As Vorgath and the Boss finished their chatting, the gangsters erupted into cheers and jeers following their boss's command. I stood there, my mind racing with thoughts of uncertainty and anger.
"Are they really going to fight us kids? What did we do wrong to get the boss angry?" I thought to myself, my fists clenched in frustration. I then continued thinking, annoyed by this sudden turn of events, "It pisses me off. If I could get the opportunity to fight their boss, I would slap their boss's face."
The girl's voice erupted into my thoughts, her tone laced with skepticism. "Was this all according to your plan?" she asked, her eyes narrowing at me.
I replied, unprepared for this question, "Umm... of course, it's going according to plan. We will get out of here. And help the other kids escape." I tried to sound confident, but I could sense the girl's distrust.
The girl wondered, surprised by my answer, "He is also going to help the other kids escape from here, but I don't trust perverts." She said her words not fully trusting me, but decided to follow my plan, for now.
Then, the two gangsters came into the front of the Arena, their red handkerchiefs tied across their heads. One of them, with a deep voice, said, "Let's fight, shall we? Don't be scared, maybe we will hold back."
The other gangster, with a menacing grin, said, "Who is the 'we'? It is only you that's holding back. I don't give a shit about these kids, even if I have to kill them." Hearing their words, I realized they were more serious than I thought.
Both the girl and I stood there, frozen, but I couldn't let this end like this. My mind started to flood back with memories of when I was bullied in school. The bullies' insults sounded like I was receiving them right now.
"But now I'm a trained young boy," I thought, my determination growing. "It can't end like this. I have to put the training with my Dad to the test." I remembered the words of my Dad, "A true warrior never backs down from a fight. He faces his fears head-on and emerges victorious."
I then said finally to the girl, "Go back, I can handle this." I tried to sound confident, but I could sense her skepticism.
The two gangsters then entered the arena, their eyes fixed on me with a mixture of amusement and contempt. "Woow, kid, you're acting all tough now. Do you really think you can beat us, the men, while you're just a child to us?" one of them sneered.
I sighed, my anger growing, and then I shouted, "Bring your damn ass over here, I will show you who the man is!" I cracked my knuckles, ready for the fight.
The girl behind me never had complete faith in me, but I could sense her eyes on me, watching me with a mixture of curiosity and concern.
As the gangsters approached me, I thought to myself, "This is it. This is my chance to prove myself. I won't back down. I won't lose." I took a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest, and prepared for the fight of my life.
As the gangsters smiled and were annoyed by my words, one of them removed his mouth from his pocket. "You're gonna regret your words," he sneered, his eyes gleaming with malice.
I swallowed, my mind racing back to all the training I had with Dad. I remembered the countless hours of practice, the sweat, the tears, and the triumphs. But as I looked at the gangsters closing in on me, I felt a surge of doubt. "I didn't even know right now, but when I'm having training with Dad, I feel like I can beat anyone," I thought to myself. "But when these gangsters are coming, I feel like I can't beat them. Is it because they're grown men?"
I thought back to my fight with Ryder and his classmates. I had won, but this was different. These were gangsters, hardened criminals who wouldn't hesitate to hurt me. "Maybe that's the reason why," I thought, trying to psych myself up. "I remembered I beat Ryder and his classmates. But I'm fighting gangsters, and I'm just standing."
As I continued to think, the gangster with the knife charged towards me. Everything seemed to slow down as he swung his knife, but I dodged it by moving a step backwards. I then grabbed his hand, using all my strength to throw him to the ground. The knife fell from his grasp, and the girl's eyes widened in surprise as she stared at it.
The other gangster didn't use a knife, instead opting for his fists. He swung his left hand, aiming for my face, but I caught it and twisted his arm. He panicked, trying to struggle free, but I used my knee to deliver a swift kick to his balls. He crumpled to the ground, clutching his balls in agony.
"Yes, I can do this," I thought, a surge of confidence flowing through me. "I will make the training with Dad worth it." I felt like myself again, like I could take on anything.
The Boss and Vorgath watched the scene unfold, their faces expressionless. "It seems that kid already knows how to fight," the Boss said, a hint of surprise in his voice.
Vorgath smiled, his eyes glinting with evil intent. "Indeed, Boss. Then we now have our reason to tell our men not to hold back on these kids."
The Boss nodded, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "That's why I like this about you, Vorgath. You always think ahead."
He raised his voice, shouting to the gangsters. "No need to hold back on these children! Fight with all your strength!"
The gangsters cheered, their voices echoing through the arena as they closed in on me. I stood tall, my heart pounding in my chest. I knew I had to be ready, to use every trick in the book to take them down.
As the gangsters continued to close in, the girl behind me picked up the knife, her eyes flashing with determination. "I'm going to cut these punks into pieces if they dare touch me," she thought, her voice barely above a whisper.
