Chapter 260: Chapter 259 – Blood and Bathhouse

“On this side, we have a man that no one knows and probably will never know. Challenger number 2495!” the Fiddler announced.

The crowd's cheers were thunderous with numerous cries of “2495” and “Old Man”. The man’s jaw clenched at the introduction, his brows furrowing as he began to mutter to himself. Yuki couldn’t tell what was being said.

“On the other side is a new face that I’m sure you’re all dying to know,” the Fiddler said. “This will be her first taste of the Coliseum. Let’s see if she could make a name for herself.”

The cheers were quieter for her, but she expected such. She was new and the audience didn’t know whether or not she would perform well or not. 

“Let’s see what today’s rules are going to be.”

A blinding light flashed above the arena and left behind a rune written out of mana. Yuki read it easily. Magic.

“Ooo. Today’s weapons will be magic only,” the Fiddler announced. At his words, Yuki felt her mana rise. “Let’s start the countdown!”

The rune became a ten and the crowd began to shout in time with the timer as it ticked down. In that time, Yuki started to prepare herself. She snapped her finger and summoned a small flame, relief flooding her as mana flowed with its familiar ease. Then she extinguished it and let her mana channel through her entire body. 

“FIGHT!” the crowd roared.

Yuki barely had time to blink before a bolt of energy was shot at her. She hopped to her side, dodging the bolt in time to see her opponent winding an arm back. He punched towards her, another bolt shooting at her from his fist.

‘I see.’

The man relied on ranged attacks. With his frail looking body, Yuki expected nothing less. She zoomed forward, bobbing and weaving between each shot, closing the gap between them. 

But then the man’s fingers began to move. From the corner of her eye, she saw a flash and ducked. A blast blew past her, the mana radiating out from it easily detectable. She turned her head to look behind herself and found a number of shots zooming towards her.

‘He can guide them I see.’

Getting hit by one would prove detrimental. It wouldn’t be able to fatally injure her, but it could impair her movements, opening up opportunities that she couldn’t afford to give. But she noticed one curious thing. He stopped launching more shots and was completely fixated on guiding the blasts that were already out.

‘Limit? If that’s the case.’ A satisfied grin tugged at her lips.

She charged forward, expanding her senses to a small radius around her. Whenever a blast came near, she pinpointed it and would dodge it at the last second, keeping her eyes locked onto the old man’s hands in case more shots were to be launched.

When she got within a few feet, the man began to shuffle backwards, trying to keep the space between them. Yuki was going to have none of that. She channeled mana to the soles of her feet and created a blast of air to rocket her forward. As she flew toward the old man, she encased her fists in mana, hardening it. 

Her first punch the man barely dodge. The second struck true, slamming into the man’s face straight on. He fell back to the ground and Yuki followed him. 

“Please!” he cried as Yuki raised her fist to continue the assault. He put his arms up, covering his face. Yuki paused. “I’ve already lost two in a row. I just want to live.”

The old man’s voice shook as he spoke. Yuki stared, her heart not budging in the least. It didn’t matter what this man wanted. 

Her arm snaked forward and grasped the man’s wrist in a flash, jerking it away as a blast erupted out from it and flew past her. She frowned and promptly slammed her fist into the old man’s stomach, the air getting knocked out of the man. She continued, landing blow after blow onto her opponent. She only stopped when the old man stopped moving. His eyelids flickered as he laid sprawled on the ground, barely conscious.

“You’re not the only one who wants to live,” Yuki whispered.

“We have our winner!” the Fiddler cried, his voice filled with excitement. “And in a convincing fashion as well. Number 2495 didn’t seem to stand a chance.”

The crowd roared with approval, shouting out words of praise. With the lack of introduction Yuki had, they directed these praises at the “girl”. 

“And sadly. That marks the third loss in a row for our man here,” the Fiddler said. He sounded remorseful, as if he truly cared for the old man. “And you all know the punishment for that.”

The world around Yuki warped and she was transported to the sides of the arena, behind the glass panels where other fighters had been watching her. She heard them whispering around her, but she gave them no heed. She kept her eyes glued to the man that remained on the ground. 

A person was standing next to the fallen man now. Yuki recognized him immediately. It was the Fiddler. The scar on his cheek was crinkled up as he smiled towards the crowd, his arms spread apart. The crowd cheered him on as if he was a celebrity. Then he gestured to the man on the ground.

“As always, you have a say in this man’s future,” the Fiddler said. “So tell me. What do you think he deserves?”

“DEATH!” the crowd thundered.

“Then if that is your answer, I shall give it!” he cried.

He snapped his fingers and a gun materialized in his hand, a revolver from the looks of it. Then he aimed it carefully at the old man who remained on the ground, the crowd cheering him on. With a pull of the trigger, a bang louder than any revolver should make rang out, the cheers of the crowd rising to a fever pitch.

The man stopped squirming on the ground, blood pouring out from his head. But as Yuki watched, she saw him slowly disappear from view, blood and all, until it was as if he had never existed.

