Home Run

"Wow… did that really happen?!" Keten scoffed in disbelief.

"Three consecutive Ring Outs!?" Heluna was equally baffled. "I don't recall any match having three Ring Outs, and the entire bout lasted only one minute twelve seconds!"

"What an utterly embarrassing turn of events for Dezam!" Keten sadly shook his head, but then swiftly transitioned to other topics, perking up. "Anzyl secures a spot in the Quarterfinals, and now we move on to the second match of the day!" 

"And who's up next?" Heluna asked eagerly as the remaining six profile pictures were shuffled on the screen. 

"Neil O'Reilly of Starfleet, facing off against Karrik of the Hirogen Predara!" Keten announced, with the two combatants' profile pictures displayed side by side, separated only by a bold red and orange "VERSUS" banner.

"And now for my favorite part!" Heluna cheered, her excitement palpable. "The arena where these two will go head to head is?!" With a dramatic flourish, she spun the wheel of 16 colored slices, the anticipation building with each revolution. Finally, it came to a halt on a crimson red slice.

"The Klingon Imperial Arena!" she announced triumphantly, as the screens and monitors flashed images of the grandiose venue located at the heart of the Klingon Empire.

"A replica of the legendary Imperial Arena on Qo'noS," Keten elaborated, his voice tinged with reverence. "It serves as the epicenter of the most prestigious Bat'leth tournaments and championships in the entire Klingon Empire."

The circular arena boasted a massive Klingon Empire insignia at its center, surrounded by half-meter-high spikes pointing inward, serving as a stark warning to the faint-hearted. Beyond the spikes lay an abyss of fire and flames, symbolizing the fiery trials that awaited the combatants. Encircling the arena, a colossal coliseum seating thousands of roaring and cheering Klingons added to the electrifying atmosphere.

—

On the concrete floor of the arena, a metal baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire scraped across the ground as a set of black biker boots strolled up to the podium. Neil cracked his neck and tensed his fists, which were wrapped in a set of brass knuckles. He stood tall, his figure clad in a black leather jacket adorned with an Irish flag on the shoulder. "Alright... let's get this over with," he muttered, ready for the impending brawl.

Neil, hailing from a boxing gym in Ireland on Earth, possessed formidable skills in hand-to-hand combat. His time stationed on Deep Space 9 had introduced him to the ancient Earth sport of baseball, and he had developed a fondness for the weight and balance of a baseball bat in his hands.

On the opposite side of the arena stood Karrik, the Hirogen hunter. His orange-pebbled reptilian skin and imposing cranial ridges were accented by iridescent purple metal armor. "Let the hunt begin!" he growled, brandishing a long, curved falchion sword and assuming a swordsman's stance.

"Round one!" boomed the grizzled announcer's voice, echoing through the cavernous space. His musky tone reverberated in the coliseum. "Fight!"

The two fighters charged at each other, the holographic arena crackling with energy. Karrik lunged with his falchion, aiming for Neil's midsection.

Neil deftly parried the blade with his bat, the holographic clang echoing through the arena. With his free hand, he delivered a powerful punch straight to Karrik's face, the impact reverberating through the air. Neil's fists moved with precision and speed, a flurry of blows raining down on his opponent. Left, right, left hooks landed with force as Neil's fists seemed to blur in motion.

Feeling the pressure, Neil delivered a swift kick, forcing Karrik back several steps. This brief respite allowed Neil to gather his strength, preparing for his next move. With determination etched on his face, Neil powered up for his signature move—a left hook charged with fiery flames and energy, a visual enhancement courtesy of Tey'un's modifications.

As Neil unleashed his flaming fist, the arena crackled with anticipation. The punch struck with the force of a thunderbolt, sending the Hirogen warrior sprawling back against the Klingon spike barrier. The holographic crowd erupted into cheers as Karrik dematerialized, defeated.

"K.O.!" the male announcer proclaimed, the victory echoing through the simulated arena.

Neil wiped the sweat off his brow and picked up his bat, meandering back to his starting position, a single gold coin shimmering above his head. One victory down, two more to go until the Quarterfinals.

Seconds later, Karrik materialized in his starting position, poised for the next round.

"Round two!" The announcer's musky voice declared, "Fight!"

The fighters lunged at each other once more, the arena filled with flourishes and sparks as strikes were met with blocks and parries. Karrik put up a better fight this time, but Neil's sheer power and the force of his baseball bat outmatched the Hirogen's falchion. Parries to the left, dodges to the right— the two combatants remained neck and neck.

Then came two full horizontal strikes of Neil's bat, knocking Karrik off balance, followed by two upward vertical slashes, sending the Hirogen airborne with Tey'un's signature flourish. With a forceful yank on the airborne Hirogen's ankles, Neil brought Karrik crashing back to the ground, shattering the concrete beneath them.

Leaping over the fallen Hirogen, Neil's bat burst into flames as he delivered an explosive double slash into the ground, creating an "X Marks the Spot" of fiery destruction with Tey'un's added flair.

"K.O.!" the computer announcer declared, signaling Neil's victory in the second round as Karrik dematerialized.

Neil twisted and cracked his neck, feeling the tension in his muscles as he prepared for the next round. With a muttered 'Pathetic' barely audible under his breath, he returned to his starting position, the holographic gold coin materializing above his head once more.

Karrik rematerialized with visible annoyance, taking his stance as he awaited the start of the third round. The computer announcer's voice echoed through the arena, signaling the beginning of the match.

"Round three! Fight!" 

Neil stood firm as Karrik lunged at him, his determination evident in his stance. He had grown tired of playing nice and was ready to end the bout swiftly.

Karrik's sword slashed through the air, aiming for Neil, but Neil expertly parried the attack, swiftly seizing the Hirogen by the throat. With a powerful. muscular grip, Neil hoisted the alien off the ground, the Hirogen kicking and struggling in his grasp as his health bar began to dwindle.

In one swift motion, Neil brought down his bat, delivering a crushing blow as he maintained his chokehold on Karrik. The Hirogen crashed to the ground, defeated and gasping for air.

As Karrik attempted to rise, the sound of crashing thunder reverberated through the arena, signaling the end was near.

Neil stood poised, resembling a seasoned baseball player gearing up for the game-winning hit. His bat, held tightly with both hands, was poised behind his shoulders, flames engulfing its entirety.

As classic organ music reminiscent of old Earth baseball games filled the arena, an announcer's voice boomed, "Here's the Pitch!" (Another one of Tey'un's touches.)

The Hirogen's eyes widened in horror as he realized he himself was "The Pitch," and with all his strength, Neil swung the bat with ferocity.

With a resounding "CRACK," the bat connected, and Neil watched as the ball soared high into the sky, disappearing over the coliseum edge into the horizon.

"And It's Outta Here!!" declared the baseball announcer, followed swiftly by the husky voice of the computer announcer proclaiming, "PERFECT!! Neil wins!"

Karrik's headless hologram fell to the ground and dissolved into nothingness, and Neil chuckled to himself, casually resting the baseball bat on his shoulder. "You never stood a chance…" he murmured, strolling towards the exit as the hologram program dissipated into an empty holodeck.

—

Neil's street fighting style secured a decisive victory over the Hirogen, while the Vulcan's Lirpa skills and calculated moves led to the defeat of the Orion. Meanwhile, the Andorian's skillful bladework resulted in a triumph over the Reman.

Thus, Anzyl the Trill, Neil the Human, P'valk the Vulcan, and Enoth the Andorian advanced to the Quarterfinals.

As the Starship Nexus continued its journey through an endless pink nebula, the following day would see the remaining eight combatants battle it out to determine the final contenders.