Dan, Dan, Dan!!!
The underground arena buzzed with life. Cheers bounced from every corner, food and drinks traded hands, gamblers gripped their tickets, and the atmosphere thickened with smoke and anticipation. People came for the spectacle, sure, but everyone knew the real fuel of this place.
Gambling.
The thrill of betting rent money, savings, or kidneys on half-crazed fighters beat sweating on a farm.
The Earth Rumble had exploded into a sensation in the underground community, where skilled benders proved themselves in brutal contests.
"Ladies and gentlemen! I know what you've all been waiting for..." A man with a mustache that stretched like a snake across his face raised the mic, drawing out the moment. "Yes, you've been waiting for some—RUMBLE!!!"
"YEAH!!!"
"Let's gooo!!!"
"Woooo!!!"
The announcer's voice cracked like a whip, hype spilling through the cavern.
"Before dessert," he grinned, tipping his hat, "let's start with the snacks of the night!"
The crowd erupted again, drums thundering in rhythm.
"If so, I'll introduce our first contestant..." The ground beneath him cracked open, the floor splitting toward the ring.
From the earth rose a tall, lanky figure with brown hair, long limbs, and a skirt that swayed as he walked. His belt bore an artificial skull, cheap intimidation.
"I give you... the Slithering Snake!!!"
The crowd howled. The drums pounded harder.
"Huh? 'Slithering Snake'? That's the best he's got?" whispered a spectator, hand over his mouth.
"For our next contestant... we have... The Scorpion!!!"
A heavy weight slammed into the ring with blurring speed. Dust exploded outward, forcing Snake to squint. When the air cleared, a hulking man stood in the center, muscles carved like stone, one eye blind, a scorpion tattoo crawling up his arm, and a black jacket barely covering his mass.
Some booed. Everyone knew his record, his fights always ended with him injecting a "harmless" poison from his gloves into his opponent, restricting their movements. Cheap, but effective.
Why did people still fight him? To prove themselves, even under unfair odds. And why wasn't he disqualified?
Because this was the Earth Rumble.
From the platform above, a figure surveyed the ring. His long, shining hair glowed faintly under the torchlight, his toned frame radiating authority. His deadpan face betrayed no emotion.
Xin Fu.
"Our host and referee for tonight, the infamous Xin Fu!!!" the announcer bellowed.
The crowd cheered, though some muttered uneasily.
"Ain't that the guy who used to be a bandit?"
"Could be rumors... but he looks dangerous enough."
"Everyone in that ring looks dangerous!"
The rules were simple: knock your opponent out of the ring, and you advance.
Xin Fu stepped forward, his presence commanding silence.
"As tradition, anyone who believes they can defeat the earthbending champion tonight... and succeeds... will earn a hefty prize."
Both Snake and Scorpion licked their lips, eyes gleaming with menace.
"Good," Xin Fu said flatly, stepping back.
A boy pushed through the crowd, slipping into the front row. A straw hat covered most of his face as he picked his nose lazily.
"So this is the Earth Rumble? Bigger than I imagined—" He jolted when the man next to him screamed, and then, grinning, he joined the cheer.
The fighters squared off. Silence rippled through the crowd.
"Begin!" Xin Fu signaled
.
Snake struck first, sweeping low. A wave of earth surged toward Scorpion.
The brute didn't flinch. He planted his leg in the ground, splitting the wave in two. With a grunt, he tore a chunk of the arena floor free and hurled it like a collapsing wall.
Snake's eyes widened. The wall capsized toward him, rumbling through the arena.
Debris blasted into the front row, forcing people to duck.
"Whoa!" The boy dodged a flying rock. "Guess that's why the front rows are empty..."
When the dust cleared, Snake was gone. The announcer lifted his mic, but Xin Fu held out a hand.
"Wait. It's not over."
Cracks spidered across the arena floor, circling Scorpion. The brute shifted uneasily, unable to tell where Snake might emerge.
The announcer's grin stretched wide. "The Slithering Snake unveils his signature, The Slithering Reptile!!!"
Boom!
Scorpion spun, grabbing, only to clutch a boulder that crumbled in his grip.
"It's a feint! The Snake slithers free again!" the announcer roared.
Snake reappeared, slamming a door-sized rock wall against Scorpion, shoving him toward the ring's edge. The brute shattered it with his bare hands, but in the shards flew a hidden strike, another rock clipped his leg, knocking him off balance.
The crowd exploded.
"Is the Scorpion OUT of the arena just like that?!" the announcer shrieked, twisting his mustache.
"Hell no!" gamblers cursed.
"Just like that?!" others groaned.
In the stands, a boy tugged his father's sleeve.
"Father... are we going to be homeless? That was our rent money we bet..."
The old man placed a trembling hand on his son's shoulder. "No, son. A true gambler never gives up. If this doesn't work out, I'll sell the farm. And if that fails, I'll sell my kidneys."
The son's eyes sparkled. I strive to be like Father one day...
Back in the ring, Snake's chest heaved, sweat dripping. His shoulders began to relax, Until a hand clamped onto the edge of the ring.
Snake froze, eyes bulging.
"The Scorpion is STILL in the game!!!" the announcer howled.
Snake spun, hammering the ground, rocks spiraling toward his foe. But Scorpion dragged himself up, dodging the barrage.
Bam!
He landed hard, the shockwave filling the arena with smoke and dust.
"Not bad. This guy's strong," the boy in the straw hat murmured, pushing his hat up.
Then, A moment later, Snake's body flew out of the smoke, crashing outside the ring. The Scorpion stood victorious in the clearing dust.
"The Slithering Snake... has been KNOCKED OUT!!!" Xin Fu declared.
"HELL YEAH! Where's my money?!" one man roared, his crew fist-bumping.
The father and son clutched each other, tears of joy streaking down their faces. "What did I tell you, son? Believe in yourself!"
The arena went wild. The front rows were wrecked, rubble everywhere, but the straw-hat boy still sat calmly.
"You saw it, didn't you? He used his poison again..." a man muttered beside him. "Snake never stood a chance."
Xin Fu leapt back into the ring, hair shining in the torchlight.
"Do you want more, fellas?!"
"YEAH!!!"
"More broken bones?!"
"YES!!!"
"Do you want to RUMBLE?!!"
"YES!!!"
Their voices thundered together, veins bulging with adrenaline.
And then, silence.
A small figure, no older than ten, stepped into the ring.
Xin Fu jolted, his eyes narrowing. His hand brushed his long hair aside. "What are you doing here, kid? Scram."
The boy tipped his straw hat like a greeting.
"I'm Son Kuro. Nothing important, just here to compete for the best."
The entire arena went dead silent. Dice stopped rolling. Drums froze mid-beat. Even the gamblers stopped breathing.
And then—
"Hahahaha!!" the arena all laughed in unison.