Slave of Fignters "Champion of the Black Star Part One

“AAAAARRRRGGGHHH!” With that scream, Edmond crashed into the ground.

People passing by immediately turned toward the fallen Edmond. Everyone assumed he was dead. The building was thirty-five meters tall—no one could possibly survive a fall from that height.

But then Edmond raised a hand, and all the horrified onlookers watched as the “corpse” began to get back up. For the spectators, it was an absolutely shocking sight.

Once he was standing, Edmond dusted himself off, then stretched and looked up. The guy who had just sent him plummeting like a rock was still staring down at Edmond from the rooftop. Then he slowly backed away from the edge and disappeared behind the parapet.

Edmond realized that the guy had apparently changed his mind about ending his life after all. Letting out a relieved sigh, he headed toward the entrance to the building.

———————————————————

Meanwhile, Squid, Tork, and Emali were making their way up to the roof. Emali was walking ahead when she spotted a young Serokas coming down the stairs.

She stopped him and asked,

“Excuse me, have you seen a guy with pale skin, black hair, and covered in injuries?”

The young man turned around. The shock in his eyes was unmistakable. From his expression alone, Emali immediately realized that Edmond had already managed to get himself into some kind of trouble.

“I saw him on the roof,” the young man replied. “But he’s down on the street now.”

Squid frowned.

“What do you mean, *down*? How?”

“Well, how do I put this... He jumped off the roof, hit the ground, and then got back up,” the young man answered. “Though, honestly, I was probably imagining the whole thing because of the shock. I didn't stick around to watch.”

The moment they heard that, the three friends bolted up the stairs.

When they reached the roof, they immediately looked down at the street, desperately searching for Edmond's body.

“Idiot! What the hell was he thinking?” Squid growled. “Why would he try to kill himself? I’ll never understand that guy. I’ll never be able to work with him.”

“Looks like you definitely won’t be working with him anymore if he’s actually dead,” Tork said nervously.

When they couldn't see Edmond's body anywhere below, they decided to get downstairs as quickly as possible.

On one of the lower floors, they finally ran into Edmond, who was casually walking toward them as if absolutely nothing had happened.

“Edmond!” Emali called out. “Where have you been?”

“Oh! I thought you guys were sitting in the waiting room watching the fights,” Edmond replied with an awkward smile.

“You idiot!” Squid immediately exploded. “Where the hell have you been?! We were worried sick about you! And then you fucking jumped off the roof! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!”

“Calm down,” Edmond immediately tried to reason with him. “That fall was just a normal warm-up for me. My master used to train us like that sometimes—he'd throw us off cliffs to toughen up our bodies. Though, to be fair, quite a few people ended up splattered at the bottom.”

“Thanks for another wonderful story from your shitty childhood,” Squid replied sarcastically. “I feel so much better now that I know you were thrown off cliffs as a kid. At least now I understand where you got your stupidity from.”

“Okay, enough,” Emali interrupted. “Edmond's already in bad shape. We should be going easy on him, not the other way around.”

“Going easy on him?! You can't deal with this idiot any other way!” Squid continued shouting. “This moron doesn't think about anyone—not even himself!”

He then turned to Edmond.

“Do you even know who your next opponent is?”

“No,” Edmond replied irritably. “And I don't want to know. Don't ruin the fun for me.”

Squid took a deep breath, trying desperately to keep his rising irritation under control.

“Listen here, kid. Either you come back to the room with us, watch the fights, listen to everything we know about your next opponent, prepare for the fight, and come up with a strategy together with us—or I pull you out of the tournament. I terminate your contract and leave such a shitty review about you that you won’t be able to get a decent job in any other underground fighting circuit. You’ll have to scrape by doing odd jobs just to keep yourself from starving, you’ll never save enough money even for a cheap ticket off this asteroid, and you’ll be stuck here until some hired killers come looking for you and put you out of your misery because you never amounted to anything!”

