Ghost won't kill without reason.
Both Sly and I agreed with that fact.
Of course he's hardheaded and easily gets angry but he never kills unless he has a good reason.
We embraced each other while lying on the bed as we tried to think of a way on how to rescue Ghost.
After a while, Sly decided to join the fight at the arena, planning to defeat Ghost as the champion can ask anything as their prize except those who serve under a master.
I held him tightly as most of the fights are deadly and I was afraid that he might get hurt in which he spoke gently to me, telling me that he will try his best to win.
Though I have faith in him, I hated to think that he will definitely get hurt as most of the fights are bloody since they have to fight in their regular selves without using any weapons, magic or transforming into their other forms. A lot of the participants are unhinged after fighting for so long that they became bloodthirsty. What made it worse is that all of the participants are predators except for Ghost.
I'm also afraid that Ghost might lose his sanity eventually.
Sigh.
I straddled on Sly's abdomen, much to his surprise, in which I moved my face towards him, held his face with my both hands, closed my eyes and kissed him while my tears fell down on his face.
I slowly kissed him while crying as deep inside my heart, I prayed all kinds of prayers for everyone.
For my Lion, who is still imprisoned at the dungeons.
For Ghost, who is forced to fight for his life.
For Orm, who is still under house arrest in the very place that gave him trauma.
For Alpha, who made a contract just to bring me back.
And for Sly, who made a difficult decision just to rescue Ghost.
All because of me.
Everything that happened is all because of me.
And this time, I should also do my part to them.
....
Sly insisted that I should stay in the inn as he is afraid that no one will protect me if I watch the fight as the spectators might get wild especially if their favorite fighter got killed.
I simply nodded and told him that I wish that he will get back soon to which he grinned and gave me a short, intense kiss as he whispered to me that he wants to kiss me longer when he return from the fight.
Then with a kiss on my forehead, he left.
What he didn't know is that I'm planning to go there.
As Sly told me earlier, he recognized some of the magical items that I stole from the palace.
One of which is the bracelet of invisibility.
....
The spectators are in high spirits making me think that they are watching an intense fight with the participants.
As I'm invisible, I tried to explore the arena, being careful not to bump to any creature as they looked manic and ferocious.
I can see Sly confidently fighting some creatures in which I'm assured that he might end up facing Ghost at the end.
Squinting my eye, I was surprised to see that the master of the arena is a prey.
That's weird.
Either he has great strength, which is unusual or he practices magic, which by looks of him, is impossible.
What made it even more weird is that he has a head that looks like a gazelle.
Hmm.
There's something fishy going on.
I moved closer in which to my great luck, I noticed him wearing several magical looking rings that glowed whenever he is unhappy about a certain participant wearing a cuff around their neck, making them scream in pain that distracted them which made them vulnerable against their opponents.
He's manipulating the fights!
I can feel my blood boil as I realized that he's the one responsible for making some participants lost their sanity.
What shall I do then?
I was thinking of a strategy when to my horror, I heard Sly scream in pain.
Sly!
He is crumpled on the floor with a huge claw mark on his back that looks like it's sizzling.
Poison.
There's only three of them left as most are dead already.
I swallowed my fear as I'm kicking my brain for a plan as the two other participants are moving towards Sly with malicious grins on their faces.
Curses.
I moved fast to the side of Sly when I heard a crash on the ground with dirt scattered everywhere.
Ghost!
He defended Sly as he tried to kill the two participants using his hands in which he mangled the bodies of them, sending blood and gore everywhere.
I was about to sigh with relief when I saw his eyes that showed no emotion.
Curses!
How long has he been staying here?!!
He moved closer to Sly in which his hands begin to form into a fist. The spectators are roaring with excitement as they expected Ghost to kill Sly, making him still an undefeated champion.
It's either I listen to my impulses or Sly will die.
I then stood in front of Sly as I removed the invisibility bracelet.
I can hear gasps from the spectators, Sly groaning my name and the outraged voice of the master of the arena.
But they didn't see my face as the hood covered the upper half of my face and the bandana covered my nose and my mouth.
