the edge and leaped square onto the stage.

“Holy shit...,” Bransen said to himself.

“Phew,” Hudson added. “Who needs ladders when you can leap onto the center arena? Gen’wi looks like she’s ready to slash Bransen to bits. Can he win this fight?”

Gen’wi had a stoic look. She was dressed in green and black sportswear. Her chest and lower extremities were completely covered up, but the overhead lights still provided enough illumination to reveal her exposed midriff. Her reptilian eyes seemed a little bit different. Unlike the typical Yutilian eyes, the pupils were more prominent. Most likely, from what Bransen knew, Bog’Ko’Lif was a dark world. The Shish had learned to adapt to darkness and live without light. Their culture was about remaining hidden from the common Itrean. A part of Bransen even wondered if she could camouflage herself if she wanted to. Instead, she remained standing with her razor-tip claws exposed to him to see.

“Bransen...,” the Kop’ak said as she stood up from her seat. He turned to look at her. “You fight for homans ... Yes?”

“I do, Kop’ak,” he replied to her.

“Chef Bransen ... you fight ... in my hall. Respect tradition ... you fight more. Do no disrespect. Fight well ... Yes?”

“I will.”

“Good.” With that, the Kop’ak sat back down in her seat. Bransen turned his attention back to the fighter in front of him. The man gripped his knuckles as everyone remained quiet. The man had to keep his senses together. One thing that he did spot was that the crowd was more observant than ever. He knew that he was the alien in the room. Even if humanity and the T’rintar had been allies for well over a year, many still never saw them up close. However, there were a few humans in the crowd. Most likely, these were loyal fan spectators or humans that were married to Itreans of the local population. The words “Go, Bransen” could be heard at times. However, the arena required a certain amount of silence to be maintained. Hudson was the big exception to this. Most likely, it was done to appease the humans back at home by allowing a certain amount of flexibility in their way of honored traditions. Even then, there was a level of restraint in the human volume from overtaking the moment.

The stage poles lit up. Blue lasers connected to each emitter gave the appearance of barrier cords. From what Bransen knew, these only served as markers for the stage’s edges. They posed no actual harm to him. The only thing that he had to be careful of was that they didn’t serve as a wall. He would have to return to the stage if he fell off the edge.

The hand was being raised. The Kop’ak was about to initiate the fight. From Bransen’s peripheral vision, the fingers were in the air. Gen’wi was at the ready. Her eyesight could easily spot the signal.

FLASH ... A bright pulse of light emitted from the gloved hand of the Kop’ak.

“And the fight has begun, ladies and gentlemen,” Hudson said.

Bransen hadn’t moved as he kept a fighting stance. He kept his legs at the ready. This was a battle that required swiftness. His heart was pounding, prepared to commit to an all-or-nothing fight. Only the sounds of Hudson’s words provided any notice of outside influence. Gen’wi remained still. Even if the battle had begun, she was simply giving him a cold stare.

The man’s breathing could be heard in the stillness. What was she doing? Bransen only moved his arms, keeping his left palm open and ahead. His right arm was enclosed into a fist close to his right hip.

“Come on...,” he said out loud to her. “What are you waiting for?”

Gen’wi remained still. Perhaps this was a way that the Shish fought. Indeed, they were a people of stalkers. Their goal was to stay hidden and then strike when their opponent wasn’t looking. The fact was that she was in the open under a lit environment. This only meant that she could do one thing. She was waiting on him.

“You’re waiting for me to make a move...,” Bransen said to himself. “Shit...”

His legs were still, but he would shift his arms slightly. This wasn’t enough to spurn her to fight. Finally, however, a hint of movement could be seen. Her digitigrade right leg shifted. This was to ensure she had all the power in her right leg. Almost twenty seconds had passed before somebody made the first move.

Bransen took a deep breath. “Fine...” He shifted his right leg in preparation to move.

In a flash, Gen’wi leaped forward. It was almost like watching a gun go off. She was a bullet heading straight at him. He committed his body to move to the right. In mere feet, her small delicate frame showed the hint of talons ready to slash his body. Enough of him had moved out of the way of her charge. He tried to extend his elbow in hopes of a desperate elbow strike, but it wasn’t enough.