Edmond glared angrily at Squid. He couldn't understand how some mere merchant could threaten him with such confidence. Didn't the guy realize that Edmond could simply snap his neck if he wanted to?

For several seconds, they stared silently at each other.

Then Edmond's expression softened. He lowered his head and finally said,

“Fine. Have it your way.”

“Wise decision,” Squid replied calmly. He turned around and continued walking.

Edmond, Tork, and Emali followed him.

Emali and Tork stayed a little behind Squid.

“Emali, Squid is definitely not in the mood today,” Tork remarked.

“Tell me about it,” Emali replied. “Squid is usually calm and patient. Sure, he can raise his voice when necessary, but this... I've never seen him like this before.”

“Looks like Edmond actually managed to get under the skin of the calmest and most disciplined person I've ever met,” Tork said. “Someone who's spent almost his entire life living by order and discipline is going to have a hard time getting along with someone who does whatever the hell he wants as long as it keeps him alive. Especially someone who's used to making his own rules for the sake of his freedom and comfort.”

“And that's where the conflicts come from,” Emali concluded. “They're just too different.”

———————————————————

Back in their room, the group sat down in front of the holographic TV. The screen was already showing the final moments of the fight between Pirlon and Snapshot. The two fighters were grappling on the mat, each trying to force the other into a submission hold.

After several rolls, Pirlon ended up on top of Snapshot. He slipped his right leg underneath him and grabbed him around the neck with his left arm. Then he rolled onto his right side, ending up underneath Snapshot, flat on his back. At the same time, he kept Snapshot pinned on top of him, face-up.

Pirlon crossed his legs around Snapshot's body, preventing him from moving, and began applying a chokehold. Snapshot resisted with everything he had, but only exhausted what little strength he had left and began struggling to breathe.

Eventually, he had no choice but to tap Pirlon's arm, signaling that he was giving up.

The referee noticed this and, after deactivating the force field, jumped onto the ring. He ran over to Pyrlon and gestured for him to stop the hold.

Pyrlon released Snapshot. Both fighters got back to their feet, after which the referee grabbed Pyrlon’s arm and raised it, declaring him the winner.

— Oh, what an intense and drawn-out fight we’ve just witnessed! — Avalar began commentating. — It started with strikes and ended with grappling. Of course, this fight wasn’t nearly as spectacular as the first two, but it had a charm of its own — the fighters spent almost the entire match on the ground.

Squid suddenly switched off the television and turned to Edmon.

— Well, we missed the beginning, but at least we made it in time for the end. What do you think of Pyrlon?

— I could take him with my left hand, — Edmon replied without hesitation.

— Oh, how clever! Somehow, your left hand wasn’t enough against Cassandra, but now you can beat him with one hand? — Squid said with mild irony.

— No, I’m actually serious, — Edmon insisted. — Sure, we don’t know what happened at the beginning of the fight, but the ending was enough for me to see that these guys are no match for me. They were so exhausted that they were practically fighting each other while lying down. Their speed was slow, their strikes were obviously weak. I could—

Edmon didn’t get to finish before Squid interrupted him:

— You’ve got a zvanory for a brain, you idiot! Maybe they were moving faster than you at the beginning of the fight and simply ran out of steam by the end. Learn to think outside the box. You’re going to need that like hell in your next fight.

— Oh, right, — said Edmon. — You wanted to tell me about my next opponent. Well then, go ahead. Ruin all the fun of my upcoming fight for me.

Squid sighed, rubbed his forehead, and looked at Edmon.

— What did we talk about earlier? One more complaint and you’re out.

Edmon had nothing to say to that, so he fell silent and began listening.

Seeing that Edmon had finally focused on the conversation, albeit reluctantly, Squid continued:

— Your next opponent will be Blurken. The blue guy in the kimono.

For a moment, Edmon’s eyes widened. He had clearly expected his next opponent to be the big lizard, but things had turned out completely differently.

