"Is this your first time using a protected arena, Tamer Rick?" The speaker in the box chirped to life; the voice was from the blonde angel from earlier.

You pressed the button, feeling the slight click underneath your digit. "Yes."

"The spell will protect from stray debris and potential elemental techniques that might harm spectators or tamers alike. Besides protection, it comes with an amplification function keyed to your podium, it will also allow you to amplify your voice towards those within the combat area, if you speak loudly then your monstergirls should be able to hear you. Do keep in mind this amplification is universal, everyone within would hear you." A pause. "One last warning, monstergirls are not allowed to touch the barrier, the discharge could seriously harm them."

Nodding, you pressed again. "Thanks for the clarification."

A pause, and after a second, you saw the winged monstergirl rising to fly at the edge of the field, observing it from above. “Tamer Rick, I will be this match’s arbiter, are you ready for the battle?”

No. “Yes.”

"Then this match shall now begin." Above the monstergirl appeared a clock, red and glaring, zeros lining its length. A loud honking air-horn-like sound followed, and the clock began to count time.

Within moments of the honk, two figures shot into the air on the opposite side of the field. One dark, the Thundrix, the other light... You had to guess to be the Neigix. Meanwhile, the Moriae stuck to the other monstergirl that remained on the ground; you guessed it to be the Mimica. The armoured monstergirl moved ahead with steady thudding steps.

It made you frown slightly while you watched your own side.

Kiara was rising into the air, though at a far slower pace than the other two. Diane and Raven were slowly moving towards the side and clearly intent on keeping distance from the enemy fliers.

Above all, Monica had broken into an explosive sprint towards the other side of the field. Watching her running was like watching a Formula 1 race car tear the asphalt as it shot through the track. Dirt burst out with her every step, her body moving faster than you’d ever seen her. The other monstergirls were reacting to her speed almost as quickly as the feline was, and the dark Thundrix began unleashing bolts of yellow lightning that arched through the air so fast that you’d miss them if you blinked.

But none hit the intended target. Monica had seen the attacks coming and merely tweaked her route to the bare minimum for them to miss, adding a minimal zigzag to her sprint.

In the total span of three seconds since the honk, the feline had covered a hundred meters and launched herself towards the Moriae like a mass of supercharged velocity. The Moriae let out a battlecry, stomping her foot and raised her guard just in time to block the incoming kick.

It was like watching a truck hit a pole. The armoured monstergirl should have been pushed back out of the sheer inertia Monica brought with her, yet had not moved an inch. It almost looked like the feline had taken the brunt of her own attack. The Moriae raised her hammer to prepare a counter-attack against Monica but missed entirely as Monica jumped back.

Just as she’d prepared for another attack, Monica had to jump further back when the Neigix unleashed a downpour of what looked like... It was hard to make out at this distance, but feathers? A gasp left you when you saw said feathers embed themselves against the ground practically a full foot, as if they were actually razor sharp knives.

All of them had missed Monica, but the distance they forced her to put between herself and the Moriae opened up the opportunity for the Thundrix to launch several more lightning bolts out of her hands.

With bated breath, gripped the railing, you saw one had hit and the feline stumbled a step, ears flattening against her head in pain. Clenching your jaw, you watched the small trail of smoke that rose from the burn on Monica's shoulder. She shuddered once, shooting a glare and a snarl at the Thundrix above but turning back to the approaching Moriae. Dust rose from the spot Monica had been standing on as, within the blink of an eye, she was rushing straight back at the hammer-wielding monstergirl.

Gulping, you checked the match clock. It started ten seconds ago.

The enemy team's coordination was impeccable. You had to grit your teeth as your eyes flickered at the two flyers that were preparing for another round, circling above the Moriae and waiting for a chance to rain attacks down on Monica.

A sphere of black flames whirled between them, breaking their focus and forcing them to turn towards the approaching Kiara.

"Change targets, Reiss can handle the cat." The voice startled you, it came loud and clear from the opposite podium. Erica had given a command and, instantly, the team responded.

The woman’s eyes turned towards you, a smirk on her lips, accompanying her cigarette as she stood with poise and calmness. Your own hands were clenching the railing hard enough they hurt. Your attention turned back to the battle.