‘I can’t let that be me,’ Yuki thought, her fist clenching. 

“Now! To our next matches shall we?” the Fiddler announced with a grin as he blew the top of the barrel of his smoking revolver. “Maybe they’ll be more exciting?”

---

 

Yuki was left alone as she watched the next matches that followed hers. The people around her avoided her as if she had a plague. Yuki didn’t mind it at all. It was for the better. She didn’t want to know any of them. There might be a time where they would be pitted against each other. The less attachment she had, the better.

Somewhere during the fourth match, she moved from her spot and went to look for a bathroom of sorts to shower. The Fiddler had said that showers would come in due time. This was as good of a time as any. It was probably the only time she would be outside of her room barring an emergency.

Her hopes were answered by a hallway that had baths labeled at the top of the entrance. A massive guard stood in front of it, a spear in his hands. When Yuki approached, the guard put a hand out and she stopped.

“Ah, you’ve won today,” the guard rumbled. “Lucky you.”

“Lucky? How?” Yuki asked, raising a brow.

“With your looks, this place is a bit dangerous,” the guard replied, looking her right in the eye. “Stay in your room. Don’t delay. Avoid people, both the men and the women.”

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“Why are you telling me this?” Yuki said. “You seem awfully courteous.”

“It’s part of my job. I warn people. They don’t always listen.”

“I see. Then can I go and bathe?”

“Third door on the right,” the guard replied. He stepped aside to let Yuki pass.

“Thank you,” Yuki said as she walked by.

The third door opened up to a wide bathhouse. Steam filled the air, the heat pressing against Yuki’s skin. Her eyes locked onto the bottles of shampoo and conditioner that were neatly placed in a basket. She took one and looked around. She wasn’t alone in that room. 

Three other women were inside, their bodies submerged under the water of the bath. They were looking at her with curious eyes that Yuki promptly ignored. She continued to explore the bathhouse until she found a closed chest. When she opened it, she found a set of clothes consisting of a tunic and pants. 

‘Perfect.’

With everything she needed in place, she promptly stripped off her ripped clothing and tossed them into a trashcan near her. She stretched her arms up, enjoying the feeling of being finally free from that dirtied and destroyed outfit. 

When she turned around, she found the women still staring at her though no longer with curiousness. Their mouths were parted open, one of them blushing.

“What’s wrong? Never a girl naked?” Yuki asked, a small smile tugging at her lips. 

“Not used to a girl who strips so openly,” one of the women replied. Her voice had a rough quality to it. 

“We’re all girls in here, so everything is just fine isn’t it?” Yuki said. 

She went to one of the showers in the side of the room and lathered herself up. As she rinsed herself off, she could still feel the eyes of the women on her. More than one pair felt hungry. 

‘So that’s what that guard meant,’ she thought. 

She finished up and slipped into the bath, only a few feet away from the group of women. A sigh escaped her lips as she turned to rest her head on the edge of the bath, her eyes on the three women. Two of them turned away hastily, but the third, the one who had spoken, continued to watch.

“You shouldn’t do that so openly,” the woman said with a small frown. “Some women around here would gladly see you acting like that as an invitation.”

“Are you one of them?” Yuki asked, winking. 

‘It would be better if I take control as fast as I could,’ she thought. 'Can't let any rumors spread that I'm a pushover.' 

“What? No!” the woman replied hastily, shaking her head. “I’m just saying there are others like that.”

Yuki rose a brow and stood up in the bath. She walked toward the woman, the water only at her waist, as droplets fell from her breast. The woman pinkened, but couldn’t seem to look away.

“Are you sure?” Yuki asked, sinking down until their eyes were at the same level. “Do you want to test that?”

“Are you teasing me?” the woman asked, finally looking away.

'Oops. I got carried away,' Yuki thought.

“Maybe,” she smiled. She laughed for a bit before she turned away and rested her back against the bath wall. “Don’t worry. I know all about that.”

“Then say that!” the woman cried, whipping her head toward Yuki only to promptly turn away again. “No need to drag this out.”

“I couldn’t help myself,” Yuki replied. “Say. What’s your name?”

“Why?” the woman asked suspiciously. “To tease me some more?”

“No. I just want to know who I’m talking to,” Yuki shrugged. The woman eyed her carefully before sighing.

“I’m Jesse,” she said.

“Yuki,” Yuki replied. There was no harm in using her real name now. It wasn’t like they were going to escape any time soon. “Who are your friends here?”

“That’s Alex and that’s Karie,” Jesse said, pointing at each of the women in kind. “They’re lesbians as you probably noticed when they turned away as red as a tomato. They’re also a couple.”

“But we’re also open to threeways,” Karie blurted before being punched by Alex.

“Sorry about that,” Alex said to Yuki. 

“It’s fine,” Yuki smiled. She looked over at Jesse. “How about you?”

“Me?”

“You like girls as well?”

“What do you mean?” Jesse said, turning red. “Don’t just assume things!”

“Bi then?”

“NO!”

 

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