"EVERYONE! I hope you place your bet, because let this match begin." Cheers erupted as music blared, watching the fight below them as they watched it from above.
Leaning against a railing, Gray was looking at his surroundings. The air reeks of alcohol, while everyone seems to be mostly partying rather than watching the fight, some are armed, having their weapons exposed in the underground arena. Weaving through the endless crowd, he spotted the tall man walking into a corridor.
Entering the corridor Gray opened his bag and took out a longsword with no guards in a brown sheath and attached it to his left side. Two guards in suits were standing by a double door. Looking at Gray they wonder if he was lost and was trying to find the bathroom.
"Excuse me, is your boss here?" Gray said as his hand was holding on to the hilt of the sword.
One of the guards said with authority, "Kid, this is the VIP lounge. I recommend that you leave before we throw you out."
Attempting to open the door, one guard grabs Gray by the arm. Gray glared at him and flicked him in the nose. "Sit," Gray commanded. The guard suddenly turned into a husky and sat down. "Now roll over" the husky did as it was told. "Can you speak?"
"Yes"
"Now make sure your partner over there doesn't stop me, ok."
"Got it, don't let the bird watcher stop you."
Opening the door, Gray walked in as the other guard looked at the husky. "So Morgan, does your wife like that form or what?" The guard laughed, but Morgan responded by biting his leg.
In the VIP lounge, the short man was on his knees, and standing behind him were two other guards. "Did you place your bet, Richer?" asked the red-haired man smoking a cigar as he watched the fight.
"Yes, I bet on 47, Berkley," Richer said with his voice cracking.
"Good, after this fight, it will determine your debt to be triple or you become two hundred thousand richer. Now sit and watch your potential future."
The fighters exchange blow for blow, Richer slouches over, shaking, seeing them evenly matched. Sweeping the leg, one of the fighters fell down. Excitedly, Richer jumped out of his seat.
47 pressed his knee on the fighter's chest and unleashed two punches. Putting his hands together for the third strikes, but all of a sudden 47 burst into flames.
The stands were astonished at the sight. "This is Contender 84, core ability, combustion. It allows him to ignite gas, in this case, he used the gas inside Contender 47's body to cause an internal combustion," an announcer said with an exaggerated tone.
Rolling over in pain, 47 was quickly surrender, and suddenly water appeared, pouring on him. Richer fell to his knees and could not believe that he had lost.
Berkley put out his cigar "Now, what are your plans to pay me back?" he said as he took out another cigar. Richer couldn't give an answer, still mortified by the loss. Berkley snapped his fingers "Jin, Page, put him on ice until he gives me an answer."
A woman stepped forward, lifting her palm, and a ball of water formed. Page launched it at Richer, covering his face to brace, but it was stopped. Surprise seeing a translucent barrier in front of them, they looked around wondering who did it.
Entering the room, an attendant walked in with a cart that had coffee and sweets. She pushed the cart to a seat in the lower row of the lounge. Berkley was confused; he stood behind the attendant as she poured coffee. "Who are you?"
Receiving his coffee, Gray took a sip. "I'm just a spectator watching the madness," Berkley whispered in the attendant's ear. She nodded and left the room.
"What is your reason for being here?"
"I'm interested in a certain group, not the local groups, but the most powerful one, Monarch."
Berkley slapped the coffee out of Gray's hands. "You're just a child in this underworld. What makes you think I'm giving that type of information?"
"Underworld? Funny, this place seems more like a paradise. Tell me, have you ever seen hell itself?" Gray eyes turn cold, his body enveloped in a crimson aura as Berkley stands face to face with the beast. The sense of familiarity after seeing the beast, "Where have I seen you before?" Berkley thought to himself.
Gray stood up, approached Berkley, eyeing him down. He took a step back as a wall of ice, separating both of them. Water particles floated around him and turned into ice spikes surrounding Gray.
"Jin, undo the ice, NOW." Surprised by Berkley's comment, Jin looked at Gray, unable to see the beast, but he gave an unsettling stare, wide eyes with no emotion. Clutching his sword the beast disappeared for Berkley and reappeared for Jin, charging at him. Using the ice on the wall, he launched multiple ice spikes at the beast, but it phased through the attack. "That's not ether"
The beast passed through Jin's shoulder, and in that moment, Gray embedded his sword in his shoulder. Falling on his knees, holding his shoulder in pain.