— You’re clearly surprised, — Squid noted. — You were expecting a big, bulky opponent, but instead you’ll be fighting someone smaller, who’s actually shorter than you. The thing is, this Blurken is far more dangerous than Podluben.

— Of course he’s more dangerous than Podluben. He beat him, after all, — Edmon said, then immediately added, — But wasn’t Podluben actually not that dangerous? Maybe he was just an awkward lump of heavy meat?

— Don’t underestimate your opponents! — Squid slammed his fist onto the table. — Podluben had incredible physical strength and was surprisingly agile for someone his size. He didn’t lose because he was weak. He lost because his opponent was more tactical and exploited Podluben’s weaknesses to the fullest, while using his own speed to compensate for his shortcomings. On top of that, Blurken clearly knows some kind of martial art and is capable of adapting to his opponent’s fighting style.

After listening to the explanation, Edmon leaned back against the sofa and tilted his head upward.

— Okay. You’ve told me who my next opponent is and how he fights. Now we need to come up with a strategy against him, — he said, then sat up straighter, leaning slightly forward and resting his elbows on his knees. — But how are we supposed to come up with a strategy against someone who adapts to your fighting style? We’ll come up with something, and then—bam!—if I fail to beat him on the first try, that genius won’t give me a second chance.

— Then just enter your super form and crush him with your superior strength and speed, — Emali suggested.

Edmon looked at her, then gave a slight smile.

— If only it were that simple...

— What do you mean? — Squid asked.

Edmon replied:

— I can’t use my power whenever I want. First, I have to warm up, get my adrenaline levels as high as possible, and only then can I activate my Power Pulse.

— For fuck’s sake! Why didn’t you tell us that even once?! — Squid grumbled loudly.

— Well, probably because that’s, so to speak, a weakness of my power, — Edmon replied. — And you’re supposed to hide your weaknesses. I’m not going to go around telling everyone about them for no reason. This opportunity came up, so I revealed it.

Squid clasped his hands together. He understood that Edmon was right in this case: he really should have kept the weakness of his ability hidden. But now there was a serious problem — a prolonged fight would be extremely disadvantageous against Blurken.

Over the course of a long fight, Blurken could adapt to Edmon’s relatively straightforward fighting style, figure out his movements, and finish him off with a couple of strikes before Edmon ever got the chance to activate his Power Pulse.

— Well then, I have a suggestion, — said Squid. — Try to use as many different attacks as possible. Don’t rely on the same techniques over and over. Try to confuse him so he can’t get used to you and develop a strategy against your fighting style.

— Am I supposed to dance in front of him? — Edmon asked with a smirk.

Squid sighed.

— Dance if you have to. Just make sure he can’t get used to you.

Squid then stood up from his chair and walked over to the entrance.

— Now get up. The next fight will be starting soon. The best place to watch it is right there in the arena.

Edmon, Tork, and Emali stood up and followed Squid.

———————————————————

They arrived at a VIP room reserved for special guests. It was a spacious room with a large window overlooking the arena, offering a magnificent view of the entire ring from above.

But the windows here were far from ordinary. They were most likely some kind of screens. You could select a specific area of the glass and use it as an independent zoom, much like a camera lens, magnifying the image and allowing you to see practically everything happening in the arena.

This room was reserved for the tournament’s wealthiest guests and participants.

Squid brought his team inside.

— Perfect place to watch the next fight, — he said as he approached the window.

The view from above and to the right was excellent. From this height, the stands were clearly visible, and the spectators were already getting excited as they waited for the next fight to begin.

Jarvon, Cassandra’s owner — the same man who had led her around on a leash with a mesh muzzle — approached Squid.

— Well, well, look who we have here, — Jarvon said, looking at Squid and Edmon. — Your fighter is still standing on his feet. I have to admire your resilience. And congratulations on your victory, and... — Jarvon paused awkwardly. — I was going to wish you luck in the next fight, but I’m not sure you’ll be able to continue with injuries like those.

Squid smiled.

