Chapter 271 - Unacceptable Behavior

"Kraz, you're up." 

"You know what to do, Drogat!" 

Zelsh and Brak sent out their man without pause. They were tuned in to their plans and there was no coming back or show of hesitation. Both kept their eyes forward and ignored the other completely, at least before the match began.

Standing across from each other, Kraz and Drogat eyed each other. It was rare that they met a fellow beast that could match their stature, let alone the grade of their bloodline. Both elders with king-grade bloodlines bowed and grinned. The expression behind their eyes was enough banter to ignite battle so words weren't necessary.

Inka was happy to see the enthusiasm they shared. Excited for such a rare pair, she nodded. "Since you two are ready… you may begin."

"I concede." 

"AGAIN?!" 

"You think a newly-ascended early-elder has a chance against your high-elder nephew? Sorry, but there's no need for such a farce to even happen," scoffed Zelsh, unabashedly forfeiting the fight. "Don't worry, Kraz. Three years isn't too long of a wait."

"Thank you, Father. I look forward to a future match." Kraz respectfully bowed to the default victor. "Right now, you're my superior. But only for now."

"Ha! Good luck!" Drogat didn't complain or argue like his Uncle Brak. Instead, he acknowledged the victory with a nod and sauntered back to his seating area.

"Lord Zrand, this--"

"Brak, you won. What is there to complain about?" Lord Zrand calmly stated, momentarily bursting his silenced barrier. "Now let the exhibition continue before we run out of daylight."

It wasn't even mid-day, but that only went to show how quickly Lord Zrand wanted the exhibition to end.

"Numbers 5 and 6, please." Inka moved on as if Brak's comment was nothing but the wind. 

Fotain, the fourth king of the Toxic-shadow Prefecture, quickly sent out his only remaining candidate. It was the smallest of the remaining competitors but the fastest. The krin-tall rabbit flashed past its fellow representatives and landed on the arena floor. 

Such a sight calmed Brak's flaring rage and even got the king to chuckle. "Right… I forgot how desperate you people could get… Handle it."

Waving his hand as if sending the wolf to kill a rodent, Brak sent out his third seed. Though the rabbit was technically Fotain's first seed, that wasn't going to convince Brak that his predatory wolf couldn't kill the smaller creature. 

Growling, brandishing a hungry glare, the wolf trotted onto the arena floor with eagerness. It spoke loudly with telepathy, "Too bad… I don't like wasting food, but rules are rules."

"Try me, big tooth!" mocked the rabbit, standing up on two legs to match the large wolf's height. "After this, we'll see who a real predator is."

"If you're both ready… you may begin."

Immediately, the rabbit whizzed past the wolf and the wolf's hungry growl became a pained snarl. The wolf bore its fangs and charged the rabbit while dropping its jovial tone and mannerisms.

The rabbit's jaws speedily began to chew like the teeth of two saws grinding together. A small tuft of dark fur and flesh was eviscerated in less than a second by the rabbit multiple rows of small, serrated teeth. With great confidence, the rabbit ran back at the wolf to accept the charge.

One was covered from snout to claw in dark essence, dashing and swiping through the air with feverish rage. The other constantly blew past the larger creature with the wind as its aide. 

After five or so seconds, the first exchange ended with both beasts bearing fangs at the other. Blood was splattered over the rabbits' white fur, appearing to now have a bloody grin under its perfectly white eyes. No blood was on the wolf's mouth, but blood was beginning to dry around two of the wolf's paws. 

"I give," Fontaine calmly called out from the stands.

The rabbit continued to growl and bear its fangs but it did drop its wind essence. It stared back at the wolf with glee, grinning as if the wolf was lucky the match was called early. 

A single twitch. The wolf was irritated all the more to be looked down upon by the small, losing creature. It stomped its forepaws on the ground as dark essence expanded toward the rabbit.

"I warned you."

"Hooh!" A loud yelp escaped the wolf's angry maw as it was kicked and launched through the air. It was about to crash into the arena wall when a hand reached out and caught it all of a sudden.

"I warned you. No essence shall be used before or after any match, and is allowed only during the course of a fight," Lady Inka stated as she strolled toward the upside-down wolf. "Thank you, Sir Uutrai."

"Someone had to protect the wall. We don't want to cause any unnecessary damage," joked the man, lobbing the wolf back to the ground. "If it was permitted, I wouldn't have minded actually."

"Brak, what do you have to say?" Inka questioned. 

Shrugging and sighing, the dragon in human form replied, "I'm sorry, but that was nothing that I had taught him. Honestly, the brat is a disgrace to the region."

"B-but--"

"You have something to say?!" Brak snarled, shutting up the wolf. "Would you like to punish him or shall I?"

"I think… I'll allow you this time. As proof that you don't condone such actions from any of your representatives."

"I wasn't attacking! I was only--"

"Attacking outside of battle isn't your crime. You ignored my warning of arming your essence after the call has been made," Inka explained. "Had you actually attacked, I would've just killed you for being worse than rubbish."

"Why not?"

Suddenly, a long, thin spike flew through the air. Most couldn't even see the attack be made, let alone follow the spike's trail through the air. In a fraction of a second, the spike was firmly planted in the ground, jutting out as if it had come from the kings overhead. Then, the wolf's head suddenly drooped, letting a stream of blood trickle out of the clean hole going from its forehead to the back of the skull.

"There. Now we can move on, yes?" Brak asked with his casual smile, glancing at his golden spike embedded in the ground.