Clearing the mess from the table and taking a deep breath, I looked over to Landry Eavy, our interviewer and correspondent. A stout Irish man with sandy blonde hair, a neat three piece suit and circular shades grinning back at me with a pair of encouraging thumbs up.
I wish I could return the gesture, but all I could feel was a sense of sickness and fear that I would never leave this place alive.
I slapped myself twice for good measure and knew I had to focus, there was an expectation on me to do my damn job and I was determined to see that through. I pushed pause on the recorder and looked down at Alduin as her muscles glistened in the spotlight, my writing hand ready to jot down notes.
This was the start of the tournament.
"This should be a truly remarkable tournament, folks. We've got 10 human competitors to start out our proving grounds opener and I'm ever so delighted to share with ya that 8 of them have been, per our tournament rules, taken without warning from their homes and possess only the most basic of competency in fighting!" The cheers and chants of NFC rained down on the commissioner who lapped it up before continuing. "Naturally, we only want the best of the best for our quarter finals, so once we're done introducing our contestants, we will have our proving ground match. Only the strongest make it to the annuls of the tournament."
She clicks her fingers and scales the fence, draping a massive bicep over the top and hanging from it like a gorilla on a swing before pulling herself up over the top, draping her legs over and hanging upside down, mic still in hand.
The pit began to open up, gears grinding and metal screeching as the surrounding stands, mine included, are steadily pushed back to extend the width of the pit to around 18m in diameter. The now exposed deep bottom began slowly rising as a dozen people began coming into view. Some confused, most exercising.
They're the participants.
The spotlight focuses on the group one by one as they are highlighted by Alduin, providing them a 10 second platform to showcase their persona. First, an extremely muscular tanned man in a sleeveless green hoodie, stretching out his calves and then doing burpees in place as he's introduced.
"His speciality is The Death Clutch, his musculature is INSANE. He will RIP and TEAR until it is done... one of only TWO invitational members; Rex "Ultraviolence" Chugg!" He pumps the air as his name is called, arrogance plastered over his face.
Next to him is a tall Filipino man in his early 20s, a backpack slung over his shoulder, red gi and black pants. He's brandishing a beautiful bolo knife with confidence, slicing the air expertly before bringing it close to his face, bouncing on his feet. But I can see sweat on his brow. He's terrified.
"Our next contestant is the son of a grandmaster in the art of Arnis. He's a weapons specialist with multiple ways to make you pay. He can cut you to ribbons and beat the pieces into the ground... Markus "Halimaw" Williams!"
Some distance away, kneeling down and his eyes closed is a gargantuan man that even from my distance could pass for 182cm and 136kg easily. He is carved out of granite, his black hair and beard shaven perfectly and his focus is immaculate. Even when Alduin calls his name, he does nothing to respond.
"This stoic soldier hails from Dagestan. He's a man with more mystery than emotion, but power that may even rival my own. A WCSF Sambo Champion and the pride of the motherland... Miroslav Zanaya!"
Two spotlights appear on either side of the sprawling structure, one Japanese man. Middle-aged and bald, sporting thick glasses in full Karate gi shadow boxing and working up a sweat. The other a Chinese man in his 30s with wiry brown hair, shirtless and wearing hakama/baggy pants as he holds a pose with supreme concentration.
"To my left is the Japanese sensation of the underground fight circuit in Hokkaido. He is a Kyokushinkai master who beat three of our handlers into a coma before succumbing to several more. He can gouge an eye out with his big toe and shatter your skull with his thumb; Tetsuo "Taishi" Nomura!"
She claps as he performs a spin kick and drops into the splits.
"To my right is a man with more balance than this arena has violence. He can break your legs without so much as a twitch, he flows like water and crushes like a pneumatic drill. He runs the territories in Beijing; Qwong Xiao!"
The spotlights shift to nearer the centre as two younger men are already squaring up, foreheads pressed against one another as they shout expletives. One, an Italian-American, his hair slicked back and a toothpick jutting around as he points a damning finger into the other man's chest. The smaller man sporting a pair of suspenders, a white tank top and a flat cap as he grinned manically, flexing his extremely calloused knuckles.
"These two are already raring to go, one is a striker with a bite as bad as his bark, the other a bareknuckle boxer with a 42-0 record. I proudly welcome Stefano "Flex" Justiano and Arthur "Switchblade" Willow to the NFC!"