— Oh, thank you. We could certainly use some luck, because we intend to continue participating in the tournament.

— You don’t need to worry about me. I’m feeling much better, — Edmon joined the conversation. — I could probably fight your Cassandra one more time.

Jarvon smiled slightly.

— Oh, what fighting spirit! My Cassandra certainly can’t boast that kind of enthusiasm, especially considering what you did to her face. She’s lying in the medical ward now, getting plastic surgery. After all, she’s the face of my company, and I’d rather not lose it.

— We’re truly sorry things turned out this way, — said Squid.

— No need, — Jarvon replied. — By the way, I never actually introduced myself.

Jarvon held out his hand.

— My name is Clavin Proltun. Friends just call me Clav.

Squid shook his hand and introduced himself.

— Squid. Pleased to meet you.

Suddenly, music began playing, and the spotlights focused on the center of the arena, where Avalar was already standing, preparing to give his speech about the upcoming battle and introduce the fighters.

— Looks like it’s about to start, — said Clav. — I wonder if these fighters will actually put on a decent show or, like those last two, throw one punch every five seconds and then collapse onto the mats?

Edmon turned to Squid.

— See? I told you they were lousy fighters.

Squid said nothing. He simply drove an elbow into Edmon’s solar plexus.

Edmon barely felt the blow, but he understood the hint that he should keep his mouth shut.

———————————————————

Avalar stood in the center of the arena, surveying the stands with an irresistible smile on his face. Dancing lightly beneath the spotlights, he delivered his usual opening line:

— Well then, we’re down to just two contestants in the first round! The first three fights have already shown us some spectacular clashes between masters, and each bout has been special in its own way. So, I wonder what the next two contestants have in store for us?

Avalar continued dancing lightly as he spun around several times, then suddenly stopped, leaning backward. Pointing his right index finger toward one of the corridors, he announced:

— And the penultimate fighter to enter this arena will be representing the company “El Pe”! A Level Two fighter — Ch-i-i-i-br-i-i-il!

Glyukoid stepped out of the corridor. This time, he walked with more confidence, trying not to show his nervousness, although the occasional boos from the crowd still visibly embarrassed him. His boss and three assistants also entered the arena with him.

Once he stepped onto the ring, Chibril stopped in the center of the arena beside Avalar.

The announcer once again danced his way toward the opposite side and pointed toward another corridor.

— And now, the final participant of the first round! A fighter representing a funeral services company, a Level Two fighter...

Avalar paused dramatically, took a deep breath, and drew out the name:

— E-e-e-ndo-o-o-hlo-o-o-ro-o-o-mi-i-i-il!

Endochloromil slowly emerged from the corridor.

He wore a red boxing robe with a hood that completely concealed his face. Following behind him in an orderly formation were eight people dressed in black robes.

Despite the loud music playing throughout the arena, the atmosphere changed instantly. It became almost funereal. Not a single spectator cheered or booed. Everyone silently watched the fighter until he stepped onto the ring.

The only person unaffected by the grim atmosphere was Avalar. He continued smiling as if the whole spectacle simply amused him.

Endochloromil stepped onto the arena and slowly removed his red robe.

His face had been hidden beneath the hood, and now the spectators could finally see him.

He was a Seroxas, but he looked nothing like the members of his race normally did. His skin was not light gray but considerably darker. His red eyes glared from beneath his brow, while two flat, bony protrusions rose from his forehead, as though his skull had grown outward in two bony lumps.

As Endochloromil slowly walked toward the center of the arena, his opponent increasingly felt the pressure emanating from him. The confidence Chibril had displayed when he entered the ring moments earlier was rapidly disappearing.

Avalar, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying every second of it.

— Ho-ho! Interesting outfit, Endochloromil! You look like you walked straight out of the underworld. Even I’m getting chills!

Endochloromil stopped in front of Avalar, stared at him with his red eyes, and said:

— Watch, and you shall witness fear seize your mind.

