It was late, around 10 pm in the middle of the night but for one group, the night was just starting. A busy night club was busy doing what it usually did... housing drunk and aroused teenagers and men. One corner was secluded far from the music and every clubber who looked in that direction saw nothing more than smoke. Move through the smoke and you'll see a group of teenagers and young men. They were smoking and drinking like there was no tomorrow.
"Damn it, we're out of weed!" One of them yelled and tossed his rolled-up weed stub onto the ground. "I'm going out to find some more" He said and stood up but as he did, someone tall walked through their shield of smoke. A tall man, easily standing over 6'3 with a well-built physique. There was silence until his face came into view. "MORA!" They all yelled as they finally saw his face. "What the hell man! It's been so long!" yelled one of them. "We thought you were dead!" joked another. "Got any weed on ya?" a third asked and as soon as he did, Mora pulled out a plastic bag filled with rolls and tossed it into the face of the one who asked. The rest of them yelled and cheered. As the night grew higher, so did Mora and his friends. Mora, in particular, seemed high as a kite and it took over six calls from his phone for him to realise someone was calling for his attention. He took a long, deep lung full of smoke before eventually answering the call.
"Who the hell is this?" He slurred through the phone.
"Mora? Where the hell are you?!" yelled an old grumpy voice through the other end of the phone. Mora hiccuped and laughed loud enough for everyone in the club to hear. With his weed in one hand and the phone dangling from the other, he clumsily stood up and made his way through the crowd until he was standing on the rooftop of the night club. There were a bunch of young people making out up there but Mora just laughed even louder at them. One couple noticed him staring at them and they quickly made their way down in order to escape his prying eyes. Once they were close enough, Mora spanked the girl on the ass and as soon as her boyfriend turned to react, Mora grinned and shoved him roughly, making him tumble down the stairs. The girl screamed in horror but Mora laughed louder and grabbed her by the wrist. She tried to break free from his grip but it was futile as Mora dragged her to the edge of the roof. The old man's voice kept blaring through the phone but the girl's screams dwarfed them.
"What's the matter? We can have some fun by ourselves" said Mora but the girl slapped him. Mora was surprised and a moment later, the girl broke free from his grip and ran down the stairs. Mora didn't seem bothered though, even by the stares from all the others on the rooftop. He took another puff from his weed and moved to the edge of the roof. "I'm here. What do you want" Mora asked through his phone as he stared at another couple who were busy making out.
"Are you at a party?" asked the old man.
"I am" answered Mora. "I'll ask again, what do you want"
"The inter-school tournament starts tomorrow." said the voice.
"And why should I care?"
"I'm in charge of the first round selection" the old man said and that definitely got Mora's attention. He dropped his weed roll and held the phone more firmly to his ear. "I'll let you fight one person of your choosing in the first round as long as you do one thing in return for me" the voice added.
"Anything!" Mora yelled impatiently into the phone. "I want to fight—no, kill my sister no matter what!"
"Good," the old man said through the phone. "I'll contact you soon." With that, the old man abruptly ended the call. Mora coughed a bit but a malicious grin remained on his face. He placed his phone in his pocket and walked out of the club. His chance to get revenge for his clan's and parents' murder had finally come and he vowed no one would take this opportunity from him.
When the first round began, Mora watched the first fight which was between Diego and Romeo. Diego piqued his interest, mainly because of his resilience. It wasn't every day a first-year with skill like that appears out of the blue and as a third-year, he was proud talent like Diego's would soon be taking over but as soon as their fight was over and the arena was cleared, Mora grinned.
"THE SECOND MATCH OF THE FIRST ROUND IS GOING TO BE BETWEEN THE THIRD-YEAR 'MORA HOMURA' AND THE SECOND-YEAR 'MISA HOMURA'!" the announcer yelled and that was Mora's signal to do what he came here for. His fight with Misa wasn't a pleasant one. Misa never fought back and Mora didn't seem discouraged by that in the slightest. In time, Diego Torrez and Frost Wheeler interrupted his match just when he was going to deliver the finishing blow. Mora was pissed, very pissed and the smile Misa had on her face was making him more pissed than he already was.
"I want you to fight Diego Torrez... right here... right now..." said Frost coldly. Mora suddenly broke into hysterical laughter. He didn't know if Frost had either gone crazy or just wanted Diego dead. Diego's fight with Romeo had ended less than an hour ago and Frost was already pushing into another fight? Worst of all, Diego was a first-year and in the whole history of the inter-school tournament, no first-year had ever beaten a third-year. Frost didn't say anything after that but instead, he tossed Misa over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"H-hey! I can walk fine by myself" protested Misa but Frost ignored it.
"Diego... don't lose..." said Frost and without another word, he walked out of the arena. Murmurs went through the crowd and they were clearly doubting Diego would be able to win a fight against Mora. "Can he really beat a third-year?" "He still looks half dead and he's planning on fighting again?" These were the kind of comments that were flowing through the crowd.
