Chapter 316 - Hit Me 'Till You Love Me!

As Aiko shot towards her opponent like a dart with her fists intent on bestowing a fury of blows upon him, Macheo countered before she could raise her fists--stepping in to meet her halfway as he grabbed her face, cupping her cheeks with a firm grasp. 

"Eh?" 

A blush filled her cheeks as they warmed up against Macheo's palms, but a gentle touch was not what awaited her--that much was seen in the intent lying in his crimson eyes. Using his hold on her head, he swung her entire body into the air in such a way that her legs pointed towards the ceiling before she could process what happened. Slamming the girl straight into the ground with as cold and tight as steel bindings, Macheo sent her head first as an impact resounded through the coarse floor, Macheo received a thunderous applause, backed by a volley of cheers from those in the stands. 

"WHAT A DEVILISH MANEUVER! YOU WOULDN'T EXPECT IT FROM HIS SLIGHT BUILD, BUT THE BOY HAS QUITE THE SAVAGE ARSENAL!"

"Talk about playing rough. There's that Sambo slipping through."

Whistling as he witnessed the brutal slam, Jae-Seong smiled at the clash of two comrades while Ren was still uneasy--wanting neither side to be hurt. 

Dammit, Macheo, just end the fight already…! Ren thought. 

Looking down at the girl as her breathing ran ragged, bloodied and bruised from the harsh, powerful collison with the ground, Macheo didn't hold any joy. 

I remember what my devil of an uncle told me when I was young--why the Aminoff family practices this style: "To return those who challenge us to their rightful place; to put them at our feet; to look down at them". That's what I hate so damn much about this rotten family of mine, Macheo thought, but I have to admit--it's pretty damn useful. 

With half her face buried in the sand, blood began to mix in with the rough, plentiful sediment before she coughed, slowly lifting herself as her nose ran with the sticky, crimson essence. 

Even as he looked down at the girl who looked half conscious with sand clinging to her face by the adhesiveness of her own blood, Macheo no longer asked for her to surrender. 

Wiping the abundance of crimson hanging around her nose, Aiko switched right back into gear with a surprise straight punch aimed right for the young man's solar plexus. Though her grogginess had taken its toll on her body, moving much slower as her wrist was easily grabbed; supporting her forearm with his other hand, Macheo swung the much smaller girl over his shoulder--sending her on a pathway right back into the sand. 

Before such a fate could be reunited with Aiko, the girl showcased nimbleness that seemed unreal, regaining control over the movement of her body as she spun herself around, grappling Macheo from the back as she wrapped her legs around his sides tightly, bringing his neck under the tightness of her arms. 

"A rear naked choke…!?"

Grabbing onto the sill of the quartz viewing window once more, Ren peeked his head out as the sight that spurred from an unorthodox set of maneuvers. 

"Nice eye; a perfectly executed one at that...looks like she was putting on a bit of airs with how out of it she really was. Being as small as she is, she can execute it to its full capacity--with her legs wrapped around his waist like that, there's no damn way he's losing her."

Even if Jae-Seong, the resident martial arts expert, told him this, Ren held his doubts--knowing personally what kind of a warrior Macheo was. 

"EVEN WITH HER BACK AGAINST THE ROPES, AIKO ISN'T GOING DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT! SHE MIGHT EVEN SQUEEZE OUT A WIN!"

With his throat being compressed from every angle, Macheo gritted his teeth as saliva coated his lips, his pale complexion shifting to a reddened hue as his eyes watered. In such a situation, restraints began to dissipate as his brain released adrenaline into his veins. 

"Well, I should say--in normal cases, a position like that would land Aiko the victory. But...this is a Lucrauvian we're talking about. The very concept of "loss" is poison to them. I've seen it in my time there: the more hardened, traditional folk will lose a tavern brawl...then slide a blade across their throat in shame. When push comes to shove, even against someone he cares about, Macheo will find victory where it shouldn't be born from."

