Chapter 8: Relieving Stress in a Versus

----Karne POV----

We reached floor 15, the martial arts section. Denri filled up some forms and then we came to a room filled with Taekwondo uniforms and protective gears.

'If you don't want your body filled with bruises, I advise you to take up some of these. As for me, I have no need for them.'

'Are you going to make me fight? How will that release steam and bent up frustrations?'

Clearly, this is nothing but suicide on my part. I don't even know if Denri can fight as well because if my hunch is correct,

[we're going up against some bulky dudes who wear loincloths… no, no loincloths.]

'Oh of course it does. Use them against your opponent. Transform it into strength but if you can't, then good luck. Being punched will take away your stress at some point but it will not take away the physical pain later on.'

I heard our names being called up in the ring and like I thought, two bulky, bald guys were waiting for us. I don't want to have any broken bones so I decided to take a default and pass the countdown. I didn't make any moves first then I made a quick move for the door but it won't open.

[ Why wouldn't the door open?]

Then I realized too late that the security crew might be the one who shut the door. I don't even have to take a wild guess on who would have ordered them to.

[ Denri is their superior after all and I'm just a takeover who isn't part of the family.]

'Down, Miss Denri is down!'

The commentator announced as the crowd grew noisier and much more excited.

'What on earth could she be possibly thinking, rushing there on her own?!'

'Ah, there he is! Miss Denri's partner finally came out in the open. Take a look; he has come out at last. Will he be able to save her or will the twin brothers prevail?'

The commentator didn't even look aghast or anything but his voice said otherwise. This isn't even a studio for voice actors, dozing off and eating junk foods while at work. The crowd didn't seem to notice though because they were focused on the peculiar match between teenagers and muscle-headed middle aged men.

'Remember guys, to win, you have to knock your opponents out but killing is also forbidden. On the count of 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4. Miss Denari had gotten up; she's not out of the ring yet.' Why didn't she just lie down? It could have ended there!

'Denri, that's enough already! You can't win against them.' She ignored me and what's worse is that the crowd began to shout boo's to me.

'Help her you coward! The match hasn't ended yet.'

'Yeah, you're a disgrace to the male society.'

I honestly don't know what to think or what to reply against them all. After all, they were just stating facts.

All I ever did was find an expedient getaway for everything. I just waited in the safest place for someone to do all the work for me, eventually disappearing in the process.

[ I'm doing it again, no! I'm such a weak, useless fool. How can I ever get away from this nightmare? ]

I watched as Denri nimbly avoided the attacks of the Twin Brothers in the wide, 20 by 15 ring of a block. The moving proved fatal for her though because she's quickly running out of gas. Even though only one fought with her as the other just watched from the sides, his stature is just too much for any one of us to handle.

'You can do it, Denri!' The commentator must have developed a liking to Denri for cheering but he obviously began to despise me for not helping her, 'what are you doing Partner?! Stop staring and get to fighting.'

[ This is the most embarrassing moments of my life! Just when did my name change from Karne to Partner?]

But then, Denri managed to make her opponent kneel by striking a blow on the back of his knees. She managed a head lock and I was expecting the other twin to come running but he didn't. I rushed inside the ring without even having the chance to consider wearing protective gears. Denri's opponent began preparations for crashing back to her but I quickly applied 3 consecutive Vagus Strike and another side kick just below his ear when Denri very quickly abandoned her position after I told her to in a whisper, when I passed her.

She made a sound of disapproval when the man just sat there, kneeling in a dazed suspense. The other twin was surprised but recovered quickly as Denri planted another, powerful axe kick sending the dazed man into unconsciousness.

The crowd rumbled with what happened, 'This is an unexpected turn of events! And their file just revealed that they are just rookie fighters, teenagers to be exact. We have our youngest fighters here who baffled us with their act of no cooperativeness.'

'Wow, I didn't think adrenaline can take me this far.'

I'm still shaking from a feeling I couldn't explain. It feels like my body is urging me to move.

'I told you,' Denri reminded me.

'That was clever, by the way. Coming at the last minute when the other one was far from us.'

'It was in the spur of the moment,' I confessed.

'Hang in there Miss Denri!' I was wondering if that phrase was the only honest comment that commentator ever made, climbing on top of his desk like a crazed child. There was a one minute interval for the retrieval of the unconscious man before the bell rang to signal the continuation of the match.

I knew that we can't beat the man with just raw strength and he will not take any chances with us so I took off my jacket, leaving me in just my undershirt.

'I have little strength left. My knees are giving out,' Denri informed me. I tied my jacket around me, 'I have a plan.'

The man is wise enough to wait where he stood at the centre, knowing that we will exhaust our stamina for running around. He appeared confident that with our combined strength, we are no match for him. Of course, we willingly took the bait as it is our only chance at winning. We straightforwardly charged to him and he prepared for us but sorry for him, that was never our plan all along.

'Denri!'

we veered away from him but still moving forward as I deftly untangled my jacket. Our eyes met the moment we stopped one step away from the bald man, taking one jacket hand each. As if on cue, we swung the jacket over his head, simultaneously kicking the back of his knee and pulling on the jacket in a synchronized movement with our backs facing his back. He didn't have time to react, toppling backwards and gasping from the impact.

'Did we do it?' Denri asked in ragged breaths, eyes constantly closing and opening from exhaustion. 'I can't take another step. I'm not exactly made for this kind of competitions, sorry.'

