The elders announced the rules of the semifinals after a long and heated meeting.
Each contestant would face the other four opponents. Facing two opponents on the first day, two on the next making it five fights per day, ten in total across two days. The scoring was simple, a victory granted 2 points, if it was a draw then 1 point. To reach the finals, a fighter needed at least 5 points or more anything less then that meant disqualification.
The order of battles was settled by the elders themselves, written so no dispute could arise.
Day One
Aspen vs Mei
Vijay vs Vaibhav
Mei vs Vayu
Aspen vs Vijay
Vayu vs Vaibhav
Day Two
Vijay vs Vayu
Vaibhav vs Aspen
Mei vs Vijay
Vayu vs Aspen
Mei vs Vaibhav
Ten fights across two days.
Soon Aspen and Mei came to stage for their first fight as the two stepped into the arena. Aspen's axes hung from his shoulders gleaming, he was grinning from ear to ear. Mei on the other hand moved differently, her eyes fully alert, her little dagger's tied at her hip. The crowd wanted spectacle, so they roared as the two stood face to face.
The elder's hand rose, then cut down through the air.
"Begin!" As the elder signaled my heart thumped "THUMP THUMP" I took long breaths to calm myself.
Aspen walked towards me with steady steps slowly reaching towards me, my grip tightened on my daggers. Aspen kept walking toward me leisurely like he was taking a stroll inside a park, it angered me but I kept myself calm, with each step closing the distance the pressure increased, each breath felt heavier. His axes hung low, but even without him swinging them yet, I felt the weight in my chest. The crowd cheered his name. I kept my feet planted, waiting for the right moment.
His shoulders shifted, and the first swing came down in a vertical arc. I rolled, dirt scraping my clothes, air splitting where my head had been. My dagger lashed out at his thigh but the cut was not deep, I looked towards Aspen to see pain in his eyes but his face had that same grin, there was no pain, Nothing.
He was tall, so tall I had to crane my neck to look at him, 182cm towering over my 154cm height. But that was my only blessing. I was small, I could vanish under his swings, easily placing myself into a blindspot. He swung again, I stepped back, waited because even deflecting his attacks caused me harm, it made me lose balance. Whenever I faced his attacks head on my knees felt weak so I decided to keep on dodging. He wasn't even fighting me seriously. His grin said it all, as if he was the winner already.
"I felt pissed" but there was nothing I could so except waiting, so I waited.
Another swing, wide and brutal. I darted to his left, rolled behind, and before he could turn, I climbed onto his back. My legs coiled around his throat, my body locking tight against his back. He attacked me with his axes, my arms seized his wrists, stopping the axes before they could cut me down. His roar rang inside my ears.
He thrashed, bucked like a horse trying to throw a rider. But I squeezed tighter, using his own body to shield myself from his strikes. I could hear the crowd, gasps, screams in disbelief. For a moment, I had him, for a moment ,I felt I could win this fight.
In a blur, she was on his back. Her legs coiled around his throat as she perched on his shoulders, choking him with all the strength her small body could summon. Aspen roared, twisting, his axes hacking upward, but Mei's hands shot out with perfect precision, gripping his wrists and stopping the strikes midair.
The crowd erupted. As Aspen was being ridden like a horse.
He bucked wildly, torso snapping side to side, staggering across the arena like a maddened bull. Mei clung on, legs squeezing tighter, shielding herself behind his own arms as he flailed. Then Aspen fell backward, slamming her with his body weight onto the arena floor. The impact rattled the arena, Mei's choke loosened. His massive hands tore her legs free, and with a violent wrench, he rolled away.
Both scrambled to their feet, Dust rose between them.
Mei's chest heaved. She had only one path to victory, she had to try again, keep slipping, keep climbing, choke him until he fell. Her daggers flashed as she braced herself.
Aspen's face was different now. His grin was gone, his eyes blazing with fury. She had humiliated him, made him look like a mount to be tamed. His pride was hurt.
He let his axes fall to the ground with a heavy clang.
Aspen raised his bare hands, fists curling.
Watching his without weapons, Mei darted forward, dagger thrusting for his chest. Aspen's arm shot out like a snake, seizing her wrist midair and with one brutal twist, he broke her balance. His leg swept out and before she could react, he turned his hip and threw her over his body - a perfect, crushing hip throw.
WHAM!
The sound of Mei's back slamming into the arena floor rang across the arena, silencing everyone. She gasped, out of breath. Dust clung to her hair and face as she lay stunned, chest heaving, her dagger slipping from her fingers.
Aspen loomed over her, fists clenched, his shadow long and heavy. He let go Mei's writs, Mei's hand dropped on the dirt, her dagger slipping from her grip. She was still conscious, but her body wouldn't move, she felt powerless.
Aspen turned away from her, raising his arms to the crowd roaring as if the fight was already over. Cheers rose from crowd like thunder.
But the roar silenced mixed with Gasps, then the crowd roared again.
Aspen frowned as looked back, but it was already too late. Mei was already on him again, climbing him like a lizard. Her legs coiled tight around his throat, her arms locked firm around his head and shoulders. She perched on his back once more, clinging with the last of her strength.
This time her grip was stronger, desperate, unyielding. Aspen's didn't had his axes anymore, so she paid full attention on chocking him.
The crowd screamed.
Aspen didn't rushed. He didn't thrashed like before. Instead, his massive hand reached up, holding her wrist but not to rip her free, but to keep her in place. His lips twisted into a grin.
In one swift motion he jumped forward rolling into the dirt with his full weight. Mei cried out, crushed beneath his weight, but she did not let go. Aspen started rolling, his massive frame grinding against her, pressing the air out from her lungs. He rolled again, and again, till he reached the end of the arena.
Mei's vision blurred. The world spun she felt dizzy and nauseous. She tried to wriggle free, tried to make distance, but Aspen's grip was tight. Her breath came ragged, every second felt heavier than the last.
They reached the arena's edge. For a heartbeat Aspen paused. Then, with a cruel laugh, he turned and started rolling again.
Mei's arms slackened. Her legs loosened. Darkness clawed at her vision.
Aspen stopped feeling her body go limp, then seized her, gripping her small frame in both hand like she weighed nothing, as he lifted her up and with a brutal twist of his torso, threw her out of the arena.
The crowd screamed. Mei's body flew outside the arena but a cluster of quick hands reached up from the stands, catching her before she hit the ground. She gasped, alive but pale, her body trembling, eyes half-shut. A moment slower, and the landing might have broken her bones.
Aspen stood tall in the arena, chest heaving, but he stood straight, victorious. He raised his arms, this time sure of his victory.
The elder's voice thundered:
"Winner — Aspen!"
The scoreboard shifted: Aspen, 2 points. Mei, 0.