The Thundrix and Neigix split, and Kiara tried to move to block the Neigix, but the avian monstergirl just went low right as the infernal took a lightning bolt to the face. Your hackles rose, but you forced yourself to calm down as you realized Kiara had barely even flinched at it. The Neigix zoomed towards Diane and Raven. Monica was trying to find a way to land a solid hit on the Moriae and was not managing to do much as her scratches and kicks were being deflected or blocked by her target's hammers.

Kiara was on the defensive, the Thundrix was dodging everything the infernal was sending her way, keeping a comfortable distance from the slower fighter, and responding with lightning bolts that were not missing their mark, pushing the infernal back. The first might not have hurt, but they were going to build up no matter how tough the infernal was.

But worst of all were Raven and Diane.

The Neigix had reached them, and she was keeping herself up above at a safe distance, raining down those razor-sharp feathers onto the Arachnae and Rapha. Raven had turned into her tauric form, using herself to block whatever part of the attack might hit the nurse. You could tell this would be a losing strategy however, as Raven was not going to have a chance to retaliate, making it a rather simple thing for the Neigix to just wear them down. Diane in the meantime was leaning against the tauric spider, her hands glowing and pushing the glowing touch against the caparace, clearly trying to postpone the inevitable fall the spider monstergirl would have if the situation stayed as it currently was.

“Not used to an actual fight, are you?” The voice cracked from the speaker. Your sight crossed the battlefield and towards the opposing tamer as she flicked her cigarette away, leaning down against the railing with unflinching calmness.

Ignoring her, you frowned, trying to consider alternatives. How could you solve this problem? Your eyes landed on a lone monstergirl standing practically at the edge of the field, doing her best not to be noticed as she kept her eyes flickering between Monica and the infernal.

The clock pointed towards the match having started thirty seconds ago. "Kiara, throw some attacks at the Mimica, she's defenceless."

The instant you'd given the order the Neigix spun around and stopped attacking Raven, flapping her wings powerfully and zooming towards Kiara who was trying to circle around the Thundrix to get a good angle on the Mimica. Her advancement was put on a halt when the Thundrix switched from throwing bolts of lightning to opening her wings wide and beating them, a faint white glow encompassing her whole body.

You couldn’t feel the wind but you could see it; Kiara’s hair whipped backwards and she covered her face slightly as her whole body was pushed back. The powerful gale began to blow, hard enough that even Diane and Raven were put in an uncomfortable spot as dirt flung towards them. The gale was enough for the Neigix to take advantage of to harass the infernal, throwing some more sharp feathers at her target. A cry was let out as one of the feathers pierced deep into the infernal's arm. Kiara wavered in the air, the flap of her wings stopping for a second, and her height dropped a handful of meters before she managed to regain stability and avoid crashing down, swooping back up before the other two could press the altitude advantage.

Gritting your teeth, you glanced at Diane, focused on healing the many severe wounds that had been inflicted onto Raven within the span of seconds. The Arachnae looked weary and was panting, holding her bleeding arm. You glanced at the white pool of silk that she appeared to be pulling with her hind legs while the nurse was pouring over her tauric form with her glowing hands.

Focus moved to the more active fighter. Monica was growing increasingly frustrated; you could see her trying to attack the Moriae, kicks and punches. She wasn't trying to savagely claw away so much as land a solid blow. It made you grimace inside; she was trying to avoid going for a potential kill and it was clearly costing her. The Moriae that had, somehow, yet to move a single inch from where the fight had started kept missing her own blows, but if any one landed it would clearly be devastating. The feline-

"AGH!"

The cry snapped your attention to Kiara, the Succubus clutching her thigh as she dropped to nearly ground level, spreading her wings at the last moment and angling her speed to glide towards Diane, clearly seeking healing. Your eyes widened and your grip on the railing tensed all the way to your shoulders. Kiara going low like this was going to open movement for the other...

You frowned- the Thundrix was not following. She'd stopped, turning around and flying straight towards the Mimica instead, and the Neigix was not pursuing, keeping herself smack in the middle of the field. What? You focused, ignoring Kiara for now while looking at the Thundrix intently. She was blushing furiously, breathing hard, and as soon as she'd landed she moved her wings to rub slightly against her chest as she took an offered bottle of something from the Mimica.

