'' If you are brough down you get five seconds to get up, the fight will begin again when you lift your knee and not when you are standing again. If the two of you will wrestle on the ground at some point than bitting and weak points like eyes are allowed. If worse comes to worse anything it's on the table. The fight will not stop till either of you fly's off the ring or it's a clean knockout . ''
Those where Mr. Touma words when he told Danuja about the rules of the Ring. Neither of them really talked about going, fighting on the ground in the first place, even though Danuja let herself think of possibilities while filling her nails.
The familiar ground she was on brought her confidence, confidence that when added to adrenaline bring arrogance in most people.
Danuja was never 'most people', so with a clear mind she goes for the strike.
---
Human flesh was soft.
That was in Danuja mind when she sunk her fingers in Hawk eyes, making him scream and dig his own fingers in her sides before beginning to punch her ribs and hips.
For the first time, Danuja noticed the crowd roaring around them and the referee steady presence that was actually kind of bothersome with his fixed, expressionless staring.
Hawk thrashed making Danuja grit her teeth and tighten her legs around him. The bite on her arm come as a surprise but it wasn't anything unfamiliar or even something that hurt in the first place. Dad fangs are much sharper and unforgiven whenever he would scold her when she was younger.
Briefly, she thought of finishing him in a knockout but her eye wasn't taking her side in the slightest, making her miss her mark most of the time.
Danuja fist punched Hawk right in the middle of his forehead, even though her aim was to his jaw, then the sharp whistle and hands tugging her off made her snap out of it.
The third round was over.
----
'' Good job over there.'' Mr. Touma said jumping in the ring himself, still in their corner, searching in the ice bucket '' Didn't know you could hold your ground like that.'' he said taking out the small blades
Memories and greed flooded Danuja mind, making her turn her head at the man.
'' What the-? Don't be dumb Danuja.'' he said harshly '' There's no way you can see with that eye. If you are that worried about the bet, just so you know at the first hit there the wound will burst and blind you.'' he said trying to resonate with her stubbornness
'' Can you image that?" Danuja asked instead feeling a little lightheaded '' Two blinds fighting. Who would hit first?'' she said laughing just to flinch when Mr. Touma shoved a pack of ice on her face, numbing the wound
She hissed before looking at Hawk who was chugging a bottle of water while his coach was cleaning his eyes.
'' You were a little off mark there.'' Mr. Touma said absently taking the ice off her face before checking the red bite on her arm. It didn't draw blood but it was red and ugly with too many teeth marks. '' Right under his eyes.''
'' I finish him off this round.'' Danuja declared coughing before spitting blood on the side. Mr. Touma didn't blink an eye at her act.
'' See that you do.'' he said frowning at her swollen eye. Before he could scold her again, the whistle blow once more making her step back in the ring, her guard up when Hawk lunged at her like an animal.
'' Angry?'' Danuja gritted using his own momentum to hit his sides, trying to focus on his stomach while thrashing him around.
She panicked, okay, more than panicked when Hawk hand brushed under her thighs, too close to her crouch. He was trying to lift her off the ground, she realized briefly slamming her elbow in his spine.
A punch at the back of his head made him stumble and lose his grip, Danuja assaulting him with a fury of hits, jabs and hooks alike. Hawk next hits where easily side stepped, Danuja pivoting around them before making herself smaller, hitting Hawk stomach.
She cornered him at the end and Danuja wasn't really sure how many minutes they were like that, she hitting his stomach, gut and Hawk trying to keep her away from him. For a moment his arms even failed him, scratching her arms making her grunt with frustration, slamming herself in his body.
Finally, Hawk stumbled to the side, looking too pale and ashen too much before throwing himself in the bars, throwing up. It wasn't a surprise for Danuja, especially when she saw Hawk chugging that bottle of water in the middle of a game.
Fighting implied other ugly sides beside blood and throwing up was one of them.
Walking unbothered at the sick young man and stumbling just the littlest bit because of her eye, Danuja took a hold of his under knees and pushed.
Hawk was throw off the ring, the crowd roared and the referee tugged her back in her corner, talking something that she didn't even try to catch. Danuja leaned on on the bars, not quite standing, looking up at the ceiling bright lights. She felt hands patting her back, a voice talking to her making Danuja look down.
'' Good job kid! Now get your ass over here, I'm pretty sure you got a concussion.'' Mr. Touma said laughing at the victory, Danuja jumping off the ring.
'' There's no blood.'' she said faintly on their way to the changing room. Where the lights always this bright? And why where her legs tingling?
'' That's right. You won the bet kid, fair and square.'' he said proudly tugging her in the room '' Know you had it in you.'' he said taking out a small bottle from his pockets '' Sniff this would you?'' he said already shoving the bottle under her nose
'' Ugh.'' Danuja said retching when the smell of alcohol hit her sense making her blink startled. She was still a little dizzy but not enough to blabber nonsense
'' Better?'' Mr. Touma asked making her groan.
'' I felt like I got hit by a car. Or more.'' the man patted her back
'' That's the right feeling then.''