They separated after a moment and looked back towards the man leaning against the far wall, one leg up with his arms crossed and his head bowed, giggling. Pale, tall and with bright white teeth, the front two jutting out just a bit too much as he grinned. He sported thick circular shades with blinders, Landry shouting "TWINS" like a damn idiot as he noticed. His outfit was a sight; A long black cape with a red and black three piece suit underneath, a small pocket watch with a black chain looping around the pocket and a maroon leather satchel around his frame. He bows and takes off his top hat clad with symbols around the brim as he's introduced.
"Our other invitational entrant is a unique one; this guy doesn't have a "traditional" fighting style, to say the least. I'll leave it at that for now. He's an illusionist and self-proclaimed dream catcher; Eustace De Kolta!"
Down to two, I'd furiously scribbled keywords and styles, it always helped me remember the rest of the info when I'm live. Following the trajectory of the spotlight, it rested on a young woman relaxing against the wall, arms behind her head and eyes cast up towards the commentary booth. She was small, sporting what can only be described as Japanese urban streetwear; a pair of black jeans with multiple chains and straps, a baggy sweater with the logo of a band I didn't recognise, a black mask with the phrase "DON'T OPEN. DEAD INSIDE" written over it and thick black hair tied up into bunches. She didn't have a care in the world.
"This feisty young woman came to us from a Hotel filled with horrors from this and all manner of other realities. I'm not even sure she's from THIS one! But, she knows how to handle a nightmare or two, I can assure you of that. I'll let her skills do the talking, she's a Vale Tudo fighter with violence aplenty! Give it up for "Wendigo" Wendy Hathale!"
She lazily waves an arm before letting it fall again, some of the other contestants looking at her with a grimace and contempt. Her behaviour didn't exactly instil confidence in them.
As the spotlight fell on the last woman, I felt the world slow around me, as if I was seeing something vital. I took in the woman down there taping up her fists and biting down on a gum shield with malice, her hazel eyes laser focused and staring directly up at the commissioner as she tied her hair back into a messy bun. Her legs were also taped up, she raised the leg into the air and struck her leg out with remarkable speed and power before doing the same with her elbows. This woman was a fucking weapon and yet she looked so familiar, like a faded picture of someone on the history channel you just KNOW you'd had deja vu of seeing before...
"Last but certainly not least, you all know her and remember her from her last outing in the NFC and we all know how THAT went. She's spent 3 years training and now she's back for more, but is she ready for the changes the NFC has gone through? A former champion in Pencak Silat and BJJ practitioner, Nora Zayne rounds out our competitors for this years proving ground!"
Alduin pulled her body up and let her head drop back once more, the smile a bizarre frown and the wild blonde hair floating in the wind, her voice dripping with malice.
"Now that we've gotten the introductions out of the way; let's get down to business. Some of you are worthy, some of you are not. All of you want a shot at this..."
She pushes down on her legs to hoist her body into the air before landing on her feet atop the cage, balanced perfectly as she pulls a shimmering black and gold belt from around her waist, complete with diamonds, strange symbols, wooden charms and the NFC logo on the main plate, small custom plates featuring Alduin attached to either side. She holds it to the sky with pride. "This is the NFC Openweight Championship, held by yours truly. There are 10 of you down there but only 6 spots in our quarterfinals, so some of you are gonna have to die."
The crowd shows their approval and claps, chanting "DIE, DIE, DIE" until she calls for calm.
"But the one among you showing the most promise? Well, you're not going into the tournament, you'll face me for this belt. You win? You get whatever you desire. The rest of you will have to fight through the tourney against our menagerie of night terrors with only ONE emerging as the next contender..." She jumps to the throne in her office and smiles at me before shouting into the microphone;
"BEGIN!"
-
NFC OPENING ROUND: BATTLE ROYALE
"Welcome back blood lusters and bone breakers, we're back in the thick of it with a most extreme opening round of the annual NFC tournament. I am still your host Sal "Motormouth" Sabotta and..." I look over and Nelle is already sat next to me, hands clasped together and fingers against her lips, studying. When did she get here? "And joining me is my cryptid expert Madame Nelle Lockwood. This really is a blink and you'll miss it opener, let's get right into it and see who is fighting who!"
