Capítulo 31: Section 30: Mind Games

The fight will start soon, Ender and I will face multiple enemies in that large courtyard. My injuries are not completely healed, and I feel rather dizzy since that dream happened. Joel and Adrian watched us from the balcony, his hands were cuffed and Adrian waved happily at us from the audience seat.

"That guy is so relaxed, huh?" Ender snickered.

"Which guy?" I asked the annoyed Ender.

"That tall pale guy" he growled.

He must have meant Adrian, I do agree he's pretty relaxed and carefree. Even after he leaked our information that is. I somewhat dislike Adrian now, and I wish I could smack some senses into him. A few minutes later, Vladimir stood on top of the podium. He raised his arm in the sky as he looked at me and Ender with expectation.

"Now as expected, ladies and gentlemen! Ender Warren and Aria Schneider will be judged based on their fighting prowess, whether they are suitable to be our warriors" Vladimir stated.

About five men enter the courtyard with blunt weapons in hand. One of them carries a crowbar, wooden bat, and any other blunt weapons I could see.

"Wait, why are we using weapons now?" Ender asked confused.

"It is a battle to the death" Vladimir added from his podium.

Ender clicked his tongue, he immediately snatched a nearby wooden stick on the ground.

"Aria, they're planning to kill us," Ender added.

I clenched my fist as the five men started to approach us in delight, the bloodbath must be what they wanted. They walk in a circle around us, like a shark circling its prey. Before they managed to strike first, I rushed to one of them and punched them fair and square from below. The man I punched lost its balance and released his grip on the crowbar.

"Got it" I grabbed the crowbar on sight.

I aimed my crowbar at the rest of the men who wanted to hurl at me.

Ender stood on my back, covering me.

"Stay sharp Aria," Ender reminded her.

"Yeah, I will do" I replied.

The rest of the men charged at me, thinking that I'm probably the weakest. Due to my small stature, I could dodge them easily. I strike them with a crowbar on hand, my dizziness didn't help me that much.

"Aria, you're not focused" Ender spoke worriedly from afar while defending himself from the men.

"I'm sorry, I'll try to focus more," I said exhaustedly.

Just when I was about to lose myself in exhaustion, I felt a sudden tap on my shoulder. As if he reminded me about something.

"You can do better than this" a shadow of the white boy flashed in my mind.

"Huh?".

"You can do better, you're a good girl anyway" he spoke softly next to my ears.

Unaware of my surroundings, I was hit by a bat on my back.

"Aria!" Ender ran to me as he tried his best to protect me with his best capabilities. My mind is muddled with the boy in white.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I have to do my best" I tried to stand, despite my hurting back. A sudden panic attack hit my nerve, a sudden of hopelessness entered my mind. It hits like a truck, I wanted to be useful. If I ever showed any weakness, no one would want me.

"I want to be stronger" I spoke vividly.

As soon as the panic attack hit me, I could feel a surge of chaotic energy inside me. I pushed the man who was about to hit Ender with his idiotic wooden bat. I screamed at top of my lungs and hit the man's head with the crowbar.

"Stop it! Aria!!" I could hear that distinct timid voice from afar.

It is Joel Cassian's voice, his distinctive gentle voice. He rushed between the crowds, he reached up to me in the middle of the battlefield. His hands were still cuffed, but his hands were warm when he held my stained hands.

"What the-" I gasped when Joel shielded me from the people who were about to hit me. The person with a baton hit Joel's head, he's bleeding. Even so, Joel kept his eyes on me, observing me with his gentle aquamarine eyes. His framed glasses became crimson red because of the pouring blood from his head.

"STOP IT! STOP THE MATCH!" I yelled at Vladimir who still stood proud on top of the podium. No one is hearing me out, I am yet just another unimportant person in this cycle of life and death. Vladimir treated me as his lab experiment. I was chosen as his warrior because of my bloodthirst.

I am aware of what he's scheming, and yet why do I feel like I need to prove my worth? Since Vladimir and the others ignored me, I came to the man who just got hit by my crowbar. He's still half-conscious, I cradled above him and aimed the crowbar toward his throat.

Vladimir watched me intently, his eagle eyes sharpened on my figure.

"STOP THE MATCH OR ELSE I'LL KILL THIS MAN!" I shouted.

The participants in the match froze on the spot, including Ender. Joel laid on the dusty ground, his head kept bleeding excessively. Ender saw this chance as an opportunity to evacuate the injured Joel. From his podium, Vladimir laughed as if he just saw something comedic unfold in front of him.

"I did say a deathmatch, my dear Aria" Vladimir chuckled.

"Well, then you don't mind losing one of your warriors huh?" I smirked at the arrogant tyrant.

Vladimir sharpened his cold eyes toward me.

"You said it's a deathmatch, but that was a lie isn't it?" I taunt the man. "You want me to be your warrior, then why would you even bother making this as a deathmatch? You want to see my reaction, do you, sir Vladimir?".

He didn't speak a word, his intention on the deathmatch is only to test my will and courage. I don't want take part of his mind games.

I thrust the crowbar, deeper into the injured man's throat.

"I can kill him right now, but it wouldn't be that fun" I smiled as I looked up toward Vladimir. "Losing one of your warriors, in the middle of this chaotic drone killing, is that a smart move of a leader?".

As I spoke those words, Vladimir signaled his men to stand down. His lips formed an odd smile that I've never seen before.

"You are true, a smart warrior Aria Schneider" Vladimir clapped his hand. "Or is it because you're scared of killing another person?".

Sweats and anxiety surging through my body, he tested me yet again. He wanted to see whether I have the courage to kill someone else for him.

"I would kill someone if that person is worth killing" I replied defiantly.

"Is that so?" the cold tyrant watches my every movement.

I just hope Joel is alright, and I wanted to escape so badly from this settlement. This man is a true manipulator. He stepped down from his podium, he walked with a confident step toward me. The old man Vladimir grabbed my arm forcefully.

"Now, I want you so bad as my warrior," Vladimir added.

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