The fighting arena was just like a UFC stadium, except that there was no cage, and the actual stage was far larger.
Kyle could tell that the arena was also reinforced, as the floor was lined with black flooring made of an unknown alloy.
He and the girls had taken their front row seats, feasting on popcorn and drinks as they waited for the fighting to begin.
"When is it starting?" came a quiet complaint from beside Kyle.
Himiko was sitting on the chair right next to him, resting her head on his shoulder.
She yawned and slowly blinked her eyes. "I'm already bored…"
Kyle pointed at a man who was taking the stage. "I guess it's starting now."
"Ladies and gentlemen!" a man screamed at the top of his voice, causing a wave of cheers from the audience.
He was a charismatic character with gelled-up blonde hair, rings lining his fingers, and a golden tooth.
The way he spoke reminded Kyle of Present Mic during the UA Sports Festival. The man was clearly copying his style.
"Welcome to FIGHT NIGHT!"
"Whooooo!" The crowd was ecstatic.
The announcer basked in the glory of the cheers for a few seconds, grinning wide before he brought the mic to his lips.
"Today, we have two major events, as well as a main event! First, we have our Pathfinder Knockout Tournament, a series of matches fought solely for glory!"
"There are no cash prizes involved in these matches. It is purely for those who wish to prove that they are the strongest."
"The winner of this tournament will be given an official title by our brand by the end of the night!"
He cleared his throat dramatically.
Before he even began speaking, the crowd was already cheering.
"And side by side with the Pathfinder Tournament, we have the tournament of tournaments, and the event which you have all come for, Gold Rush!"
"As you all know, Gold Rush is a way for aspiring fighters to test out their skills against pros, all while aiming for a prize of one million yen!"
"The event is simple. We will start with a round of thirty-two fighters and follow an elimination format until we get to the final fight."
Then he smiled.
"But tonight, there is a special change in Gold Rush. The winner of this tournament will be given an opportunity to fight the world heavyweight champion of the world!"
The sound of clapping and cheers encompassed the room, making it difficult to hear anything else.
Kyle was clapping as well, but not because he was impressed by their immaculate event planning.
He was already envisioning how much money he would make.
"Hehehe…" he chuckled, earning a worried look from Sakura, who was beside him.
He then decided to focus on the main reason they were here, training.
'The events aren't bad,' Kyle thought.
While the lack of prizes was going to make some people ignore the tournament, this meant that the weak, money-hungry fighters would be reduced.
It was a great opportunity for the girls to learn. Although this was just a mixed martial arts event, there was a lot of experience they could gain.
One of them was position awareness and adaptability. While others would be using their quirks, Kyle would forbid them from using anything apart from their vampire senses and a little of their strength.
That way, they would know how to fight in awkward situations.
Another thing that MMA would help them with was their reaction time.
Since they needed to read their opponents at all times, it would naturally translate to them being more careful in real-life situations.
"What are you thinking of joining, Miko?"
Himiko was still resting on his shoulder, so she tilted her head to stare at him, a small confused look on her face.
She blew a strand of hair off her nose before speaking. "Uhmm… the first one, I guess? I want to see just how strong I have become."
Kyle then replied, "That is a good idea."
Himiko smiled, her golden eyes twinkling from behind her domino mask.
Kyle watched her for a little longer, then overwhelmed by her cuteness, he did not know when he ran his hand through her hair, ruffling it.
She frowned, a light blush of pink painting her cheeks as she watched him.
"It's been so long since we went out, hasn't it?" he asked, his brows furrowed behind his mask.
Himiko tilted her head slightly, then pouted. "Well, someone has been too busy with work." She sighed.
Kyle laughed lightly. "Don't worry, I'll make it up to you soon," he promised, a small smile on his face.
She stared at him for a few seconds, then looked to the other side before speaking. "When we go out… there is something we have to talk about."
Kyle raised a brow, a sly smile on his face. "Something you can't tell me now? You're going to make me die of curiosity."
Himiko sighed and sat up straight. "Well, you'll have to wait!"
Just then, the first fight began.
It was a brutal one. Just like MMA rules, there were only two ways to win, with a knockout or submission.
Since superpowers were allowed, it was no surprise that the fight ended up painting the floor red.
The first fighter was nimble and fast, but his opponent was just too strong, and his quirk allowed him to manipulate the nature of the floor.
It was a terrible matchup, leading to the knockout of the first fighter.
Kyle continued watching the matches, advising the girls whenever he sensed a mistake from either of the fighters.
But when the tenth fight began, Kyle knew from the very start that it was going to be different.
"Alright, it is time for the tenth fight of the night! In our blue corner, we have our former world champion, Razor Head!"
Razor Head was what you would expect a pro fighter to look like. Hulking muscles, charismatic and confident.
He smiled smugly as the crowd cheered, moved by a familiar face.
'He looks tough…' Kyle mused as he glanced at the next fighter, only to quirk a brow. 'Huh?'
The man was like a walking corpse. His skin was discoloured, there were countless scars marring his body, and he was built like a tank.
'What the hell?'
Kyle immediately thought he was staring at some sort of Nomu, but the man maintained too much of his human appearance to be called one.
'This should be interesting.'
"And in the red corner, we have a completely new fighter, entering God's Arena today. His name is… uhmm…"
The announcer glanced at the paper, then at the fighter.
"Mr. Nobody? Anyway, let the match begin!"
Ring!!
"New to God's Arena, huh?" Razor Head said, slowly approaching Nobody.
"That is the only reason you would make such a foolish mistake. Gold Rush is not for noobs like you. Do you know how many veterans are gunning for the cash?"
Bang—Bang!
Two heavy hits bounced against Nobody's skull, but Mr. Nobody stood like a sentinel, not even flinching once.
Razor jumped back, a smirk on his face.
"Come on. Are you that fucking slow? You won't last a single day—"
Mr. Nobody moved.
BOOOM!
The crowd was left stunned, Heaven's Arena completely silent.
In a second, Nobody had closed the distance, delivering a nasty jab that shattered Razor's face, staining his glove with blood.
The former world champion was lying flat on the floor, his body twitching as the medics hurried over and carted him away.
After a few seconds, the announcer stuttered, "The winner is Nobody!"
Meanwhile, Kyle had his eyes locked on the fighter.
'Interesting…'
It seemed he had somehow stumbled upon an enhanced human, and he immediately associated it with none other than the Fallen Legion.
"This is going to be a fun night," he said as he stood up.
"Alright, Solvane, it looks like we are starting soon…."
..
A/N
My new Fanfic is out! Please add it to your libraries and check it out. I really want to know what you guys think about it, and I'm sure you'll love it *wink*
Jujutsu Kaisen: Gluttonous Speedster