To my surprise, there was a momentary hesitation from almost all participants. Nora stood her ground, arms bent in and knees primed for anyone, Tetsuo and Qwong both maintaining battle stances and Wendy simply keeping her daydreaming alive as a rowdy Stefano sauntered over to her.
"Ay, bitch! You forget this is a fightin' tourney?" He stuck his head forward and turned his nose up at her. "I may not have wanted to be here, but we had enough time to come to peace with it down below, I been in enough fights in my time to know what's what. Its every man or woman for em'selves, ya feel me?"
"Mm, it's not for me. Do what you want, Jersey Shore reject." She mumbled, not moving from her spot. He bit down hard and snapped the toothpick, running towards her and pulling her up by the scruff of her shirt, fury written across his face as he volleyed a fist into her stomach.
"Nobody speaks to me that way. Not out there where there ARE rules and damn sure not in here where we're free to do as we please."
In that moment, there was groan that progressed to a screech, the sound of a balloon popping, a splatter and silence. Wendy ripped the poor fucker in half with her bare hands, thick sharp claws extended from her elongated fingers for just a moment before sinking back to regular size. She dropped to the floor and pulled up her mask to lap the viscera on the ground, swallowing it with reserved glee before going back to rest against the wall.
"Oh. My. Goodness. She eviscerated that man without so much as breaking a sweat! Wendigo Wendy is certainly an apropos title! Nelle, could she be the real deal?" I ask, horrified by what I'd just seen and filled with adrenaline.
"A bonafide dark horse in this tourney? Yeah. A wendigo? I'd need more time to answer properly. But, I'll give her one thing... she certainly hides it well." A small smile slivered across Nelles face before concentration returned to it.
Switchblade Arthur Willow elected to make a move on Nomura, who hadn't deviated from his stance at all. Switchblade flexed his knuckles once more and I could see just how jagged and sharp they were; this was not a man to be trifled with.
"Bareknuckle boxing provides one of the best local tests for any fighter and a 42-0 record is nothing to scoff at, those knuckles look damn dangerous." I make a note of Tetsuo's stance and something seems... "off" about it. I look to Nelle for a rebuttal, but she's feverishly running through the pages of her book and waves at me to move on.
"Well, while these two have an elongated stare-down, let's look at the absolute specimens that are "Ultraviolence" Rex Chugg and Miroslav Zanaya!"
Rex was throwing caution to the wind and trading blows with Zanaya as if this was the finals. Every single volley fired was met with one of equal power and focus. I could hear skin split and swell under the pressure of these shots, but neither man would relent. Eventually, they would go in for a dual head-butt and be frozen there for a moment, eyes locked in both anger and respect, unable to make the other break.
It was then, as my eyes scanned the others fighting, that I understood why Eustace De Kolta was known as the dreamcatcher. But, to be frank, that name was clearly misleading on our esteemed commissioners part. Her eyes lit up, and she leaned forward at his making a move, pulling open the satchel and the thick black smoke billowing out with an ungodly shriek.
He was a Nightmare Catcher.
I watched something crawl out of the satchel with proportions not possibly able to fit in there; first the arms draped in paper thin, sallow skin, yellow veins pumping a thick liquid around its translucent body. Then the head emerged, matted black hair covered in a slime dripping down each follicle, the head adorned with three pairs of beady little eyes all on top of one another, a mouth filled with green and black salivating gums, not a single tooth in sight, but a long spindly tentacle protruding from its mouth. A black collar around its neck as it fully emerged, nude save for a pair of fighting shorts with the letters "EDK" on them. It looked to Eustace for a moment before he smirked and pointed towards Markus, whose composure had failed him entirely.
It charged toward him with an unholy shriek that threatened to damage my audio equipment, Markus desperately trying to grab a weapon from his bag before it got closer, but settling for the Bowie knife. He threw the bag towards it in an attempt to slow it down, but the tongue simply wrapped around it and squeezed until it split, never ceasing its crawl towards him.
"Eustace De Kolta has lived up to his name of illusionist and brought forth something so disturbing it might as well be nightmare fuel incarnate. Markus "Halimaw" Williams had better think of something fast, or he's out of this competition!" I bellowed, trying to remember where I was and what I was supposed to be doing.
"It's a devourer. It won't stop until it's been fed." Nelle said simply, eyes darting back and forth between the commissioner and the unfortunate scene playing out below. "They could stop this right now, but they won't."