SHINK ... Bransen felt a hint of pain in his left hip. Gen’wi’s left claws had narrowly struck and cut into his left side. However, it wasn’t a direct hit. She blew past his left side in a blur. There was too little time as Bransen tucked and rolled onto the floor. He managed to make his tumble as Gen’wi’s claws dug into the floor, causing her to slow to a stop. By the time Bransen got back on his feet, he could see that the Itrean woman had come to a halt. There was even a hint of sparks that came from the floor.

“Wow,” Hudson remarked. “That was so fast that I completely missed it. Let’s hope that the cameras managed to catch that, folks. It looks like ... oh ... Bransen’s bleeding.”

A small amount of blood was trickling from the man’s side. Gen’wi was an all-or-nothing striker. This was her first attempt to hurt him. She was now in a low kneeling position, ready to charge again.

“Fuck...,” Bransen replied. He used his open left palm to make a gesture that meant, “Come here.” Gen’wi seemingly didn’t understand it, but she made the charge at him again. She was a speeding bullet. The leaping Velociraptor attack meant that all four sets of claws were extended at the man. She was a pile of razor blades, ready to shred into him. The lone human could do nothing but retract his left side and hold his right arm to block her. By the time he had his arm up, he felt the sets of claws cut into the arm.

“Now!” Saburo called out from outside the stage.

Damn ... Bransen felt the small petite frame slam into his arm. There was something he had been practicing for, but the sheer speed of Gen’wi took him by surprise. It was too late. Her blows were deflected. A line of deep cuts tore into the augmented arm but remained firm. However, there was a slashing right claw from the woman that hit Bransen’s right cheek.

“ARGH!” the man replied in pain. Gen’wi backed away, getting ready to leap into him again.

“Oh my,” Hudson said. “Gen’wi is just tearing into Bransen. Death by a thousand cuts? Is that what Gen’wi’s plan is?”

More blood was trickling from Bransen’s cheek. The arena floor had spots of red on it. Each time she struck, a part of her got through and eviscerated him. He had anticipated that this would happen, but he hoped it didn’t. If he didn’t change his tactics, she would ultimately bleed the man into submission.

“Go on the offensive!” Saburo said to him. “Go! Fight her!”

Gen’wi was about to charge into the man again, but this time, Bransen ran straight to her. He threw his right arm. A hint of blue glow came from the augmented limb. However, even with the modifications, the fist only met air. She dodged and encircled him. At the same time, Bransen did a reverse leg sweep hoping to hit her legs. Again, he missed. She had jumped into the air straight onto the man’s back, spine, and neck.

However, the man’s left arm swung towards her. She was mere split seconds from landing her claws on him when she saw the open back palm slam onto her face. It made a perfect block, deflecting much of her attack. However, her snout was hit and knocked to the side.

There was a catch to such a move. The man’s body contorted enough that he was also knocked to his back when he turned around. In his saving grace, Gen’wi had also diverted away. She stumbled and was tossed near the edge of the stage. Meanwhile, Bransen did a full kick with both of his legs to launch himself back onto his feet.

“There you go, Bransen!” Saburo said. “Go after her. Don’t let her go to your eyes!”

“Looks like Bransen is starting to get the hang of it,” Hudson added. “Gen’wi is a speeding bullet, but he just blocked another set of blows. Can he keep this up?”

With both fists up, Bransen had to be the lumbering fool. It was the only way for him to have any hope of winning this match. Ignore the pain and just charge. Use outright aggression to win.

The former chef wasn’t going to stop. He used his left arm to make a series of weak open jabs. Gen’wi used two blocks to deflect most of the attacks. He was slower than her, but if he could keep it up, it would slow her down. He hoped that she would take the bait, and she did. She leaped from the next incoming jab and used her left arm. Her left claw dug into his arm as she wrapped around him. It appeared to be bad for a split second. Her right arm was either going for the man’s glasses or his neck.

However, Bransen knew this was coming. In a mere split second of seeing the nails going towards his throat, his augmented right arm grabbed the set of claws in the air. He had a firm grip on her. He spared no chance of her doing any more damage. Instead, he snapped hard forward, using the sheer strength of his augmented arm. Her entire body was flung forward, causing her to be sent airborne. She went straight into the metal poll of the laser emitters.