"So you're Misa's big brother, are ya?" asked Diego as he took off his jacket. He ripped off his bandages and stretched in a way that easily got on Mora's nerves.
"You must be crazy if you're seriously planning on fighting me" Mora warned but Diego just smirked in response.
"I've been called worse," Diego joked and smirked.
"ATTENTION!!! DUE TO SOME UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE FIRST MATCH OF THE FIRST OF THE QUARTER-FINALS WILL BE HELD RIGHT NOW" yelled the announcer. Mora's eyes widened in shock.
"What the fuck...?" Mora whispered as he clearly didn't expect the officials to actually legalise the match and soon, the announcer yelled "Begin!!!"
He looked back at Diego and "WHAM!!!" Diego's fist came crashing right into his jaw. Mora's head snapped to the side but Diego followed up with two quick fists and finished with a clean kick to his opponent's gut. Mora stumbled back but finally snapped back to his senses. Diego was grinning and Mora's anger rose again. With a low growl, Mora pulled his large axe off his back and pointed it right at Diego.
"Are you always this cocky?" asked Mora.
"Sometimes," Diego said as he activated his 'Hell Breaker'. He grinned with his fangs on full display. "Are you always that slow?"
Mora growled again and tossed his axe right at Diego. For Diego, it seemed like time had slowed down. The axe was faster than he could have fathomed and he barely managed to move far enough to the side to dodge it but its sharp edge managed to graze Diego's cheek, spilling blood. Like a boomerang, the axe changed direction and returned to Mora's grasp. The two were silent for a long moment with Mora getting ready to toss his axe again while Diego was thinking about how to beat Mora. Mora was strong... monstrously so but he definitely wasn't fast. Those three hits Diego had landed on him were fast and Mora didn't react until it was too late. That was his advantage in this fight... his speed. The only problem here was Mora's axe because when he threw it, Diego just lucked out when he dodged it because of the insane strength and speed behind it. He could end the fight quickly if he could dodge the next axe toss and counter before Mora could react and with that, time seemed to have started moving faster for Diego.
"No first-years ever beaten a third-year, huh?" Diego taunted and smirked again. "How about we make history right now?"
"I'll kill you," Mora said bluntly and "FWOOM!!!" He tossed the axe and it sliced through the air, reaching Diego in less than a second but in a moment of pure instinct, he punched the underside of the axe, effectively deflecting it. He bolted right at Mora and swung a precise punch to his chin. "SLAM!!!" Diego smirked but the smirk instantly died off his face when he realised MORA WASN'T HIT!!! He had definitely missed something. His fist even stung from the force but Mora wasn't hit. Diego looked up at Mora and for the first time in his life, he saw someone with the eyes of a demon. Diego heard a sharp sound behind him and turned only to be met by Mora's axe which was still moving at him with full speed. He tried to move away but Mora grabbed him and held him in place. Diego resisted but eventually managed to flip upwards, evading the axe and managing to escape Mora's grip. The axe struck Mora but just like before, there seemed to be a layer of defence which protected him and the axe fell to the ground with a clank. Diego created a large distance between him and his opponent and shakily leaned on a nearby building. His body was shaking and his breathing was uneven. He was on death's door for the third time in the past five minutes and Mora seemed to have some kind of barrier that was blocking any outside damage from hitting him. Diego tried his best to analyse the situation. His first plan had become useless thanks to whatever that barrier was. It wasn't there at the start of the fight and it was clearly invisible.
"Worn out already?" Mora asked as he picked his axe off the floor.
"Shut up!" Diego yelled back and got back up to his feet. "That thing stopping me from hitting you... what the hell is it?"
"Oh? That's my 'MRIX BARRIER'," Mora replied. "A God gave it to me while I was high one night." Diego had to stifle a laugh at that and Mora's temper flared unimaginably high.
"A God? While you were high? Really?" Diego said and finally broke into laughter. The crowd laughed as well, leaving Mora as just a joke. Mora groaned and took a deep breath to clear his mind. To him, Diego was no more than an arrogant obstacle that needed to be cleared.
"Y'know, I didn't want to go this far with you since you're a first-year and all but, fuck it," Mora said. He opened up his left arm and something took shape in it. For the first time, Diego finally saw the barrier or as Mora called it, his Mrix barrier. It was pitch black and had taken the form of a second axe.
"Let's get this over with then." Diego said. The fight could go in his favour again and that brought a grin to his face. Close combat was what he thrived in and since he was faster than Mora, this situation was perfect. With a calculated flap of his white wings, Diego dashed right at Mora. He swung a punch which Mora blocked with his axe but another lightning fast punch came and landed square on Mora's chin. Mora stumbled back and swung his axes at Diego who skillfully dodged and countered with two perfect fists to his opponent's face but suddenly, a black axe appeared above Diego and he was forced to move back. It all made sense to him now. Mora's barrier couldn't cover his body while still being in the form of the axe. He was moving it and changing its form. When it was on his body, it was invisible but when it was in the form of a weapon, it could be seen. That was probably a precautionary measure Mora took so it wouldn't injure him but that was the best part... it could injure him...