Your eyes widened. Kiara had been having an effect on her. This was an opportunity. "Monica, left side, HUNT!" You roared, watching Erica at the opposite side of the field take a startled step forward.

“STOP HER!” The assistant screamed.

The feline's head snapped away from the Moriae and towards the grounded bird. As one, all four enemy monstergirls looked at the grinning feline. Monica did not wait, and in another explosion of movement she dodged the Moriae and escaped her effective range, moving like a bullet straight towards the Thundrix with a savage determination. The flying monstergirl’s eyes widened, and her whole body glowed with lightning. You expected her to launch an attack; instead, she threw herself upwards with a speed that made her look like a rocket.

Shame the Mimica had no such ability.

Monica had reached the spot the Thundrix had been at a second later, her leg moving to kick the Mimica as if an afterthought, her eyes focused on the rising bird. The smaller black-haired monstergirl was shot off her feet like a thrown ragdoll, the air knocked out of her hard enough she couldn’t even cry out as her body impacted against the barrier. She spasmed the moment after, letting out a shrill scream just as she was recalled. You sighed with relief, watching Monica follow through on her attack on the weaker monstergirl by leaping upwards hard enough to crack the ground underneath her.

She made it 'merely' ten meters off the ground before she fell back down, not having managed to catch the retreating Thundrix on time- not that she would've managed, as the Neigix had thrown a powerful downwards gust to knock the cat down before she could reach full altitude. Monica landed with an annoyed look, hissing up at the Thundrix but quickly moving out of the way of the hurled sharp feathers that followed the downwards gale.

"Bitch, heal me!"

Your attention snapped towards Kiara as she screamed at Diane, whose hands were focused on some of the deeper bleeding gashes on Raven's torso. The nurse had a deep scowl and was shooting daggers back at the infernal.

"Focus on their Succubus, don’t rush," Erica's voice commanded.

"Kiara, incoming!" You warned.

“I don’t need telling!” She replied with a growl, looking upwards as the Thundrix drank whatever it was she'd taken from the Mimica. With a snarl and a yelp from Diane as the nurse recoiled from a flash of black flames, Kiara jumped back up into the air, blood trickling down her right leg as she prepared black fire on either of her hands.

The two flying opponents waited a moment longer while the Thundrix finished her beverage, and you could tell the look of the dark-skinned monstergirl was one of determination, her lips curled into a nasty snarl at the infernal.

Timer. Two minutes since the start of the match. A hundred and twenty seconds. Your hands were practically shaking.

A hundred and twenty seconds and your four monstergirls were left in this state. You could feel the muscles on the back of your neck tense as you watched Kiara's futile attempt to land an attack on either of the flyers. The way they flew laps around the succubus, Kiara might as well have been stationary compared to the nimble, deadly flight of the two enemies. Lightning and razor-sharp knives battered against the resilient monstergirl. But it was not going to be very long before she was knocked back down. The next fall would likely be for good.

Your eyes turned to Raven, as she slowly stood on shaking legs, her face pale but her eyes resolute. She was looking at you. The gesture surprised you as she moved a finger to cover her lips in warning of silence. Your focus drifted downwards, and you saw her hands clutching a thread of silk with a rock attached at the end.

A trickle of hope swept through you. "Kiara, fly lower! Focus on dodging, forget attacking right now, you need to buy time for Monica," you proclaimed loudly, hoping the red herring could work.

Your eyes moved to the feline. She'd managed to rip one of the hammers out of the Moriae's hands at some point, but the fight was still too entrenched; her left hand appeared slightly limp and she was clearly not moving as quickly as she had been at the start. Her feet were almost dragging, and you couldn’t see well from this distance, but it seemed the ground wasn’t quite so firm under her feet.

Hoping Monica could at least hold out for longer and not having much of a chance to continue observing that part of the fight, you looked back at Kiara. The infernal had switched to a desperate flight that was as close to the ground as she could make it. Her body had used the fall to speed itself as much as she could manage; she zoomed as it tried to zig-zag and avoid the rain of attacks. Her pursuers were reducing the distance, and their aim was getting better. The Succubus let out a shriek as a particularly powerful jolt of lightning struck her squarely on the back. Your heart felt as if it froze inside your chest as you saw the Succubus’ ability to sustain herself in the air entirely gone, and she crashed.