This time, Jae-Seong's words were as sharp as a blade, there was no jest to his silver-lined words as both Fedrin and Ren looked at him out of concern of this information--bringing their eyes back to the battle as the crowd began to roar with greater intensity. 

Wrapping his fingers around the gauntlet-clad arms of Aiko that held his throat so intently, Macheo held his breath before jumping up into the air with the girl still tightly clung to his back. Facing his back to the ground, he crashed back down--falling atop the smaller, slighter of build girl as she let out a silent gasp as her breath evacuated her lungs that became burdened by the weight atop her and the landing below her. 

Even still, her hold didn't loosen--tightening up as her lungs returned to function. And yet, this resolve wasn't exclusive to her as the golden-haired prince managed to stand back up despite the girl so desperately trying to put him out. 

Again, he jumped into the air, this time finding greater height as he squatted lower, packing reinforcement into his legs as his reddened face was calm and collected despite the veins pressing against his skin. 

And again, a harsh landing fell upon Aiko as the breath filling her lungs was emptied; her vision falling to a blur as her eyes watered from the reunitement of her back to the uncomfortable, prodding sand below with an impact that shook the ground. 

I won't...let go…! Aiko committed. 

Even as it felt like her brain was bouncing off each side of her skull, blood pouring from her nose, she used every ounce of her focus to tighten the grip she held. 

Only able to let out small gasps of air between grunts, Macheo's face turned as red as an apple--his eyes sharing the same shade as they watered--but like Aiko, he tightened his hold on her arms as he raised himself to his feet slowly but surely. 

"This is hard to watch…"

Ren muttered under a pained breath, witnessing the clash that turned into a brutal test of willpower between the two. 

Between Ren and Iris, they didn't willingly place any favorites in this matchup between their dear friends--but personal feelings came naturally; Macheo was a reliable, and relatable friend to Ren--he felt as if he was watching himself out there, struggling. Although he didn't fully recognize it, he rooted for the Lucrauvian prince. 

And all the same to the blue-haired young woman, Aiko felt like the spitting image of herself--and more than anything, they both wanted to conquer their insecurities. 

"It might be a good time to mention; the victor of this round shall be my opponent."

Coming from Iris' right, she turned to see Andraste speak without turning his gaze to anyone in the room. 

"Huh…?"

"That's right...though, it's hard to decide who I'd prefer; on one end, I do like to dominate fiery women, but then again, dismantling a prideful fool is always just as entertaining. Choices, choices."

As wicked as ever, these words spilling from the man's lips were something Iris did her best to ignore, but it was now a thought that embedded itself into the minds of both Iris and Valerie. 

There's something not right about him…"Andraste"...he's not normal. If he really is one of the Victorious Seven...it's bad news, Iris thought. 

Planting the soles of his boots firmly into the sand, Macheo squatted down low once more as the crowd fell silent--not even a breath escaping one's lips. 

It was a battle of its own to find the strength in his fleeting consciousness to allow him to command his body to jump; the weight of the girl now felt like a mountain on his shoulders as the lack of blood flow made his legs feel like wobbly strings, weak to the gentlest breath of the wind. 

"It'll be decided right here and now."

"Yeah...seems like they're both on their last legs."

"What I mean exactly is...if Macheo can jump once more, Aiko won't be able to hold on any longer. But if he can't jump, then he's going to be knocked out."

Jae-Seong flicked his shades up as he briefly turned his golden eyes over to Ren before returning them to the battle, clearly exhibiting whatever vast knowledge he had stored. 

"They're both amazing; a tournament like this...I didn't expect such a grand event in a somber place like this."

Commenting from his unorthodox stance of having to bend down to witness the bout through the window, Ju-Long didn't budge in the slightest despite his uncomfortable seeming stance. 

"Truly...I'm no fighter myself, but seeing them like this, giving it their all...it really lights you up."

Fedrin smiled with a small chuckle, placing his hand over his heart.