Five Had Fallen, Five Had Risen
The next evening came too fast. The city buzzed with anticipation, the stadium packed fuller than before. Fans screamed louder, banners waved brighter, and the tension was suffocating.
As the crowd settled, the announcer’s voice thundered
“First fight of Day Four! From Ukraine… cold as ice… KATERINA ORLOV THE ICE QUEEN! Versus… from South Korea… unbroken, unyielding… TALIA CROSS IRON FIST!”
The crowd roared. I stepped out, my fans chanting my name until the whole stadium shook. My glare froze the cameras in place. The bell rang. The fight began.
At first, Ice Queen was flawless calm, precise, calculated. For the first ten minutes I absorbed the punishment, refusing to fall. I’ve fought many opponents, but I won’t lie she was strong. For nearly twenty minutes, I couldn’t even touch her. Before my fist could land, she was already gone. All I could do was dodge, step after step, waiting for my chance.
She tried to lift me, to slam me down, but I planted my feet and broke free. I drove my fist into her back, followed by a crushing knee to her stomach. She staggered. I didn’t give her a chance to breathe. Punch after punch, kick after kick I unleashed everything.
She collapsed. I rushed in, pinning her down before she could rise.
“One! Two! Three!”
The referee’s hand hit the floor. It was over.
The commentator’s voice exploded through the arena:
“TWENTY-THREE MINUTES! Talia Cross ends it before the half-hour mark!”
The stadium erupted. My hand was raised high. Ice Queen… eliminated. Iron Fist… moved forward.
Day Four Continued
The next match shook the ring. Nia Johnson clashed with Amaara Singh in a brutal test of endurance and grit. Blow after blow, neither gave an inch until Nia found her moment. A strike to the jaw, a sweep, a pin.
“Winner in Nia Johnson!”
Amaara Singh, the Lioness, was out.
Day Five
The following day brought another storm of battles.
“From Japan… swift and silent… AYUMI TANAKA! Versus… from Russia… the ruthless storm… ANYA VOLOKOV!”
It was speed against raw power. Ayumi darted like lightning, her strikes a blur but Anya slipped through every attack like smoke. Then came the finishing blow: a devastating kick to the temple.
The bell rang. “Winner Anya Volkov!”
By the end of Day Five, five had fallen. And five had risen.
The commentator’s voice boomed across the arena, sealing our names in the history of this tournament:
Elena Petrovic, The Iron Wall
Selena Moreau, The Shadow
Talia Cross, Iron Fist
Nia Johnson
Anya Volkov
The stadium shook with cheers and chants. Ten had entered this round. Only five survived.
Tomorrow, the road would only grow bloodier.