Before any of the competitors could step in, the creature's tongue wrapped around Markus as he slashed at its exposed mouth aimlessly. It seemed mildly irritated, but not in any pain as it looked towards Eustace for guidance.All he did was close his hands like a flytrap, giggling.
Markus shook his head and begged for mercy, The Devourer drooling as it gripped him tighter, pulled him in head first and began biting. Hard. As he bit into Markus' head, a main artery was severed and blood rained around the pit once more. If it shocked our other fighters, they didn't show it. "W-Well, folks. Our second fatality of the evening and that means there's one more person to be eliminated and one to be chosen for Alduin's favour; who will it be?"
Looking over at Nora, she was busy exchanging blows with Qwong. Nasty grappling exchanges followed by heavy knees from her in the clinch and foot stomps by Qwong. Violent as it may be, it seemed to be a very muted affair; as if both were holding back.
Meanwhile, watching the fight between Tetsuo and Switchblade play out, the feeling something was "off" became more foreboding in the back of my head as Switchblade got closer.
You could see him angling the fists and when he swung with an overhand right, it wasn't shocking to see Tetsuo use the top of his skull to crack Switchblades hand and break it; this is actually a common tactic in some fight circles.
What was shocking, was the malice with which Tetsuo responded.
In the moments when Switchblade backed off, Tetsuo kicked him to the solar plexus, pushed into the pit he'd just made with his kick to then step up and deliver a swift kick to the face. In that moment, the fight fan in me lost my mind.
"TAISHI INDEED! This man is EXTREMELY ambitious folks and it. Just. Paid. Off. What he accomplished was rare to see in any kind of combat environment; This is known in martial arts as "the shadowless kick" and is a remarkable feat to watch for anyone who loves to fight!" Except in the moments following, I realised he used the heel of his foot, rather than the side or top to kick Switchblade, sending him crumbling to the ground and the mercy of Tetsuo, still standing on his head.
He grabbed at switchblades malformed hand and with both hands clasped, pulled at the joint as he kept one foot firmly on his shoulder and the other on his face, masking his screams. Within a few moments, the arm was torn from the socket and Tetsuo crouched down, pushing his entire bodyweight onto Switchblade before leaping off and yelling at the top of his lungs as he swung the errant limb down on Switchblades already damaged face.
The force he generated was akin to dropping a dumbbell on Switchblades head as the force sent his body crashing into the pit and creating a small divot where his head rested.
His body twitched with the impact and the room fell silent as he did. Tetsuo reached back and swung the limb into his lifeless body repeatedly; each sickening thud seeming to produce a more unsightly visage of the karate master.
"This is not behaviour becoming of a Karate Master... I must say that I'm all for a violent affair, but what is the point in smashing an already dead body? The fight is over and with Switchblade down, we have our quarterfinalists!" I slammed my fist down and looked over to the commissioner. She was ecstatic.
"That is NOT a Karate Master in the sense you and I know, Sal." Nelle was shaking, her hands tracing the contents of a page marked with three foreboding letters to form one terrifying word;
ONI.
As Tetsuo struck harder, his body changed. Horns protruded from his head, his skin grew blue and thick fangs stuck out of his mouth. The fighting around the pit stopped, Eustace pocketed back up his nightmare and leaned against the wall, eyeing the scene with curiosity. Both Rex & Zanaya rubbed their heads and stood their ground, Wendy barely moved from her spot but raised her head slightly. Zara and Qwong began to move forward to stop him.
Commissioner Alduin shouted at them to stop, holding out a hand and wagging a finger.
"That won't be necessary, you've all passed to the quarterfinals. Go to the benches and await your matchups. This one has piqued my interest..."
She dropped the mic and leapt down into the pit; her cloak coming off during the process and the belt wrapped around her small waist. She was an imposing structure of scars, muscles and malice. I had no idea how many battles this woman had been in, but it was clear she got her role from extensive experience.
"I don't know how you got past our little screening check, but this certainly explains how you beat so many of our guards. You wanna tell me what brings you here, friend?"
He drops the limb and flexes his muscles, the body barely fitting into the gi as he rips off the top half and the blue body expands slightly.
