Located in Peak Mountain City, on a hill that carried Wutang Academy, close to the school's west wing, was a stadium.
Perhaps stadium was the wrong term; Arena was the more fitting term, giving the wide battlefield situated at the center of the structure.
Most times it was the students of the academy that filled its grounds, and at certain other times and occasions the stadium opened its grounds to the public, the Arena filling up, screams echoing all around.
Today was no such day. All was usual within the city and within the school; students were expected to be in class or engaging in a beneficial activity.
Much of the several thousand seats within the tall round structure were empty, just a few front seats occupied by students of Wutang's 3rd year battle class, all of them having their gazes zeroed in on the action happening at the center.
Within the round sandy field that made up the Arena's fighting ring, two people currently exchanged blows. A boy with long brown hair that went past his neck and another boy who had a bandana around his head and bit down on a knife.
The two boys exchanged blows with one another, the boy with the bandana constantly parrying his opponent's attacks and delivering punches that landed square on his opponent's face.
Swellings already beginning to form on his face, everyone could see that the boy with brown hair was being completely outclassed. His courage was admirable, the determination in his eyes strong, but his defeat was inevitable.
"You'll be up next, Roy. You ready?"
Watching from the stands, a slim boy with a narrow face and spotting a wide grin was the one who spoke.
He glanced at the stoic fellow to his left, unbothered when the only reply he got from his classmate was a grunt. Nathan and Roy weren't friends; their relationship was based on just the fact that they were classmates.
With his sleek eyes, Nathan turned and observed the rest of the stadium. Other than the section occupied by he and his classmates, a few staff down at the edge of the fighting ground, every other area of the Arena was empty, and noticing that the battle below was about to be concluded, he dropped some words for Roy, who was already standing to his feet.
"Hans isn't anywhere in sight. If you finish your fight quickly, I'm sure you can convince the teacher to let you fight Sarah."
"That's the plan."
Nathan hadn't expected a word from the brooding boy, but the reply he got had the grin on his face stretching.
It wasn't Roy's fight with the noble princess that had Nathan excited, rather the thought of the beatdown his current opponent was about to receive.
Aside from the pleasure he expected to receive from seeing the arrogant girl be smacked around, her screams ringing out, Nathan enjoyed the fact that she would be getting a reality check, something to send her tail back between her legs.
It didn't matter to him that he wasn't the one doing the deed; her being in misery was enough for him.
Down at the Arena, the boy with the bandana dropped to the floor to avoid a high heel, then rotating on his hands, he spun and delivered two brutal kicks to his opponent's face, effectively knocking him out. The boy with the bandana was known to be very skilled with knives, and the fact that he hadn't had to employ it spoke of how wide the gap between him and his opponent was.
Watching as another of her students was carried out on a stretcher, his injury relatively mild, the combat teacher for the 3rd year battle class called out the next opponents. Wearing black knee boots, her outfit a uniform black cargo pants and top, the teacher for the class was a matured female. Many couldn't really tell if the woman was beautiful or not because her tight expression and piercing eyes had anyone who looked her way immediately dropping their head.
The woman had been brought from some unknown location to teach the bright 3rd-year class, and there were rumors that even the principal was afraid of her.
"Roy Glean and Naoi Feng, come down to the Arena."
Within seconds, both students stood before the teacher at the center of the ring, her calculating eyes covered by silver spectacles, studying both of them.
"Fight."
Bana Stenson did not say anything more. While other teachers would give rules and caution, she didn't believe in cajoling the future killers before her. In the event one of the students went overboard, about to critically harm their fellow classmate, the woman believed she was enough to handle things, and if she wasn't, the overpowering student in question should be transferred to the region's capital immediately.
Located below the stands that stood above, tall walls surrounding it preventing harm from coming to spectators, Roy and Naoi stood at the center of the Arena, the image of their teacher fading from their sight as she retreated.
"Your last chance to give up," Roy said.
Roy's words weren't new, this was what he said to every opponent he met, especially in an uncontrolled field, before he destroyed their will.
"No, I won't lose," the female said.
Naoi had come a long way in her strength since she entered the academy. Amongst her classmates, she held the respect of most, but despite her defiant words, everyone sighed within as they awaited the massacre that was to follow.
It was already bad enough that Roy had three individuals he could not look down on; anyone else who dared stand before him stoked his rage like dry leaves added to fire, and he never failed to spark.