I, on the other hand, was focused on the gangsters in front of me. They were a rough-looking bunch, each with a different colored handkerchief tied across their head. The first one to approach me threw a punch, but I was ready. I folded my hands into a shield and blocked the blow, using the opportunity to grab his hand and punch him in the face. He stumbled back, bleeding from the nose, and I quickly pulled him closer to prevent him from falling.
As I held him in place, I jumped up, my knee connecting with his face. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious. The other gangsters hesitated for a moment, but then they charged forward again.
I kicked one of them in the stomach, sending him flying back into the others. They all went down in a heap, giving me a brief moment of respite. But the gangsters were relentless, and soon they were coming at me from all sides.
One of them grabbed my hands from behind, holding me in place. Another one approached me, knife at the ready. But I was not going to go down without a fight. I kicked up with both legs, connecting with the knife-wielding gangster's stomach. He doubled over, stumbling backward as the other gangsters tried to catch him.
The one holding my hands started to twist them, trying to make me bend down. But I was not going to give in. I jumped backward, rolling onto the ground and using the momentum to carry me forward. I ended up behind the gangster, and with a swift kick, I sent him crashing to the ground.
As I lay there, catching my breath, I saw another gangster approaching. He was bald, with a white singlet and a handkerchief tied across his head. He was the one who had brought us here, and now he was going to fight me.
"You're a tough kid, I'll give you that," he said, his voice dripping with menace. "But you're no match for me. I'm going to enjoy taking you down."
As the baldy carried me, lifting me up above his bald head, I said, "Leave me alone." His brown-skinned color made it look like his head was shining like a star. The baldy said, "You want me to leave you alone, Alright I leave you." The baldy then dropped me, and my back hit the ground.
The girl, still behind, watched as she thought, "Even though he may seem like a pervert, I have to do something to help him." She was still holding the knife she took as she marched towards the bald man. The girl said, "Leave him alone or I won't hesitate to stab you."
The man turned to her, and every gangster was looking at her as if it was a joke, including me. Then everyone started laughing, except for me, as I thought, "What is she doing? Is she crazy?" I was worried that she would get herself into trouble.
The bald man teased her, "Hey, kid, just shut up or I'm going to use my finger to hurt you." She got annoyed, trying to make sure her left eye would blink. The man then held the knife and threw it out of the Arena. The girl closed her fist, angry about this, as the bald man said, "Know your limits, kid. You're too weak to join into boys' matters."
As the baldy was talking, I was still on the floor, but I was planning my next move. I thought to myself, "I have to do something. I can't just lie here and do nothing." I used all my strength to lift my leg and kick the bald man's balls. The bald man knelt down, and it made a loud sound, "Bump."
The girl, still angry, then punched the bald man's face, and he fell down, still holding his balls. The girl said, "Shut up, you baldy. Who are you calling weak?" The rest of the gangsters were surprised that a girl took down a man.
One of the gangsters said, "Wow, she's got some skills." Another gangster added, "And she's got some guts too." The bald man, still on the ground, looked up at the girl with a mixture of pain and respect.
The girl stood tall, her breast heaving with anger, and said, "Don't underestimate me. I may be a girl, but I'm not weak." I looked up at her, impressed by her bravery, and thought, "She's not just a damsel in distress. She's a fighter. Talk about being a female."
The scene was intense, with the gangsters looking on in surprise and the girl standing tall, her fists still clenched. The bald man, still on the ground, was a reminder that she was not to be underestimated.
As the tension died down, I got up from the ground, brushing myself off. I looked at the girl and said, "Thanks for helping me out."
As I thanked her, she got angry and said, "Shut up, I don't need it." It was like a punch to the gut, but now that I think of her behavior, she reminds me of my mom. "Crap, it isn't over," I thought, as I saw more gangsters entering the Arena. "We have to get out of here."
The girl stood there, looking at the men with her fists clenched. Vorgath and The Boss were still watching, surrounded by a few gangsters in the crowd. The Boss said, impressed and holding his chin, "They're really strong for being kids. I think I'm getting a liking for kids of their age currently."
Vorgath replied, smiling with his eyes closed, "Indeed, I agree with you, Boss. They have potential." Their Boss then turned to the children tied to the walls and smiled evilly, "They will be next."
The children of different ages were scared, and the little ones, about 5 to 8 years old, were crying. A tall boy of my age with spiky orange hair said, crying, "Please, leave us alone. We didn't do anything wrong, let my sister go and let me stay instead. Leave my sister alone... please."
The boy's little sister, who was around six years old with long brown hair, also cried, "Brother, please I won't leave you alone. Let's stick together." I stood with the girl, watching as the gangsters got closer to the Arena. I was concentrated on the gangsters, while this hot-headed girl watched the boy and his sister cry, tied across each other.