THUNK ... Her head and back slammed into the rigid metal. Bransen was breathing hard. He saw a new set of bloody marks on his left arm. Despite the powerful hit, she was only momentarily staggered. She was partially dazed but getting back up.

“OH!” Hudson said. “A perfect counterattack to Gen’wi’s jugular attack. That’s gotta hurt. Bransen is fighting for his life out there, but he’s holding steady.”

Raw adrenaline was powering the man. He came hurdling toward the Itrean woman. He had to do it. His right arm glowed a bright blue as he rapidly closed in on her. He tried to do a downward slam, bringing his augmented fist directly onto her chest. However, she did a back rear flip.

KUNSH ... A crackling sound of raw energy was delivered from Bransen’s fist as it impacted the floor. The hexagonal tiles held the blow and diverted the sound outward in all directions. Within a split second, Gen’wi leaped back onto Bransen’s face. Her clawed hand oddly missed much of his face, but she managed to grab the one thing of the most grievous importance. Before Bransen could react, he saw the glasses that he wore were ripped off of his face. She happily tossed them off the stage.

“Oh, oh,” Hudson said. “That isn’t good. Gen’wi narrowly dodged Bransen’s power slam move to remove his eye protection.”

“Damn it!” Bransen said as he recoiled back. There was a sinister smile on Gen’wi’s face. However, even in her movements, she still staggered a little bit. The blow to the back of her head still rang in her mind, even if she managed to perform such a maneuver as this.

“You can still go for it!” Saburo yelled out. “Bransen, go and grab it.”

This might not have been the best possible move for Bransen, but it wasn’t good either way. Without his glasses, he was vulnerable to Gen’wi. She had been holding back so far with her spit attack, but now, she was certainly going to do it. He had to weigh the decision then and there as she was kneeling down and ready to strike at him again. Should he go and retrieve the glasses or face her and bear the consequences of whatever happened?

No ... neither decision was the best. If he lost the fight, then he would carry on to the next. If he went chasing for his glasses, she would continue to eviscerate him and still get a shot at his eyes regardless. She was probably counting on him to go running for it, but he held his left-hand palm open. He still had one move that he could perform on her. It was something he knew she would struggle to handle. It was just a matter of getting her to stop so he could slam her with his clenched right fist.

“Fucking come at me!” Bransen yelled at Gen’wi.

“Hu-man ... weak...,” Gen’wi tried to say in English. They were her only words that even took the man by surprise.

“Come at me! You’ll run out of venom by the time you’re done!”

She smiled. It was that of a devilish smile that momentarily sent shivers down the man’s spine. He had faced a share of female fighters at the USAF before, but not like these alien women. Blood continued to trickle down his sides.

“I am at the edge of my seat!” Hudson said. “Bransen is bleeding pretty bad. I have to ask that our censors do their best to hold back their policies because Bransen is not giving up.”

“Don’t charge into her, Bransen!” Saburo yelled. “Don’t charge...”

Gen’wi was waiting for Bransen to make his move. The human darted forward at her. At this instant, she opened her mouth and thrust her head forward. A vile spray of venom was sent directly into Bransen’s face. The man was not wholly unprepared. He held his augmented arm in front. A small metal blade extended out of it. It managed to block enough of the liquid before hitting the man’s face. However, a small amount still managed to penetrate through the area that wasn’t deflected. It hit Bransen on the left side of his face. His left eye took the brunt of the hit.

PAIN! The venom cut through like knives. It was caustic, like burning acid. It penetrated the wounds and sizzled as it flew down.

“ARGH!” Bransen screamed in pain. He withdrew his right arm but was on her. He could only see through one side of his face as he flailed his arms and fists at her. She was ducking and diving from the attacks as the venom took its toll.

“Oh no,” Saburo reacted in terror. “Bransen, don’t let your emotions take over on this. Fight the pain and fight her.”

“Oh, this isn’t good,” Hudson said. “Bransen’s been hit by the venom. His arm helped save him, but...”