Ghost smirked at me as he moved closer in which I position myself in an attack stance.
Oh I definitely will remove that smirk on your face, you moron!
I am not an expert by any means but I did spent 30 years of training various fighting and defense techniques as I have no talent in swordfighting, archery or other weapons.
I can only rely on my brains.
Let the fight begin.
....
Ghost's movements are mostly pure instincts in which I can easily predict his next move.
They relied too much on their strength without using their brains.
With the blessings of my Muay Thai instructors in which I sent a quick prayer of thanks in the heavens, I did several fast jabs and uppercuts towards Ghost, hitting him in several parts of his body in which his eyes widened in surprise.
Bet you didn't expect that, huh?
My cloak is starting to annoy me in which I removed it and threw it towards Sly, who sat up in alarm despite his injuries.
Next, I push kicked him in the chest as he tried to get closer as his eyes are beginning to look like he wants to murder me.
Hmm.
Good.
He didn't recognize me.
Time to switch attacks.
He tried to punch me in the face in which it made me furious that I punched him hard on his chin using all my strength in which he suddenly collapsed.
That was fast.
I didn't expect that.
And I definitely did not know that he has a glass jaw.
I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't get to use more techniques in fighting.
While I was staring at Ghost's body, disappointed in our fight, I slowly became aware that the arena is quiet. Too quiet.
I glanced around in which I noticed that the master of the arena is looking at me, speaking furiously about something that I don't understand.
I simply yawned as I stared at him, feeling a bit sleepy since I didn't slept well last night as I was too worried.
Sly crawled towards me, in which he tried to translate some of the words to me.
The master of the arena wanted me to kill Sly and Ghost before he can give me my prize.
No way.
I'm not doing that.
The spectators seemed to hold their breath, watching the master of the arena lost his composure as I refused to kill Sly and Ghost.
With anger as I remembered seeing him manipulating the fights, I raised my finger towards him and made a obscene gesture.
Sly guffawed while the spectators roared with laughter.
Hmm. It seems that this gesture has the same meaning in this world.
With a shout, the master of the arena called 10 of his guards that run towards me.
Sly tried to get up in which I shook my head and walked towards the center of the arena.
I can hear Sly's cries towards me while I simply took a deep breath and observed the appearances of the guards.
I'm not powerful enough to defeat them so I have to think of another way.
They are moving closer in which I suddenly noticed a similarity among them.
All are members of the wild cat family like one looks like a cheetah, the other looks like a tiger, you get the picture.
Only their faces though as their bodies have different appearances.
Sigh.
I was about to try this on Lion but I decided to use it today or else I will die.
They are getting closer as I took out a bottle of concentrated catnip in which I secretly poured all over my body.
Heh.
You can guess what happened next.
To the amazement of everyone, especially Sly, the guards began jumping with gusto around me, rolling on the floor towards me, purring and nuzzling against my body.
How cute.
When I caressed one of the guard's heads, the other guards hissed towards him as they tried to make me caress their heads also.
I was having fun with them until a furious scream interrupted our moment.
The master of the arena gnashed his teeth, furious at me that he tried to order his guards to kill me to no avail.
I began seeing red as he took out his anger towards a creature who was sitting beside him.
Hearing the poor creature's cries of pain made me decide to punish the lunatic in which I asked one of the guards to carry me towards the master of the arena.
Then I ordered the rest of the guards to follow me as the guard who was carrying me ran towards the podium.
The master of the arena was too engrossed on hitting the poor creature that he didn't notice me behind him in which I punched his face hard.
He was knocked out cold in which I took off all his magical rings and stamped hard on them with my foot, breaking all of it.
I can hear sounds of cuffs opening in which I realized that the master of the arena was controlling a lot of creatures, including some of the spectators.
I can hear gasps of surprise that turned into happiness as they rejoiced that they are finally free from the control of the master of the arena.
Satisfied, I put on my invisibility bracelet and disappeared, running away while the guards are sniffing around, trying to find me.
Oops.
I forgot their sense of smell.
Oh well.
Nobody can see me anyway.