With a grunt, Kiara fell, inertia causing her to roll and drag through the dirt. The two flying monstergirls moved in to finish the fight.

“Raven!” You let out with what was left of your breath.

True to the command, the rock shot across the air with incredible speed. In its wake it pulled a thread of white silk. Fast enough to catch the unexpecting opponents by surprise, it struck the Thundrix's wing. The silk stuck, and the next flap of the monstergirl's wing immediately plastered more of it against its surface, tangling some of the silk and quickly turning the Thundrix's flight into a sudden desperate attempt to stay airborne. Raven was yanking on the rope, reducing the distance between the two with every tug, her tauric body stuck to the ground despite the Thundrix's best thrashing attempts to escape.

"Don't escape, attack!" Erica shouted the command.

Thundrix and Neigix turned to Raven, and the spider flinched as her thorax was peppered with more sharp feathers, but she kept pulling, stomping the sticky silk against the ground with every handful of silk she could pull. Four meters away, Raven gave a single powerful tug at the silk, forcing her glowing prey straight into her reach.

For a fraction of a second you saw the spider monstergirl’s hands glowing a sickly green. The next, the flash of lightning and the crack of thunder that followed left your ears ringing and your eyes shutting tightly. You blinked your stinging eyes, rubbing away the spots, quickly trying to see what had happened.

Raven had collapsed. She was laying on the ground, her arachnid half had cracked at several points, green blood oozed out, and her flank was hammered with more sharp feathers, sinking into her spider legs and making her wince. Raven's lips thinned as she clenched onto the silk that was still attached to the Thundrix's wing.

The Arachnae’s whole body trembled as she fought to stand back up, keeping her hands tangled in her own silk while her prey was preparing for another attack, the dark-skinned avian monstergirl beginning to glow again.

"Do I recall the Arachnae?"

The voice cracked through the speaker, almost making you jump in surprise. Your focus remained fixated on the static jumping around the Thundrix's body as it began to increase, your breath caught in your throat.

Could Raven even survive another attack? Your finger reached out for the button, cold dread running through you. And as you touched the cold uncaring plastic surface, you froze, something moving from the corner of your eye.

The cry came with a roar.

"NO HURT RAVEN!"

"HARA WATCHOUT!"

One voice was familiar, was from one of the enemy monstergirls. You saw the white-haired blur only a fraction of a second before it hit the Thundrix like a freight train.

Unlike the Moriae, the Thundrix was not as sturdy, both bodies flung across the field out of Monica’s sheer inertia.

The feline didn’t hesitate, and claws sank into the surprised monstergirl’s stomach. Blood sprayed in the following four swipes, her paws moving so fast it looked like she was shredding the avian girl one strip at a time. The dark-skinned monstergirl shrieked just as the feline's closed fist slammed against her face and into the ground with a solid thud that you could hear all the way from your end. The charged lightning that had been building around the Thundrix exploded with a blinding and deafening clap that was blinding even through your closed eyelids.

The air around you vibrated from the sound. You felt your hairs stand on end as the railing tingled under your touch; this time it had been powerful enough you could feel it through the metal of the podium all the way outside the barrier.

You swallowed the lump on your throat, noticing the beam of red light before you could properly see what had happened as the spots were still swimming across your gaze. Your whole body was rigid as you watched the dust cloud slowly settling.

The shadow that stepped out of it was Monica, but what you saw gave you no reprieve. Her fur was burnt, deep scars and angry welts covered her bloodied claws and arms, and smoke rose out of her. The feline’s first step wavered, and she fell down to a knee, panting hard, eyes half focused and her whole body shaking.

"Finish her down before she can recover!" Erica commanded. She was gripping the railing, eyes narrowed in fury.

Instantly you locked onto the two remaining enemy monstergirls. The Neigix was already throwing more of her sharpened feathers, forcing Monica to cry out as they hit her squarely against her side and back. The feline fell to her side, laying on the ground and trying to push herself back up, her body shaking too fiercely to properly manage it. But the Moriae was... nowhere to be seen?