Saburo saw that the doctor was ready to leave her seat, but the coach held her back. The human was taking numerous injuries. The venom was working its way through Bransen’s optical system. If it were left untreated, it could cause permanent blindness. The Itreans most likely had the means to fight such a defensive ability, but against humans, only medical technology was there to counter it. Bransen’s left eye was red as the man fought back with all his might.

Gen’wi wasn’t done yet. She could see that the man was struggling with all his might. If the fight continued, the human would ultimately pass out from the lack of blood and sheer exhaustion. However, the Itrean woman was bloodthirsty. She swatted and dodged the incoming jabs to her frame. It was here that Bransen could note that she was leaving the left side of his vision. He had to trust his instincts, but there was only so much a raving lunatic could predict. The pain was beyond imagination. It was driving every frame of his consciousness. Most likely, if the venom hit both of his eyes, the fight would have been lost then and there. His teeth were clenched.

The leap. Instinctively and against his wishes, he flung his left arm toward her, but she quickly deflected it and brought her left claw to his chest. She made a slashing move from the top and in a diagonal direction. The razor-sharp talons were knives.

“ARGH!” Bransen screamed in pain. Thankfully, there wasn’t enough purchase of the talons on the woman to dig too deep. Regardless, another slash and he would be out. He was losing enough blood as it was.

Saburo’s eyes widened. Never had he seen such viciousness at a scale like this. Even the UWAF never fought like this.

However, the moment arrived. Bransen’s luck had followed him. Gen’wi’s attacks caused her to leap and make the same move as she did before. She hoped the man wouldn’t have had the strength to rip her off him to toss her away. The fact was that she was partly right. The man was losing energy. Bransen had the same move prepared as before, but this time would be different. He felt the woman encircle his back. Her right claw was going directly to the man’s throat...

Bransen’s right arm was held up almost as if to grab her, but this time, an emitter appeared from the palm of the augmented ligament. The modification would have to work. It was the man’s only chance to stop the woman before she gutted him.

FLASH ... a bright light pulsed into Gen’wi’s face. The emitter had gone off directly into the woman’s eyes. While its range was limited, Gen’wi was instantly struck at point-blank range. It was like a flashbang going off. The Itrean woman’s eyes had been long adapted for the darkness, but it was tuned for the mild illumination in the room. The lumens used were enough to temporarily overload the optical nerves of any human being. In the case of the Shish, it was just as devastating.

“Ahck!” Gen’wi replied. Her vision was blurred, and she had been dazed as she recoiled back on Bransen’s neck and back. Bransen wasn’t going to hold back on this. He took full advantage of this.

With a heave, Bransen was using the last ounce of his strength. He ripped the woman with his right arm. He firmly grasped her as he slammed her body onto the floor with a proverbial thump.

KUNSH ... the sound was loud as it echoed outward in all directions. Despite being dazed and blinded, Gen’wi was flailing about. Bransen could barely see as he used his right arm to keep her pinned to the floor. Her claws would occasionally hit and cut into the augmented arm.

“OH!” Hudson said as he got out of his seat. “Bransen has pulled the best move so far. He’s used his augmented arm to flash her in the eyes. He’s got her, and he’s not letting go.”

“You got this,” Saburo told him. “Give her hell.”

Bransen had her pinned to the floor. With his augmented arm holding her in place, he delivered a series of punches with his left hand. Strike after strike was being bashed into her pointed snout. Even a human being in full rage and power could deliver the blows needed to win. The woman relied on speed to win the fight. Being held in place, she could do nothing. Blood could be seen from both fighters as Bransen delivered his twelve strikes. Finally, she had weakened enough that the man lifted his right arm. It glowed brightly as it fell onto the woman’s chest.

BOOSH ... the sounds of cracking bones could be heard. The woman screamed in the most serpentine way possible. It was here that the Kop’ak slowly stood up from her seat. She was calm and collected. Her hands were pressed together as Hudson was eyeing her.

Gen’wi was coughing up blood. It was here that Bransen had to stop. Despite all the pain and rage, he knew he tore into her quite well. He used his augmented arm to pin and grab her neck.

“Do you give up?!” Bransen asked as loud as he could. “Keupo Click? Do you give up!”