The man stirred a little, 'I think not. All that muscle is protecting him from taking any fatal damages from our attacks.'

I absolutely would not want to be hit by his enormity but the crowd is astir from the development.

'There, a tactical misdirection combined by their teamwork! This team is full of surprises,' since when did that commentator end up inside the ring?

'People! I can't hear your cheer. Who do you think will win in this battle of gut, wits and physical might?'

The crowd went crazy but instead of cheering they counted with the referee, '10, 9, 8, 7,' then they went totally quiet when the man began to get up, only momentarily confused.

Of course, I had to move before he could completely tower over us and send us flying with a pair of black eye. He wobbled on his feet, supporting his weigh with his hand. I wasn't confident about my kicking prowess up until now so I requested for Denri to be in a certain position while I perform a rather embarrassing technique to ensure my victory.

And who wouldn't be confused when they saw Denri on all fours like a crawling baby in front of the bald man? The audience fell to a very noisy murmur as I came in between them at her side, placing my palms on her back for support and sending a rather strong horse kick to his chin followed by a chop on the left side of his neck.

Finally, the crowd stopped their chattering and focused on the fight at hand. His face was forced upwards and then slightly tilting to the right. I came around to his back and sent 2 palm hits on his neck, forcing him to be in a position similar to Denri. Focusing all my stress and anger, I took a step back and dropped a falling kick between his arm locks.

He slumped to the ring floor but still conscious and breathing heavily from irritation. It was the most tiring physical activity I've ever done in my life but I stood frozen, Denri watched with bated breaths and the countdown began.

Denri casually sat in front of the bald man whispering threats to him, hoping the man would lay low and give up.

'Come on, just lay down and soon you will be comfortable on a soft, cottony bed instead of continuously being hit on the head. What can we do, the rest of your body is just like impenetrable armour for us so if you don't want me miffed by your stubbornness? You don't want me in that sour mood, believe me. I'll make you split on this very ring or and give you the most painful torpedo drill on your rear end. You don't want that, do you?'

I actually shivered from hearing Denri's sadistic speeches, not realizing that the referee is down to 3. The man who tried to make a stand and growled a promising revenge was still caught in Denri's verbal trap to pass the painfully long count of 10.

I watched with tension how he rose on the count of one and I was preparing to trip him, to cause him to land face first. The crowd began cheering for him because the fight became so one sided that the fight seemed to end right then and there. It was bad enough that I felt guilty for hurting people, mostly physically but this guy is extending his suffering because of some reason like losing to teenagers half his age.

Denri still sat where she had when she talked to the bald man, looking very tired and sleepy. I forgot that it was already her napping break, no wonder she's not rearing to go for another fight with the persistent bald, bulky man. Still, I have to worry about how to end the fight. I myself am not going to last that long for a longer endurance fight.

To my surprise and to everyone who watched the whole scenario, the man suddenly sat on the floor ring with a thud and complained about a painful attack on his foot. He screamed as though he had been hit by a bullet but both Denri and I are confused because we never did anything against him in that moment. 'My foot,' he cried and then he rubbed it like it would somehow ease the pain.

'I didn't do anything,' Denri defended herself.

'Neither did I,' I said raising both hands in the air.

We glared at the man who didn't even check if we would attack him in that vulnerable position. Could he be pulling an act on us, hoping that we would fall for his trap?

'My arthritis, please call the medics immediately! I can't take it anymore.'

He suddenly broke into tears, making everyone gasp in surprise.

'Is this a ploy? Because when it is, I might accidentally step on your face.' Denri is equally non-believing but still open for discussion.

'No, I swear it isn't! Please, I forfeit the match. You win. Just call the medic before I die of arthritis and you would be personally responsible,' he said defiantly but clearly hurt.

Before a decision was met, the commentator is back on his desk interrupting the interrogation inside the ring.

'This is news people!' The medics barged inside the ring and carried the arthritic man away to the medical station in a flash.

'The older twin brother, his name is Gill, had been suffering from mild symptoms of arthritis but after his check-up yesterday, his arthritis had apparently worsen considerably.'

The commentator revealed like it wasn't at all surprising how he came to the information itself while the match is on-going. Again, the crowd fell to a complaining mess but as for Denri and I, we made for the exit as quietly as we could.

'I want my money back! How can it end with just one of the contestants being attacked by arthritis?'

'I will sue this arthritis regime!' an old man in his 60's demanded.

'This people, this sad story end the match here and now. Denri and Partner had won the match by way of hit points they have inflicted on the Twin Brothers more than they did them.'

The commentator took on a stern tone and announced a ten minute break before moving on to the next match.

' l'll never let you drag me into anything or anywhere again. You're pulling us into some kind of double suicide, I'm so grateful for the arthritis attack but now I feel really bad for thinking that way,'

I chose the floor 0's eatery and Denri collapsed on her sit, exhausted and spent plus very sleepy.

'You said that like for a hundred times already, Kei.' Denri informed me.

'Then why did you sign us up for the adult division when there's a junior's division?' I asked suspiciously.

'There is? I thought it was mixed.' Denri said innocently and is about to crash on her food when I threw a pass card to her.

She caught it and eyed me questioningly but I waved her off saying, 'I've got business to attend to.' And I was out on a stealth mission.