Avalar didn't take the words seriously. He assumed they were simply part of the fighter's theatrical persona, which only made him enjoy the performance even more.

Once both fighters took their positions in the center of the arena, the referee approached them and began explaining the rules of the upcoming fight. Avalar, meanwhile, left the ring.

As the referee recited the traditional rules, Chibril was bordering on panic. He couldn't bring himself to look into his opponent's blood-red eyes. Endochloromil's ominous presence seemed to weigh down on him, gradually destroying his fighting spirit.

Endochloromil, however, never looked away. He stared intently at Chibril, slowly twisting his face into a sinister grimace.

Finally, the referee finished explaining the rules and left the ring.

The force field activated.

The gong sounded, announcing the beginning of the fight.

Chibril didn't even have time to take a single step.

Endochloromil instantly lunged forward and drove a powerful knee straight into his solar plexus.

Chibril doubled over, desperately trying to breathe, but immediately received a second strike — an upward blow straight to the chin.

His head snapped backward. His vision blurred, but he remained conscious long enough to realize one thing: this opponent was far beyond his ability to handle.

He decided not to resist.

The best option seemed to be simply falling down and staying there until the referee counted him out. At least that way, he could end the fight with minimal injuries.

But Endochloromil wasn't about to give him that opportunity.

As Chibril's shoulder blades were just about to touch the floor, Endochloromil suddenly moved around him and kicked him in the back. The blow came from below and struck with such force that Chibril was literally launched into the air.

For several moments, he was higher than the edge of the ring.

Chibril was stunned by his opponent's strength, but the worst was still to come.

Endochloromil caught him in midair.

He positioned Chibril so that his back rested across his shoulders. With his right hand, Endochloromil locked Chibril's head in place while simultaneously covering his mouth, while his left arm wrapped around his pelvis.

And then the real horror began.

Endochloromil slowly bent Chibril's body while simultaneously pulling his head and pelvis toward each other. The hold gradually turned into a monstrous strain on his spine.

Chibril felt a sharp pain spreading throughout his entire back.

He tried to scream and surrender, but his mouth was clamped shut by his opponent's hand. His arms couldn't reach Endochloromil to tap him and signal his surrender.

Endochloromil continued increasing the pressure.

It was as though he intended to fold his opponent in half, forcing the back of Chibril's head closer and closer to his tailbone.

Chibril's spine couldn't take it.

A crack rang out.

The pain became unbearable.

Endochloromil kept applying pressure until Chibril's body finally stopped resisting. Under the tremendous strain, the tissues of his abdomen gave way, and his internal organs spilled out onto the tatami.

A collective gasp of horror swept through the entire arena.

Chibril continued twitching in convulsions for several more seconds.

His owner, watching from the edge of the arena, practically doubled over in horror, unable to believe what had just happened before his eyes.

The force fields opened, and doctors and referees rushed into the arena. While the medics carefully placed Chibril onto a stretcher, trying not to disturb him unnecessarily or cause any further harm, the referee, afraid to approach Endochloromil, decided to declare him the winner without even raising his hand. He merely pointed toward him.

However, the referee hadn't even fully raised his hand when he heard a menacing growl directed at him:

— Raise the fucking hand!

It was Endochloromil. His voice sounded so threatening that the referee didn't dare disobey.

He cautiously approached Endochloromil and was about to take his hand, but suddenly stopped.

Something inside him told him that he shouldn't do it. No — it didn't just tell him. It was practically screaming: **“Don't go near him! Run!”**

But Endochloromil grabbed his hand himself and raised it into the air.

The referee swallowed, trying to overcome his stress, and announced in a trembling voice:

— Vic-to-o-ory... goes to Endochloromil!

— Endochloromil, — Endochloromil corrected him irritably.

He squeezed the referee's hand with such force that the bones didn't merely break — they were literally crushed inside it.

The referee screamed at the top of his lungs. His piercing cry could be heard even in the VIP room.

Our entire group stood there, watching the scene in horror.