She held her hands together, and I thought, "We better get out of here." I looked at the girl and held her hands, but I remembered that she would yell and get mad at me. However, when I looked into her eyes, I saw a gaze filled with mercy.
I decided to look at what she was looking at and left her hand, gazing at the brother and sister tied together, crying. I thought, "They're crying, I have to help them out somehow." I said to the girl, who was still looking at them, "Hey, let's jump out of this Arena."
I shook her hand because she wasn't concentrating, and she looked at me, getting angry, "What is it?" She then looked at the boy and girl again, and it felt like I could understand the boy and his sister's pain as I watched them crying.
I said to the girl gently, "Hey, let's get every kid and children out of here. Let's do this together as a team." The girl didn't speak but rather looked at me, then looked down at the floor surprised by my answer and embarrassed because she wasn't expecting that answer that touched her so hard from which she has been going through and said, "R-Right."
As the gangsters entered the Arena, the girl's head was still down, rubbing her arm against her arm. I was fully concentrated on the gangsters coming closer, knowing I had no choice but to act fast. "I need to get out of this crap now," I thought to myself.
I took the girl's hand by surprise, and she looked up at me, her mood shifting from embarrassment to a normal mode. "Hey, what are you doing?" she asked, her voice laced with confusion.
"Getting out of here, what do you expect? Now, let me carry you," I replied, trying to sound confident.
But the girl was having none of it. Her mood changed to angry, and she said, "No, I'm not allowing anyone to carry me by heart."
I wondered what she meant by "by heart," but before I could ask, she shouted, "I'm not going to let you carry me, pervert!"
I sighed, knowing I had to act fast. I grabbed her arm and threw her over my back, holding her in place so she wouldn't let go. She started hitting my head, saying, "You big pervert, leave me alone!"
As we made our escape, I jumped to the left side of the Arena, using the gangsters' heads as stepping stones to avoid falling. The gangsters who got stepped on were falling down, while others jumped to grab my legs, trying to make me fall. The girl was still hitting my head, making it hard for me to focus.
But I managed to jump high onto the wall where the children were tied, holding onto the wall with one hand and my school shoe with the other. As I slid down gently, I said to the girl, "Stop hitting my head. I'll try to fight with the gangsters while you untie the kids. You better hurry, because I can't fight them all."
The girl thought to herself, "So that was his plan, huh? I haven't met anyone like him before." She looked at me with a mixture of admiration and surprise.
I turned back to face the gangsters, who were getting closer. "Hurry, if you're done, find a way to escape. I'll be fine," I said, trying to sound confident.
The girl nodded as she muttered to herself "This guy is something else. I don't know if I should be impressed or annoyed."
As the girl finished muttering, she removed the knife from her right pocket, which was always by her side, a trusted companion. She was wearing her signature pink singlet and short brown trousers, which reached her knee, a practical outfit for a girl who was always ready for action. With a swift motion, she started cutting the rope that bound the boy and her sister, who had been crying uncontrollably just moments before.
The boy's eyes widened in gratitude as he said, "M'am, please, thank you for saving us." The girl's expression remained stoic, but a hint of a smile played on her lips as she replied, "Don't mention it. We're not out of here yet."
As the rope was cut off, the boy and his sister were released, and they hugged each other tightly. The little sister's eyes sparkled with tears as she said, "Big brother, let's do this together. We are family." The boy smiled, his eyes shining with determination, as he replied, "Yeah, we are in this together. After all, I would leave everything behind, even if I have to follow you again."
As they shared their beautiful moment, I realized that the gangsters had stopped cheering and had parted to make way for someone. My eyes followed the path they had cleared, and I saw the boss walking towards us, flanked by Vorgath. The boss's smile was like a cold wind, sending shivers down my spine.
"Ah, you again," I said, trying to sound brave. "You must be the boss of this gang." The boss chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement, as he replied, "So what if I am? And where do you think you're going?"
I stood tall, my heart pounding in my chest, as I said, "Let's face this head-on. One on one match." The boss raised an eyebrow, his smile growing wider, as he said, "You think you can take me down? I'll enjoy watching you try."
As he lifted his hand, the same purple energy that had immobilized me earlier began to emanate from it. I tried to move, but my body was frozen in place. The girl, still holding the knife, was also immobilized, her eyes flashing with anger. The boy and his sister were frozen in place, their faces etched with fear.
The remaining children, still tied to the wall, began to cry, their voices echoing through the arena. The boss's laughter was like a knife, cutting through the air, as he said, "You fools. You think you can defeat me? I have the power of the purple energy, and with it, I am invincible."
As he monologued, I realized that the boss was not just a simple gang leader. He was a man with a vision, a man who believed that he was destined for greatness. And with the purple energy at his disposal, he was almost unstoppable.