That thought lasted only two seconds.

You saw the monstergirl emerging from the ground as if she were no more than an illusion, practically floating her way out of the dirt without leaving a trace of her passing. Like a vengeful ghost whose steps thudded against the ground, she appeared only a handful of meters from Monica, wielding a lone hammer and a look that was locked on the feline.

Gritting your teeth, you watched Monica stumble and whimper as she glanced at the approaching Moriae, trying to get some distance, her legs failing as blood began to pool around her. Your hand already moved to the button, have her recalled.

Seeing Diane approaching the Moriae from behind, knife in hand, you grit your teeth- was this a chance?

The enemy tamer noticed, her eyes widened. "Reiss-!"

You reacted faster. "MONICA BEHIND YOU!" You roared loud enough your throat hurt, drowning out Erica's command before it could be finished. The assistant looked at you with disbelief, mouth opening slightly as the events unfolded with a thundering silence.

No cry, no scream, no roar. Diane’s eyes narrowed and she leapt at the hammer-wielding monstergirl. The Moriae’s eyes had kept focused on the feline, the ringing of your command having kept her unable to hear that final step as the nurse flung herself like a maddened attack dog. One hand clutching the knife, the other glowing, the knife circled around the Moriae and struck her throat, but it didn’t sink; the monstergirl’s skin was too tough. That is, until Diane’s glowing hand reached around from the opposite side and touched the same area.

Like a hot knife through butter, the knife sank into the surprised monstergirl’s bleeding throat. Instantly she turned around, hammer in hand. The gesture flung Diane away as the hammer hit her blade-wielding arm; the sound of shattering bone could be heard loud and clear. But the move had been violent, violent enough the wound on her throat had become only deeper. Having Diane flung away pulled the knife with her and the Moriae’s throat sprayed blood.

Diane was sent sprawling across the ground, face contorted in agony as she held her shattered arm. The Moriae held her throat with her free hand, trying to stem the bleeding to little effect. Your eyes darted as you noticed movement. The Neigix, the monstergirl’s face contorted in rage, focus entirely on Diane, her taloned feet glowed with menacing white power.

The attack didn’t manage to land, as a ball of black fire hit her squarely on her wing. The attack itself didn’t bring any inertia with it, but the black flames burst into life instantly. The Neigix screamed as they spread fast, burning the feathers on her wing and causing her to drop against the ground. The monstergirl desperately rolled, trying to put them out. To no avail, they only spread faster, you could only wince at the sight as she vanished into red light.

And then... there was only one.

The Moriae stood proudly, one hand pressed against her throat, the other holding her hammer. Her gaze slowly moved across the field, focusing on the whimpering Monica, the trembling Raven, and the panting Kiara. And then she looked at Diane as the nurse laid on her side, one arm entirely limp, the other glowing as she tried to heal herself.

Blood stained her hand, her armour, and was dripping onto the ground quickly, her face pale, her grip on her hammer loosening ever so slightly. She spun around, eyes like hot coals focusing directly on you. The power behind that gaze pinned you in place, and you knew, you knew without a shadow of a doubt, if not for that stroke to her throat, even with everyone else downed, the Moriae would’ve been able to finish the match and win.

Lips parting, the monstergirl leaned over to vomit blood, and her body had begun to shake just as she vanished into a beam of red light.

And you felt like your legs were about to give out underneath you as a breath you’d been holding escaped your lips.

There was a ringing in your ears, the speaker next to you spoke some words about having won- not that you could make out the specifics, you only felt a wave of relief shoot through you. A relief that was only momentary, as your eyes moved through the four monstergirls that had fought.

Diane was holding her entirely limp arm from where the single attack from the Moriae had shattered it entirely. Monica was barely conscious as she laid flat on the floor, bleeding, and Raven was no better, turned back to her human form. Kiara was the one that looked the least battered and bruised but in no less need for desperate medical treatment, her hands pressed against a cut within her thigh that was bleeding profusely, her breathing hard, her eyes only half focused even though a lofty smirk played on her lips.

For the first time since you'd left Bark, you realized just how dangerously underprepared you were.

You'd won.

But it didn't feel like victory.