— Bastard! What the hell is he doing?! I'm gonna kick his ass! — Edmon growled, clenching his fists.

He was already about to turn around and leave when Squid stopped him, grabbing him by the shoulder.

— Idiot, where the hell do you think you're going?! — Squid said sternly. — You think they'll let you take the law into your own hands?

— He just killed a man, and—

— That poor bastard knew what he was getting into, — Squid interrupted him. — You're risking your life too. Aren't you?

— Yeah, but did you see what he just did to that guy?! — Edmon wouldn't let it go. — He's another fucking maniac!

— That's not our problem. Let the organizers deal with it themselves, — Squid replied harshly. — If you go down there and start playing vigilante, they'll kick you and the rest of us out of the tournament. If you want to punish him, then first you need to beat Blurken. After that, we'll see.

Squid turned back toward the arena.

— Although, considering what that psycho just did, there's a good chance they'll disqualify him without our help.

Down in the arena, the poor referee was still lying on the tatami, writhing in unbearable pain from his crushed hand. Doctors approached him to provide medical assistance.

But Endochloromil wouldn't let them get any closer.

He stepped between them and the referee and snarled:

— What, you're going to save this piece of trash? He's whining like a bitch. It's just a broken hand, and he's already putting on such a fucking show.

Endochloromil raised his foot, preparing to crush the referee's head against the tatami.

— Someone this worthless doesn't deserve to live.

He was just about to bring his foot down when suddenly someone swept his leg out from under him.

Endochloromil lost his balance and crashed to the floor, but instantly tucked into a roll and was back on both feet a second later.

Avalar stood before him.

This time, there was no trace of his usual smile. He stared at Endochloromil with an expression of such seriousness that Endochloromil had never seen on him before.

And most importantly — Avalar wasn't afraid.

Endochloromil couldn't sense even the slightest trace of fear from him.

And that made him even angrier.

— You piece of shit! You'll pay for that dirty trick right now! — Endochloromil snarled.

— Try laying even a finger on me, — Avalar replied calmly and sternly, — and you'll be out of this tournament immediately. You seriously injured a referee. That's a major violation of the rules and grounds for disqualification.

Endochloromil was about to approach Avalar and strike him, but his men in black robes suddenly rushed over. They grabbed him and tried to hold him back.

— Leader, what are you doing?! They're really going to disqualify us! Please, stick to our plan!

One of them approached Avalar and said respectfully:

— Please forgive us. Our fighter is simply very hot-headed. We'll pay for the referee's treatment and make sure to have a serious talk with him. Just, please, show mercy and don't disqualify us.

Avallar looked sternly at the hooded man.

For several seconds, he remained silent. Then he said:

— This is the first and last time. One more stunt like that, and you're out of the tournament.

The man in the dark robe bowed and stepped back toward the others. They were already leading Endoohloromil toward the corridor.

The spectators silently watched him leave. No one dared say a word to him. Everyone was afraid that Endoohloromil might remember their faces, track them down later, and tear them in half.

Squoid watched everything until the very end, then turned toward the exit.

— Let's go. There's nothing more to see here. We need to prepare. We'll be up soon.

Edmon, Tork, and Emali followed him.

Tork and Emali were left with a heavy feeling after what they had witnessed. Endoohloromil's brutality had made such a strong impression on them that they began to wonder whether Edmon could even defeat an opponent like that.

Edmon, however, felt the exact opposite.

What he had witnessed had awakened his sense of justice. He couldn't stand cruel and senseless killings committed purely for entertainment.

He was already itching to personally twist Endoohloromil into a pretzel.

But Squoid was thinking about something else entirely.

He was worried about Blurken.

Would Edmon be able to defeat him? Would he have enough skill and time to warm up and activate his power? Or would Blurken finish the fight with one precise combination, never giving him a chance to use his Power Pulse?

Or perhaps it would actually be better for Edmon to lose this fight...

At least then he wouldn't have to face that monster.