"Why are you on the floor?" Gray said, still clutching his sword and standing in the middle of the spikes. Jin's shoulder was no longer in pain. He couldn't believe it, Gray enforced a vision, and one false move, it could have been reality.
The ice melted, and the room was practically flooded. Berkley adjusted his tie, understanding the level of control that Gray has with bloodlust not only projecting a creature, but also selecting a target. For someone young, what kind of hell did he have to endure to end up unstable?
"I am willing to make a deal with you," Berkley said nervously while holding his tie. "I can't give you the information free of charge, but if you are willing you can fight in the arena. If you win I'll give you the information, but you have to join me if you lose.
"It's that so," Gray said in an aggressive tone. "I would like to add one more thing. You know that garage in Grover St." Berkley's eyes grew wide, realizing that Gray was the one who attacked the garage. "The client that you thought you had in your hands, I want their debt cleared."
Berkley smiled, lifting his hand and making a vow, "I, Berkley James, set the win or lose condition." Lifting his other hand to shake Gray's hand.
Shaking his hand, Gray's other hand lifted up. "State your full name." Gray for a moment to process. Remember the fight he had with Kim six years ago over naming their own group, Gray stated, "It's Gray….. Gray Ortiz Gungnir."
A golden glow radiates around them. "Here are the conditions: one fight, three opponents. Win the match and you'll receive the desired information, and the debts of my clients will be clear. Losing the match will result in you joining my side and paying back the money for clearing my client's debt. Do you acknowledge Gray Ortiz Gungnir?"
"I acknowledge."
"The contract has been set." A ring appeared in both their hands, and the glow dissipated. Gray looked at the ring and saw that it had a chain attached to Berkley's ring.
"These are contact rings, they will lead us to each other, so don't bother to run, and failing to show up or provide by the end of the day will result in forfeit. The ring will remain on the winner's finger until the conditions are fulfilled. Don't worry about your ether, it's self-perpetual."
"When does the fight start?"
"All I need is one hour. In the meantime, you can stay in the locker room, while I'll get the fighters." Walking past Gray, pushed a button for the intercom.
Another attendant walked in, stunned by the state of the room. "I would like you to take our guests to the locker room and provide a meal, and send the cleaning crews for this mess."
"Yes, sir," she said nervously.
Sneaking past the attendant, Richer left the room with a sigh of relief, but in the next moment, he was sent flying back into the room, slamming against the chairs.
"What with the rush, did the party finish?" Walking in was a man wearing an auburn (brownish-red) overcoat with a black turtleneck and pants.
"Dabrick, your order was to be on standby."
"You can't order me around. I'm not on your payroll because I mark the arena as my favorite, but it doesn't mean I'm going to protect you." Taking a coin out of his pocket, it transformed into daggers. "Now let's have some fun."
Dabrick, within an instant, closed the distance between him and Gray. Partially drawing his sword from the sheath, he stepped forward, blocking Dabrick.
Locking in with each other, Gray sees dust coming out of Dabrick, but strangely, a leg and an arm were forming like it was stepping out. Before Gray knew he a second Dabrick was formed.
The second Dabrick landed an upper cut. Dust started to come out of the clone side, and a leg formed, kicking Gray, and sending him crashing through the glass.
"You idiot!" Berkley angrily shouted, "If he touches the floor of the arena, the contract for the match will start, and without the other two fighters, it will be forfeit."
"And how is that my problem?" Dabrick said as his clone disappeared and jumped out chasing after Gray.
Sliding across the floor of the arena, Gray managed to regain his footing. With one knee on the ground, Gray completely drew his sword.
Dabrick attacked from above, but Gray rolled to the side dodging the attack. Creating another clone this time with a dagger, he rushed towards Gray, but matching his speed their blades clashed, holding each other in place. The real Dabrick took out a second coin and was now wielding a second dagger.
He tried to strike Gray with a downward slash while he was still being held. Gray grabbed his sheath and used it to catch Dabrick strike. With all three locked places Gray gave both of them a cold gaze and lifted a finger externally pointed at both of the Dabrick.
[2X Simi Caliber; Ruptura, Spear.]
Both Dabrick were suddenly slashed, falling over and both turned to dust. The real Dabrick seemed to eject at the last second, and replaced himself with another clone, now crunching down with his coat and shirt cut. Adjusting himself and removing his coat, he created two more clones, each wielding two daggers.
Gray, now wielding his sword and sheath, "This may not be the same, but it should do," he said to himself.