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Kara stiffened.

“Keep your filthy mouth shut, youzamash drek’aa kulink daa,” she hissed furiously. Layahn chuckled.

“Your Vraxian is improving. Let’s see if you have as much to say when I rip your throat out.”

“Quiet!” barked Ela. “Lyrith and Vysh, are you ready? Bow to me. Bow to each other. Fight!”

This pairing lasted longer. Vysh and Lyrith were more evenly matched, their fighting skills comparable. Again and again, one would drive the other backwards only to have the tide turned in the next moment.

After ten minutes both were panting and sweating but neither would give an inch. Vysh had a cut on her arm and Lyrith a gouge on her leg, both the result of sweeping kicks which left each of them bloodied and bruised. Neither looked like they would give up.

The end came after they’d been fighting for nearly half an hour. Lyrith had driven an exhausted Vysh to the edge of the ring. In a burst of energy, she rushed at her opponent, intending to shove her over the line.

But Vysh, in an impressive display of control and timing, planted her foot in Lyrith’s midriff and rolled backwards, flipping her overhead.

Lyrith landed on her back, winded, about two feet outside the circle.

The crowd erupted into cheers. Vysh immediately helped Lyrith to her feet and the pair hugged.

“I’m so sorry,” Vysh said, upset that she was responsible for someone else’s disqualification.

“Are you kidding?” said Lyrith. “That was a total bad-ass move.”

Ela grabbed Vysh by the hand and raised it in the air.

“Winner,” she declared and the crowd roared again.

When it quietened, the only two Potentials left entered the ring. An air of expectation descended on the crowd. They were avid to see how long a human would last against a Vraxian.

Ela spoke quietly to them both.

“I want a clean fight. Understand? I see any evidence to the contrary, I’ll disqualify both your asses without blinking.”

“Yes, general,” they said in unison whilst holding each other’s stare. Ela sighed.

“Bow to me,” she said loudly. “Bow to each other. Fight.”

Forty Four

They circled each other warily. Layahn towered over Kara but she didn’t make the mistake of rushing in. She wasn’t going to underestimate the human this time.

Kara knew there was no way Layahn would fight fair. The Vraxan had made it pretty clear she was going to try to fuck her up, so Kara wasn’t taking any chances.

When Layahn made her move, she was ready.

The Vraxian came at her fast in a fluid stream of movements, one after another. A punch, a feint, a roundhouse kick that nearly caught Kara full in the face with her talons. Only a last minute block saved her eyes.

“Layahn, watch your attack,” Ela reminded her. “Low kicks only.”

The Vraxian grunted, barely acknowledging the reprimand. She launched into a new set of moves which Kara was forced to parry. In a split second lull she went for a leg-sweep and managed to unbalance Layahn long enough to land a kick to her midriff. Her opponent backed off, holding her stomach. Kara grinned.

“Not enjoying a taste of your own medicine? Be glad I didn’t have my boot-claws out.”

Layahn bared her teeth and came at her again. Kara countered by back-flipping out of reach, ducking under her opponent’s elbow and snapping a foot to her knee.

The crowd lapped it up, screaming encouragement to both the contestants.

After that the fight descended into little more than a brawl. Layahn threw a barrage of kicks and punches that left Kara on the defensive. She doggedly fended off the attack and even managed to get in a few of her own strikes.