"What the hell are you smiling at?!" Mora yelled and charged at Diego.
"Why the hell are you so angry?" Diego retorted as he easily dodged. "I'm not as fun to kill as you think but if you really wanna go all out..." Diego stopped talking and dodged another swing. "CRASH!!!" He delivered a devastating roundhouse kick to Mora's jaw, sending him crashing through multiple buildings. Mora got back up to his feet but he was instantly met by Diego's knee which crashed right into his face. Mora gasped in pain but Diego shut him up with another potent fist to the face. Mora crashed through another wall of the building and lay on the ground, panting and wiping blood off his face. He looked up and watched Diego tower over him. He didn't understand what was happening. This boy was on death's door less than an hour ago and now he was fighting like this?!
"Y-you're really a demon aren't you..." Mora smirked.
"I've been called worse..." Diego said as his red eyes stared right into Mora's soul.
"But you're still too cocky for your own good," Mora said and laughed loudly.
"What are you talking about?"
"Look above you..."
Diego jolted a bit and his head snapped upwards, expecting there to be another axe about to attack him but to his horrific surprise, there was nothing. Diego's eyes snapped back down to Mora but in an instant, "SCHKK!!!" a long double-edged sword made out of the black barrier stabbed and ripped its way through Diego's side. Diego gritted his teeth and bit back the pain but Mora didn't give him even a moment to recover. Mora kicked Diego's leg, making him fall to a knee. He then headbutted Diego and grabbed his axe off the ground and slammed its broad side right into Diego's face. Diego crashed through multiple walls of the building until he was in the open again. He sat up but gasped in pure pain. The wound was deep and it had clearly hit some of his vital organs. He looked up but then he saw Mora's axe had been hurled right at him. In a desperate attempt to defend himself, he lifted both hands to defend himself but "SLASH!!!"
Frost had just come back from sending Misa out of the arena and was making his way back to his seat in the crowd when he realised the crowd had suddenly gone silent. He stopped walking and his eyes widened in panic. "Shit!" Frost cursed and rushed back to the crowd. Some of the spectators had turned their gazes away from the sight and others gasped and stared in horror. Frost turned his gaze back to the arena and he instantly bit back a curse... until he smirked. "All this just to win. You're a crazy little bastard, aren't you" Frost said with clear admiration.
"What the fuck is wrong with you" Mora said in pure shock as his eyes landed on Diego.
Diego's arms had been cut off... completely. The stumps were bleeding uncontrollably and anyone could tell he was in unbearable pain but a smirk was on his face... that wasn't even the craziest part though... caught in Diego's teeth was MORA'S AXE?! Diego got to his feet with the axe still in his mouth. He had planned this and it might have seemed reckless but to Diego, losing his arms was a small price to pay for victory. Without his physical axe, Mora would have to resort to using his barrier as a weapon, leaving him vulnerable to physical attacks. Diego would have to end this fight soon. His trait, "RELENTLESS FURY" would keep him fighting but even he didn't know how long he would last until he passed out or even died from his injuries. Two lost arms and a bleeding side... not the best situation to be in. Diego had taken a gamble... a big one but he didn't care about the consequences.... HE HAD TO WIN!!!
"WHAT'S THE MATTER HUH? I'M STILL ALIVE SO LET'S KEEP GOING!!!" Diego yelled through grit teeth. Mora was utterly perplexed.
"Why... why the hell are you going this far?" Mora asked.
"I had someone close to me die because I was weak..." Diego muttered. "Her name was Misa... just like your little sister... the day I lost her, I decided I would get stronger and protect all those I had left... You can't protect the people you love without strength... I know that now..."
"So you plan on dying?" Mora asked in confusion.
"I plan on winning no matter what!" Diego yelled and tightened his teeth on the axe. Without another word, Diego ran right at Mora and swung the axe in his mouth at his opponent over and over again. The crowd cheered uncontrollably at Diego's determination and they were all rooting for him. Mora was forced to make an axe out of his barrier in order to block the relentless attacks but they were getting harder and harder to block. Diego was getting faster and faster and he was overwhelming Mora who was being sent back. Diego's gums began to bleed with the force he was using to hold the axe but it only seemed to encourage him more. Mora growled and swung his axe with all his might but Diego moved back in time to dodge it. He swung his head at Mora but Mora managed to dodge as well and that was it... that was the opening he needed to finish it all.
"THWACK..." Mora's axe landed and ripped through the side of Diego's neck. Diego's jaw finally let go and the axe slipped out of his mouth. Mora watched the life fade out of Diego's eyes... slowly... quietly... Diego smirked one last time. "Damn... Guess I lost huh..." Diego murmured and fell to the ground... Diego Torrez was dead...
END OF CHAPTER 8