"Old rules don't matter. Lines blurred. Message needed to be sent." He slurred, circling around the pit as the remaining fighters sheepishly manoeuvred to a small area that'd been opened up by Watson, much like a dugout in Baseball. Alduin cracked her neck and unbuckled the belt, holding it up as she took confident steps towards Tetsuo.
"OH? An' what's the message ya wanna send to my humble little fighting club, demon boy?" She pressed her head against his. He was still taller but she was no slouch to look at.
"Both sides know what you did. Know you broke the rules. You will be punished." He smiles and jumps back, swiping her shoulder in the process.
-
NFC OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BOUT; "Taishi" Tetsuo Nomura (Challenger) VS Alduin Von Trier (Champion)
"Fight fans, you're in for a treat. Our commissioner and reigning, defending Openweight NFC Champion is defending her strap against her pick of the opening round selections. Can't say this'll be a fair fight given Tetsuo's admission to being a demon, however..." I wipe the sweat from my brow, I can feel the bloodlust in the air and it's choking me.
"Oh, I don't think you'll need to worry about that, very much." Nelle scoffed, propping her feet up on the table as she stretched and lazily flicked the pages of her book. "Keep watching, you'll see." A red light bathed the pit in a foreboding hue, the crowd falling to murmurs as Tetsuo lunged forward, missing the swift Alduin by millimeters. He stumbled forward and nearly lost his footing, turning round with a scowl.
"Whassa matter? Losing all that human composure. Now you're not wearing the master's skin?" She pouted and rubbed her eyes. "Must be SO hard to maintain that form for too long, stealing all those techniques just long enough to face me."
She rears back a fist and times it perfectly as he runs in, connecting with his jaw and sending his body sideways, head connecting with the ground as his body angles upwards and the force generated sends him rolling across the ground, twisting into a heap on the floor. She looks at her fit and smiles, pulling her arms around herself and hunching over.
"What a shame it wasn't even close to being enough. But you're right about one thing..."
I watch this gargantuan woman's back bubble; the skin stretching and tearing as a pair of great black wings emerge, thick black fur coating them around the back, the long bone running through the length of it coated in a thick black resin. The interior sporting two thin, wide mouths that sat with their teeth bared and jaws clamped shut. She was a monstrosity and made that clear to all as she propelled herself forward, grabbing the dumbfounded Tetsuo and pulling him into the air with her, smiling ear to ear with hands gripping his shoulders firmly.
"I do like to break the rules."
She beat the wings once and while using the upwards momentum to come eye level with us in the booth, winked and wrapped the wings around her opponent.
There was a crunch, a muffled scream, and when the wings pulled away, we saw why.
Both mouths were ravenously biting at his non-vital areas, pulling away chunks of his flesh like fresh barbecue as he screamed.
"The champ has the challenger in a precarious position. This could be over before it even starts! What IS she?!" I couldn't help asking out loud as Nelle shoved the book in front of me, it depicted myths and legends of a woman from all manner of religious textbooks that stood atop fields of corpses, cavorting with the many horned beast and bathing in blood.
"Simple; She's The Whore Of Babylon." Nelle gritted her teeth and leaned forward. "She's the woman I've sworn to kill."
We watched open-mouthed as Alduin sprayed the venue with black blood before turning her opponent upside down like he was a rag doll, clamping his already damaged arms with her legs and crossing the ankles around his neck. Her wings bit into his feet as they fell to the ground at great speed.
"I know Oni can survive most injuries, so I'll have to make it abundantly clear to you, your friends and everyone down there the one rule of the NFC." She purred, licking her lips.
"Sh-she's going for a spike pile-driver! At this height, the impact will surely finish the bout AND the challenger!" I belted, standing up from my seat to watch the impact.
They hit the ground with a deafening thud, his head sinking into the canvas and disappearing from sight, the arms stretched out like an unholy cross. The wings bit down hard on the ankles and spat out the bones, blood spraying around as Alduin laughed, picking up her belt triumphantly and the crowd cheered. The bout was over, as if there was any doubt.
We were a few minutes away from the quarterfinals and I looked at the impressive roster we had, knowing full well they'd have all manner of night terrors to contend with in order to get a shot at Alduin. But seeing a display of such raw power... it made you wonder what could stop a terror like that.
And she knew it, too. Because the one rule of the NFC certainly warranted being there, with consequences no man wants to face if he breaks it;
"Don't fuck with Alduin. All hail the champ."